UB Interview Series: Jay Lyriq Talks R&B and New EP

Jay has performed alongside T-Pain on the BET Awards, BET’s 106 & Park, The Jay Leno Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and worked with numerous other platinum producers Jim Johnson, Dave “Preach” Balfor and Jimi Kendrix and major recording artists Trey Songz, Musiq Soulchild, Raheem DeVaughn, Flo Rida among others.

In April Jay Lyriq dropped the first single from his upcoming EP via Lyriq Music Group. “Cupid 2.0,” his revamped version of 112’s 1997 classic ballad “Cupid.” While Jay’s version uses elements from 112’s original chorus, he rewrote the lyrics for the verses. He’s followed it up with his brand new single “Schedule.”

For our Black Music Month Interview Series, Tishelle from UB spoke with Jay Lyriq about his upcoming EP. Jay also discusses the ongoing debate on R&B, Founding Nappy Boy Entertainment with T-Pain, Discovering his gift for songwriting, his list of essential R&B albums and much more!

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UrbanBridgez.com: We love Cupid 2.0. What made you want to cover 112’s “Cupid?”
Jay Lyriq: I was actually recording and had finished what I had to do. We were sitting there trying to figure out what we were gonna do next. I said hey man, do you think you could put a spin on the 112 record? At the time Chris Brown had did the Smile record (Undecided). So he replayed the beat. I kind of went off the original but I wanted to make it modern, to make it more 2019. The song wasn’t even meant to come out, I was just going to do it. I sent it to my manager and he was like wait..let’s send this out. It just kind of grew from there.

UrbanBridgez.com: You’re already gearing up for the new single “Schedule.” What is it about that single that made you want to release it next?
Jay Lyriq: I just felt the time is right. I did the record last year for release. But we decided we wanted to hold back on it. So we really could put everything into it. After the success of Cupid 2.0 and what it’s still doing. I was talking to my manager and just said, I think this is the perfect time to release Schedule. With that type of record, it seems like people aren’t really showing their feelings in R&B. Dudes anyway, on how they messed up and why they did that. I felt like with a visual along with what I was saying in the record, that would put a different spin on it. Like when dudes hear Schedule, I got some of the hoodest friends in the world. And they come to me, like yeah man you did that! It makes it cool, to say that you messed up. Putting it in that type of langue.

UrbanBridgez.com: Tell us about your upcoming EP and what we can expect?
Jay Lyriq: I feel like the story telling in R&B songs, like if you have a song about the club or having a good time. I feel like you need to tell a story. My thing with my songs, if you can’t talk them like you’re having a regular conversation. To me that’s a no no. I feel like we should be able to express ourselves, like we are talking back and forth now. If I’m talking to you like this, you should schedule me in. Give me some time, I don’t give a damn what you can buy for me. Just make time for me. Because if you don’t, somebody else will. That’s a conversation that’s real life. That’s something we can have where you understand where I’m coming from. A lot of these other R&B songs, are really just about what’s hot now. I feel like the story telling element of it, the truth telling is gone. When you listen to my EP, I have all kinds of different types of records. But you will be able to really understand the content in each and every song.

UrbanBridgez.com: Talk about some of the artists you’ve worked with and how those collaborations came about?
Jay Lyriq: Well I worked with T-Pain. Flo Rida, Yung Joc, Chilli from TLC, Mýa. Back in the day I worked with Usher, Sophia Fresh, they were signed to Atlantic. Those collaborations came about from the work that I did with T-Pain. Me, T-Pain and Tay Dizm started Nappy Boy Entertainment. We were all focused on building and making that grow. I helped Pain with a lot of his records, he was a rapper at first. A lot of people don’t know that. Then he wanted to get into R&B. He came to me and asked me to help with with that. He was like Jay can you help me with these harmonies and range. I feel like I really want to say something. So that’s just kind of how it came about. So I’ve been involved in a lot of his albums as co-writer. Including one of his last hits “Up Down.”

UrbanBridgez.com: How did you and T-Pain first link up & the what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from him about the industry.
Jay Lyriq: Me and T-Pain are both from Tallahassee, Fl. I was introduced to him by my cousin, I was like 14-15 years old. So we were best-friends from 15, all the way up. We connected on a music tip. I was signed to his mom and dads label. They owned the only label in Tallahassee, Stargate Platinum Plus Records. I was in a R&B group and T-Pain was the producer. So that’s when he got to see what I brought to the table from an R&B standpoint. And that’s when I fell in love with his production. Even though he was in the Nappy Headz and he was rapping. He was still making beats and even now he is still probably the most talented person I know. He did everything, he wrote, produced, he mixed, he did it all! I didn’t really learn about the music industry, because everything took off fast. You just learn, like when the getting is good everybody is there. Like hey bro, this and that, family also. Because you’re working with one of the hottest talents in the world. What I learned from him, is he was just like Jay. Make sure you always pay attention the the details. So the most important thing I got from him, was to make sure I pay attention to the details.

UrbanBridgez.com: When did you first start taking songwriting serious?
Jay Lyriq: I was probably like 9-10 years old.

UrbanBridgez.com: What was you writing about at 9-10?
Jay Lyriq: All types of stuff. One of my first went “You’re like a pretty flower, blooming in the Spring. Just the sight of you, makes me want to sing. I just have one wish, I wish you my love.” I didn’t know what the hell I was talking about (both laugh). It was called Only One and it was me and my brother. We were at the playground at Briarwood projects. My brother was like we need to make a song. I saw a flower and it was the Spring time. So I just put all of that together. After that I was thinking I probably had something there. I just fell in love with it. I grew up around music, I grew up with oldies. My favorite artist of all time is Sam Cooke. You know what I mean. I wasn’t around but it was just that type of music and how it made me feel. So I started taking it serious about 10, I have so many songs from then to now.

UrbanBridgez.com: For Black Music Month, what are three of your essential R&B albums and why?
Jay Lyriq: I would have to go with Cooleyhighharmony, by Boyz II Men. Because I thought they were complete epicness! They are my favorite group of all time. They told stories in their music. I don’t know if you remember back in the day. But the stuff they would put in their CD booklet. You could of just wrote it all down in a letter and gave it to a girl.

UrbanBridgez.com: Writing the lyrics from the CD or cassette book inside (laughs).
Jay Lyriq: Come on now, you know!

UrbanBridgez.com: I do, I know all about it.
Jay Lyriq: Right! So I would have to say Cooleyhighharmony. A more modern release, would have to be Usher’s 8701. Because I just feel like I would of did everything he did the same way. It was a beautiful display of what goes on in relationships. Like when Usher dropped that 8701, that was just something like wew! I’ve been in a couple of those situations, so it was just really relatable. Then I would have to say, this might throw you. No not that one (laughs). Being its black music month & they’re not black.

UrbanBridgez.com: Is it R&B?
Jay Lyriq: Oh yeah.

UrbanBridgez.com: What is it, we’ll take it because I’m curious now (laughs).
Jay Lyriq: I was going to say *NSYNC. I put a lot of people on to Justin Timberlake before Gone.
[Editors Note: Lil Mo Named Justin Bieber in her UB Black Music Month Interview] But I have to say my last one I would have to go with is Silk’s Tonight. Come on somebody! I didn’t know what in the world they were talking about. Well I didn’t know what they meant until I got older. So I would have to go with those three. Still to this day, I think R. Kelly is one of the best songwriters period. I could of went 12 Play as well, but I know he’s a touchy subject. I’m just keeping it all the way G.

UrbanBridgez.com: His work is still what it is. His alleged crimes can’t take away from what he’s done musically.
Jay Lyriq: Exactly, you can’t take away from that. Let me tell you something, I didn’t even know who Sadie was. But I felt like I knew her. Don’t you know we love you Sadie.

UrbanBridgez.com: Sweet Sadie at that (laughs).
Jay Lyriq: Haha, yeah sweet Sadie. That man there musically is it, all this other stuff aside. He’s a genius and they way he puts together stuff, even now. It’s timeless records, timeless music, he’s timeless in that. From a musical stand-point I just have to say that.

UrbanBridgez.com: What are your goals overall as a singer/songwriter?
Jay Lyriq: My goals are to just be accepted. I want my work to be heard. I want people to appreciate my work. Songwriters like Babyface, made timeless music. I feel like right now, it’s uncool in today’s R&B to say how you feel about a situation. Everything has to be gassed up. Singers have to be rappers. One thing I do, is go on YouTube and places like that and read the comments. They’re like where is the music like this now? It’s 2019 and if you want to wind down with your old lady, you have to play old-school music. I want to be able to reintroduce that back in now. I want to have content. Everybody wants to hang out and have fun, sit back and drink whatever. I’m about all of that at the end of the day. But it’s about the substance and I want people to feel like I’m really saying something in my music. For me it’s not a competition, I just want to be recognized for what I do.

UrbanBridgez.com: You’ve mentioned that guys in songs are afraid to apologize and don’t really show their feelings anymore in R&B. What do you think happened?
Jay Lyriq: I just think it became uncool. I think people start putting on all these chains and getting all these tattoos. And they see how influential the rap culture is now. Shout out to Sammie, we’ve worked together and known each other for awhile. So the Sammie’s, the Tank’s are still staying true to R&B. But I feel like R&B artists started competing with Hip Hop culture. And feel like everybody has to be hard, ain’t nobody hard 24/7. The artist doing these lyrics at the end of the day, have somebody. Let’s flip it, like Cardi B. She represents for the ratchet. As well as Tokyo Jetz.

UrbanBridgez.com: And they got whole families, babies and more.
Jay Lyriq: Right! They in love though. Cardi has even been through stuff personally, with accusations against her husband. With the girl coming out. But guess what, she loves it & they’re back together. And Tokyo Jetz rapping about this, that and the third and she’s pregnant. And that’s okay. I just want people to know that if you don’t have that as your content, it doesn’t mean that you’re weak to tell your girl you love her. A lot of times if your old lady don’t know how you really feel and if you don’t show them, you’re going to miss out. Somebody going to come along and do it. Everybody don’t have to see that side of you, but you have to show it to your old lady.

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s next for you?
Jay Lyriq: I got the EP dropping, I got the Jay & Tay project coming up. We dropped the first single Work N’ Play. Tay Dizm, was with T-Pain back in the day, it was the three of us. So we’re working on some collaborative efforts together. We’re going to do like a 5 song EP. I got like 12 for mines, actually more. I’m calling it a EP but it could turn into a full album. So just trying to get that out and get the content together. Also in the process of shooting another video. Just really promoting me. Like a lot of people know about me, but they just don’t know they know about me. You feel me, like they’ve heard my work and don’t know it was me. So I want people to know I’m here and I’m trying to bring something real in R&B. Back to a point where it’s cool to be an R&B dude! We had the Jodeci’s, Donell’s, Silks, Boyz II Men’s, etc. This generation doesn’t have that. I mean now we got Chris Brown holding it down and Bruno. Everything is so segregated now into genres like Pop, R&B, etc. I just want to get back to the good R&B music!

UrbanBridgez.com: Anything you want to leave with your fans.
Jay Lyriq: What I want them to know is you can depend on me to give you good music. Regardless of the content, because everything in life isn’t about parties and hanging out. Like it’s people really going through real stuff. Not to get all deep, but you just want something that you can relate to. Back in the day you could turn a song on and it felt like what you were going through. So for me, it’s me promising them that I will stay true to them. I’m not going to lie to them in my music. I’m going to give them 100% of me and I hope they except and love it!