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Home > Atlanta Music Scene > Archives > 2008 > May > 19
Monday, May 19, 2008
Jesse McCartney’s Atlanta Connections
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jesse McCartney’s transition from pop pin-up to the blue-eyed soul territory of Robin Thicke and Justin Timberlake included many stops in Atlanta.
The singer-actor’s new CD “Departure” — in stores tomorrow — features production from local talents Tricky and The Dream, Sean Garrett and The Clutch.
Just before its release, he (above) told the Atlanta Music Scene why - and how things went: “I made a shopping list of people I hoped to work with to crystallize this new sound, and way up there was Tricky and The Dream,” McCartney began.
“And before I got into the studio with them, they had already done some writing, and- confident guys that they are - they were like: ‘We think we have your first single’…So they sent me an MP3. And though I wanted to shoot whoever it was singing [the demo], I lived with it for about a week, put my stamp on it, and was like, ‘You know, I think they’re right.’ “
The single was “Leavin’,” the first release from his third CD “Departure” - as Tricky and The Dream predicted — and one of two songs McCartney has in the Top of Billboard’s pop charts this week. (He co-wrote Leona Lewis’s recent No. 1 single “Bleeding Love” - now at No. 2; and his “Leavin’ ” is at No. 12).
“I wanted to work with The Clutch [Candice Nelson, Ezekiel “Zeke” Lewis, Patrick “J.Que” Smith, Balewa Muhammad and Keri Hilson] because I’d heard the stuff they’d done with Timbaland and for Mary J. Blige,” McCartney continued. “I knew their writing abilities. But I also know how amazing they are with vocal production. And again, this time out was about strengthening and really pushing myself vocally in the R&B department. And J.Que and Balewa definitely paid attention to that.”
“And with Sean Garrett - I mean, the man has had nine No. 1 hits in the last four or five years. He has an unbelievable track record. And I have to say he is one of the people I was intimidated to work with, at first. I know what he did for Usher. And how Usher was completely freaked out about doing [the Garrett production] ‘Yeah!’ .
“So when I get to the studio - he was already working on the first track - and when I got in there, he was rapping. And I was like, ‘Oh oh, here we go!’. I said, “Sean, I’m not a rapper. I’m not about to be rapping on this album, at all! And he just looked at me, and he smiled, and he said ‘I didn’t write that for you. I wrote that for myself.’ And we just clicked like instantaneously…Now he’s become like a mentor to me. We still keep in touch. We made a lot of good records together.”
McCartney added that he didn’t spend much time hanging out in Atlanta when he was here. “I was basically going from the hotel to the studio,” he said “I did get to go to the R. Kelly show at Philips Arena. Hit up a couple of adult bars, if you will. Some restaurants — like Bones I went to a lot of times. But I was mainly in the studio, putting together a record I hope people will enjoy.”
Think McCartney may have Robin Thicke-like potential? Like his first single,”Leavin’ “? Remember his first hit, “Beautiful Soul”, back in 2004?
If not, see a YouTube video for “Soul” as well as “Leavin’ “, below.
(And notice how much he’s grown).
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T.I. Welcomes New Son
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta rapper-actor T.I. and fiancee Tameka “Tiny” Cottle (in the top picture above) welcomed their second child together, Major Harris, early Friday morning in an Atlanta area hospital.
T.I.’s label publicist said he was 7 pounds, 4 ounces at birth, and he and his parents are due to go home today. There’s still the matter, it seems, of a middle name for Major.
With siblings named Domani Uriah, Messiah Ya’Majesty, Dejah Iman and King C’Andre - many of whom are pictured with T.I. and Cottle in the second picture above - any suggestions? Or just want to send your congratulations?
