Both guys are from here, though. The hip-hop artists you choose to work with are not frivolous. They're not frivolous. I'm blessed by that. I do consciously choose artists that choose to tackle issues.
Gospel does that.
Where they're coming from lyrically is a higher plane, talking about things true to the heart, true to their beliefs. The artists I work with are familiar with gospel, they know, like I know, the difference between real soul food and soul food sold at a Chinese restaurant. The Axis sound feels like a part of the Philly soul continuum as well as having touches of Southern traditionalism. Until Mr. G., Kenny Gamble, stepped in and offered us space in their facilities at Philly International. That's where I learned the art of songwriting.