At least once a decade, a non-African American comes along to take R&B music by storm. In the 70’s and 80’s it was Teena Marie, Taylor Dane and Lisa Stansfield, and in the 90’s it was Jon B, George Michael and Michael Jackson. And then, as the latter part of the new millennium rolled around, Justin Timberlake stepped into the limelight only to have his “run” challenged by Robin Thicke, a singer whose beats are just as infectious, whose falsetto is just as sexy - if not sexier, and whose lyrics speak to specific situations that affect millions.
Although he had been on a scene for a while, Thicke solidified his place within the R&B community with 2006’s, The Evolution of Robin Thicke. With the release of that platinum gem, this singer, song writer and producer set out to prove to the world that, unlike those who have come before him - he was here to stay.
Many people who listened to the last album assumed that The Evolution was the beginning of Robin Thicke’s foray into the industry, not realizing that Thicke comes from a show business family. His father, actor Alan Thicke, also co-wrote the theme song to television’s Diff’rent Strokes and his actress/singer mother Gloria Loring, appeared on many television shows and actually sang the theme song to televisions, “The Facts of Life” (If I had a dime for everybody who just finished humming that little diddy) - and how can we ignore his three - year marriage to actress, Paula Patton?
What was most surprising to many was that “Evolution” wasn’t his first album. But with the release of his current project entitled, “Something Else” Thicke has set out to prove that, like many before him, he’s not just another passing fad.
CARRINGTON: Hey Rob, what’s up, Man?
ROBIN: Carrington! How are you?
CARRINGTON: They just told me that our time has been sliced in half, so I’m just gonna go right into it, alright?
ROBIN: Let’s do it.
CARRINGTON: OK. So, most of us know who your dad is, and even though many of us don’t know your mom’s face, we definitely know her voice. Who was the R&B -
ROBIN: (laughter) My mom!
CARRINGTON: (laughter) … Who was the R&B fan in your house that led to people like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye being listed amongst your musical influences?
ROBIN: My dad listened to people like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger, but my mom listened to Luther, Whitney, BeBe and CeCe - practically everybody.
CARRINGTON: Was there a turning point that made you decide that you wanted to do an R&B album?
ROBIN: I never decided. It just was the music I loved to sing - I love singers. Some people like to dance or rock out, and I loved to sing. That’s how I got into gospel music like John P. Kee and Commissioned. But Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson - they could sing.
CARRINGTON: I’m trying to visualize Alan Thicke riding in his car listening to you and Weezy on “Shooter”. Is dad a fan?
ROBIN: (laughter) Of course, he is.
CARRINGTON: Do you ever have to defend your success? And I ask because some people feel that it’s so much easier for people like you when you come from a showbiz family.
ROBIN: Yeah, well they don’t know what they’re talking about. But, what do you do, you know? How do you just hand a 14 - year old somebody else’s album and say write a song? When I’m 14 and 16 writing songs on platinum albums - I don’t think you can hand somebody that.
CARRINGTON: Wait, who were you writing for at 14?
ROBIN: See? (Laughter) I was writing for Color Me Badd, Brandy, and Brian McKnight and then when I was sixteen or seventeen, Brownstone, Christina Aguilera - you can’t just hand a kid that, I’ve been around long enough to say that.
CARRINGTON: Tell me about your experiences from the perspective of a white guy doing what’s perceived as “black” music. Have the other guys in R&B embraced you?
ROBIN: Oh yeah, of course. It’s a family, it’s not even R&B, it’s really the hip-hop community, you know? People try to siphon off R&B like it’s different from hip-hop, or hip-hop is different from pop music. Hip hop, R&B and pop and soul is all one family… and then there’s rock on the other side (laughter)
CARRINGTON: Did you produce the album?
ROBIN: I’ve always written and produced all my own music except the song that Pharell did on the last album called, “Wanna Love You Girl”.
CARRINGTON: Were you surprised when both, an American Idol and Australian Idol contestant chose to perform your song, “When I Get You Alone?”
ROBIN: No, I thought that was kind of cool, actually.
CARRINGTON: This is totally off topic, and just for my own curiosity - is that Paula on the cover of the “A Beautiful World” album?
ROBIN: Yes.
CARRINGTON: I knew it!
ROBIN: (laughter) Who else would it be? That’s a beautiful world to me.
CARRINGTON: Where you surprised at how well ‘The Evolution” was received?
ROBIN: Surprised is a relative term. I mean, I didn’t work 14 years on failure, you know? But you don’t realize what you’re asking for until you receive it, and then when I had that hit, it kind of made me go, “Wow!” and then appreciation and gratitude kicks in and your ambition takes a backseat.
CARRINGTON: As an African American, I can attest to the fact that the African American audience can be a tough crowd. What was it like when you first started doing this type of music, were you accepted right away, or did you have to put in extra work?
ROBIN: I’m still putting in work. It’s not my job to tell people what to love. There are certain layers to people falling in love with you - it’s like a first date and a second date, and blah blah blah. I plan on making twenty or twenty-five hopefully great records that sooner or later will lead to the consensus that, “This guy was one of the good ones.”
CARRINGTON: Do brothers give you a hard time for being married to a black woman?
ROBIN: Uh… well, I think people just say that they like her and that she’s beautiful - which is the best thing for me to hear because they’re right. (laughter)
CARRINGTON: I heard somewhere that you and Paula have been together since you were about fourteen years old, is that right?
ROBIN: Uh huh. That’s when we met.
CARRINGTON: You say that that’s when you met, but how long have you been together?
ROBIN: We’ve known each other since then. We’ve been apart a few times, and then she went off to college - you know that whole story. And then we lived together for a long time and we got married three - years ago.
CARRINGTON: And you have a kid, right?
ROBIN: Nope.
CARRINGTON: Why did I think that you recently had a kid?
ROBIN: No, that was just a rumor. Gossip blog stuff.
CARRINGTON: I need to get better at figuring out which gossip blogs are just gossip. (Laughter)
ROBIN: Right. (Laughter)
CARRINGTON: With so many different things going on in music right now, who do you think is doing it right?
ROBIN: I think Mary J. Blige always does it right and I think Lil Wayne is doing it right.
CARRINGTON: I want to talk about the whole Vibe cover controversy.
ROBIN: That just became controversy because it was an interesting topic, but the reality is that what should be talked about is not why they won’t have a white guy on the cover of Vibe magazine, but why they won’t have African Americans on the other hundred covers that are out there.
CARRINGTON: That was actually one of the questions that I was going to ask. Do you think that what was said to you could have been said to an African American and the media would have ignored it?
ROBIN: The misnomer was that I ever said that Vibe ever said that to me - my friends told me. I told my buddies that I hang out with that I wanted to be on they cover and they said that they couldn’t remember a white person ever being on the cover, and from there we got into, “Ohhh, well maybe that’s what it is then”.
Vibe never responded to me in any way, saying that they won’t put a white person on the cover. They’ve been very supportive of me and my career and if I make enough great music, maybe I’ll earn a spot on the cover - you’ve gotta earn those things.
CARRINGTON: I’m glad you cleared that up, because I read a statement from Vibe and they didn’t sound too pleased. So, let’s move on - People think that life for famous people is fabulousness 24 hours a day - fashion, maids, nannies, limos and parties. Do you live like a rock star, or are you just like everyone else when you get home?
ROBIN: No, I’m still not like everybody else because I work so hard when I’m on the road doing the long days that when I get home, I just sit around for a little while. So, I don’t have a 9 to 5. The only difference is our job may end up being a 5 to 9, but in the end we’re all on the same journey, which is to make the most of your opportunities. You make the most of your friendships and you make the most of your relationship and, if you’re doing that, then we all end up in the same place.
CARRINGTON: Have you selected the next single?
ROBIN: Yes, it’s called, “The Sweetest Love”.
CARRINGTON: Tell me what that process is like. Do you have any input as to which songs are released?
ROBIN: Oh yeah. It’s my music, I write and produce it and I’m a solo artist, so I don’t have to ask the band or other singers.
CARRINGTON: So, when I talk to other artists and they tell me that it’s that “political machine” that guides that process - it’s a different experience for you?
ROBIN: Definitely. The difference is that nobody makes the music for me anyway. When you make your own music, you’re the one with the vision of the album, the project and the artist - it’s not somebody else pulling the strings. Sometimes other people have their vision for the artist and that’s why the artist says that it’s not their decision - it’s probably because it wasn’t your vision either.
CARRINGTON: Are you touring with this album?
ROBIN: Yes, I’m touring with Mary J. Blige for a month and then I’m going overseas for a month and then I’m back here for a few more shows.
CARRINGTON: Well, Robin, it was a pleasure to talk to you and since I know that you’re running into time here, I’m gonna let you get out of here.
ROBIN: Thank you, man. I really appreciate you taking the time out to chat with me today. Take it easy.
