The R&B group Next was among the late ’90s greats such as Dru Hill and Jagged Edge. Twenty years later, the group’s “Too Close,” “Wifey” and others are still being played in clubs today. TheGrio’s Touré talked to group member RL about his songwriting process and his favorite singers of all time.
The following is a transcript of their conversation.
Touré [00:00:13] That’s our RL and Deborah Cox’s hit song “We Can’t Be Friends,” and it’s a classic. RL is hanging out with us today on theGrio. You’re also a songwriter. You’ve written for Luther Vandross, Usher, Keith Sweat…tell me how you write a song. I know it’s not the same every time, but give me a glimpse of your process.
RL [00:00:33] Well, it really depends on the track, like when I worked on Keith or Big Bro, I got the track from Teddy, and I’d always wanted to work with Teddy. Everybody used to say we looked alike and things like that. So for his process, I was trying to study his voice, “you lie to me, baby,” so I had to know what his, not necessarily limitations were, but his comfort zone. When it was people like Jamie, we hung around each other.
So I knew that he was slick-talk, and he was smooth, yet he was a little sexual, so I tried to make it playful. So you could tailor records for people. Sometimes it’ll be a record that they heard of mine. It was just a demo and they go, I want to record it. I’ll try to find ways to intertwine who they are in the record and change some lyrics around. So that’s usually how it works.
Touré [00:01:18] You do look a little like Teddy Riley. I’ll give you that. Now, for the people who want to be like you when they grow up, do you practice singing? How do you practice your craft?
RL [00:01:32] Well as a vocalist, I don’t know when I’m not singing, it’s so automatic that I’m pretty sure that I’m just humming something all the time. It could be…
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