Sleepy Brown

Concrete: What's going on with the new project that you are releasing?

Sleepy: The album is called Mr. Brown and it comes out October 3rd on Virgin Records. I'm very excited. I have the first single with Farrell and Big Boi called   "Margarita." Farrell blessed me with a dope song and it's doing good for me. I'm getting ready to hit the road and do a lot of things.

Concrete: Have you shot a video for that single yet?

Sleepy: Yeah. We shot it in Spain. they're playing it now. It's a good thing and everybody is liking it so the vibe is great right now.

Concrete: What direction will you be taking this album in? Is it going to incorporate more hip-hop or are you going to keep it soulful?

Sleepy: It's just going to be soul. Of course it's going to have it's hip-hop elements in it but it's definitely going to be soul music. It's really grown up type of soul.

Concrete: What's the next single after Margarita?

Sleepy: We're trying to figure it out. It's either one called "Come Down" or   it might be one called "Get To It." So it's kind of between those two right now.

Concrete: We know that your father is also a musician. How did growing up in a musical household influenced your music throughout your career?

Sleepy: It influenced me a whole lot. I remember being at the Omni [club] when Brick would play and I would see all of the other bands. I was definitely a 70's funk baby. It helped me a lot. It helped me with my sound and to figure out what style I really wanted to do. I owe everything to it. That's really what kind of taught me music. My grandmother, my father's mother, plays music too. Everybody on her whole side of the family plays an instrument . So, I feel like I have to keep it going. I've got to keep that brown name moving. I remember going to Savannah to stay with my grand mamma and she would have notes on the organ and she would always show me what was what. I really grew up in music and I am really appreciative of that.

Concrete: In contrast to your past projects, what can p eople expect to be different about this new album?

Sleepy: What I'm trying to do with this one is to bridge the gap between young and old. I remember going home to clean up the house and whatever my mamma would play, I would love. It's not like that anymore. Kids have their style of music and adults have their style of music. So I just   want to put them together and make it like the old days   one time. Hopefully everybody can like the same thing again. That's kind of what it is. I'm doing a 70's crooner type of thing like Marvin, Barry, Isaac and all of them. I'm such a big fan of theirs so I'm trying to keep that going.

Concrete: Are you doing any collaborations with anybody from your label on this album?

Sleepy: On this album it's just kind of me because I wanted to give the listeners a Sleepy album. I didn't want it to be a whole lot of features. I have Joi on it. I have my dad on there. I also have another female on there named P. Magnet. I'm excited, man. Big Boi is on the album.

Concrete: Who's behind the production on the album?

Sleepy: Well, of course Organized Noize. I also worked with a production team called Presidential. Carl Mo, that did "The Way You Move," did some production. I worked with the Black Eyed Peas band, Bucky Johnson and Pharrell, of course, did a song. The rest of it is Organized Noize.

Concrete: Will you be featured on any other artists singles or albums soon?

Sleepy: I did some new stuff with Snoop Dogg that's real hot. I've really just been concentrating on my own project un til it's done.

Concrete: So you're obviously planning a tour. What cities will you be hitting?

Sleepy: We're going to Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York and Atlanta.

Concrete: When will you be hitting the road?

Sleepy: That starts next week. We're kind of in crunch time right now.

Concrete: When is the album officially in stores?

Sleepy: October 3rd is the official release date. It's called Mr. Brown.

Concrete: Where can people catch the video?

Sleepy: Right now they're playing it on MTV2, VH1 Soul and BET.

Concrete Is there anything else that you want to tell our readers?

Sleepy: I just want readers to go buy the album when it drops. Check it out and see what you think. If you don't like everything, there is going to be something on there that you like.