R&B Money

Tricky Stewart—Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, and RedZone architect—joins Tank & J. Valentine to unpack how era-defining records get built. From the first chord choice to the final vocal comp, Tricky breaks down the decisions behind smashes like Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies,” Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body,” Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” and more. We talk chemistry with The-Dream, building the right room, protecting an artist’s identity, and why drums, melody, and story matter most.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blaq Tuxedo—brothers Darius & Dominique—pull up to talk songwriting, the journey, and building records that hit both the timeline and the stage. With Tank & J. Valentine, the duo breaks down their process from melody math to production choices, how they split roles in the room, and the rollout thinking behind new music. They also get into writing Chris Brown’s “Iffy” and their own record “Residuals.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Dixon (aka Antonio Dixon)—songwriter, producer, and vocal architect—sits with Tank & J. Valentine to break down how modern R&B records come together: chord language, pocket, and vocal production that lives on repeat. Tony walks through the making of Kehlani’s “out the window”—from concept to arrangement to the performance choices that make it land—plus the collaboration habits and taste that keep him in the room for career records.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jill Scott sits with Tank & J. Valentine to talk about how songs start, how performances breathe, and how an artist protects her center. She walks through the making of signature records——and the choices behind phrasing, silence, and dynamics. We get into the bandstand, the poem-to-melody pipeline, collaboration that serves the story, and what she’s chasing next in the studio and on stage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vincent Herbert sits down with Tank & J. Valentine to unpack the executive side of R&B and pop: discovering and developing artists, shaping records from demo to delivery, and building the teams that turn moments into movements. From the studio floor to boardroom strategy, Vincent breaks down how A&R, production, and marketing align—what makes a single undeniable, how to protect an artist’s identity, and when to take creative risks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 4 keeps moving with the incomparable Amerie—singer, songwriter, and architect of a groove that reshaped the 2000s. Live with Tank & J. Valentine, Amerie breaks down the making of her signature sound, the discipline behind the pen and vocal stacks, and how she continues to evolve as a creative across music and culture. We talk albums, global moments, and what it takes to build records that still move dance floors and timelines.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 4 continues with Ty Dolla $ign—writer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and A&R mind shaping the next wave of R&B. Ty breaks down a decade since his critically acclaimed debut Free TC, the launch of EZMNY Records and its flagship artist Leon Thomas (fresh off six GRAMMY® nominations), and the musical lineage that runs in his family. We get into Ty’s collaborative DNA—Babyface, Brandy, Jagged Edge, James Fauntleroy, Jeremih, dvsn, Kehlani, Khalid, 6lack, Jacob Collier, Mahalia and more—as well as the craftsmanship behind his pen on records like “Loyal,” “Boss,” “Hit Different,” “The Distance,” “Safety Net,” “Chosen,” and “Post to Be.” He also celebrates major plaque talk, including the Diamond certification of “Or Nah (Remix)” and “Psycho” with Post Malone, plus his 8th GRAMMY® nomination for work on JID’s “WholeheartedlySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.