Donell Jones is a well-known R&B singer, songwriter and producer from Chicago. He is most notable for his hit singles such as “U Know What’s Up” featuring the late great Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and also “Where I Wanna Be”. Early in his career, Jones gained notice as a songwriter penning songs for established R&B artistry such as Usher with his 1995 hit “Think of You” and 702’s hit “Get It Together”. He has also written for many other artists to include groups like Brownstone and Silk. Jones later moved on to reach great heights in his musical career and beyond as he has truly blessed us with his talents.
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from Donell Jones but MMIM had the opportunity to speak with the talented Donell Jones recently and it was a pleasure to do so. In our conversation with Donell, he covers his whereabouts during his hiatus, gives us exciting news of his current release “The Lost Files”, and apprised of his new album coming in 2010. He also discusses his personal feelings about the current state of music. After reading, make sure to share your comments.
MMIM: We’ve all missed you these past few years Donell, how does it feel to come back to mainstream?
Donell Jones: It feels good, I mean it’s been a minute; I just really wanted to get back out and share my music with the world. I’ve been hearing a lot of my fans say they miss that style of R&B so I’m just ready to come back out and share my music with them.
MMIM: Well you’ve blessed your fans with your current release, “The Lost Files” on Nov 24, which I feel is a good prelude to what’s to come next year. This includes some of your unreleased songs spanning from your debut album in 1996 to 2004?
Donell Jones: That’s correct, there’s songs on there that I did when I first got in the game up until then. Because usually what happens when I record an album, when it’s time to start recording, I’ll start over and in that down time, those songs I make in that down time, I usually just push them to the side and just start from scratch so I got so many songs, this “Lost Files”, that’s just volume one. So you’ll be hearing more of them, I just wanted to throw that out there, just so that my fans can get back familiar with my music and the style of R&B that I do.
MMIM: What would you say to be your memorable record on this project?
Donell Jones: It’s a couple of them, “Forever” that’s one song that I love a lot, “Superman” is another.
MMIM: Yes, Yes, that’s definitely one of my favorites too.
Donell Jones: And “Free”, “Free” was a song that I wrote, that was when the World Trade happened. I forgot what year that was, but I wrote that right around that time that those planes crashed into the World Trade Center.
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MMIM: One of my favorites on here is “Superman” and I wonder if there was any personal influence on this song?
Donell Jones: At the time it did, I mean, when I wrote that song, I was dealing with this young lady that was just interested in the person like the fame and the money aspect and I think she didn’t really want to know the real me, who I was, so yeah, I made a song about it.
MMIM: We’ve always enjoyed your sound and style in your art, so what should we expect to hear in your new album next year and are you planning on going a different direction in your music?
Donell Jones: Not at all, I mean I’m keeping my music the same. I’ve always tried to make records that; I mean I don’t really think about the time, I try to make timeless music. Where is that you can still put it on ten or fifteen years from now and it still feels good to you. So I’m not going to change my style of my music. I’m not going to change the subject matter, ‘cause I think, you know, one thing about music is that love is never going nowhere, so if you can talk about love and it’s always going to be around. You know, relationship, make-ups, break-ups, I mean those things are always going to happen. So I feel like that’s my niche right there. That’s what I’ve been successful at is talking about relationships and things that I’ve been through in the past. And I mean it’s been a couple of years so I’ve got a lot to talk about.
MMIM: Are there any collaborations, on your new album, you would like to share with us?
Donell Jones: Right now I don’t have any collaborations on it. I’m definitely finished with it, but you know, I’m still taking songs from people, it’s better than what I’ve got, I just got to push something off. So maybe I might, I’m definitely trying to get something with Ryan Leslie, but we’ll see.
MMIM: Do you feel you will get the same love and respect in the industry today?
Donell Jones: I do, I really do, especially since I’m on my own label now. You know, I feel like in the past, you know, when I was on like the “Jives” the “Aristas”, I never really go that push that the other artists on the label had and I really felt like my music, if not better, was just the same. So this time around I really feel like I’m working for myself. I’m definitely going to push myself so, we going to get the word out there. And it’s going to be good music, you know, that’s my main goal, just to get some real good music out there to people who appreciate me.
MMIM: So how does it feel to be independent now?
Donell Jones: It feels great because working for yourself is totally different, working with the “majors”, you know, they have the money and the power and that stuff like that, but I’ve made some great relationships with people and I really feel like they’re going to come to bat for me and at the end of the day, it’s really all about the music to me. And I feel like if there’s a PD that’s out there that understands my music, they don’t have a problem with putting it on and getting something to the fans that really want to hear something good. I mean, I hear a lot of times that a lot of people are missing that ‘90’s type of R&B and/ or nobody’s really talking about anything on record anymore, so you know, I really feel like it’s my time.
MMIM: Music has definitely gone through a state of evolution; I’d say in the last decade, are you please with what you are hear these days?
Donell Jones: To be honest with you, no not really, because I think what happened was when the computer age really, really took over, not everybody can make music. If you got a little computer, or a little laptop, everybody can make music and it’s made it kind of like watered down because everybody sounds so much the same, you know, there’s no diversity in the music. And I also think that a lot of the younger R&B guys out there right now, not knocking anybody because, I mean, what they’re doing is working, but I think a lot of them are trying to be R&B thugs instead of just putting the love in the music. Now it’s more about I’m R&B but I’m half a rapper too.
There’s some diamonds in the ruff out there, don’t get me wrong, there are some great artists out there, but that’s not who the record company is pushing, you know they’re getting heard, but it’s not like, you know, the record companies are pushing the teeny-bopper stuff.
MMIM: If you ever were to stop singing, is there anything else you would like to get into?
Donell Jones: You know what, I love technology, I mean, I would never stop singing, but right now I’m really trying to get my multi-media on. I mean there’s so many avenues to get this music out there and to be heard and to be seen and that’s what I’m trying to do right now. I mean, I love music I don’t think I would ever stop because it’s just my heart so.
MMIM: How can our readers reach out to Donell Jones?
Donell Jones: Definitely, they can hit me up on twitter.com/donelljones96.
MMIM: Is it really you on twitter?
Donell Jones: That’s really me, I talk back, I’m not the kind of guy that just sends something out, and they respond and I don’t respond back. I’m constantly talking to my fans and talking to people who are interested in me. I got one more; they can also hit me up on myspace.com/donelljones.
December 15, 2009 at 8:32 pm
I’m glad to see Donell Jones is back. One of the most underrated singers/songwriters ever. Hands down.