Commonwealth Times: Explain the concept behind your album title, “Get Lifted.”
John Legend: It’s based off the song “Get Lifted.” I wrote the song first before we decided on the album title. The song is about saying, I got some good news that’ll make you feel good. It triples (in meaning). At the same time I’m kinda coming on to a girl telling her my mojo’s gonna work. So it’s basically saying that the album is a feel-good album.
CT: How did you prepare for the transition from a hook singer to a major recording artist and was it difficult adjusting to the spotlight?
JL: I was already a recording artist on my own, but no one knew about it. Not as many people knew about it back then. I was working on my first demo record in ’98 and I was putting out independent albums from ’99 to ’03 and just building my own fan base on an underground level. I didn’t see myself as a hook singer. I saw myself as an artist who did a couple of hooks on the side.
CT: Which single black person, dead or alive, do you think has contributed the most to music?
JL: Quincy Jones. His career has spanned decades, many decades. He’s worked behind the scenes producing – even magazines and just black music. He’s responsible for Thriller and Off the Wall, I think. He’s responsible for helping Ray Charles get his thing together. Maybe not responsible, but he was part of it. ‘Cause (of) a lot of great music over a long period of time and he’s influenced a lot people behind the scenes. And he’s probably one of the most influential people in black music.
CT: How much of your gospel background do you draw from in your music?
JL: It’s always in my head. You hear it in arrangements and vocal arrangements and the way I play instruments. My first major musical experience was playing gospel so it stuck with me.
CT: How did you land the gig touring with Alicia Keys?
JL: My manager talked and made it happen. I guess it just made a lot of sense. We knew that her tour would be great exposure for me. It just made a lot of sense artistically that we were on the same tour. They agreed that my presence on the tour would be good for the tour. We wanted to give the fans the best show we could. So I think it’s a good combination for that.
CT: What are some of your musical influences?
I listen to a lot of different things – Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, a lot of gospel music, Aretha Franklin, hip-hop, Bob Marley. All kinds of things. The Beatles. I listen to everything.
CT: A lot of singers are endorsing products these days. What product will you not endorse?
JL: Anything that I don’t believe in and I won’t buy myself. I wouldn’t endorse cigarettes, for instance. And something that’s wack and doesn’t fit with my image.
CT: What has given you the most pleasure in the past year?
JL: The fact that I’m doing so well and my shows are doing so well – it’s very fulfilling and exciting.
CT: What book are you reading right now?
JL: I’m not reading a book right now. I’m actually reading the Atlantic Monthly, pretty much cover-to-cover. It’s a good magazine. It talks a lot about issues like political issues and things.
CT: Do feel a lot of pressure to surpass this album since it is doing so well?
JL: Yeah, I put pressure on myself to do it.
CT: What is next up for you?
The tour. I’m going to keep touring probably throughout the year, and also writing on the side for my next album. I won’t put it out until I can get as good or better than this album.