[MUSIC PLAYING]
What's up.
We're backstage at the Dreamville Festival.
I'm your host, Rob Markman.
My co-host Gia Peppers and I just
got a chance to interview Kehlani, and talk to her,
and get up all up in her business.
You're going to see that next.
And after that you're going to want to keep
it locked because Moneybagg Yo is taking that stage.
Don't go anywhere.
Yo, what's up.
Welcome back.
We're at Dream Fest live.
We are backstage.
My name is Rob Markman, my co-host Gia Peppers,
and we have a very, very special guest.
She just left the stage, performed.
Killed it for y'all.
Gia, you want to introduce our guest today?
Well, sure, I mean she's sitting right
here looking beautiful and just as brilliant
as she wants to be.
The incredible Kehlani is here.
Hi, Kehlani.
How are you?
Hi, I'm awesome.
How are you doing?
I'm just so happy to see you in person.
Like we're back outside.
But how was the stage for you?
It was so much fun.
Honestly, I just got back from South America
like two days ago.
So to come home and be surrounded by people
that I would consider family, like my American fan base
is like family.
It supported me from day one.
And it was just great.
It was very embracing and it was hilarious.
I had a good time.
Now amazing.
Now, you got this new single out.
Mm-hmm.
I know album is creeping up.
We're getting closer and closer.
"Up at Night" is the new single that just
dropped with Justin Bieber.
What was the motivation behind making that song?
Er, really, I just wanted to make a jam.
I feel like all the new music was
coming to this really pretty point that
was like just transformational for me musically.
I think I'm finally making the things
that I admire in artists that I listen to, if that makes sense.
Like I'm challenging myself artistically.
I'm trying new things.
And to me this was like my comfort zone.
But like the best in my comfort zone.
And I had this amazing, like, Janet flip.
And I was like, man, this is like some R&B shhh.
I don't know if I can cuss on this show?
It's some R&B s---.
Let's go.
Some R&B s---.
There we go.
F--- it.
Why not?
Yeah, so--
[GIA LAUGHS]
And I love that you mentioned that it
sounds like the Janet record.
Like, that was--
It is the flip.
It's the flip.
Hey.
No, that's amazing.
And it's dope to see you really take the tradition on.
Janet was one of the ones that inspired us all, right?
And I think, for you, 20 years later there's
going to be some young woman or a young man--
God willing.
Yeah, who listens.
And is like, nah, we did that Kehlani flip.
You know what I'm saying?
That's a crazy thought to think about but--
Flipped it back.
We're here with it.
No, I now.
And so the new album is coming April 29,
which is not far away.
That is in a couple of weeks.
Yeah, it's like a couple of days after my 27th birthday.
I'm going to be 27.
Hey.
So how are you celebrating?
First of all, tell me how this album
is different from all of the ones before it?
What are we going to hear from Kehlani this time around
that your fans might be surprised of?
I think it's really musical.
I think that I went through different stages in my life--
different stages that was a mix between stages and phases.
But different stages in my life where
I was focused on different things
musically whether it was let me get better lyrically
or let me get better as a dancer.
Let me get better with like uptempo fun stuff.
And for me this was very like, let me get really musical.
And let me really try to push myself as an artist
and as a creator.
So I tapped in.
I got zoned in with my producer.
I let him executive produce everything.
Shout-out Pop Wansel.
Shout-out Philadelphia.
Yeah.
[LAUGHS] Philly in the building.
But yeah, I think it's different in that way, where it just
sounds like this upgrade of everything
that I've been doing, really refined.
I love that.
Super dope.
The album is titled, Blue Water Road, right?
Yes.
It sounds like a fantastic--
I want to visit because my life is a little fast.
It sounds like a place I might want to go to.
Like a vacation.
Where is Blue Water Road?
Exactly.
And what does it represent?
It's funny, because Blue Water Road is actually
a real street in Malibu where I started the album.
And I remember just being like, man,
this really sounds like some Blue Water Road s---.
And we just kept referring to it,
and then eventually it just stuck.
And it kind of built a world for itself
of like this place that I was at mentally,
but also that everybody got to come into that
was making the project.
And like, every song just started feeling
like it was in this same place.
And it was right at the peak of like this big spiritual shift
for me and this big journey inward.
And like motherhood was starting to get really actualized
because my kid can speak now.
And she's really present.
She's not just like a little baby anymore.
She's at the studio fully being like, "I like this.
And da da da."
She's the A&R.
Yeah, I was about to say, she's the A&R.
She is my greatest collaborator, my greatest everything, so--
Your greatest gift, like, to us.
Oh, man.
She's a gift to me.
I love to see you post her, like, on TikTok.
And just watching y'all's relationship and how she
responds to you is so beautiful to see.
She's so funny, man.
She's teaching me everything.
So this is all her.
I'm just following her.
What's the biggest thing that you've
learned-- your daughter has taught you about yourself
in this phase of your life?
Oh, man.
I mean, taught me about myself.
I think she just-- she taught me that it's OK to slow down.
I think I've been like grind or die mentality
since I was like really, really young.
I put my first mix tape out when I was 19 years old.
I'm going to be 27.
And all I know is like music, tour, music, tour.
Come home for two seconds, and then music, and then tour.
And she taught me like it's OK to just chill, and like enjoy
life, and like fine beautiful things, and like the every day.
Which is like obviously leaked into my creativity
and allowed me to just get better
at all these other things that I'm excited about.
And she's just the captain of the ship for real.
I love that.
Yeah, nah, that's beautiful.
One of the things about this weekend that I think is really
dope-- and shout out to J Cole--
just this story of being from North Carolina.
Which, look, we have our music cities that--
Atlanta, New York, LA, Miami, traditionally known.
North Carolina as a place, a lot of talent, maybe not
a destination.
Him going out into the world and then bringing it back home,
and then bringing all of his friends, all of you
talented artists, back to put on for his home state--
if Kehlani got to go back home and do a festival, do
your thing, who's your lineup?
Oh my goodness.
Kehlani's best-- crazy.
Off the dome, I'd put HBK back together
and bring everybody from HBK out.
I know the town will love that.
Everyone.
Man, Larry June.
This new girl named Thuy, I think you say, T-H-U-Y?
Yeah, Yeah.
I'd bring her out.
Rayana Jay.
Oh, man.
There's so many people.
My best friend Jaz makes incredible music.
There's so many people.
I would honestly have the most packed--
Samaria.
I would have the most packed lineup ever.
My godson, Martin Like you know what I'm saying?
I feel like I would try to fit like 1,000 people into one day
and just let everybody shine and have a good time.
I love how you named a bunch of up
and comers, a bunch of people who
can use the light to shine on.
That speaks a lot to where your head and your heart
is at as well.
Because you could have been like--
Oh, man, people did that for me.
You could have been like Beyonce, Rihanna, which
would be amazing.
Oh, I was supposed to think like that?
I'm just thinking, like, in the Bay, who is going to perform.
Which would be amazing.
But the fact that your head even went to I
could put on for people now is such a dope.
Yeah.
Yes.
And my favorite thing about watching everybody
come back outside is that it feels like we're
different people now.
Like, the pandemic, we were inside for 2 and 1/2 years.
You did so much during the pandemic like it was--
all of us did, right?
We learned so much.
And so how are you different?
Like coming back outside how does it feel for you?
For me I'm still learning like social cues again.
I feel like I'm relearning social cues.
For you, what has it been?
I'm loving it.
I'm just trying to re-balance the new love
I found for inside.
I've never really been like really introverted.
I would say I think I've always been half and half
and it like really shifts and changes.
But ever since motherhood I learned to have fun again.
So I was just back outside.
And so now like I went back inside
and now I'm just like finding the middle ground so.
I love that.
Because tour-- you're on tour.
Oh, oh, I'm on tour.
So for these next three weeks for the album,
what does that look like?
How many tour stops?
What's really happening in the Kehlani world--
I mean, this is actually my last show
until I'm performing things for my album.
So I'm excited to close out this last era.
It was good until it wasn't.
With this show, it's an honor to me.
And the next three weeks just look
like prepping for this album to come out.
Shooting videos and shooting content.
And just like giving the world my new baby.
What's the most exciting thing-- because the fans are anxiously
waiting.
When you drop Blue Water Road, what's
the most thing that you're most excited for the fans
to hear or see what their reaction to it?
Ooh, shout-out Rico Nasty--
ooh-- and the gang.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah.
The thing I'm most excited about is
just for them to hear the growth of me as a person.
I think that I grew up in the public eye,
if that makes sense.
Like all of my really big shaping like life shaping
years, and women shaping years were spent in the public eye.
And I made a lot of mistakes and I did a lot of great things.
And I'm just excited for them to hear how I've grown up
and where I'm at with it, and what means a lot to me now,
and what doesn't, and things like that.
Right.
That was super exciting.
Gia, you got one more before we get out of here?
I mean, I just have to ask Kehlani like the--
my favorite things is to see how your fans love on you online,
in person.
I know there's millions-- literally they say we have like
a million--
a million viewers.
1.3.
1.3 million viewers.
I know--
Wow.
--a good 50% are here for Kehlani.
So if you could talk directly to your fans right now,
what would you say to them about just how they love you
and how you love them?
Oh, man.
I just want to say thank you.
I mean, it's been a really long time.
And I haven't always been perfect.
I haven't always been epic.
I've just tried to be myself whatever that looked like.
And I've been loved through it immensely.
And I just can't thank you enough because you guys love me
differently.
Some people just care about the music
and they just care about what's coming out, what's coming out,
what's coming out.
But you guys love me for my motherhood.
You guys love my friends.
You guys love my family.
You guys love the pets that I have in my home.
You guys care if I did things like got my driver's license
and things like that.
It's just different.
And I can't replace a love like that.
It's really, really genuine.
And all that matters to me is pleasing you guys.
I don't give a f--- about the numbers.
I don't give a f--- about the accolades as long as you guys
are happy.
And as long as you guys feel me, and see me, and love me,
that's all that matters.
All right, that's beautiful.
Well said.
Well, new album on the way.
Blue Water Road, right?
Yeah.
Up at night is the single.
We're going to stream that-- we're going to run that up
on Amazon Music--
We're going to play it--
Ooh, I got one last question.
--on R&B rotation.
They're giving me the wrap-up sign.
What's up?
No, I'm saying, are you coming back tomorrow
to perform with T-Pain?
I wish, yo.
I leave in the morning.
I got to go home.
I got to go be a mommy.
I was excited.
I got to go get my baby.
Such a dope collaboration, but we respect it and we love it.
Kehlani, we respect and we love you.
Thank you so much.
Keep it locked.
This is Dreamville.
We're behind stage.
But there's more performances, more interviews coming up.
Don't go nowhere.
Thanks, y'all.