BABY FACE: On His New Album, Family Life And Fans

Jet, Sept 17, 2001

Fans of Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds can breathe a mighty long sigh of relief. After a five-year absence, the legendary singer/songwriter/producer is back on top of the music scene with a new, hot-selling album.

And, there's more. Edmonds is also a daddy all over again and has a new cause on which to focus major attention.

Face2Face, his first album in five years and the first on the Arista label, has his signature ballads as well as more edgy, hip-hop styling. The first single, There She Goes, has already soared to the top of the music charts.

He told JET that he did not plan on letting five years go by without putting out an album. "I started working on it three years ago and then stopped. When we sold LaFace Records, I ended up going over to Arista. And I was producing for Pink. I wasn't making any conscious effort to take time off or anything. And part of the reason I took so much time is that I'm very self-critical. I made sure it wasn't just the same. I went through something like 80 songs. It was a lot of work."

He said he wanted to make sure the album was "radio-friendly" since musical tastes have changed since he last recorded. "You have to have a combination of things to make sure it's got a shot to be heard," he explained. "There was hip-hop and some R&B. And always melodies. The main thing was to make sure it didn't sound like yesterday. There's a little more edge than I've had before."

The 13-song album also includes Work It Out, featuring a gritty sound reminiscent of the late Curtis Mayfield, Baby's Mama a cool and funky tune that features rapper Snoop Dog and What If, a song that deals with the relationship choices individuals make.

Producing for younger artists is easier than putting his own projects together, he said. "When it's a younger, brand-new artist there are no expectations of what they're supposed to be. Whereas an artist like myself or Luther (Vandross), we have to work harder at being contemporary and accepted because people sometimes want to put you in a certain box. You have to be careful about stepping out of that box because you don't want to alienate people who do like you. It's a fine line you walk."

But he's handling it and getting accolades along the way. He's also handling all the duties that fatherhood brings. Last spring he and wife Tracey welcomed their second son, Dylan. The Edmonds' older son, Brandon, recently turned five.

"Fatherhood is fun!" he said. "Dylan is starting to get his own personality. He's totally different than Brandon was. Brandon was always quieter and a perfect traveling baby. Dylan makes some noise on planes. Brandon's loving having a little brother. Having two makes it seem more like a family. The older kids get, the more fun they get."

His schedule is more hectic than ever, but Edmonds makes certain his family gets a big share of his attention. Beyond having a new album and baby, he's rehearsing in preparation for an upcoming tour of Japan, writing material for Brandy, TLC, Pink and getting prepared for Toni Braxton's upcoming Christmas album. And, along with Andre Harrell, former president of Motown, Edmonds recently founded the New America record label.

And, on top of all that, Edmonds recently joined former President Bill Clinton in an attempt to increase education, money and awareness of the massive problems of AIDS in Africa. A huge proportion of the world's cases of AIDS are in sub-Sahara nations of Africa.

Edmonds said his involvement was a result of the friendship he developed with Clinton during his administration. He and Tracey had worked with the Democratic National Committee. "We went to a lot of events he had over the last two years of his administration," Edmonds recalled. "And we had a dinner at our home (in the Holmby Hills section of Los Angeles). He reached out and had wanted to meet me. He was cool."

And during the last weeks of Clinton's administration, the Edmondses were invited to spend the night at the White House in the legendary Lincoln Bedroom. "We did that on Martin Luther King's birthday."

Several months ago, Clinton called Edmonds and asked him to assist him. At a press conference the two recently held in New York (JET, Aug. 20), they detailed some of the problems and some potential solutions. Edmonds hopes to work on a CD and concert to raise money for medicines and educational programs.

"We mainly want to raise awareness. And the main thing is Clinton is doing this as a private citizen. We're talking about going to Africa right after Thanksgiving for about a week or two and visit some of the countries and see the problem and the people face to face. I've already gotten calls from entertainer friends saying they're down for whatever they can do to help. I'm honored that he asked me to be a partner."

And the numerous honors Babyface has been awarded as a phenomenal singer, songwriter and producer are overshadowed only by the adoration of the millions of fans worldwide who flock to buy his records and attend his concerts.

He's grateful that fans are always there for him. Edmonds is low key but always affable to fans. He waves and says hello when stopped by fans on the street. He loves the fact that his music pleases them. The only time he draws the line with people is when he is trying to have private time with his family in public and overzealous fans approach. But, he quickly pointed out that those occasions are rare and that most fans are friendly and respectful. And he's committed to continuing finding out what music lovers want and tapping into it.