Tinashe and Ricky Reed Share Behind-the-Scenes of their Creative Process | MTCML with Bimma

Welcome to meetings that changed my life, where I sit down with creative duos to hear about how their initial meeting turned into a collab that changed culture. On the agenda for today’s meeting, I’m sitting down with multi-platinum certified singer songwriter, producer and Disruptor Tinashe and Grammy Award-winning producer and founder, CEO of nice life recording company Ricky Reed, to break down how they make music magic. I’m your host Bimma, and this meeting is now in session. Thank you for joining us, <laugh>. Yeah, Thanks For having me.
One of the things that we love to get into on this show is we love to talk to our guests about how they actually met, especially the creative duos.

You get the story about like the success, but a lot of times you don’t get the story about like, what were the origins of that happening? Right. And so I’m curious about the two of you. How did you meet My manager and label partner?
Larry Wade called me up and saying, I believe you may have said, you know, Tene. And I was like, <laugh> <laugh>, how do you feel about tene? And I was like, she’s amazing. She started out on major record label, she’s repositioned herself as this underground icon and started getting all excited. He’s like, she might be interested in working with an independent label.

And I was like, when can we meet? I mean, the first time we actually met was in his studio, um, which is very home studio vibes, but like a nice one. Yeah. But it has that cozy, not pretentious feel that I really love. So I think that Was a you like Feel comfortable.
Yeah. Really comfortable and like warm. Yeah. Just has a good vibe. That first session, what were y’all working on?
I think it was the winter time.

So we were initially just taking a meeting to kind of catch a vibe Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> and see what, you know, what the deal was. <laugh>. And I think I played some of my music that I’d been working on for my last project.
Bebe Angel. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And I just remember your reaction was like, whoa, this is dope. This is crazy.
And I was like, okay, this is exactly what I wanted to do. <laugh>, you know? Yeah. I felt really lucky because to, to get that meeting in the first place is a really big deal. But for her, then to come in with music that’s already prepared, that’s mind blowing as somebody that would go on to be a creative partner.
It’s like she’s already bringing so much to the table. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. She’s already got this whole business and this whole like world that she’s building public, but even behind the scenes, she’s already 10 steps ahead with amazing music. How Important are those things, right?
Like when she’s coming in the door, she’s got music, she’s got a vision for, for where she wants to go.

How does that inspire you creatively? I think you, you never need to have, you know, music already ready. But you do have to have a perspective. You gotta have a vision.
You gotta know what you’ll say no to and what you’ll fight for. And if an artist walks in the door and they have those things at a minimum Mm. We can build a world together. Mm. But I’ll say she had all that and records Tanasha for you at that point in your career, you’re, you’re coming off your, in your independent lane, you’re coming with pieces of BB Angel.
What are you looking for at that point in time? I am looking to expand my business by working with a creative partner and a partner in general.

But I definitely was nervous about making that step. I think I felt that I had gained so much by going fully independent and being, you know, the captain of my own ship and being in charge of my own business. And it’s very precious to me, my perspective as a creative.
And so I am very wary of everyone who’s like, yeah, you know, we’ll collaborate <laugh> because you know, that song and dance, it’s very easy to meet with somebody who will talk a good game, but it’s another thing to meet with somebody who genuinely understands you and sees you and hears where you’re coming from and respects your opinion at a real level.

And so I think that that was something that I was definitely looking for on just like a gut and instinctual level. Yeah. Somebody that could understand where I was coming from in that way. Yeah.
Do you remember in that kind of first encounter, that first session with Ricky, um, outside of maybe some of the affirming words, were there other things that were happening in that session where you were like, I can, I can trust Ricky as a collaborative partner Yeah.

With what’s so close to me, especially coming from where you were coming from in your career? Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, I feel like there were some other just like cool little signs, like living in the same neighborhood and kind of like having a lot of synergy of like who we knew but previously and you know, just being in the same area and having kind of a lot of similar values.

So I think that that creates a, a, an instant bond, but at the same time, you never really know.
I don’t, I feel like I had a good vibe the first time that we met, but that relationship is definitely something that has to continue to build and I think has continued to build, um, every time that we’ve worked together. My biggest pet peeve in music is people following rules, arbitrary rules that they create for themselves. They don’t really exist. Truly. Ricky is a true creative.
I think he’s dedicated to supporting artistry at a real level. It’s not just talk. And I think that that’s sometimes Rare. Tell me about moments in the process of working together where you’ve bumped heads. We Had our initial meeting, she played music.
It was amazing. And then we had a session where we kind of like, yeah, just did some, tried to do some like light arranging feedback or whatever.

And I could feel a little bit of like, I can’t say a full on wall going up, but like the boundaries came in play. And that in no way to me was, was a problem. But it definitely was like, okay, this is a really good thing for us to like discuss.
Because, you know, as as we got into that meeting after that and we started talking about it, I think your words were something along the lines of like, these boundaries, this protective armor that I have like saved my life.

When I left my last label, I built myself back up with this armor. This is how I keep myself safe. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>.
So that is the most important thing in your life and you have to protect it. Yeah. So the, our big final conversation about before we really dove in together was, you know, about the when and how you can let that guard down. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> and form a new truly collaborative relationship.
Yeah. But that meeting, that was the one Yeah. For me that was the big one. That Was the turning point. I mean, that sounds like the core values meeting it is like, yo, this is what I’m about.
And like, if we’re not both kind of respective and about this thing, it’s gonna be kind of hard to like Yeah.

Actually make anything of meaning together. Yeah. I think it it, to get to a point where you’re willing to open up to somebody on that level after kind of just the journey that I’ve been on was something that I had to, I guess, practice. It wasn’t just a necessarily just something quick and easy.
Yeah. Yeah. I can’t imagine like you’re coming out of like a situation and you’re like, you don’t wanna just rush into another thing and Yeah. Like you said, like, I mean, Don’t wanna make the wrong move. Yeah.
<laugh>, that’s for sure. Yeah. You probably thinking like everything is probably super considered. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>.
Right. What did you learn about each other in that process With what the kind of career trajectory you’ve had and different kinds of experiences with labels and everything? I reflected on my own experience having been signed to a major label 10 years ago, whatever it was. But still knowing what the feelings are of, you know, creating music in one kind of system, stepping outside of it, knowing what that feels like, um, knowing that there can be a bit of a, a loss or an emotional shift required.

So I was also trying to really tread lightly as we got to know each other and not come in heavy handed in any way.
Yeah. Yeah. Just to make sure that you, you know, And I think that that really was something that I appreciated early on, um, because it was like you said something that’s not super, you’re not just like gung-ho about like, oh yeah, this person I’ve just met. Like let’s, yeah. Let’s go make all these serious decisions together.
Yeah, totally. It’s, it’s, it’s definitely something that’s important and it holds a lot of weight. And a great part about working with Ricky is just his little notes of how to just refine different things. Because a lot of the music for BB Angel I’d kind of already started and kind of was already creating.

And it was little things that kind of would make just things like slightly hookier like in needs for example.
There was just one line, I think it was Make it say Please where I had originally written as say Please. And I think just like little things like that, um Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> at, you know, some little refinements. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> sometimes can make take things up to another level.
Totally. And that’s, and it’s interesting to see how much he respects already what I’ve already created and also being able to add little things go a long way. Not coming in there, switching up everything that you made.

You’re like, this is, this is completely different from what I wanted to make. Yeah.
Yeah. Like I, you know, I can’t imagine signing an artist that’s as dope as Tene and then just being like, okay, now we’re just going to change everything. And it’s really exciting. ’cause I’m also just a fan of the music that you make on your own. So when I, I remember first hearing Baby Angel and listening to it and vibing so hard.
And then like, you know, the second or third hang being like, what are you saying in the bridge? And she would tell me the lyric. I’m like, that’s, that’s what you’re saying. That’s amazing. <laugh>.
And, but then going back and being like, so I couldn’t understand that the first three listens.

What can we do to make it so this dope thing that you’re saying can be heard on Listen one. Mm. Just these little bits about like potency and clarity and impact. People always talk about and get hung up on the idea of like, what’s pop and what’s not pop.
And to me it’s just about clarity, impact first.

Listen, the listener is like, I get it. Yeah. It’s hitting me. Yeah.
But like, doesn’t mean it should be corny or it should be this or that. Just like maximum impact. Yeah. I remember we were working on nasty and you said, I like this double hook in the middle. Or I was like, I think we should shorten it just to tighten the whole thing up, keep it, you know, makes you wanna re-listen to it.
And you were like, yeah, but you just like, want to vibe out in this middle section. It’s, and the repetition. It feels good. I thought about her and I thought about her like literally vibing after this part. And I was like, she’s right.
<laugh>. It’s like, it’s, it, I think it’s, it comes down to trust.

Yeah. Yeah. It comes down to trust.
What’s Y’all’s dynamic? What’s it like? Take me in. I mean, it’s interesting ’cause we did a couple of sessions over like fall, winter where we’re starting to get to know each other, like making things from scratch. So I’d like serve up something and could see her like, mm, not that one.
Okay. Mm. And I started to realize that as I would serve up things that were like more strange and more out of the ordinary that she’d be like, I like that. I’m like, okay, I get a little weird. She’s like, I like that even more.
And just kind of playing this game of like hot and cold to see what she really gravitates towards.

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. But what I love too is at a granular level, she’s really listening. Like, I’ll get something and I think it’s like a great vibe and she’ll love it, but say, yeah, but the snare is too x.
And I’ll be like, oh, I wasn’t even thinking of That. You’re like, wow, <laugh>, Let’s try this. So we, we really, she really likes to build a world musically with me. And that’s enjoyable as a producer. Yeah.
Yeah. As long as you know what you want. Totally. Some artists try to build a world and they don’t know what they want and then it makes me wanna pull my hair out. <laugh>, What does that look like?
Like what does that look like? If you’re like in that scenario where you’re working with and you’re building a world where there’s no direction, this is just constant iteration. Yes. Then I’m, then I, yeah.

I’m just g creating and creating and creating like a hamster on a wheel or something.
<laugh>. But, but she has really great taste and yeah. Just kinda like is mindful of the details, but also if something really hot comes along, you’re gonna let me know and we’re gonna chase it down. Yeah. Yeah.
I’m really inspired by something that feels like a challenge in the studio. I guess it’s kind of like what you were just saying, like the fun part is the creation part. It’s the discovery of trying to take something that feels maybe like a little wonky or a little detuned or a little strange or a little like unexpected. And then try to formulate that into a song that’s digestible and catchy. And I think that that to me is way more interesting than having something that to me feels safe or easy.
Like a lot of times when people are playing me beats or like we’re getting into an idea, I’ll be like, yeah, I like that one, but it’s safe.

And to me that’s not as exci. It’s just literally not as fun to make something that’s easy for me to write ideas too. Sometimes I’m like, I wanna try to write ideas to the one that I have no idea how I’m gonna approach this <laugh>. Like, whatever’s gonna come out of me is gonna just be so raw because I, you know, it just, I’ve never heard anything like this before.
Yeah. So that’s usually what I’m searching for in terms of like how to get that spark going in the studio.

<laugh>, you Have this song of the summer, right? Um, what’s next? Right.
So how, how do you continue to, to build upon that? Moments like these are magical because you’re able to take in all of the energy from the community, from the people, from the momentum and use it to then continue the business and continue the art and, and make things greater and more powerful and more impactful. What are you excited for her to unlock next? Um, as an artist and as a creative? I think that we need to give back to the people that have been following you, investing in you.
Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> listening to you. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> with a project that is unlike anything they’ve ever experienced from Tanasha. And, and that’s saying a lot because if you look at the discography even well before us, you look at a timeless album, like a songs for you, one of the best albums of the decade.

Oh, Thanks. You know, <laugh>, you made it <laugh>. Um, nice. You know, the bar is high, but I think that if anything, this gives us an opportunity to go in and take it even further than you’ve ever taken it before. I, I honestly think it’s our, I think it’s our duty to your fans.
Mm-Hmm. Yeah. To push it to new heights. Mm-Hmm. So Tanasha Quantum Baby is out right now.
Congratulations. Yes, thank you. It’s so exciting. Um, tell me more about that project. I wanted to create this album in a trilogy.
So there’s three parts to it. BB Angel is the first part. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> Quantum Baby is the second part. Okay.
And then there will be a third installment coming soon. Okay. Okay. But um, yeah, I really wanted to kind of split it into parts just to one, to give myself the opportunity to have a really long-winded campaign.

Like to continue to <laugh>, put out music and do music videos and like do tours and, and never have that kind of lull of a couple years where you spend in the studio working on your next project.
So I already got some more stuff lined up. Yes. Upcoming. Yeah. And I thought that that would just be really fun.

And also, I think I wanted to give people a little bit of a more condensed, um, number of songs so that people were able to really sink their teeth into every part of this project. Um, I think a lot of times we spend so much time making these albums and it feels like sometimes some of the songs don’t get the same shine as other ones <laugh>. So when you break it up into sections, I think it gives the opportunity for every song to really kind of receive its own shine and have its moment and be performed live. I Love that. I love that.
Um, Tanasha, Ricky, thank y’all so much for, thank you for joining us here on meetings that changed my life.

This has been another really, really dope conversation. I’m excited about. Um, me too. What’s in the works and what’s coming next.
Me too. Um, so thank you all for tuning in. We’ll see you next time. Thank.

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