Avant Returns to Share His Lessons in Love

Avant Returns to Share His Lessons in Love


Avant Returns to Share His Lessons in Love

Avant has always known how to write a love song. When he first emerged with his smash hit, “Separated,” people recognized his talents, but still didn’t know all that he was capable of. Now, eight years later, any questions about his musical abilities have firmly been laid to rest. Freshly signed to Capital Records after a split with Geffen Records, Avant’s new self-titled album picks up where he left off—and you better believe that’s definitely a good thing. –j.h.


Tell me about your new project, Avant.
The new album is entitled Avant and the reason why I did that is because I never did it before and I’m also with a new regime, I’m with Capital Records now. They just see my vision–they understand where I want to go as artist. I can’t be mad at Geffen Records, they gave me 10 hits, but I want to give Capital 20. So that’s my main focus is to continue to give people great music.

You talked about the fans recognizing where your lane is. At what point do you think they really realized, okay, this is what Avant is about?
I think the last album is the point that I really established my core fans. I really didn’t know but after so many people were like, yo, I ain’t seen the album, I’ve been looking for it. And that’s when me and Geffen Records were going through the turmoil at the same time. But I really appreciated the fans letting me know that they were looking for my record. It’s two years later and the reason [for the break from music] is because I was really trying to get into the movie game. I did Barbershop 2 and then I did First Sundays with Morris Chestnut. But we had a good time doing the movies and I would do more movie stuff, but at the same time, I just have a passion for music that’s ridiculous, so I’m back.


Did it take you doing other things to realize that your passion really was with music?
Yeah, it really did take me to do other things to respect what music really meant to me. I love the acting too, I did a play with Morris Chestnut too called Love in the Nick of Time, we had a wonderful time, we did our thing. It sold out, we broke records, the whole nine. But this music thing, giving people life and helping people out of situations—ain’t nothing like that.

What’s the direction of this project? You went to Iraq and you experienced a lot of different things, how did that play out in the music?
Well this project was basically just having fun. I was trying to go in the studio and create a vibe of, hey, people love you, do what makes them happy. And in making them happy, you end up making yourself happy. So it’s been a beautiful look. I went over to Iraq and performed for the troops over there and it was an experience. Touching down in Kuwait, it was 100 degrees at night and the next morning waking up at 5 in the morning to go Baghdad and just seeing the war going on and looking at the troops over there, whew. I mean, hey, hopefully with Barack [Obama] everything will pan out. That’s what we’re looking for, we need to get them troops back to the house. We’re doing our thing over there, don’t get me wrong. The United States is handling business. I stayed in Sadam [Hussein’s] guest palace while I was over there, so there was a lot going on. But at the same time, I felt real comfortable, like they had me 100 percent. At night the helicopter would just hover over the guest palace just to make sure we were cool.

You talk a lot about relationships in your music.
I think it’s my passion for love. Like when I did the song, “When It Hurts”—it was written because everyone was watching reality TV and I should bring some reality music to the forefront. At one point relationships are going to hurt. If you can love me through the pain, and vice versa too, fellas you gotta love the ladies through the pain—then everything will be alright.

Your lyrics are direct and honest, and a lot of times when artists write lyrics that are almost simple, it ends up actually sounding simple musically as opposed to still sounding layered like your music does.
There’s definitely a process that I go through in terms of writing. I try to pull from everybody’s emotion. Some people are going through some stuff, and I just thank God that can bring it across. Like the song “4 Minutes” on the last album, that was something that my brother went through. So just being able to bring a story out, that’s what I try to do.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about you?
[Laughing] That I’m kin to R.Kelly or that I’m in some way trying to be him. I could never be him, and don’t want to be him. Dude ran the 90s and that was a wonderful thing. I came in in 2000 and everybody compared me to him. But I just continued to drop hit record after hit record and he was doing the same thing but people started split us up and understand that he was who he was and I am who I am.

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