R&B artist Reggie Becton: In his own words
Emerging R&B singer-songwriter Reggie Becton has garnered the attention from the likes of Dru Hill, Manny Wellz and Marsha Ambrosius, and has opened up for Daley at the legendary Troubadour during the Los Angeles stop of his sold-out “The Spectrum Unplugged Tour.”
Fresh off his very first tour for his latest EP, Reggie is gearing up to get back in the studio for his next project. We got the chance to catch up with Reggie to talk about his career as a musician, including where he gets his inspiration from, what success means to him and what’s next on the agenda.
R&B artist Reggie Becton shares his story
Tell us a little bit about your story…
Where do I begin? I was born in San Diego, but I was raised in PG Maryland, which is right outside of Washington, D.C. I graduated from Temple University, Go OWLS, and then moved to LA! I have been doing music professionally and independently since 2017. At one point I was signed to an independent label, but on the other end of that spectrum, I have also done some songwriting for other artists at major labels.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
My biggest musical inspirations are Marvin Gaye (which is where the title of my EP “My Beanie is Orange” came from), Brandy, Prince, and Avant. I draw inspiration from each of them on a daily basis when recording or writing a song. Additionally, I take inspiration from my experiences and the experiences of some of those closest to me; my life, and the lives of my family and friends hold stories and experiences that resonate strongly with me sometimes and I channel that the best way I know how — through my music.
Has it been relatively smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles you’ve faced along the way? And how did you stay motivated?
The road has not been easy at all, but what road is? When I moved to LA, I didn't have a job, savings, or even a place to stay! All I had was music. My first year here was the epitome of “I got a dollar and a dream.” I shared a one bedroom Airbnb with two other friends and we rotated between two twin beds and an air mattress. Other challenges that have presented themselves throughout my journey would be dealing with the effect of having low finances, anxiety and depression and feeling like my life is passing me by.
I think my biggest struggle to date is something I’m still dealing with: feeling insecure in my gift and not feeling worthy of some of my achievements or blessings I’ve worked so hard for. I’m learning that to counteract these feelings I have to stay motivated by keeping other dreamers around me and by constantly reminding myself how far I’ve come and expressing gratitude on a daily basis. I know that all it takes is 30 secs, 1 ear, 1 person, 1 tweet, etc and your life can change in an instant, so it’s important to stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.
Please tell us more about your music: what you are currently focused on and most proud of?
My music slaps!!! LOL. Alongside that, my music is my take on all of the music I grew up on. At the core of all my music is my version of “masculinity” and what it means to be a “man.” My dad, brother, and close male friends all have allowed me to have a unique perspective on “masculinity” by exuding behaviors and qualities that contrasts the larger society depiction of manhood, which is what I think I am most proud of. As an artist it is super grueling to find your sound and voice in music, and once you do, it is very hard to transcribe that message without explicitly saying it. So when I check my Spotify or Apple music streams and see that men are streaming my songs and projects more than women, I feel like my message is being heard and working. Having more male listeners than female is an anomaly in male R&B artists. I’m very fucking proud of that!
What does “success” look like to you?
Success to me in this current moment is:
Two Grammys
Two platinum albums
Music paying my bills
Taking my family to Hawaii
A COLORS feature
Meeting Mark Pitts
Headlining a successful International tour
Creating generational wealth for my family
Finally, I’m extremely focused on working on my upcoming project! It’s a mixtape that I’ve been dying to record and I’m really excited to get to work on it. Aside from that, another one of my top priorities is perfecting my live show!
Describe your creative process for writing. Do you take the same approach to writing for each song?
My writing process is different for each song. As of late, I have been writing a lot using pen and paper which has been strangely refreshing. I approach each song differently and pull from different areas of my life. As I am working on this new mixtape I find myself looking inward a lot more when writing to really create more personal music which has helped me become more vulnerable and forthcoming.
If you could make music during any decade, which would it be?
The 80s without a doubt. Rock is one of my favorite genres of music and the way it was being infused in soul and R&B during that decade was unmatched and unlike anything ever heard. Runner up: 90s R&B.
Is the process of creating music or playing music healing for you?
Creating music is so very healing! My mantra for 2020: “Don’t get in your feelings, get in the booth.” Furthermore, I think playing shows will become more healing when I am able to hit the road more and see how my music has impacted the lives of others.
What can we expect next from Reggie Becton?
Next for me is hitting the road. I will be on a national tour and performing at some festivals during Q1 and Q2 of 2020. In between shows I will be working on my soon to be classic and critically acclaimed Mixtape, “California”. Finally, I just look forward to growing as a man and as an artist.
Click here to check out Reggie Becton’s music, videos and more on You42!
