Q: Growing up as a child, who were some of your favorite mainstream artists that you listened to?
Robb Blacc: There were a few mainstream artists that I listened to like, Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass, and Larry Graham but I was really into bands. I listened to The Ojays, Temptations, Whispers, Confunkshun, LTD, Commodores and SOS Band.
Q: At what age did you start singing?
Robb Blacc: I started singing when I was about 5 years old in church. My mom was the choir director and I believe my first song was “God Is”.
Q: Can you recall the first song that you ever recorded?
Robb Blacc: The 1st song I recorded was back in the 90’s when I was a part of an R&B group called NAS-T (Nubian Artist Striving Together). We recorded a remake of “Cry Together” by the Ojay’s.
Q: Where did you get the name Robb Blacc?
Robb Blacc: Well, the name “Robb” was initiated in the military as an abbreviation of my last name. I picked up “Blacc” as more of a descriptive annotation of who I am culturally, and decided to add a little twist to the spelling.
Q: You have such a soulful sound. What’s it like when you’re in the studio? What process do you take when recording new music?
Robb Blacc: I think the soulful voice can be attributed to singing in the church and watching artist like Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass, Johnny Gill, Freddie Jackson, Glenn Jones, Peabo Bryson, Miles Jaye, and Gerald Levert command an audience. When I am in the studio, it’s just me and my engineer (Wes). I purposefully travel in small circles so for the most part, it’s quiet and pretty structured. The studio is my comfort zone and to me, it’s where the magic comes together. My recording process consist of my pre-production at home. I pretty much record my lyrics to my track using my portable SPIRE studio. Once I get into the actual studio, I know how I want to record. I can usually record a song in about an hour.
Q: This is a question that I pretty much asked everyone. If you could work with any mainstream artist, who would it be with, and why?
Robb Blacc: I would want to do work with an artist I could vibe with that has a strong voice. Someone that would push me beyond my comfort zone. There are many that come to mind, but I’d say either Johnny Gill or Fantasia.
Q: Your song Soulmate is a smash hit. It’s been both on the Top 200 Single Chart, and Hot 150 Independent Chart as well. How did you come up with the concern for Soulmate?
Robb Blacc: Soul Mate is a song I wrote for my wife. When you’ve prayed for a special someone that complete you and then you find them, it should be easy to express your love for that person. I believe in giving a person their flowers while you can. Soul Mate is a song that allows you to do just that. It’s an all-occasion song but it’s a great selection for a wedding, anniversary, or Valentine.
Q: What can everyone expect from Robb Blacc in 2023?
Robb Blacc: Expect me to keep cranking out smash hits. My goal is to bring back that good old soulful storytelling, heartfelt music that people can relate to, and I hope to do a couple of collaborations with either, a country, blues, or R&B artist.
Q: Are there any last comments that you would like to make?
Robb Blacc: I want to say thank you to The R Report Magazine for giving me the opportunity and platform to share my music with the fans. I truly appreciate every single fan for supporting me and my music. I also want to thank my beautiful wife for believing in me and encouraging me to think outside the box. Finally, I have to thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon me.
