Grammy Award-winning producer Stevie J has a résumé most producers only dream of — his collaborations with The Notorious B.I.G., Diddy, JAY-Z and Mariah Carey barely scratch the surface. While Stevie is widely known for his appearances on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta and Growing Up Hip Hop, it’s his work in the studio and innate musical talent that truly make Stevie J a legend.
Speaking to HipHopDX on Thursday (March 10), Stevie J revealed he’s currently on Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida putting the finishing touches on Diddy’s forthcoming album, LOVE, a nod to the Bad Boy Records mogul’s legal middle name. The excitement in his voice is palpable as he talks about reuniting with his longtime creative partner.
“I’m on Star Island with Puff,” he says. “We’re finishing his album, his LOVE album. We [Diddy and Stevie] working on the No Way Out 2 album with Jay Electronica, too. It’s going marvelous. He’s got artists from Justin Bieber, Ty Dolla $ign and Jacquees to Fabolous, H.E.R., Jazmine Sullivan, Kelly Price and even his new artist, Stacy Barthe.
“So yeah, it’s a wide assortment of wonderful artists that have come on this love journey with him. It’s like a baby-making type of album. It’s no trap music It’s just straight R&B love stuff, and I believe that’s missing out here because it’s so much trap. Don’t get me wrong — I listen to it, I turn up too, but I want something to play and it feels sexy, too. And I believe that this is the project that’s going to do that.”
It makes sense Stevie J is working on R&B material. Growing up in church, he gravitated toward gospel and R&B music early on. He’s also made several hit records with artists such as Faith Evans, Jodeci, Tevin Campbell and 112. For now, he’s just happy to be in the studio.
“Puff and I have a long history, so I just got called in on this project about less than a month ago to finish it up with him,” he explains. “I’m excited, I’m flattered and I’m even more just in awe of working with my partner again. We haven’t worked together in a while, so now we’re about to make history again.”
Diddy and Stevie J made magic on several tracks from Diddy’s 1997 album No Way Out, which included the Grammy Award-winning single “I’ll Be Missing You.” But the last time they collaborated was in 2015 on the Puff Daddy and the Family single “You Could Be My Lover” from MMM (Money Making Mitch).
Now back together, Stevie J is counting his blessings, saying, “I’m here and I’m focused on this music. I’m focused on my new television shows that’s coming. But as far as the music goes, yes, you’re going to get another chapter. You’re going to get multiple chapters because I’ll never ever be satisfied with the last hit I made.
“I just want to keep making more, create more to be in the atmosphere over here. Diddy’s over on Love Island and all of that. It’s Jay Electronica here, one of my favorite rappers and producers. We’re here together making music right now, executive producing the No Way Out 2 album.”
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He continues, “Jay’s been in his bag, He’s in his bag. He’s in his bag with his production, even his rhymes. He’s still in his bag. Just because you don’t hear from a great, that doesn’t mean they stop being great. Just sometimes they’ll need to hibernate for a minute and get some rest before they come back out.”
Stevie J is featured in an episode of TV One’s UNCENSORED on Sunday (March 13). Check back soon for Part II of the HipHopDX interview.
Nobody wants to hear Fluff Daddy’s “Butt Love” album or his “No Gay Out” album either. he’s not even a rapper or a producer or executive producer, he’s just a well connected extortionist who takes advantage of those seeking a careers in the music industry by robbing them if their publishing, masters, royalties, and production credits just in order to feed his pockets and ego. He’s made a living off the pain and suffering of other artists whether alive or dead,he doesn’t care cuz he’ll still pimp you out and collect the money for your music and your family won’t get nothing but pennies. (ask Biggie’s Momma)Stop supporting this guy, seriously. Him, Andre Harrell, and Steve Stouts destroyed more lives than the NYPD.
Hearing Diddy rap is like listening to DJ Khaled talk, it’s unbearable after two seconds.
I’d rather listen to Desiigner aka “Courage The Cowardly Dog” than Diddy cuz at least he’s comical and it’s fun trying to decipher the lyrics lol.
Who cares, it’ll be a bloated nonsensical album full of features and inconsistencies anyways like all his other albums. Oh and that line about “don’t worry if I write rhymes, I write checks.” Well he doesn’t, he has an accountant that does that for him so he pretty much does nothing and pays everyone else to do it and take credit for it like he always does as usual.
sean and the almighty dollar. no way out 2 could be interesting just want to know what he wants to say.
That he’s a bloodsucking money hungry power crazed parasite that needs to fade into obscurity.
Please don’t give us a puffy album lmao
Why isn’t Diddy dead yet? After all the crooked things he’s done to people and he’s still here. I’m really amazed that he’s lived this long tbh. Guess when you got all the industry connection and can blackmail any and everybody that’s just how it is I guess. People we’re scared of Suge, at least Suge was direct about his feeling and how he went about handling business, Diddy will smile in your face and stab you in the face while twisting the blade at the same time and not think twice about it. He’s a snake.
I see a lot of people talking about his blood sucking energy. Funny how Stacy Barthe is his “new artist.” The only place I know her name is from singing on Nipsey’s Victory Lap track. Nip’s story was always funny to me how he hooked up with Puffy. Puffy kept actively trying to kick it with him by telling Cassie to tell Lauren London (because they were close friends) to have Nip get up with him. Over and over. To the point Lauren was telling Nip he said to tell you “Nip don’t fuck with me? Tell him I said what’s up with that?” Nip said we wasn’t trying to ride nobody coattails so he wasn’t hollering at him until he finally did. All of a sudden they super cool. Next thing you know Nip announcing Puffy is going to executive produce his next album. Next thing you know Nip is dead. All in months. Now Stacy Barthe is his artist. Not even talking conspiracy about it. Just saying dude’s energy is not cool.