James Fauntleroy says he discovered of his and Terrace Martin’s nomination for his or her first joint collaboration, Nova, when he awoke to 38 textual content messages on Friday (Nov. 10).
“I used to be frightened at first, you recognize, that it was one thing dangerous,” says Fauntleroy about seeing the flurry of messages concerning the venture touchdown a berth in the perfect progressive R&B album class. “Then I began studying them and bought tremendous excited. As a result of despite the fact that I’ve been nominated a number of instances as a songwriter and gained, that is my first Grammy nomination as an artist.”
In reality, Fauntleroy’s Grammy stats embody 4 wins and 6 nominations. Comprising the wins tally: track of the yr and greatest R&B track for the Bruno Mars smash “That’s What I Like” plus album of the yr for Mars’ 24K Magic on the sixtieth Grammy Awards and greatest R&B track for Justin Timberlake’s “Pusher Love Woman” on the 56th ceremony. Fauntleroy’s estimable record of writing credit consists of collaborations with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar and Stevie Marvel, amongst others. Fauntleroy can also be a member of the songwriter/producer/musician collective 1500 or Nothin’ and a co-founder of the 1500 Sound Academy for aspiring younger expertise .
Musician/producer and BMG artist Martin is a five-time Grammy nominee who coincidentally was nominated in the perfect progressive R&B album class for the sixty fifth and sixty fourth ceremonies for his solo album Drones and Dinner Occasion: Dessert, respectively. Dinner Occasion is the identify of the supergroup that includes Martin and fellow musicians Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper and ninth Marvel. Martin’s different Grammy nods: greatest R&B album for his Velvet Portraits and consecutive album of the yr nods for his contributions to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly and good child, m.A.A.d metropolis.
Launched in August 2023, Nova is Martin and Fauntleroy’s hybrid tackle the Brazilian music type generally known as bossa nova. The six-track venture is the third in a six-album collection being helmed by Martin. And for Fauntleroy — whose friendship and inventive relationship with Martin dates again years (“Terrace and I’ve recognized one another my entire grownup life; he’s actually one of many first individuals I ever labored with”) — it was positively a labor of affection.
“Terrace and I had been speaking perpetually about what we have been going to do collectively,” says Fauntleroy. “All people that is aware of me is aware of I simply love bossa nova, and I believe he knew that that was a easy solution to get me to essentially do that. And he was completely proper. I liked having the chance to place my spin on bossa nova as a result of I take heed to hardcore Brazilian jazz on a regular basis. So I’m actually conversant in the melodies they [artists] like to make use of and the completely different dynamics of their phrasing. However it was tremendous enjoyable to do it in my method. I’m actually proud of the way in which it turned out.”