Game Changers Pt. 1: Estelle, B.O.B., Janelle Monae, & Lupe [Video]

In the spirit of Black History Month, Atlantic Records released their first video in a candid series of group interviews with young, influential entertainers.

Game Changers features artists that are true to the title; people that changing the music game by staying true to themselves and their art with no apologies. In part one of the series, host Danyel Smith sits down with Estelle, Janelle Monae, B.O.B., and Lupe Fiasco and discusses how they feel about where they are in the music industry, where they want to be, and if (or have) they ever compromised art for success.

Check out the video:

Excerpts:

I’ve never not done me. From the beginning everyone sees me as Estelle coming with “American Boy.” Before this I had a career and I toured the world twice, so it’s never been a thing like okay, I’m going to come here and start being someone else. My audience aren’t stupid. They will look at me crazy and say we’ve been following you for ten years already. For me to come out here and fall into that lane then go back…their looking at me like “What, who is this?” They will shut you down real quick. -Estelle

This is my third record deal. I’ve had record deals since I was 18 in high school. I’ve been through rapping fast, gangster rap, non-gangster rap, and gangster rap again. What the label wants me to do…I’ve been through all that. It just comes at the end of the day, gaining the most success from both parties. The most success for me which is different from sales and making money and also record sales and making money has been me doing me. It’s been me doing “Kick Push” as opposed to you want me to do this song, with this pop singer on this hook. I did this song about skateboarding and that was the cultural shock, the revolution. -Lupe Fiasco

I’m an artist and I think that the think the root word is art. I love ideas, I love coming up with new concepts. I also believe that I have a responsibility bigger than myself and what has already been done. I think it’s up to me and other artists help save the next generation. Somebody open the doors for myself-from James Brown, Prince to Jimmy Hendrix to so many prolific and amazing artist who look like me. I can not, NOT exercise my right to be free and express myself. -Janelle Monae

I always knew music was something that I felt was just in my DNA. When I was in elementary school, I was drawing myself on stage but I didn’t know how to really express my own freedom in that. When I started I was going to perform a song like the typically down south hip hop. The hook went like “That’s that bullsh*t, That’s that bullsh*t” That’s what I was going to perform and just think about where I am now and if I would have started. It’s easy to fall into the pressure and fall into the trends of doing things but I realized just my passion in the music that I was drawn towards and gravitated to, it was kind of showing me you know you want to do this. You see these guitars, you know you want to do it and eventually I kind of evolved into it -B.O.B

.

Who do you consider game changers in the industry?