ESSENCE Black Women In Sports host Shari Nycole, interviews singer-songwriter Jekalyn Carr.
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00:00What's going on, SS family? It's your girl, Sheree Nicole, here with Grammy Award winning, I said that right, Billboard Music Award nominee, Ja'Kalen Carr.
00:08My sister! Ja'Kalen Carr, you had a little time to stop by the office today before you head on down and do some more press.
00:14Yeah.
00:15How you feeling?
00:16I feel good. I'm excited to be here, living life like it's golden.
00:19Come on now.
00:21Let's talk about this Grammy win. It's been some years of sewing and sewing and sewing that you've done.
00:27So to finally get that one underneath your belt, how's it feel?
00:30It's very rewarding. You know, just I will say this, that when I first started, I didn't expect a lot of these things.
00:39And, you know, to be...
00:40What a minute. Why did you expect a lot?
00:42Because, first of all, we didn't know about it, you know, and so I just love doing what I do.
00:48And it's like God just always in return, just bless and honor my ministry.
00:53And the crazy thing is, when I found out, I forgot that the Grammars was going on.
00:58I was headed...
00:59Yes, I was headed inside of the studio to record Don't Faint.
01:03My latest thing, literally.
01:06And I was getting these text messages saying, congratulations, congratulations.
01:11And I'm like, congratulations for what?
01:13And then finally a message came through saying, you are officially a Grammar Award winner.
01:17Winner. And I was just, yeah, appalled because I was in work mode.
01:23And then when I finally came down, I was like, oh, yeah, he did that one.
01:26He did that one.
01:28Yes.
01:29Well, it's been amazing, Ja'Kaelin, to see you grow and mature.
01:33Really, you grew up in front of all of us.
01:35And so when we think in retrospect about that Grammy win, all the work that you've done, your musical ministry,
01:40what are you most proud of in terms of the evolution of how you become out?
01:44I am, number one, proud of the growth and being able to grow gracefully.
01:49Like you said, I started when I was pretty much two.
01:52And to be able to see how every season of my life didn't look the same, but there was beauty there.
02:01And then I'm also proud of the fact that I get to wake up knowing I'm living purpose.
02:06And people are being blessed and inspired by it every day because at the end of the day, that's mission accomplished for me.
02:11Like, listen, and that's the crazy thing.
02:14That's literally where my mind be.
02:16Every project, everything that I do, I always look for a way it can impact people in a positive way.
02:22And I think that's one of the reasons why God keep blessing me.
02:26I'd be like, Lord, why you keep doing that?
02:28He's like, because your heart is right.
02:31So it pays.
02:32It pays when your heart is right and your motives are pure when it comes to what you do.
02:36And so speaking of that, you know, you pour obviously your heart into everything you do.
02:41And when you think about growing up in front of everybody, that passion that's tied to your work and your purpose.
02:47Was it difficult for you to find a space for grace as you move through in the spotlight like you have?
02:52It's not.
02:53It wasn't and it's not.
02:55Because number one, I know I'm not perfect.
02:57OK, I am not Jesus.
02:58I am J.K. Lynn.
02:59Most are with a J, two different people.
03:01OK, and, you know, and I realized that and I have to understand that, you know, I'm still human at the same time.
03:10You know, having accountability partners help a lot in that and people around me who who lift me up, who pray for me, who encourage me and all the things.
03:18It all helped when it came to that.
03:20But I never let people see me at low, try to put me, make me perfect in.
03:23And, you know, but I also never use it as an excuse to, you know, you know, sometimes people will be like, I know my heart.
03:35You right.
03:36I also know you wrong.
03:38But he's a graceful God and he's a forgiving God.
03:42And, you know, you keep moving forward.
03:43And that's another thing.
03:44Try not to make the same mistakes over and over again.
03:47Yeah, well, you've continued to move forward.
03:48Well, and I'll also kind of go to this induction you had into the Women's Songwriters Hall of Fame.
03:53Like, I'm a big fan of songwriting.
03:55Oh, really?
03:56So I'm a writer.
03:57So I love that.
03:58For you, what did that particular honor mean?
04:01I would say it was another surreal moment because it just really made me, made me, excuse me, reflect upon just the beginning.
04:09And then how young I started.
04:12And then up to now and just seeing how God has literally allowed my music to go in places my feet has never been, you know,
04:20and to be able to say all of those songs were written in-house and some of those songs I did not even expect to make the impact that it did is just a beautiful experience.
04:32And like you said, being a writer is very rewarding.
04:35I tell people all the time, even if you don't feel like you can write, it's a writer somewhere in you.
04:39You just have to activate it.
04:41And it comes in different seasons and different moments.
04:44So just don't force it.
04:45Yeah.
04:45So before we get into Don't Faint, your new single, I want to ask you, do you feel the weight of being an encourager ever?
04:51Because your music is such an encouragement.
04:54And it's like the undertow of a lot of the songs that you've put out.
04:57Is there a weight that you feel in pouring out in that respect?
05:01And if so, what does that feel like?
05:03I don't feel the weight.
05:04You want to know why?
05:04Because it ain't my weight.
05:05It's his.
05:05Come on now.
05:06Okay?
05:06It's his weight.
05:07I always did.
05:09Listen.
05:09Here's your place.
05:10Look, I'm burning his light.
05:12That's what he said.
05:13I am completely yielded to what he want me to do in every season of my life, every song, because he knows what his people need.
05:21So I'm like, yeah, nah, we're not finna get you, Kayla.
05:23We're finna get what he wants.
05:25And that's it on that.
05:26And because I operate like that, I literally don't feel the weight.
05:31I just gracefully, you know, flow in my vein.
05:34I never go outside of it because I know what my grace is.
05:39But, yeah, I feel light because I'm doing what he wants me to do and saying what he wants me to say.
05:45Yeah, you're telling the people don't faint.
05:47You're saying that.
05:48Girl, let me tell you something.
05:49You've been trying to faint.
05:52Don't you faint, girl.
05:53I've been smelling salts for the last two months.
05:55But I'm going to tell you when I heard this song.
05:59First of all, I love how you just come out swinging.
06:01Oh, really?
06:02And even if I wanted to pass out the fame.
06:04I'm tickled.
06:05I can't do it when I hear these types of songs.
06:08So when you went into the studio and you did this record, you know, what was your heart posture as you went in?
06:13And as people are, you know, responding to it, how do you feel about that?
06:16You know, the beauty of this song is God is just, he's an amazing God, okay?
06:21So being able to, like I said, coming off the good news with the Grammys and all of that, when I recorded this song, I recorded this song from a place of victory.
06:30People got to understand when you are believing God and you're standing in the need of whatever you're in need of, there's a difference between praying to get the victory or a place of, you know, trying to get it and you praying from a place of victory.
06:48So I was able to sing this song from a place of victory, basically telling you, you can't thank, because I'm a living witness.
06:57You know how many years I have been getting words over my life, spoken that I was going to be a Grammy Award winner and year passed by, year passed by, album done, album did that, being nominated, being called, being in the category and never got it.
07:14But here it is, the year of fulfillment.
07:16Fulfillment, promise fulfillment, you know what I'm saying?
07:20I want to talk about, I'm a little sad, first of all.
07:22Okay.
07:22I'm sad and happy at the same time.
07:24I don't like when artists announce their album is coming and I have to wait like four or five months.
07:28I'm typical.
07:29I don't like that, but I do like the fact that you have an album coming.
07:33Yes.
07:34October the 3rd, Ja'Kalen Carr and Legends.
07:36Oh, that gave you a real date.
07:37Oh, yeah, yeah.
07:38So the pressure's on.
07:39I don't know if you're in mixing or anything like that.
07:41Yeah.
07:42But if you're not, you got to hurry.
07:43I am typical.
07:44They told me October the 3rd.
07:46Which is a Friday.
07:47So I got to get a move on.
07:48Do I just live?
07:49Yes, I'm excited about it.
07:51It is something different that I am doing.
07:54Number one, anybody who knows me knows that I love the legends.
07:59Like literally every single one of them that you can think of.
08:04Because I think for me, when I look at them, not just from their gifts, but just their journey in general.
08:11And to see their longevity, it is always a beautiful thing to see from Pastor Shirley, Donald Lawrence, John P. Key, Kurt Carr.
08:23I mean, all of them.
08:25And so this album is very near and dear to my heart because it literally also opens up people from my generation and younger who don't know about that old school.
08:39I would say I was blessed to have been raised on the old school as well as, you know, new school and all of that.
08:48And I think that's what helped shape my, you know, career and my sound and all of that.
08:53Because being able to go between the two has always been a great thing.
08:59And so, yeah, I'm excited about it.
09:01And I can't wait.
09:02I'm excited for you guys to hear and to also see who's going to be on it.
09:06We can't, we can't know anybody.
09:07No, we can't treat.
09:08Not yet, not yet.
09:10Let me get what your publicist is like telling me y'all could have been coming out in two years.
09:14I'm sitting in.
09:15I don't even know who's going to be on it.
09:19I also don't know when the next time I'm going to see you with a big screen, but I hope it's soon.
09:23I loved you and praised this.
09:25So have you been auditioning?
09:26Any more acting projects coming anytime soon?
09:28So there's some things in the works.
09:31I always get scripts in.
09:34You know me.
09:35I'm not going to jeopardize the integrity of what I've built already because I just love God too much.
09:43And I love my people.
09:44I love my purpose.
09:45I love all the things.
09:47But I always say what is for me is for me.
09:51And in its time, God is going to allow it to find me.
09:54And I'm going to do my best to do my thing.
09:58I love it.
09:59Well, I'm excited.
10:00I'm hoping to see you on the screen very soon.
10:02I think it's going to happen.
10:03But people can also hear you on the radio.
10:05Of course.
10:05Sunday through Friday.
10:06Praise 102.5.
10:08That's the family.
10:09Yeah.
10:09That's how I formally met you.
10:10Yeah.
10:10So how have you been enjoying this ride on radio?
10:13And what level of satisfaction is it giving you that singing is not?
10:17It's great.
10:18I think that it is another way to encourage people, to inspire people.
10:24I love people.
10:25So just being touchable and personal with people, they'll call me like, all I got to do is dial
10:31the radio number to talk to Ja'Kalen.
10:33It'd be so funny, guys.
10:36But I enjoy it.
10:38And yeah, I love it.
10:40Crazy thing is when I was a little girl, I used to always act like I was on the radio.
10:45Really?
10:45Yes.
10:46And then when I would travel, people would be like, you have a radio voice, radio tone.
10:52But I never knew I was going to have my own radio show.
10:55Again, look at God.
10:57That's what my dear sister said.
10:58Look at God.
10:59He just keeps blowing your money.
11:00He keeps on doing it.
11:02So, Ja'Kalen, I'm going to switch gears because we've had some girl talk in the past.
11:05Okay.
11:06We're going to keep it sanctified.
11:07And holy.
11:09But I have to have this conversation with you because I think it's important.
11:13And young women, believers in particular, some of us, I'll say us, I think I'm still
11:19young at their age.
11:20Oh, yes.
11:21There's a level of disenchantment that sometimes occurs when you are single and searching and
11:25trying to live right and all of those types of concepts.
11:28For you as you've moved through, you know, dating and love and loss and those type of things,
11:32kind of where do you sit in terms of your boundaries and also your level of expectation?
11:37One of the things I would say is I'm grateful for past relationships.
11:43I look at them as experiences and learning experiences, obviously, because you find out
11:48what you want, what you don't want, what you're willing to deal with and what you're willing
11:52to not deal with.
11:55And you create those boundaries.
11:57Where I am now is I realize that the dating thing ain't for me.
12:03And what I mean by that is like me trying to go out and, you know, and try to make things
12:09happen.
12:10I don't have to make anything happen that God already told me he going to do for me.
12:14And so...
12:15You want me to run out of here now?
12:15I'm doing this a little cold.
12:17You know, so I'm just going to sit pretty and I'm going to let him find me.
12:21My page ain't private.
12:22You know, slide to the dim if you feel like men of God.
12:28If you feel worthy, slide to the dim.
12:30I'm not in hiding.
12:32You know, I'll just say I...
12:34And yeah, like I am waiting on my person.
12:39And when I say my person, the person that God has been preparing for me.
12:44Because we got to understand as women, because sometimes you think, oh, it's just me and my
12:48preparation stage.
12:49No, he's preparing your person for you too.
12:52Just like he's dealing with you, he's dealing with them.
12:55Because the key factor is not just you having somebody like, I'm booed up.
12:59I'm with bae.
13:01And not baby.
13:02Anybody can carry that title.
13:04But do you have the capacity for me?
13:06Do I have the capacity for you?
13:09You know what I'm saying?
13:10Are we destiny partners?
13:12Are you the one?
13:14I don't need you to be a one.
13:16I need you to be the one.
13:17And if you're not the one, in the wind, you got you to go.
13:23You can fly away or you can walk away.
13:26Either way, you got to go.
13:28Ja'Kalen.
13:29Now, my friends get on me about this.
13:31Uh-huh.
13:31I'm not a dating...
13:32I don't like the dating.
13:33Yeah.
13:34I tried them for a season.
13:35Oh, you said the apps.
13:36Okay.
13:36Yeah, I'm not...
13:37I'm not really get to them.
13:38They make me tired.
13:40The same people are on them.
13:42Yeah.
13:42And when you're a little bit more in the spotlight, it's a little...
13:45It makes you a little anxious or nervous about it.
13:48Mm-hmm.
13:48Your thoughts on dating apps?
13:51Have you ever tried them?
13:53No.
13:53Would you ever try them?
13:54No.
13:57You know, if it works for you, you do you.
14:00Okay, boo.
14:01So, um, as for me at my house, no, um, I just, uh, uh, um, um, it's not, it's not, yeah.
14:13This is my last question.
14:15Okay.
14:15If there's a man of God watching right now who says, you know what?
14:18Uh-huh.
14:18I'm going to slide the DMs.
14:20Okay.
14:20What is something he needs to be mindful about?
14:23What is something that Ja'Kalen is looking for and what is something that is a non-negotiable?
14:27Um, being mindful about them, I'm going to say that first.
14:32I hate when they feel like they have to put on and be just so extremely deep as if I'm not human.
14:39Baby, I'm a woman.
14:41Okay?
14:41You ain't got to, I'm Bishop, this and I'm, we ain't got to do all that.
14:45You know what I'm saying?
14:46Because I got a title too, but I don't come to you talking about some, I'm Ambassador Ja'Kalen and all of these things.
14:51Uh-uh.
14:51Leave that at the door.
14:52Um, the biggest thing is, you know, I, I, my discernment has become very strong over, over the, the, you know, past experiences.
15:05And if it's, if I discern that it's, it's a no-go, I'm not going to respond anyway.
15:10You know, just, you can take the leap of faith.
15:12You know, I, I bless God for that.
15:14Um, but I'm.
15:17She blesses God for the leap of faith.
15:19I know, because you got to have faith, it's our work.
15:21I love how you put it.
15:23That's so cute.
15:25But I'm always going to discern and I, you know, I, because again, I don't have the mental capacity for another learning experience.
15:34Now, that's what the Lord wants, then so be it.
15:36But I don't think that's what he wants for me in this season of my life.
15:41You know, um, it's time for me to be with the one.
15:45So.
15:46Girl, I want to run again.
15:48Let me keep my feeling grand.
15:49Man, yeah.
15:50I appreciate your transparency.
15:53You are sharing.
15:53This is so edifying.
15:54Yeah.
15:55Reason also, guys, why I asked Ja'Kalen this is because I want our engagement here to be a blessing to you all as well.
16:01We're talking, but.
16:02Right.
16:02If you can pull something from this to help change your life and enhance and edify your life, then we've done our new diligence.
16:08So, Ja'Kalen, I appreciate you.
16:11I love you.
16:11I'm grateful for you.
16:12And I'm just wishing you all the best.
16:15It's to get to listen to the album in a year.
16:16I'm too cold.
16:18Hopefully I see you and see you acting on somebody's movie sometime soon.
16:23And thank you for having me.
16:24Of course.
16:25Yes.