Not Everyone Can Go feels like a very personal album. What themes did you want to explore most on this project?

I treat my albums as a snapshot in time, so every record feels personal and I try to capture where I’m at in life personally, musically and creatively. In Not Everyone Can Go I discuss themes like change, loss of friends, the vicissitudes of life, gratitude, love and evolution. I was most curious about exploring some of my shadow thoughts and emotions that I don’t normally share in some of music and I found it important to confront those fears in songs like Harboring Feelings, My Everything and We’ve Come So Far. I typically write love songs and tend to explore the more euphoric and happy feelings but Harboring Feelings explores the turmoil and issues that arise in a relationship. 

How has becoming a father for the second time influenced your music and creative outlook?

Becoming a father changed me immensely and having another child at the top of 2025 flipped our world upside down again. My oldest son August had to adjust to this change and I made sure to give him a lot of one on one attention when our youngest Quincy was born. My wife and I were able to manage the other two boys by mainly “dividing and conquering” for lack of a better term. Now 7months later, we have really hit our stride and both boys will be starting daycare and school soon allowing us to get back to work. Practically I have far few hours in the day to devote to music and to work, however when I do get time I’ve become much more efficient with my time and much more purposeful in my music pursuits. My boys and my wife inspire me a great deal and push me to be a better man and in turn a better musician and artist.

Your music blends jazz, R&B, soul, and hip-hop. How do you approach balancing these genres in your work?

I don’t really even think about genres until I’m asked one of these questions to be honest. I grew up listening to Jazz, Rnb, Soul and Hip-hop all the time. The music of Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Roy Hargrove, John Coltrane and Biggie flooded my household as a kid and this all helped to influence my ear and my sound.

Can you talk about your songwriting process and how you translate personal experiences into your songs?

Often times, I journal as a practice of mindfulness and cathartic release. Some of these journal entries have turned into songs and helped to inspire a song. A song like “Gold” from my previous album or “Harboring Feelings” from this new album, Not Everyone Can Go were a result of my journaling. I know I have a song that feels like something where I’m kind of scared to release the song because I know I’m being vulnerable and sharing something about myself or my life that feels real.

What role does social justice and cultural commentary play in your music?

Social justice plays a large role in my music. My father is a Law Professor that teaches Constitutional Law and Civil Rights Law and he raised me and brothers to see the world through a Socio-Political and Racial lens. So every album there’s a record that speaks to social justice at least tangentially. “Zodiac” is a nod to Mary Lou Williams and her Zodiac Suite. It’s a means of bringing light to Black women composers that go unmentioned and overlooked in the Jazz world, a very male driven community. I wrote  “We’ve Come So Far” in 2020 and many of lyrics speak to the anxiety and climate at the time. This song is about finding gratitude in the smallest moments and being grateful for how far we’ve come in life. I think this track speaks to the cultural commentary in my records. I try to speak to our times and give people solutions and things that helped me through tough times.

You’ve worked with artists like Rihanna, Solange, and Jon Batiste. How have these collaborations influenced your sound?

Working with Solange influenced me a great deal. The few gigs I did with her, I learned very quickly that she’s a very hard worker, she knows exactly what she wants and she will work relentlessly to bring her vision to life. She’s involved with the set design on stage during her shows. So this really inspired me to be much involved in every aspect of my art including the visuals. This new album, I wanted the visual images to feel more elevated and editorial so I collaborated with Cedric Hudson and Robert Lewis to help bring my vision to life. Jon Batiste and I went to Juilliard together and he’s another super hard worker. I used to play on the Subways with Jon and do gigs throughout the city. He’s another musician that built a whole around himself and willed his way to his position. Sonically I’m not sure if either influenced me all that much but certainly conceptually and their work ethic as well.

How did your national TV debut on Good Morning America and multiple Tiny Desk Concert appearances impact your career?

My Good Morning America performance was my first live televised performance of my career and it led to more light on my album Who Are You When No One Is Watching? My Tiny Desk concert which is currently sitting at about 420k views has led to so many messages from musicians, artists, and industry elite. I think I’ve yet to see all of the blessings to come from my Tiny Desk concert but I know I’m very grateful for the opportunity. 

Jazz is often seen as a traditional genre. How do you push its boundaries while respecting its roots?

I think due to my background and ability on the saxophone I will always be seen as a Jazz artist. I do think my love for singing, music production and playing other instruments help to push my music into other places sonically and ultimately pushes the boundaries of the genre. At the end of the day though, I’m just being myself and I can't do anything but that.

What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from Not Everyone Can Go?

I hope people listen to this album and feel seen. I hope they feel inspired to push through the tough times; those feelings of doubt, change and uncertainty and just have faith that seasons of shedding are necessary to get to the next stage in life.

How do you balance the demands of touring with your commitments at home?

It’s difficult. But what I’ve done is, I’ve told my agent I won’t tour for longer that 2 weeks at a time so that I can come home and be with family. They’ve done a good job of routing my tours in this manner and I think that helps me balance family and work. Eventually I’d like to be able to take my family with me on some summer tours, but that would require longer residencies in one area. That’s a goal of mine. 

What excites you most about your upcoming headline tour?

I’m most excited about playing certain legendary venues that I’ve never played or haven’t played in a while such as Blue Note Los Angeles, Jazz Alley in Seattle and the Blue Note in New York. Also since having my second child I haven’t really toured all year long so I’m just excited to travel and play regularly again! 

Where do you see your music evolving in the next few years?

I’ve been having an itch to do a full on instrumental album. So that may be my next project… Really just depends on where life takes me.