3X Grammy Nominated & Multi-Platinum Artist, James Worthy On Working With Whitney Houston & Robin S
James Worthy is a world renowned and award-winning music artist, producer, songwriter and certified audio engineer. At present, he has successfully managed to sell an astonishing 50 million records worldwide. Furthermore, James is a Grammy awarded, multi-platinum producer. He is recognized for having played a big role on projects of superstars such as Robin S, Whitney Houston, T-Pain, Bobby Brown, Jaden Smith, Yō Gotti, Justin Bieber, Future, Dr.Dre, Fetty Wap, and several other icons. James owns huge companies like 3 Kingdom and has worked with huge conglomerates like the English Premier League. As a musician, James is an iTunes #1 charting artist and a Shazam #1 charting artist. He is also a top 10 billboard charting artist. James is also a well-respected TV personality who has been featured on Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, BET’s “From The Bottom Up”, Chrisley Knows Best, Access Hollywood, Growing Up Hip Hop ATL, Khon 2 News, ABC and more.
Moreover, he is verified on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook (Meta) and other social media platforms under the name @kingjamesworthy and has millions of followers on social media. At the time of writing, James has 1 million followers on Instagram alone. This is an incredible feat considering he works behind the scenes a lot and rarely promotes himself but instead has enjoyed tremendous organic growth. This particular interview was curated specifically for the Zimbabwean audience and James took the liberty of answering some questions about Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans. The Hype Magazine’s Life & Style correspondent, Charles Myambo (CM) sat down for this interview with James Worthy (JW).
Below are some excerpts from the interview.
Multi-Platinum Star – “James Allen Worthy”
CM: Glad to Have You James! Tell us a little more about what inspired you to deviate from your usual genre and venture into HOUSE MUSIC with your latest hit “See It My Way” ft Robin S?
JW: Glad to be here as well. Well Charles, as you already know, I’ve always enjoyed working with artists from different genres. As a producer and audio engineer, I have experience in almost every genre but it’s as a performing artist that I was yet to venture into “House Music”. This made the prospect of “See It My Way” very exciting for me. So, it was just a case of being inspired by the right track and message for me to choose to showcase another genre as an artist. The best part was getting to work with the extremely talented Robin S. She is awesome and she was just right for “See It My Way”. Most people may recognize Robin S’s work from Beyonce’s recent hit ” Break My Soul”. Beyonce was moved by Robin S’s “Show Me Love” hit which she then sampled when creating “Break My Soul”. Robin S just has a neck of making great music and this is truly on full display in our hit track “See It My Way”. I just loved the message that “See It My Way” brings. Everyone who is trying to achieve something wants people to see things their way and, in some cases, you have to achieve those goals before people can see it your way. I truly hope you enjoy the track because I had fun making it”.
CM: You have worked with legends like Whitney Houston, T-Pain, Justin Bieber, Fetty Wap, Future, Yō Gotti, Dr.Dre and Jaden Smith to name a few. Has such prominence taken you at all by surprise or you expected it?
JW: Intriguing question Charles. It was an invaluable experience to work with all those names you mentioned. Obviously, the late Whitney Houston left an indelible impact on society, musicians and music in general. I am one of those musicians who benefited from her tutelage. The same can be said for most of the superstars you mentioned. They all contributed in some way to ky growth as a musician and the lessons I learnt are what I appreciate most. I am a really determined guy who places great emphasis on the fundamentals. It’s good to build gradually and consistently. Given proper preparation, anything can be achieved. So, I would say with all humility that I am not particularly surprised. I expected to do great things because I had “great” preparation.
CM: You have always told me that you are big on quality, and I can tell from your webcam set up as well as surroundings that you truly exude class and quality! Why is it so important to you to ensure quality in everything you do, especially your music?
JW: Very true and I like that question. I remember you and I even discussing the appearance of my Instagram page and the style in which I post my content. That’s when we had that conversation about quality if I remember correctly. I believe that how you present yourself counts so much because the first thing people see about you or what you own usually leaves a lasting impression. It’s not appealing to have mediocre quality when it comes to anything least of all music. I’ve listened to some good tracks that had potential but lacked that extra quality which then didn’t make it that far. Music is one of the best measures of quality or lack of quality and like you said, I love good quality and always focus on that. Lastly, I want listeners to really enjoy and get their money’s worth.
CM: How are you capable of being so diverse and multi-talented when it comes to music?
JW: Well friend Charles, as you already know, I studied music and have 2 degrees in music and audio engineering. So, the phrase “true student of the game” really does apply to me. Besides that, I am genuinely interested and passionate about all areas of music like songwriting, audio engineering, producing and of course singing. I even enjoy doing interviews like this one. In fact, I just finished doing an interview with Revolt TV moments just before this interview. So, I would say I truly enjoy all aspects of the “music job” and that’s a key factor in why I am successful in that.
CM: Tell me a bit more about your family and how you what type of a role they had in your journey thus far in life.
JW: My family was in the music business too like you already know. I started young and knew straight away that this was for me. The support and provision from my family was truly essential in getting me to where I am today in life. So, I’d say family is everything to me and I’d encourage everyone to invest in their relationships with their loved ones.
CM: Let’s talk about your seemingly abnormal level of dedication. How do you balance doing 2 or even 3 different interviews in a day then balance
JW: I’m a lot like you Charles. You are also very hardworking, and the thing is if you don’t work diligently to progress your life, who will? Putting max effort should not be an option but should be a formality. Everyone should commit themselves earnestly to anything they really want to be successful in. This interview is something I would make time for firstly because of you but also because it’s good to share stories with viewers, readers, listeners and anyone that can be inspired by my story or lifestyle.
CM: It’s impressive that your company is partnered with the English Premier League. This only goes to show that you are quite the businessman, internationally. Could you briefly tell us a bit about your big investments in British companies and the strategy behind it all?
Awesome. I like that you dug into that aspect of my life too. Business is a big part of who I am as a person. I’ve been featured on some big UK platforms such as Audible UK about my music and business. PrFire has also documented my UK business portfolio. I am a co-founder and owner of 3 Kingdoms Group which is a data analytics driven sports agency. In response to you about the EPL, yes “3 Kingdoms” has done some work with the EPL as well as many other big companies. It is quite lucrative and it’s important to have multiple income streams rather than just relying on music alone because nothing is ever guaranteed. I also have great partners in Steve Sharpe and Tansel Adacan. These guys are amazing and I’m glad to have them as co-founders. Besides, I am big on generational wealth. My kid’s, kid’s, kid’s, kid’s and so on should be set financially. Also, these ventures enable me to give back more to the community and those in need.
International Questions Segment
3X Grammy Nominated Star – “James Allen Worthy”
CM: You are always exploring and eager to tap into different experiences which is a big factor behind you diving into a different genre for your recent hit single, “See It My Way”. That said, would you one day consider exploring the African “sound”?
JW: Yes, I would, and I am doing that even more nowadays thanks to you. I have always had an interest in the musical rhythm that comes from Africa, especially Afro beats. It’s only recently that I started listening to some Zimbabwean musicians because you encouraged me to do so, and I don’t regret it even for one second. People that side of the world are incredibly talented, and I am quite open to working with Zimbabwean artists as well as other African artists. I am a huge fan of most of the artists you recommended me to listen to. Gemma Griffiths being one of them as well as Anita Jaxson. She is a lyrical genius with a very good voice. Enzo Ishall, Holy Ten and Jah Prayzah also stood out to me but for different reasons. Enzo has a unique ability to bring euphoria through music. He is what I’d like to call a performer. Based on the one song I heard in English from Holy Ten, I’d say he is another lyrical genius. His voice is also something quite special. Then Jah Prayzah has what we spoke about earlier. Quality! His music videos are of a very high quality which I very much appreciate, and the melody of his music is quite good as well. Lastly, the late King Pinn was someone I enjoyed listening to. Massively talented!
CM: Have thoroughly enjoyed interviewing you for the second time and I believe it would be fitting to end on this note. What should the artists in Zimbabwe & Africa do in order to get a chance to work with big artists like you, Future, Justin Bieber and others?
JW: One of the most important things is to build connections. Music isn’t just about the talent and production “quality” even though I really love that aspect. It’s vital for artists to also understand the ins and outs of the music industry from a business and networking perspective. These Zimbabwean musicians you advised me to listen to are quite talented and can truly excel even further. Now, I probably know them because of you and your eagerness to promote your fellow countrymen. That there is an example of networking and building bridges. If more artists can learn to do that, this may benefit their music and help as far as who listens to them and who promotes them. However, it’s extremely important to have great production quality and vocals as the foundation then you can focus on networking. Lastly, I have identified some Zimbabwean artists I’d be willing to work with. Anita Jaxson, Gemma Griffiths, Jah Prayzah, Enzo Ishall and Holy Ten all intrigue me in different ways.
Tweet
About the Author
Charles Myambo (@BigChaz14 on Twitter) is a columnist and correspondent for industry leader, The Hype Magazine. He is also well known for being a multiple genre #1 Amazon best selling author. In addition to that, Charles is a credentialed journalist as seen in Muck Rack & Press Reader and he is also a highly touted celebrity news correspondent. Moreover, Charles is an international celebrity host and interviewer who has been covered by some of the world's biggest publications. At present, his interviews have been covered by credible journalistic outlets such as Medium, Flipboard, Press Reader, Muck Rack and many others. He is also a columnist for huge African newspapers such as NewsDay, Daily News, iHarare, ZiFM Stereo (radio station), H-Metro, The Financial Gazette as well as several other European and American publications. (@charlesmyambo on Instagram)
Related Posts
Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott, and Playboi Carti Release “Type Shit” Music Video →
What is a Dab Pen: How They Work & How Do You Use One Effectively →
Hip Hop Icon KRS-One Takes Over Houston! →
