“I turned into a new daddy, and that’s what the music reflects,” Jacquees tells Rated R&B about what inspired his new album, Baby Making, out today (Nov. 1) via Cash Money Records. (Physical copies will be available in stores Nov. 15.)
Earlier this year, the singer (né Rodriquez Broadnax) and his fiancée Deiondra Sanders welcomed their son, Snow. Months into fatherhood, the 30-year-old shares, “It’s an experience that I would definitely tell other men, like, ‘Bro, you should experience it.’” He continues, “It just makes you more focused and brings out different sides of you.”
Baby Making, Jacquees’ fourth studio album, is dosed with 10 steamy slow jams made for the bedroom. The featureless LP, which runs for 30 minutes, flows smoothly like a carefully sequenced late-night playlist. “Touchdown,” the mood-setting opener, captures the intense desire and anticipation of copulation. “Come and climb on top of me / I’ll kick back and recline my seat, babe,” he croons.
“Margiela Sex,” named after the fashion brand Maison Margiela, likens his intimate connection with his woman to a luxurious experience. “No, this ain’t no mo middle of the mall s**t,” Jacquees sings on the ORA-produced track. On “When I’m Around Her,” he engages in dirty talk singing, “Girl when we f—k / Tell me how good this d—k is, and how deep it’s going in ya guts.”
Jacquees is no stranger to making sex-driven songs. In fact, it’s one of his specialties. Take “B.E.D.,” for instance, his 2018 smash with nearly 300 million Spotify streams. That song, and some others, are simply about engaging in the act without strings (“I know you wanna love / But I just wanna f—k”).
Baby Making celebrates love and intimacy every step of the way. “I was always making music about sex, but then I would make love songs. It wasn’t together. Now, I feel like I got it where it’s together. This album is all about making love and creating babies,” Jacquees notes.
Below, Jacquees talks more about Baby Making, his experience with fatherhood, his demand for respect as an artist, and gives an update on his highly awaited Mood 2 project.
Congratulations on welcoming your first child this year. What has fatherhood been like for you?
Fatherhood is amazing. It’s an experience that I would definitely tell other men: “Bro, you should experience it.” It makes you more focused and brings out different sides of you. It’s a blessing getting to see a little you. I still work so hard, but the time I get, I spend it all with him. Even when I’m out of town, I talk to him on the phone. I know he [doesn’t] understand me, but the way he be looking in the phone, smiling, he’s starting to react to different things. It’s super dope.
In different instances, I’ve seen your new project Baby Making referred to as a mixtape and an album. Which is it?
Baby Making [is] my fourth album. To me, a mixtape is free. I come from the mixtape days. I used to drop on LiveMixtapes, and that stuff was free. We used to look for the highest score [and] see how many people downloaded our stuff. These days, we’re dropping our album. No matter how people look at it or how they [are] doing it, it’s being sold [and] being bought. It’s going to count [on] Billboard.
Speaking of mixtapes, you dropped a couple this year, including Back to Me and Quemix 5. What keeps your creativity flowing?
I really love music. That’s what keeps me going. It was really my dream to be an artist. It’s my passion to create and do what I do. It’s not just a thing that I do to get paid. It’s fun for me. I think that’s the blessing in it, that I still can wake up in the morning and I’m excited to put on my clothes [and] go to the studio. I really love the game, for real, and I respect the game.
It definitely shows just by how you consistently release music, whether it’s official or remixes to other artist’s songs.
I tell people I rock with everybody. I’m not the type of person that people see and want to go the other way. I love music. Even if you see me doing people’s songs, I love what they’ve put together and I’m just coming to add my little twist on it.
Let’s talk about your new album, Baby Making. What inspired it?
Me turning into a new father. I had to lock in, you dig? I turned into a new daddy and that’s what the music reflects. I was always making music about sex, but then I would make love songs. It wasn’t together. Now, I got it where it’s together. This album is about making love and creating babies. I tell everybody that if you’re too young, you shouldn’t be making no babies. If you are an older n***a, you shouldn’t be making babies if you ain’t trying to be there responsibly or if you ain’t in love. N****s need to be born out of love. The world will be a better place.
Baby Making is your first album with no features. Was that an intentional move?
I didn’t even realize [there weren’t any] features until the end, but it’s kind of cool. I get a chance to show who I am. It’ll get a chance to be no excuses: “Oh, I like that song because such and such on it. I’m only here for such and such.” Nah, it ain’t going to be no way to lie on this one. If you like the song, you like the song. It ain’t got nothing to do with nobody else.
I pray that this is the album where people really give me my credit. Even if they don’t give me credit, I’m going to credit myself. I feel like I’m a great artist, and I honestly want to be recognized as a great artist. I don’t want to be recognized as a joke. I don’t think nothing about me is a joke. I want to be respected. That’s the mission I’m on. I feel like I’m doing a great job.
Tell us about the song “Baby Making” since you titled your album after it.
Sometimes, when we record songs, we start off not knowing what we [are] talking about. You just getting something off. For this one I knew, “OK, I’m talking about making a baby.” When you have kids, it is a thing called tummy time. So I said that in my song. I was like, “It’s tummy time / Get on your belly…” If I never had a kid, I would’ve never known about tummy time.
[I turned] it into wordplay with a lady. This s—t is for the playas. [On] this record, you just telling your lady: “I want to make a baby. Ain’t no if, ands, or buts.” It’s super sexy. If n****s thought I made sexy music when I was 21, at 30, oh my goodness. This s**t is like the evolution of Jacquees, but it reminds you of the real essence of Jacquees.
“Drip” is a standout record on the album to me. What went into making that song?
“Drip” was written by Pleasure P and myself. I recorded that song about three or four years ago when I was working on the King of R&B album. I didn’t want to drop it earlier in my career because I was saying so many words in there. I’m like, “I don’t know if I feel comfortable saying this s—t. I’m still a young n***a.” So I was holding it. Even though I talk about sex, it was certain words I never said in my songs. So I was like, “Maybe this go around, I’ll try it.” This is one of them songs when people hear it the first time, they just like, “Aye, run that back.”
“Middle of the Night” is another banger on the album. What’s the story behind it?
I did that record at my crib. We was bringing the studio equipment to my crib because [my son] Snow was born. K-Major pulled up to the crib, and we went crazy. I love that song. I think that’s one of the standouts. It feels like some real clubish R&B that could come on at the party. You remember songs that you be like, “Hell no, I’m singing this one! I don’t give a f—k who in here”? That’s one of them. It makes you feel sexy. If you a n***a, it makes you feel like you can get any girl. If you are a female, it makes you feel like… I don’t know how it makes you feel. I ain’t no girl, but it should make you feel good.
It’s interesting that you brought up the club. Even though the album is called Baby Making, which is typically associated with the bedroom, it can be enjoyed in any setting. It has that comforting feeling.
That’s what good music is, bro. Most times we like to listen to music if we wake up or if we cleaning up. Honestly, I like listening to the radio, so I just jump in the car and throw on something. I know a couple of these songs will make that too. But this is just a playlist for whatever. I know the lovers [are] definitely going to enjoy it. You know how couples really be like, “OK, we’re going to make a baby”? This could be their playlist for sure. They ain’t even got to go search [for] no baby-making playlist. You could just play this and this is going to have you feeling good. This album is for the world.
You’ve been teasing Mood 2 project for some time now. What can you tell us about it?
That’s what’ll be coming next. I can’t get a date yet but just know I’m going to have a real surprise for y’all. I know everybody that’s been a fan of Mood for so long [are] going to love the date I came up with and they’re going to love the music.
Aside from your own music, you have a couple of acts signed to your label, FYB Records, including Tyler Watts and the duo Bluff City. What can we expect from them? I know Bluff City just dropped their Soft Girl Therapy project.
Tyler is super dope. We’re getting ready to put him all the way out there. He’s been doing shows and creating his fan base. He’s a 17-year-old R&B-pop star from Miami. I think he’s a star. He reminds me of the young Jacquees. He’s so cold [and] so determined. I want to help him become who he wants to be. We got this project done [and] getting ready to drop his single in November.
Bluff City, I got them out here with me right now in New York. We’re running around doing press, doing what we do. Those are the guys. We’ve been doing it for a long time together, and I think right now it’s Bluff City’s moment. We just left the studio at about four o’clock this morning. We [were] working on holiday music. I know a lot of people don’t really do that no more. I want people to really love my artists. I don’t want people to just like a song from them.
Even though I got my career going, and I’m still headed to heights I’ve never been, I’m excited to bring these people up with me. I’m excited to see someone else get a chance to feed their family and pursue their dreams. I remember when I was trying to do the same thing, so it’s dope that I could give somebody else an opportunity.
Stream Jacquees’ new album Baby Making below.
(scroll below for Apple Music stream)
