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The grind is serenading wind never stops in the realm of rhythm and soul. Whenever two big guns meet inside the studio, the client can be sure that history is being made. Lumidee–the Queen of the Westcoast–was giving her fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her working process with Kevin McCall. “Perfecting The Craft”(caption says all). Day 23 of perhaps an intense, focused studio lock-in. The vibes? R&B all the way. The energy? Undeniable.
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The video is pretty much raw and unedited for you to see the actual session. It is far from those overproduced, glossy kinds of things we generally see. A few nuggets of experimentation, a few ad libs, some laughter, and you could say two artists creating magic are all you get. It’s impromptu as if you stumbled upon one somewhere in-between. Someone random is saying, “Go ahead, do your clock gate,” probably an inside joke referencing the rhythm or beat pattern they are messing with. Lumidee then comes back, “See baby, but you’re sexy. I don’t know you have lessons.” It’s freestyle, entrech, and right on the pocket. That is what music creation sounds like before it gets to a song-making stage-Messy, alive, and brimming with possibilities.
For those who might not remember, Kevin McCall is the multi-phenom: singer, songwriter, producer-a force behind some major hits on the chart and collabs from Chris Brown to Teyana Taylor. McCall’s vibe is all gritty, very melodic, and very raw. Attached to that legendary voice of Lumidee, which has blessed us with “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh),” is a wink at the past with a quirky flash of fresh air.
The reactions are more interesting here than the music itself. Comments went into a frenzy trying to Shazam snippets of it. One user wrote, “What is the first song? 🔥” while another wrote, “What’s the name of these songs I missed you Kevin.” The familiar story of an artist teasing just a little bit but leaving much to want for. Really, though, it is clever. It builds anticipation in a way a full drop cannot: You’re stuck in limbo, playing that clip over and over trying to catch every single nuance.
An almost unanimous positive reaction supports in the comments post the mysterious unidentified tracks. One cried: “Proud of you keep up the good work❤️🔥👏👏😂😂😂” and indeed, the quirky emoji combo hits hard on the very real sentiment. Another chimed in: “I see the grind @ilovelummani 🙌🏿.” Then there’s another, perhaps an inside source [from the inner circle] or just a superfans: “The Best Sister In The Business 🎙🎼🎹 Stop Sleeping Because You Won’t Catch Her In A Dream, She’s Real Life. Let’s Go Baby Sis, 👑 CROWDER GANG 👑.” Such support? You can’t buy it. You have to earn it.
By the way, the transcription from the video is… well, it’s a vibe. It reads like a stream of consciousness freestyle. Lines like “I’m time when I’m okay with nothing and none of the stress” and “I bring you real, I know one is ever meant to be”—these are poetic in a way that only in-studio improvisation can be. It is something that is not about perfect grammar; it is about capturing a feeling. And that’s what R&B is, at its core: emotion, rhythm, and soul.
The session feels like a reclaiming. Lumidee has been in the business for many years, but she has never ceased to grow. Partnering with Kevin McCall, who comes from that raw and aggressive energy, feels like a step toward gritty, real things: At times when sometimes music feels over-processed, they remind of what mere craft can do. No filters, no gimmicks, just talent and hard work.
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So, now what? If Day 23 means anything, it’s going to be serious than ever. Whether these are going to be full-blown projects, or just a single, or just two artists trying to keep each other at the top of the game, one thing is clear: the Queen of the Westcoast never gets in a mess. Neither does Kevin McCall. When you have this level of dedication and real chemistry, you make magic. Or at least, flame tracks that we will all be Shazaming anytime soon. Don’t close your eyes; this is just the beginning.