In this interview, we sit down with Morace and Elaine Landy, the dynamic duo behind Vybe Vault RnB, a groundbreaking platform dedicated to discovering and nurturing the next generation of R&B talent. Morace, a music industry legend with a resume that includes collaborations with icons like Jay-Z and Mariah Carey, and Elaine, a fitness and wellness enthusiast, have joined forces to create an unparalleled opportunity for unsigned artists to shine. As they gear up for their next highly anticipated showcase on September 4th, we delve into the inspiration behind Vybe Vault RnB, their vision for the future, and what aspiring artists can expect from this transformative experience.
What was the inspiration for you guys to launch this event in the current state of R&B?
Morace: Well, decades. For me, there was a sharp decline in music in the 2000s, and I saw a pulling away from R&B and more focus on rap. Over the last 24 years, it’s gotten to a point where R&B is not given the light that it should have. We could point to a lot of stars in the early 2000s, but slowly we’ve been losing them in terms of the music that we listen to now. When we went through COVID, I talked to several artists during our downtime. What amazed me was the fact that there was very little music that we could listen to in order to help us through what we were experiencing at that moment. If you turn the pages and go back a number of years—a couple of decades—there was lots of music that inspired us. Music has always been inspirational for us. The music we grew up with has always inspired us to overcome challenges. And I honestly feel like this generation, and to a lesser degree, the generation before, has very little to hold on to that will inspire them to get through certain things. I mean, we’ve been going through a tough period over the last few years, and we want to help people find music that’s going to inspire them from now on.
What are your collective thoughts on A&Rs signing people based on their social media reach and how that has affected the quality of music?
Morace: I think the music itself has been marginalized for years. I remember working at a label and some of the music that was coming through for us to work, and I worked in promotion and marketing. Some of the music that was handed to us did nothing but tear down our culture. Right now, we’re in a space where it’s about volume. These labels want to put out as much volume as they can to generate the streams they need to generate the revenue they need. It’s purely about dollars.
Elaine: A lot of the submissions that we get are from people on social media, but they don’t have the numbers where the big names would even look at them. Those are the ones that we want because there are so many talented young men and women out there who can sing, but they just don’t have the following. So, we’re going after those. Those are the ones that we want to feature. And those are the ones that we want to nurture and build up.
With so many other talent showcases that go on in or about the music industry, what sets your showcase apart?
Morace: Well, we’re fortunate to, first of all, be in New York, where there is a ton of music executives from A&R, booking agents, licensing, artist development, you name it, marketing people, digital marketing, just so many different areas. So, at our showcase, we invite all… Because I’ve been in the business for so long; I have a lot of great relationships with people from different areas of the business. So, we invite them all out to the event so they can be a part of it. And we’re trying to build a community, not just with the artists that are coming in, but also with the executives. Downsizing has left many executives without labels, but there is a wealth of executive talent available to educate up-and-coming artists. They need to know more than how to create a popular single or gain viral fame; they need to learn how to build a long-lasting career.
Elaine: To add to that, we’re focused on artist development, which is on the back burner now, because we don’t want to spend the money and the time to develop these artists. We want these artists who come on board and who are chosen as the winners to know that they’re going to be developed and trained. When they get in front of a mic or when they get in front of someone like you, they know how to answer questions. They know how to dress. They know how to work the stage. We want to develop them. We want to bring that back. I believe, on top of what Mo said, that’s also what sets us apart, that we want to spend the time to develop these artists.
Morace: Going back to your earlier question, think about the many artists that are coming through these label systems now that just have a story on Instagram. None of those artists are really being developed outside of what they’re doing or think that they need to do for themselves. They’re not being nurtured the way they need to, again, at the time of your career.
That’s true. I remember there are so many of the younger artists who complain about the things that come with the industry, whereas the fans are looking at them and saying, you signed up for this. What did you think was going to happen? How did you think it was going to play out? You have to put in the work. There’s no crying in public. This is your dream. You signed up for this. I appreciate you guys bringing artist development back. Careers do not last as long. Many of these artists, they’re just here for, if they’re lucky, three to five years.
What do you think was the key factor in their short-term longevity?
Morace: One thing that we saw in decline with the record labels is that they stopped putting artists out on the road. To the label’s defense, a lot of the artists that went on the road were not ready to be on the road. Think about the fact that a great number of these artists are kids, and no one really taught them how to act while they’re out on the road. I’ve seen many artists go out and do nothing but damage their careers. They’re not prepped. They may have a week of media training and then, okay, get the promo tour. I’ve seen many artists go out on the road and damage their careers because they weren’t prepared for the rigors of being on the road. They would come back home wondering what went wrong. It’s important for artists to have good management that can help them navigate the challenges of being on the road.
Please share with our readers the characteristics or particular things you’re looking for when deciding which artists will participate in the showcase.
Elaine: We’re looking for individuals who are open to learning. They’re not coming on board. We want them to be pliable and learnable. They have to be teachable. Of course, they must have a voice, but it has to be a voice that, if you take the music away, they can still sing. They can’t get up there with dark glasses on, their pants hanging from their behind, and things like that. They must know how to dress and learn how to interact with the audience, and they have to know how to speak. And if it’s a case where they don’t know how, then we will have somebody on board who will teach them, but they must have the basics with them. So, we’re looking for individuals who are teachable.
What advice do you have for the artists that are interested in participating?
Morace: Well, I think for the artists that are coming in, we absolutely want them to bring their A-game. I really want them to not take it so lightly. I want to point this out, and it’s only for educational purposes, that we had a few people come in, and they were not ready from the standpoint that they didn’t take it as seriously as they should have. These are all things that an artist needs to know before they perform, and it would be helpful for them to practice with a live band. A live band challenges the singer’s voice in a different way than a backing track does. We want artists in our showcase to be open to judges’ feedback. We’re not just looking for someone to sing on a track and walk away. We’re seeking artists who have studied the craft of performing and can emulate the greats like Chris Brown and Whitney Houston.
Elaine: Besides that, one thing that I learned the last couple of months is that before you get in front of anyone, like Mo said, you have to study or learn about those individuals. The artists that came on stage thought, because they sat in front of their phones on Instagram or TikTok, that it was good enough. But Troy Taylor was like Simon Cowell. He broke it down for them. A lot of people got their feelings hurt, and one guy said he really wasn’t expecting that. But I’m glad that we’re doing this because the word can get out that we are serious about what we’re doing, and it’s not just a place to get up there and just walk across the stage like Mo said. But you have to sing, interact with the audience, and dress. And when I say dress, I’m not talking about a G-string and a bra. I’m talking about the style of dress or the guys with their pants off their butt. I’m talking about their style of dress, and just bring it because R&B is serious. We’re not talking about rapping. We’re talking about bringing something that is iconic back to the stage.
