It has been a while since we’ve heard any music from Eric Benet. The brother certainly has had his share of ups and downs in life, but, based on my conversation with him, he seems to be on top of the world these days. The R&B neosoul singer asserts that he is happy, peaceful, and ready to have fun.

So the man who brought us memorable songs such as “Spend My Life With You”, “Femininity”, “Spiritual Thang” and “Let’s Stay Together” comes back strong as he croons about romance and joy on his third solo effort, Love & Life. This CD is the first time Eric had complete creative control over his product. “I wanted to make a record that was a good feeling R&B record, and some of the best R&B for me growing up had a dash of gospel, a couple dashes of jazz,” he said. Eric talked to Toure Muhammad for an exclusive one-on-one interview discussing not only his new CD, but family, social responsibility, myspace, and so much more.

With your new CD out, women across the country are obviously smiling again. (We both laugh) Brothers like me appreciate you helping us to express our inner emotions to our ladies one more time. (Toure laughs)I am glad to be of service.

We appreciate that. So how have things been going?Things have been going really well, man. I have been really excited about how people have been receiving this new CD and I am gonna keep making music as long as people are feeling it like that, actually I will keep making music whether people are feeling it or not.

Yes sir.But it’s nice that I am getting this type of positive response from the CD.

OK well let’s talk about it. A lot of your titles seem to reflect something about your life and what you may be feeling or experience at the time. True to Myself (1996), A Day in the Life (1999), so what does this one, Love & Life what does that really mean to you.This one is a reflection somebody who is. I feel like my last CD, Hurricane, I feel like that is where I was at that time in my life. You know, just ah, trying to figure some things out and pick myself up in a lot of ways. And on this record, I feel like all the lessons I was supposed to learn, I’ve learned them and I feel like they kind of translated into happiness. Real, just loving the moment, loving everything, every lesson that life has to bring. Appreciating every lesson that life has to bring and growing from the process. So I am at this place where it is peace, presence, love, gratitude, it’s wanting to have fun and it’s, you know, keeping the people who I love the most close to me. Enjoying the moment really and so Love & Life just kind of reflects all of that for me.

Man, I am definitely glad you have that because I want for myself what I want for you.Yeah. That’s what’s up.

But you went back home to do this. Is there any significance in going back to, you know, this is a Chicago-based publication so we love the Midwest folks. You are from Milwaukee right?I am from right up the street, man. For me, the whole approach to making this album was musically, I wanted the sound like, going back to the roots of R&B and I just thought if I am going back to the roots of music, then I better go back to my personal roots and try to make it happen. So I went back home and just got with some of the guys who I really started out in the game with. It made all the difference in like the feel of the record too. Like, people say when they listen to the record that it feels good. they say, yeah, the sounds are good, you sound good and you are singing and everything, but it feels real good and I think that feeling is, because, once again, of where I was in my life, but also geographically where I was at when I recorded this album. You know, after I finish a session, I’d go hang out with my mom and get some of her cooking, or go hang with my sister, my nephews. So, I was just in a real good space when I was making this record.

Well, obviously, you the hottest thing to come out of Milwaukee born and raised since Al Jarreau. (Eric laughs) I know you got a little jazz in there too. And I heard some gospel sounds as well.Yeah man, I would say you are absolutely right. I grew up listening to everything from jazz to gospel to classical music. I feel like I am an R&B artist who I think if you know, you can hear the layers of other genres in there that kind of make it stronger music really.

That’s excellent. And you mentioned earlier having the people close in your life. I heard the a capella version (on youtube) that you did with your daughter, You’re the One I Love.India. She’s amazing and she’s getting these incredible grades in this hard school she is going to. And she’s also a very musically talented person, so we are always singing around the house and so I just thought I was sitting in front of the computer and thought, let me get India real quick and let these people see how talented she is and let her do her thing.

It definitely shows. I know you are raising her as a single father and her doing this song with you. With both those themes in mind, what kind of tips are you giving her, to manage and cope, I don’t know if she is looking for a career in music by how do you advice her in that and in just how to be a better person type stuff.Well, that’s I think that is the challenge of the parent, you know. To teach their child how to continue to be a better person and I think that’s the beauty of being a better parent. Because when you are doing it right, you are constantly reinforcing some lessons that will make you a better person too. As you teach your child to be a better person. And musically, I don’t want India to make many of the same mistakes I made and that is the wish of every parent. I think if I had the chance to do it over again, I would have finished college. I dropped out of college and started doing the traveling band thang and there were a couple of years that were pretty dark where if I was lucky, I was making like maybe $100 a week literally.

That’s every artist dream isn’t it, to drop out of college and go on the road. How do you stop that one? (laughs)Unfortunately, it is not always a prosperous dream.

What was the name of the band, Benet?Well, Benet was actually the first CD with my sister and myself, but I was actually in a band. Waaaay back in the day called Gerards (sp), traveling around to hotels, trying to get paid. This was way back like in 90, 89. But um, yeah, but it’s been a road full of many, many challenges so the best that I would ask for my daughter, music is a passion for her, but I would want her to solidify her plan B. I never really had a solid plan B. So, her education and she has a very brilliant mind and I’d like that to continue to develop as she pursues her dream.

You mentioned Hurricane that you did in 05. Was it irony? You released that right before Hurricane Katrina.
I don’t know if it was irony or just bad luck. (both laugh). Interesting because they released the single Hurricane, and it was starting to get like a lot of love, ah momentum. And then all of the sudden Katrina reared her ugly ass head. And then the radio stations were like, no, this is too raw and too soon. We can do a song like Hurricane right now. And so they all just kind of backed off.

But you did end up doing that piece, Heart of America that gave money to victims.Exactly, it turned out to be, you know, one of the most proud moments of my life. With Habitat for Humanity, being active in Habitat for Humanity I actually recorded and wrote a song with the guy who actually owns my record label. The song was called Heart of America and it raised millions and millions of dollars for all those displaced people. And so I look back on my life and I’m thinking not only did I get the chance to be in the studio with Michael McDonald, who I used to love listening to the Doobie Brothers from back in the day, but I got a chance to contribute so much financially to so many people in need.

Yes sir, and I noticed you being at different charitable events so I know that wasn’t just a one time thing for you. What keeps you motivated and determined to always help other who might be in more need than yourself.I feel that is just the best we can be as human beings. I feel like the best we can be are people that are reaching out our hand trying to help pull other people up. As you do that, you better yourself in so many ways, I really feel like when you evolve like that as a person, and then you are really becoming more happy and more complete as a person. So I feel like I can aspire or I can attribute a lot of that presence and peace I talked about earlier to just trying to help people when I can. That’s the beautiful thing about giving you know, you receive so much when you do.

There may not be many, except for the stone cold Mariah Cary fans who have not seen you acting debut in film.Right. (laughs)

I know you could put on a play, do a tour and have every single and lot of married women coming out to see you in a play, any acting, any projects, filmmaking?I have never really caught the acting bug. I am not going to say I would turn down something if it was presented to me, but I am not actively like trying to pursue. But one thing I am extremely interested in and I’m pursuing also, ‘just finished this screenplay. I’m not going to go into the details about the story, right now, but it was quite an exercise in creativity to do this and if you listen to my songs which is kind of like very storytelling-ish, so it’s always been in me to have these stories floating around in my head so I decided to put one into a screenplay and so hopefully, I might get something cracking with that next year.

Well, we will be on the look out for it. I know you take advantage of social marketing. Myspace, youtube. Now are you really on there?That’s really me.

Do you read the comments?It’s an incredible resource to say in touch with people and to learn from people and for people to learn from you. Nothing beats actually being a room with somebody or coming to a live show and seeing an artist perform but this is great way when those other two aren’t available to just stay in touch.

Beautiful, that’s good. So at least I can tell people when they see this interview, they are going to ask for your phone number (Eric laughs). So I can tell them just go to myspace go to youtube. (laughs)Publicist: That’s why I connect the call; secret number.

That’s right (Eric laughs)

That’s it exactly. You can go to Myspace.com/ebenet or you can go to my facebook page or myspace.com/ebenetloveandlife.

We have a great change in America. A new president-elect Barack Obama. What are your thoughts about what he is going to face as a president and what do you think are his changes for becoming a good president.We have not been in such a bad plight (laughs) as a country since FDR was president. The Obama administration not only has a lot on their plate but got like banquet style table full of plates with stuff all on it and they just gotta deal with it. Like I said, we haven’t been in such dire straits since the new deal and FDR and all that stuff, world war, right after the stock market crash and I mean, I feel like, we definitely have the person who I feel like was the best candidate and if anybody is up for the job, it’s this man right here and I am very optimistic. He has a bold and fresh approach to his politics and I feel like the only way we are gonna get out of this situation is with bold and fresh ideas. And he’s got those. And he’s a man of substance and clarity and I admire him greatly. So as you can probably hear, I voted for him; would have voted for him 100 times if I could have.

(Laughs) You should have come to Chicago. That’s how we get down in Chicago. The dead vote in Chicago.
Man, I wish I could have been there in (Grant) park.

I appreciate your time and thanks to Lisa for connecting us.