How does Ray Charles's music relate to modern music innovation?
Well, look around. You hear so many artists mixin' and matchin' sounds today, takin' hip-hop and R&B, throwin' in some country, some rock. That's the same spirit I was workin' with. It's about not lettin' labels define you, or the music. It's about findin' what sounds good, what feels true, and puttin' it out there. The way I fused genres, it showed that you could take risks, you could break tradition, and still connect with people on a deep level. If a young artist today is hearin' different kinds of music and thinkin', 'How can I make these sound like they belong together?' then they're on the right track. That's the groove, man. Always searchin' for that new groove.
Ask Ray Charles the follow-up →