John Legend 'Evolver' album

A five-time Grammy-winner, John Legend has won millions of fans for his sultry R&B style, easygoing vocals and piano-based hip-hop instrumentation. Legend delves into personal romance and more worldly concerns on his new collection, Evolver. True to form, the impeccable polish of his piano arrangements carries the disc from lush ballads to synth-driven dance-pop

Legend went multi-platinum with 2004's Get Lifted, and three years later launched the Show Me Campaign (based on his song "Show Me") to fight poverty and help lower-income communities. He remained politically and socially active throughout 2008, and recently capped off the year by releasing Evolver. The disc features OutKast's Andre 3000, emerging hip-hop/soul artist Estelle and superstar Kanye West.

John will headline the 2009 NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show on February 15th at US Airways Center.

The artist will perform a special rendition of his inspirational song, "If You're Out There" and will be joined on-stage by Latin rock star, Juanes. The performance will highlight the NBA Cares Program, the league's social responsibility initiative.

In 2007, Legend performed at the Steve Nash Celebrity Roast in Scottsdale, Arizona and Nash said he's definitely looking forward to seeing another live performance from the entertainer.

"John is obviously an amazing singer, songwriter, performer and person," Nash said. "He's always lent himself to humanity and has been great as a philanthropist helping people all over the world."

Other notable performers currently scheduled to make appearances throughout All-Star Weekend include the star of Disney's Emmy Award-winning High School Musical, Corbin Bleu, and chart-topping singer/guitarist Kevin Rudolf. Be sure to check back in with Suns.com in the weeks leading up to the All-Star Weekend for more additions and updates.

The leadership anthem was originally released on Legend's Evolver LP.

John Legend interview
John Legend knows how to play well with others. The platinum-selling R&B crooner is so good at bro-ing down in the studio that his talents landed him two big Grammy nominations in collaboration categories.

Having personally collaborated with various hip hop and R&B artists, do you feel like soul music has particularly evolved in the 21st century?

It's hard to say exactly. First of all, you'd have to define what "soul" is, and you'd have to figure out if there is a difference between "soul" and "R&B." Honestly, I don't spend a lot of time thinking about the different terminologies and categorizations, and I don't listen to much when it comes to so called "R&B" or "soul" from the 21st century. I generally stick to listening to older soul music. I listen to plenty of current music, but not much that fits the R&B/Soul category.

Question [Q]: What aspects of soul music and R&B haven't or will never change? In other words, what's the recipe behind it?

Answer [A]: I think soul music tries to tackle matters of the heart in a raw and honest way.

Q: Evolver is truly a standout album. Do you feel like you've grown on it?

A: I experimented with different sounds and production styles on this album.

Q: Would you say the new tunes are particularly visual or cinematic?

A: I've always been a storyteller. I think any good songwriter should be. If you tell a good story, people should be able to visualize it, but I think they should also be able to see themselves in the situation. They should be able to relate to it emotionally. I try to write lyrics that connect to people in that way.

Q: Was it a fulfilling and fun challenge to collaborate with Kanye West, Brandy and Estelle? Do you have any good stories about the collaborations

A: It wasn't particularly challenging. It's always good to work with people who are great at what they do. All of my featured artists on this album were my first choices for the songs they were on. And they each added their own flavor to the songs, and I couldn't imagine the songs without them.

Q: Congratulations on your Grammy nominations! What was it like working with the legendary Al Green on "Stay With Me (By the Sea)?" Was that a real dream-come-true experience for you?

A: I was honored to be included on the Al Green album. It's a beautiful album. He worked with a great team, and it really came together nicely. He was a pleasure to work with. He seems like he really enjoyed making the album, like he truly loves making new music. I hope I can always feel like that.

Q: How did your other Grammy-nominated tune with Andre 3000, "Green Light" come together?

A: I wrote the song with Rick Nowels. He started a guitar groove, and I wrote most of the lyrics and melody. We recorded the demo that day. Then it was produced by Malay & KP. KP was also my A&R for the album. He and I thought it would be great to ask Andre to be featured on the song. So KP called Andre and sent him the track, and Andre loved it and wanted to be a part of it. He nailed the verse and added a lot of energy to the song. It wouldn't be the same without him.

Q: Onto Soul Men, how close was your experience in the movie to the real thing? Conversely, do you feel like any of the actors could've really made it on the road in real life?

A: Shooting Soul Men was very different from being on the road. I did all of my scenes in a day and a half. I spent most of my time in makeup and wardrobe to get into the various costumes that I needed to reflect the different eras. It was a lot fun. Bernie Mac andSamuel L. Jackson were great to work with. I think they could make it on the road. Bernie was a stand-up comic, so he probably was on the road as much as musicians are, and I'm sure Sam could handle it too. He's a pro.

Q: Would you be interested in doing more movies?

A: Sure. Music is my priority right now, but if something interesting comes along, and I think it'll be good for my career, I'll do it.

Q: You've always been active in charities. Which charitable organizations are you currently working with?

A: I co-founded an organization called the Show Me Campaign. It's an anti-poverty campaign and it's the initiative that is highest priority for me.

Q: What's next in your immediate future?

A: I'll be touring overseas after the US tour is done. We're going to Dubai, Europe, East Asia, the Caribbean and South Africa in the next few months. I'm very excited. I love going around the world, and I'm particularly enjoying the new tour. I think the band is better than ever, and my show is better than ever.

John Legend biography
It's no secret that singer John Legend is a Barack Obama supporter. he's already been featured on a track in favor of Obama's presidential nomination. Now, he's taking things a step further with his new track, "If You're Out There." With time dwindling, the release date for his next studio album, Evolver, approaches.

Recently, Legend spoke on the track with a political statement, releasing word as to what the song means for him.

"'If You're Out There' reflects the themes of hope and change, responsibility and leadership, and commitment to a better tomorrow expressed in the principles of Barack Obama and the hearts of the American people," he told MTV.

"I think it's hard to find a general theme [on the album]," he also noted in a recent interview. "It's a lot of love and relationship songs, as people probably would expect from me. There's not an overarching lyrical theme that goes throughout. It's just a bunch of good songs, I think."

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John Legend - Evolver