The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Mickey Guyton On New Album, Industry Obstacles, Lifting Up Black Women In Country Music + More

Episode Date: September 26, 2024

The Breakfast Club Sits Down With Mickey Guyton To Discuss Her New Album 'My Side Of The Country', Industry Obstacles, And Lifting Up Black Women In Country Music. Listen For More!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha Guy. We are The Breakfast Club. Jess is out. Of course, maternity leave. So Lauren LaRose is filling in and we got a special guest in the building. Yes, indeed. Mickey Guyton. Welcome. I am so, so, so excited to be here. Well, welcome. How are you feeling?

I'm feeling really, really good. I just admire you guys and I've listened to you guys for a long time. So it just really means a lot. Thank you, Mickey. We appreciate you having no taste in morning show. None at all. Thank you very much. Thank you. None at all. Who is Mickey Guyton for people that don't know? You know, I am a black country singer. The first female that has been nominated for a grammy and best performance best country performance and best country album and i've just been fighting the fight and trying to discover all these different country artists to give them opportunities and equality and a genre that was started by us and what made you fall in love with country music

so i i know i know you would think well first of all a you fall in love with country music? So I know, I know you would think, well, first of all, a lot of black people love country music. I'm from Waco, Texas or Crawford, Texas. And we started it. Yeah. Yes, we did. Yes, we did. Banjo was a West African instrument.

Yes, we did. When you go to the Country Music Hall of Fame, one of the first things you see are black people picking on the porch. So it's really important. Picking the banjo, not cotton. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That too, I'm sure. That too, I'm sure. That too, I'm sure.

But yeah, not cotton, but yes. So I went to a Southern Baptist church and I went to a Texas Rangers baseball game and I was all the way in the nosebleed section. I heard a girl named Leanne Rimes sing the national anthem and I just loved her voice and I've just loved it ever since.

Wow. When were your like uh before you decided to get into country music like what were you doing singing then and like what was it like man yeah I sang in the church um but I listened to all genres of music you know I was a huge fan of Whitney Houston a huge fan of Brandy and Monica like those are some of the people that I really looked up to. And I don't know. I just decided I was singing demos and I was working with this woman that wrote Stick It, that movie that whatever that movie was a long time ago. And I was singing demos for her and she was like, Mickey, why don't you sing country music? And I was like, well, I've always loved it. But I mean, there's nobody of us that looks like me in that genre.

And she was like, well, you should. So here I am. What do you define as country music nowadays? Because, you know, I remember when they used to say Taylor Swift was a country music artist, but then she sounded like she was making pop records. And people would say, this new album of yours is borderline pop.

So what is country music nowadays? That's a good question. Because, you know, country music borrows from a lot of different genres. You know, if you listen to some of the biggest country artists in the world, they all have trap beats in their music. So that is a good question. What is the sound of country music?

It's so funny that a lot of people want to define what country music is, but it really, if it's your intention is to make country music, whatever your country music is for you is your music because country music is all of our music. Because I like Jelly Roll. Yeah, I love Jelly Roll. It don't sound like country to me, but I'm like, well, maybe I don't know what country sounds like.

There's rock influences in country. There's hip hop influences in country music. There is pop and R&B influences of country music. Like genres really are, you know, really coming together. It's becoming genre-less to me personally. But yeah, it's all kinds of music. People talk about there's so much racism in country music, right? And so many things that you got to fight through.

But they also said as a kid that you had to face a lot of racism growing up as well, going from school to school. So what made you say, you know what, I'm just going to keep on with this racism training, keep fighting through it. No, listen, that is a good, that is a good question because, you know, it shows itself all of the time. It's because, you know, it shows itself all of the time. It's something, you know, sometimes you're just doing the Lord's work.

It's so important as black people that we show ourselves in all different facets of this country and in this world because this country was built off of black people. And for me, I loved country music so much. And I was a little naive when I came into it at first. I thought, oh, it's going to be good for me. I've got this. I got a record deal right off the bat. I just knew it was going to be easy for me. And it wasn't.

And it was really, really, really, really, really hard. And I was getting ready to quit. And as I was getting ready to quit and as I was getting ready to quit uh country music um I talked to my husband saying like why do you think country music isn't working for me and he was like well you're running away from everything that makes you different like country music is three chords in the truth and you're a black woman that sings country music so why aren't you writing that from that perspective so I wrote Black Like Me uh this song that was nominated for a Grammy and from there I started thinking I was like okay if I'm going to leave this genre I need to make sure that I can make it easier for the people that come after me so I started looking for Black country singers and I found Britney Spencer who was just

over here I discovered Raina Roberts and Tanner Adele and all these different artists. And I was just like trying to show people that we're here because if black people can see themselves, we will come to the genres. If you're in a corporation and you're in a high power position, I feel like it is your obligation to make sure that you look out for people that look like you,

especially because we are all a part of this world and we shouldn't just be in the shadows anymore. So that was kind of my motivation to keep on this racism train, because let me tell you, it is hard. What was your biggest challenge? You know, country radio was one of the biggest challenges for me, you know, going on, you know, radio tour and country music, you have to do radio tours and you have to go and sing in these like dingy bars and bring people Dickie's barbecue and donuts and sing in these. Yeah, it's really, really hard. And they and all these people can decide if they want to play your music or not.

Because I've seen that when Beyonce put out her record, so many country stations didn't want to play her record as well. So you totally understood what she was going through. Oh, 100%. 100%. And how did you feel when she wasn't nominated for anything at the CMA? I was very disappointed. I was very disappointed. I know what a lot of it has to do with the voters and who's voting.

And a lot of the voters are you know radio radio program directors so that is it is what it is you know i can't you can't you've got to show up and vote i guess is all you can say i can say it was really definitely disappointing because there was such a chance and a moment to show that all that we've been fighting for that it's acknowledged and i mean she did have one of the biggest albums this year you think she got snubbed because i asked that same question to to somebody in country and they said to me not really when i asked that she gets snubbed to say it's never been about album success tons of artists in country don't get recognized the voting group

is a ton of industry from all over the country and when an artist any doesn't put forth the effort to do interviews or be a part of the community it's the country. And when an artist, any, doesn't put forth the effort to do interviews or be a part of the community, it's hard to get them to vote for you. And then they were telling me about, like, Zach Bryan got screwed. Yeah. I mean, and that's very true, too. But then they talked about Shaboosie. And I've never heard of Warren Treaty.

They're black. Yeah, they are. So they talked about, you know. So Warren Treaty, Tanya, was the girl in Sister Act that sang with Lauryn Hill. Oh. Yeah. So y'all really need to show sang with Lauryn Hill. Oh. Yeah. So y'all really need to show some love to Lauryn Trady. Yeah.

Wow. So basically it is politics. Yeah. I mean, there's politics in every award show, you know? I just felt I was just really disappointed because I felt like it was an opportunity for the CMAs as a whole to show like maybe not album of the year but maybe that song like Texas Hold'em because it was a really big song it would have just been great to see one thing American Idol you tried out for American Idol and you didn't make it I

didn't make it no no no no that show is so hard doing shows like that because it's so relative it's like you're not singing your songs. You're singing somebody else's song, somebody else's hit, and it takes a very special artist to be able to do that. No. After like Paul Abdu, hell, Randy Jackson, hell. No, I was not like, I actually love Randy. I love Randy.

Did you see him after? Yeah, I actually had ran into Randy like a week after I was rejected. And we've just become really great friends. He's a really great guy and I love him. That's fun. Now, the first track on the album is called My Side of the Country. Yes. What does your side of the country look like, Mickey?

So, well, I live in Texas, but I also live in California. And the reason why I wrote that song, first of all, I wrote that song with a guy named Tyler Hubbard who was in that group Florida Georgia Florida Georgia line and um we just wanted to write a song because there's so many versions of country music which is what we were talking about at the beginning of the show like there's west coast country there's you know New York country I feel like there's middle of America country and I just wanted to show all the different facets that my side of the country looks like this. I've got a beach,

but I also wear cowboy boots, you know? Well, I didn't know that there were like, like how is West coast East coast? Like there is. Yeah. Like if you look at like,

there's Bakersfield country, like there's artists named John party. There's very specific kinds of country. And you're really big into hip hop. I was told my son really loves hip-hop how old is your son three three yes his favorite song is euphoria at three at three and he knows great record and he knows every morning every morning yes mom play euphoria louder daddy louder yeah how are some of the things that you watch in hip-hop or just your relationships with hip-hop artists how

does that reflect in music i know you're you you and Cardi have a really good. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I just what I love about, you know, hip hop music is the honesty in it, the culture movement of it. You know, it's always hip hop is always in the forefront of what is going on in life and just watching hip hop. Hip hop artists just live so boldly in who they are. It's something that I really, really admire. Like, it's something that singing and country music, which made me become bolder and more outspoken about trying to make sure that there was equality,

was watching what is happening in hip-hop music. How traumatizing is being a black person in country music, especially a black woman? Cause it feels like it's traumatized. So many of the things that you have to deal with just in society. Yeah. So many of those show up in country music. Yes.

You were being emotional earlier. Yeah. Don't make me cry. I'm not. I'm sorry. I noticed it though. Yeah. So,

um, it's really hard, you know, even with Beyonce's Cowboy Carter and her featuring so many amazing black country artists, even after that, there's still artists that aren't signed. Like Raina Roberts is still not signed. Raina's not signed?

Not yet, no. Wow. And so that's why, another reason why I wanted to come on here is try to just encourage your listeners to really be intentional with your consumerism and support all of these black country artists on this record because it is really hard. We are paving a way that is completely uncharted. There's no path, there's no formula for black female country singers yeah you know

like linda martell left this genre you know money long dabbled in country music k michelle k michelle like it's so hard you know you know i do believe that black women are the most vulnerable in the world. And so often, like, we're just set aside, cast aside. You're problematic. You're too loud, whatever it is. And I think that's also why I stick in this sometimes racist, a lot of times racist genre to just protect them. Is it true that a few years ago, when Morgan Wallen used the word nigger, right? You spoke out against it.

You received so much backlash that it caused you to go into early labor? Yes. What? Yes. Stress? Yes. I'm sorry that happened to you. And nobody had your back.

I'm so sorry that happened to you. I'm so sorry. happened to you. And nobody had your back. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I'm so sorry. The shoes here. Yeah. I need more water. It's okay. But now we understand. You're fighting. you feel like you're fighting by yourself what kept you going after that yeah how do you go um you know my my husband um the the all the

people that have encouraged to come to this genre i can't just abandon them you know you don't just abandon them. You know, you don't just abandon your people. Like you can't do that. And there has been so much change that has happened since then. Like going to CMA Fest. You know, I've been going to CMA Fest for years and I saw nobody. And now there's so many different black country artists that are coming and being on stages and getting to sing on stages. There's black people that are attending CMA Fest that feel like there's a space for them. Like that is what's happening. So yes, change is slow. It's

hard. There's so much going on that can be very discouraging. But there's also so many things that are happening because we're still here and we're still fighting. Do you feel nobody supports you and has your back in your journey? Oh, I have a lot of people that support me and have my back. Like these people right here have my back. You know, Brittany Spencer is like one of my best friends. And we talk through so many of these things all the time there's you know there's black women in the industry that we confide in each other um that have high power positions and it's just like we just find each other you know I'll go to an award show and

I'll see one black person that's working in production and we know each other like we've known each other for years so there is like a support like i do have a family of people that support me you guys just even taking the time to talk to me i've wanted to talk to y'all so much just to kind of like spread the word and let people know that we're here so that you can just know that you can support us it would just mean the world and y'all being here. Thank y'all so much. The sad thing about it is, I know for myself, I'm not, I wasn't really into country music because I didn't see anybody that looked like me or looked like my kids.

But working up here, you start meeting people and you start, it starts opening you up because I never listened to country music, you know what I mean? But it's sad to say, but when Beyonce did the album, it made me open up to like, oh, let me hear what else are they talking about, which is sad.

For me, it was Alice Randall. Yes. You know Alice Randall? Alice Randall, yes. Yeah, because she put out a book called My Black Country. I actually published it. So when I read the book, you know, probably like a year and a half ago, I was just intrigued by the history that black people had in country music.

So before there was Beyonce, I just thought this was a great story that people need to hear. And then God had Cowboy Carter, I would come out, so it was just all aligned. And there was a whole influx of country artists even before the ones that you're seeing. There was a movement like this that happened, I believe, in the 80s or 90s.

And it's just like you get so, how often can you keep running in a burning house? And it's just like you get so, how often can you keep running in a burning house, you know? And it's just so important, again, black people, all people, to be intentional with your consumerism. Like really, really think about and just, even if you just stream that artist's song once, one time a day, like what that could do for that artist. Because it's so important in corporations, they hear money. That's where they, you know, they hear money and that's what drives everything. That's what gives us our jobs.

And if we can just continuously support them because they need it so much, like support Raina Roberts, support Tierra, support Shaboosie, not that he needs it, he's doing really good, but support Britney Spencer Tanner Adele like go to their shows

go to all of our shows I have one in New York when is the show in New York the 30th 30th this month yes you got a whole headlining tour

that you about to start yeah what's the first date you know my first date is 26 yeah Thursday the 26th

okay in DC and also once you said once because I want to expound on what you were saying you said I am proof standing here that you should invest in black talent. There's equity in us.

And if we just get the opportunity, there's so much possibility. Yes. So what is the possibility? The possibility is to headline your own tour, be able to pay your bills, be able to provide for your family, be able to live your dream of being a country artist.

There's so many black people that love country music that I don't even think that we realize because we didn't think the genre was for us. And they are coming out of the woodworks talking about country artists I don't even know. So, you know, that's what I mean. When a Dolly Parton says something like what she said in response to Beyonce not getting nominated for a CMA, does that hurt or help your, like, your mission of things? Because inside, like you said, people are like, well, no, it's politics. And there's like a, you know, people are senior here. But then on the outside, it felt like, and people reacted to it because it felt like, oh, no, this is us being shut out again.

Yes, yes. You know, I, yeah, I think that it does unintentionally on Dolly's part. Some other people may say that and have a different intention, but I do feel like her intention was not to defend the CMAs like that. I think maybe she's talking about the people in there. I don't know, but I do believe that it can hurt us. Yes, yes. I wanted to talk about your your song scary love yeah i have

six kids charlamagne has four so that is definitely a scary type of situation so let's talk about what inspired that song and how it almost scared the ish out of you oh man so back in 2021 when my son was nine months old he ended up getting really sick and this is during COVID this is during COVID and he turned septic and had sepsis and I will never forget it we were sitting in the the ER and I looked at the nurse and I choked out the words is my baby gonna die and she looked at me and she said I am very concerned right now and he is the sickest person in the ER right now. And that was during the height of COVID. So what, what happened? Break us down. Like, what, what did you see? I fell to my knees. I was saw, I saw him losing consciousness.

At home. And then you just rushed him to the hospital? Yeah. We rushed him to the hospital. He was losing consciousness in the car. And then he was at that part of that point of like delirium. And I think he was in so much pain. Like he just wasn't there but I saw him slipping away from me and I remember I just fell to my knees praying this woman was on a stretcher and she reached down and we just started praying and you know I have my complicated you know relationship with God and I don't always pray and I think after the last, you know, few years of all the hate that's been, you know, spewing and when I was getting cyber bullied, a lot of these people had

Bible verses in their profile pictures and their profile bios. And it was just really hard. So in this moment, like all I could do is pray. And then it made me realize why my mom was so crazy over me growing up. Cause you think, mom, I got it, I'm fine. And then you realize like, she's not fine if something happens to you. So now everything that I do, like getting behind the wheel and driving, I'm praying.

Going anywhere, I just pray to get back home to my family safely. Cause it is a scary- It's an underrated blessing. Yeah, it is. Like you don't even realize that. And in 2023 i lost three people in my life in the same month and so it does like life is so fleeting like it's such a

blessing to breathe every single day absolutely what are you doing mentally every single day to kind of recharge you you have a lot because it's a lot yes i know i know and it's just because you're a black woman in a room where you don't. I mean, there's more of us now, but it wasn't like that. It's kind of heavy. What are you doing every single day that kind of lifts you back up? So I take these. They're a natural.

They're called Stress Shield. So it's a natural like anti-anxiety medication that I take. I really try to stay away from, you know, social media in a sense of like. That's the biggest thing right there. All the politics, like I need to see love and light. Give me a funny dog video. You know, Snoop Dogg always has the best videos. I love watching his page because they just bring a source of laughter I think as a whole we just need joy right now like it's we're triggered constantly yeah every single day and so sometimes you know it's okay to just take a step back and take a break and not look at all that because it's traumatizing every single day you ever think just getting off completely yeah

oh I mean I have my I have my fence stuff okay. But that's like my, it's just all my son. My son gives me such a source of happiness. I don't want to say that I'm using him to fulfill my happiness, but he gives me such a purpose that I'd never felt before. And all I want to do is just give him the best life that he could possibly have. You ever use your fence to the match energy? Like when people being racist to you, you get on there and say, fuck you.

No, no. Fuck you cracker. I found myself like typing it out and I'm like, I've got to stop. I am not a Yelp reviewer. Leave it alone. Next time, call Sheldon, man. He'll help you out. Yeah, I'll help.

OK, OK. I'll give you my login. Why did you have a complicated relationship with God? Well, I just think because all the racism that you see and all of these people that claim to love God are saying such terrible things to you. And it just made me feel like, like,

are you really there? Why would you give us this fight in life? You know? And, um, but you know, I'm so grateful that the Lord is near the brokenhearted. Right.

And I think he puts like, we're his people. We're his children. And he looks after us. And so, yeah. Before songs like Scary Love and Black Like Me, what were you writing about? I was just trying to figure out what would advance me in country music. I was trying to write what,

I was trying to interpret that type of country music. I was trying to write what, I was trying to interpret that type of country music. I just wanted to be accepted. So there was sometimes I would go in writing sessions and I'll never forget it. They would write a song with O and his blue eyes. And I'm like, well, the man that I love doesn't have blue eyes. He's got dark brown eyes.

And I was writing fake songs about a fake life that I did not live you would still sing the song anyway no no I wouldn't I wouldn't sing that but when we were writing I didn't even have the courage to be like right you know yeah and so um but yeah I was writing about a fake life that I don't live. And so I stopped doing that and I started really writing just what country music is to me. Are there any of your, because I know also too, you love Glorilla. Yes.

And that's like a recent thing for you. You met her a couple months ago. Yeah, yeah. I'm all in your business. See, thank you. I love her. She's so beautiful and just such a sweet, kind.

A lot of energy. Spiritual. Yeah, like very spiritual. I feel God in Glorilla's music. I do. I really do. I do. She's just, I wasn't expecting that.

You know, I love what she says in her songs, but I just, I don't think I was ever really paying attention to who she really is and being around her. She's such a lovely human being. And so is Cardi. You love Cardi. You got a great relationship with Cardi, right? I do.

I really love her. She is just another person. I was expecting something so different because I follow her online and loved her personality. I loved her on Love & Hip Hop. And then you see her and she's just this very kind and loving person.

But I think that's how all we all are. Cardi's the best. You know they're cousins, right? I did not know that. Yeah, Glorilla and Cardi. Wow. Okay. Would you bring any of the hip hop girls into some of your music that you're working on right now?

Oh my God, if they would have me, yes. Yes. I would love that. So would it be just Glorilla, Cardi, or who else would? Oh my God. I could see definitely Glow. And I love Megan Thee Stallion. Yeah, Cardi too. But I feel like I would. Thee Stallion. Yeah, Cardi too.

Megan being from Houston. Yeah, Megan from Houston. Yeah, you know, I just love all of them, really. They're just, I don't know. What's the biggest misconception about country music? Because I keep thinking about this Cowboy Carter album, and it's just like, did people buy that album for Beyonce or because they're really interested in country music?

I think, you know think those are her fans. And they... It's a new genre of music. Why not? I want to put them on my boots and spurs, even though we don't walk around in our spurs. Is that stereotypical? People don't walk around in their spurs on.

I think that's a big misconception of country music. And as much as I have been talking about, you know, racism in country music, there are some really, really, really good people in the genre. Like there are, you know, like Maren Morris or a girl named Cam. Tyler Hubbard is also a really, really good person in country music. Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll, you know, there's a really good group of people in there. So, you know, I don't want to say everybody's horrible.

I'm not walking around these streets and people are like waving their Confederate flags at me. That's not happening. But I mean, that has happened, though. But yeah, I think when you come from the rural, I'm from the rural South, right? Yeah. I think when you come from the rural South, you South, one thing you do realize in regards to race is more so class than anything.

My first white friend is a guy named Thomas Evans. He used to live right next door to me. Yeah, being way in the South for sure. Yeah, it's just like we were just poor. Yeah, exactly. We didn't realize the racial dynamics until we got older. And I 100% agree with that. My mom grew up really, really poor in a town called Riesel, Texas.

And she said, look, we all needed to eat. It didn't matter what color you are. We all needed to have some of this cow. I was like, gosh, mom. But yeah, it's true. There's the classism for sure. So I wonder, do they not see that? At least in country music, we all come from the same place

in a lot of instances. I sometimes, I don't know. Like, these are questions, like, I would love to know, because I don't always know. Sometimes I don't even know if people always see it. You know? Like, I've gone on a red carpet,

and a woman said, oh, my God, you're so tan. And I'm like... Wow. What? You know, like, I don you know like i don't know i don't know there's maybe education that could be something that we need to do more of but who do they want to have the discussion because it's not like you know of course not they're over it they are ready to move on yeah i mean everybody's ready to move on from the discussion you know di programs are

getting shut down all across the board in entertainment. Like, it's really, like, everybody's done. They're over it, and that's really hard. That's a tough pill to swallow. It really is. So how do you see the country music landscape five years from now? Do things get better?

Do more doors get knocked down? I don't know. I don't know, if you want to be perfectly honest, I don't know. But we have a lot of people this woman back here cameo Carlson she can come to the cookout she started a program called equal access and they give out grants to all these artists from underserved communities whether you're gay black latino whatever you are to give them an opportunity to record music and an album and

so there's people that are really doing things. It's just, I don't know. I don't know. I just hope people don't get discouraged and don't want to keep pursuing this genre of music. I hope Shaboosie is showing, you know, that it can happen for anybody and maybe inspiring more people to come to the genre because I believe that it is not enough

for just one person to be one person of color to be successful in country music that is not change like you saw Charlie Pryde right and that was it for the longest time and so it's like you have to help your people like change is all of you walking through that door together and and being able to have your own lucrative careers because once you have your lucrative career, then you can have opening acts that are of color that can have their own careers. That's the only way, in my personal opinion,

that I can feel like we can see true change. Well, let's play a joint off the album. Let's play something off the album, man. So people can hear exactly what we're talking about. What you want to hear? What you got? My Side of the Country, Making Me, Here With You, House on Fire. My Side of the Country is really good.

You want to hear My Side of the Country? Yeah. Okay. Here With You is really good. What do you think? House on Fire? House on Fire. That was a good one, yeah.

House on Fire. All right. Well, let's get to it now. We appreciate you for joining me. Thank you all so, so much. I'm sorry for crying. I'm trying not to All right, well, let's get to it now. We appreciate you for joining me. Thank y'all so, so much. I'm sorry for crying. I'm trying to listen to a show. I want to experience a show now.

You got me excited. Maybe I'm going to listen to more than just Cowboy Carter. Come on. I'm going to do it. That's why you should get Mickey Guyton's album, House on Fire, but you should also read My Black Country by Alice Randall. Yes. I'm telling you, it goes hand in hand.

If you care about country music and black people and country music, she breaks it down. That's right. I just want to support you. Thank you all. I just want you to feel like it's black people and country music, she breaks it down. I just want to support you. I just want you to feel like it's not just you. I really appreciate it. It's not just me. You guys, again, just being here and giving me this opportunity

to talk to you guys has been a dream. Well, it's Mickey Guyton, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us again. Anytime you're in town, pull on up. And she's going to be in town on the 30th in New York on the 30th. You going, Lauren? Yeah, I'll go. I'll give you my number okay let me see what date that is

what day is that? please hope it's a weekend no it's not a weekend it's Monday so we can go okay this is for you by the way Alice Randall is my girl

if you haven't read it oh so you okay okay I know Alice Randall she's a professor at Vanderbilt I've gone and spoke at her class before dope

okay alright absolutely Alice Randall's been she's been up here. Yes, she is. All right. It's The Breakfast Club.

Good morning. Wake that ass up. In the morning. The Breakfast Club.