Vault: Interview With Babyface

Summary

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The Bert Show (Pionaire Podcasting)

Episode: Vault: Interview With Babyface
Date: October 27, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this special "Vault" episode, The Bert Show welcomes legendary singer, songwriter, and producer Babyface for a relaxed, candid conversation. Known for shaping the sound of R&B and pop through the '80s, '90s, and beyond, Babyface shares stories about his creative process, discovering new talent, and his recent projects—while also being charmed by the hosts’ signature playful banter. The episode stands out for its informal tone, spontaneous humor, and unique behind-the-scenes insights into the music business.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unscripted Beginnings & Babyface’s Demeanor

• The interview begins unexpectedly, with Babyface arriving early and sitting down before any formal introductions, setting a relaxed, organic tone.
  • “There was no formal beginning to the interview.” — Bert (01:46)
  • “He was so unassuming.” — Co-host (02:06)
  • “That's probably one of the nicest things you can say about somebody… especially a big star like that.” — Co-host (02:08)

2. An Unusual Icebreaker: The Tick Story

• Conversation veers into a humorous, unplanned story about a Real World cast member's experience with Lyme disease and an embedded tick, prompting laughter and breaking the ice.
  • “When's the last time you started an interview off talking about a tick on a woman's boob?” — Bert (03:14)
  • “That's never happened. Probably never will happen again.” — Babyface (03:19)
  • Memorable Moment: Babyface declares he’ll remember this interview thanks to the quirky tick story (10:02).

3. Babyface’s Views on Producing & Artist Development

• Bert quizzes Babyface on what it means to “produce” a single.
  • “There's different kinds of producers. I'm a producer, musician. So I'll cut the music as well as kind of guide the singer… you're really there for the artist.” — Babyface (04:11)
  • Babyface distinguishes between musical skills, personality, and star quality when evaluating talent.
    • “If they've got personality... charisma... if they look good… or if they don't look good, but they have something unique… There's gotta be something special.” — Babyface (05:03)
  • He emphasizes that being good-looking isn’t enough; it’s about “star quality”.
    • “Good looking is not enough. It's having the star quality.” — Babyface (05:35)
  • On artists with less-than-stellar talent but a magnetic presence:
    • “But what they did have is this star quality. Once you get past the music, we're in the star business.” — Babyface (05:56)

4. Reflections on His Own Career

• When asked if he’d produce himself if he were just starting out, Babyface is self-effacing:
  • “Probably not, really. ... I don't look at myself as a star.” — Babyface (06:27-06:29)
  • “But I bet you'd say, damn, he's good looking.” — Co-host (06:37)
  • “I'm glad you think so. I wouldn't say that myself.” — Babyface (06:42)

5. Why Atlanta? The Origins of LaFace Records

• Babyface recounts moving from LA to Atlanta to create LaFace Records and foster a new music scene.
  • “We wanted to create our own town... We didn't think that we could do it in LA. We needed our own backyard. ... every big act that we found that, you know, went on to do great things, basically, you know, we're here in Atlanta.” — Babyface (06:54–07:49)
  • Credited Atlanta for discovering Toni Braxton, TLC, Usher, Outkast, and more.

6. New Music and Songwriting Inspiration

• The conversation shifts to Babyface’s new album Face to Face and its lead single, “What If,” which imagines what might have happened with a love that didn’t work out.
  • “Everybody's had a boyfriend or girlfriend... you decided not to go any further with... What if we were wrong about each other? What if that house she's living in is supposed to be my house?” — Babyface (07:51)
• On whether personal life affects his emotional songwriting:
  • “I write all kind of songs that [my wife] could go, wait a minute, what are you saying? I make my living off of people and their emotions.” — Babyface (08:28)

7. Collaborations and Album Highlights

• Babyface describes working with Snoop Dogg on the song “Baby’s Mama.”
  • “That was fun.” — Babyface (09:14)
  • Hosts joke about Snoop’s perpetually red eyes:
    • “I just read about that... every time I see him live on MTV, his eyes are always red.” — Bert (09:29)
    • “That’s what you call enjoying life.” — Babyface (09:44)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Tick Story:
  “That's never happened. Probably never will happen again.” — Babyface (03:19)
  “And I always remember the Tick story.” — Babyface (10:02)
• On Star Quality:
  “Once you get past the music, we're in the star business.” — Babyface (05:56)
• On Self-Reflection:
  “I don't look at myself as a star.” — Babyface (06:29)
• On Songwriting Inspiration:
  “I make my living off of people and their emotions.” — Babyface (08:28)
• On Atlanta's Role in Music:
  “It was a very good move.”— Babyface, on starting LaFace Records in Atlanta (07:49)
• On Cross-Genre Collaborations:
  “Most people like what? Babyface and Snoop. That don't make sense.” — Babyface (09:25)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment Description | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:46 | Babyface enters; spontaneous start to the interview | | 02:40 | Humorous story about Lyme disease and “the tick” | | 03:25 | Discussion of Babyface's legendary collaborations | | 04:11 | Babyface’s explanation of a producer’s role | | 05:03 | How he identifies “star quality” in unknown artists | | 06:23 | Babyface on whether he’d produce himself as a new artist | | 06:54 | Why Babyface moved to Atlanta to start LaFace Records | | 07:51 | Details about the new single “What If” and its inspiration | | 09:14 | Talking about the Snoop Dogg collaboration “Baby’s Mama” | | 10:02 | Babyface says he’ll remember the “tick story” |

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Closing Tone

This episode is a vibrant mix of offbeat humor, industry insights, and Babyface’s reflective wisdom, making it as entertaining as it is enlightening for music lovers and pop culture fans alike. The informal, personal feel brings fresh perspective to Babyface’s monumental career—underscored by genuine moments, such as his humility about his own stardom and memorable guest-host exchanges.

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Transcript

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[Podcast Host (Birch Show)]

Get it the Birch Show.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

You'd be hard pressed to find a bigger record producer than Baby Face, so we were all a little shocked when he decided to stop by the Burt show for a little visit. Baby When Babyface walked in here early, believe it or not, we were all just kind of sitting around the mics waiting for him. He gets in here early and there was no formal beginning to the interview.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

He was so unassuming. It was. I mean, just he himself was so unassuming, which is probably one of the nicest things you can say about somebody anyway, you know Especially a big star like that.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Usually, you know, someone will sit down and I'll turn the mics on and I'll introduce everybody, right? And he'll say hi to every one of us individually.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

And they'll expect this big introduction, this formal introduction as well.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

It wasn't like that with Babyface, though. So here's the interview, and it starts off kind of weird because it's really just all sitting around, just chatting.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

We're trying to stay as far away from you as possible. Mics are just up like this. Sorry.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Do you watch MTV at all?

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Do you. You ever watch the Real World?

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

She was on the Seattle cast of the Real World. She was the one with Lyme disease.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

No, don't make me have to be that girl. I wasn't that girl, okay?

[Interviewer (Bert)]

She was. She got slapped.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Is it hard having Lyme disease?

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Well, right after I went through that whole ordeal on the girl. Lyme disease, I had been jogging and I was taking off my clothes.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

That's another thing. When you have Lyme disease, you just start. You just start taking clothes off and.

[Hers Weight Loss Medication Promoter]

You have Lyme disease.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

I had a tick embedded right in my boob excuse, you know?

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

After. Right after I got back and it was really like the feet were still in. And I freaked out. I flipped out because I lived in the mountains and.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

When's the last time you started an interview off talking about a tick on a woman's boob?

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

That's never happened. Probably never will happen again.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

I'm thinking this is a first.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

But I remember it, though.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Well, you'll remember that before you got in here, I was just looking at the names of people that you've collaborated or you've produced. And the list just. I mean, it took me like 13 pages to print out the entire list. There's Paula Abdul, there's Mary J. Blige, Brandi, Toni Braxton, Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton and Vogue. Aretha Franklin. Some woman named Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, this chick named Madonna. She's a real up and comer.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

She's gonna be really good one day.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Yeah, she's got something there. Vanessa Williams. My first question is gonna be like one of Music 101. I gotta be honest with you, Babyface. I have no idea what producing a single means.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

There's different kinds of producers. I'm a producer, musician. So I'll cut the music as well as kind of guide the singer who's ever the artist. While they're in there behind the mic. I kind of help Guide them. And so it's kind of like having a. It's like a consultant. It's kind of a consultant, but you're really there for the artist.

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So when it's time for you to perform and you have a producer on the other the glass, does that make it? How does that change the dynamic between you and your producer?

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yo, shut your mouth.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

I would listen to them and then I'd go back behind it and fix it the way I want.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Hope you weren't paying these people. When artists like a TLC or a Toni Braxton comes to you and when they came to you, they were virtual unknowns at that point. What do you see in acts that you say, that's somebody that I absolutely have to work with or there's a person that has it or doesn't.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

If they personality. If it's like, if it's just this hot personality and they got charisma. If they look good.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

If they look good.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

If they look good. Exactly. Or if they don't look good, but they have something about them that's like unique, you know, it's not. You're not always gorgeous. It's just something. Something about you. And then of course, you know, they have to be able to sing or have a certain vibe in there, a tone in their voice or something. There's gotta be something special.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Sometimes I wonder now that if it's more important to be good looking or.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Have a good voice, guys, that's a good looking good is not enough. It's having the star quality.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Right.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Is there one, you know, singer, actress, whatever that you've worked with that's been special yet hasn't quite had it all there musically. Talking to Baby Fake, the talent wasn't all there and it was just a struggle, but turned out all right.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

I'm not giving you a name, but yeah, there have been. But what they did have is this star quality. And I can't say enough about that. And there's a couple of those around the day that may not be the best singers, but they are just total stars. But once you get past the music, we're in the star business.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Yeah. If you walk through the doors of your own office, would you have that star? Would you be an artist that you would start producing?

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Say that again.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

It's a tough one.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Probably not really.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Yeah.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Because I, I don't. You don't see that to look at me and say, oh, I know. I bet he can do this. He can do that. I don't look at myself as a star.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

But I bet you'd say, damn, he's good looking.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Well, I'm glad you think so. I wouldn't say that myself.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

How did you get to Atlanta in the first place? I know you're from Indianapolis, right?

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

How did Atlanta happen?

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Louisiana and I, we were. We were living in LA at the time. And when we talked about starting a label, we wanted to do it. We wanted to create our own town. You know, Barry Gordy did it in Detroit and created Motown. And we didn't think that we could do it in la. We think that we. We needed our own, our own backyard. So we brought LaFace down here and it, it made all the difference. We were able to find, you know, amazing talent down here. You know, Toni, although she came from another city, she auditioned here, and so we actually found her here. And same thing with tlc, they were here. They may have came from other cities, but they were living here at the time. So we found them here. We found Usher here, we found outkast here. I mean, every big act that we found that, you know, went on to do great things, basically, you know, we're here in Atlanta. I don't know that they would have come to LA and we would have found it there. So it was, it was a very good move.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Tell us about the. The new album and the new single.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

It's a new single now is a song called what if Song Being About Situation. Everybody's in this room. I'm sure it's had a boyfriend or a girlfriend at some point that you decided to not go any further with. You called it off. And it's asked the question, what if we were wrong about each other? What if we were supposed to be together? What if that house that she's living in right now is supposed to be my house? Right? And that car she's driving should be my car. And that baby she has should be my baby. And so it's asking that question.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Now, when you write a song like that, I mean, you're a married guy right now, so when you write a song like that, does your wife go, hold on a second. Wait one second here, Babyface?

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Yeah, I mean, I write all kind of songs that she could go, wait, wait a minute, what are you saying? I make my living off of people and their emotions. And when people say things and I. I listen to them, and if I hear something that's kind of clever, then I say, ooh, that'd be interesting.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

So you think you might write a song about a woman with a tick.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

On her that's gonna be hard to put it into lyrics.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

It's just not a lot of stuff that rhymes with tick.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Yeah. And I don't know if everybody can relate to that. I'm gonna think on it, though, you know.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Thank you.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Come out of the box a little bit, Babyface.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

All right, I want you to mix it up a little. Get crazy.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

If you can write a love song about tics. I'll tell you what. I'll give you a million dollars. I'm gonn. All right, all right.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

See what happens.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

And how about the rest of the songs on the new album? Tell us about. About some of your favorites.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Let's see, I did a fun song called Baby's Mama, which is with. I did that with Snoop.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Oh, oh, that's right. That's right. I just read about that.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Yeah. And it's. That was fun.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

What a combination.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Yeah, it was. Most people like what? Basin Snoop. That don't make sense.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

I want to call him and tell him that I think he has pink eye because I. Every time I see him live on mtv, his eyes are always red. Well, I think he's got pink eye.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Pink. He enjoys life.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Yeah. He's just gotta wash them out every now and then. They wouldn't be so red out there.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

That would call enjoying life. That's what you call enjoying life.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Baby face is gonna leave and be like, they are the most random people I have ever met.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

So the name of the album is Face to Face, right?

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Yep.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

And the single is what if?

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Yep.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Great. Good luck with it.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Thank you.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

Thank you for coming and joining Q100 for a while.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Good time. And I always remember the Tick story.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah, see, we made an impression, Bert.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Yes, you did.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

The next cd, if the first track is the Tick, we know where it came from.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Tick on a boob.

[Interviewer (Bert)]

All right.

[Babyface (Record Producer)]

Thanks, baby.

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