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he setting fits the music perfectly – a large rehearsal room in New York’s Right Track Studios serves as the stage for Mario Winans’ intimate performance to a small group of reporters and Bad Boy affiliates late one evening. Candles surround the piano where Mario plays and sings the songs he’s best known for, including “I Need a Girl” and his smash single, “I Don’t Wanna Know.” The latter is obviously based on a personal experience, because the emotion in his voice is evident. After years of working behind-the-scenes, doing production and lending vocals to many major artists, Mario Winans is ready to step out on his own as an artist. After his performance, I had the chance to talk with the good-natured singer in the studio. He even gave me a cookie. Did you produce your current single? Yeah, “I Don’t Wanna Know.” Where did you come up with idea to use that sample? I mean, the first time I heard it of course I recognized it from The Fugees’ “Ready or Not.” Honestly, just listening to it over and over and loving that Enya sample. I was working in the studio one day and I just came up with it. Since you’ve been on Bad Boy, do you feel like working with Puffy has influenced your sound significantly? We build off each other a lot. We bounce ideas off each other. One thing about him is that he keeps pushing me to that next level, you know,
“ME AND [CARL THOMAS] ARE GONNA TEAM UP AND GO GET OUR COMPETITION. THERE AIN’T GONNA BE NOBODY ELSE AFTER US. AFTER ME AND MY MAN COME OUT, IT’S A WRAP.” so it’s a good thing. Having been behind the scenes for so long, what made you decide to put yourself out there as an artist? Was that always the goal for you? Actually, I stepped out there a while ago on Motown as an artist. Even though I left the company, everybody kinda liked my record. I wanted to be an artist again. Well, actually, I did but then I didn’t. Are you the type of person that likes to have that attention on you, the spotlight? Nah, I like attention, but I don’t necessarily need everyone’s attention. I was one of those dudes, you know, if I get the right attention I’m cool with it. Being on the road, you’ve definitely got attention on you all the time. Do you think you’ll be able to handle that well? Yeah, I’m a people person. See? I like to share cookies (laughing). After seeing your performance, I have to ask, most of the songs that you talk about dealing with relationships, is that really things that you went through in your life or is more of an act? Nah, it’s not an act at all. Those are really things that I went through, a lot of that stuff is just real-life experience. Everything you write about is based directly on your life? Yeah, but it could be something from last year, or it could be from three, four years ago. It’s something that I’ve experienced, and sometimes I generalize situations when it comes to songs. I might write about it a different way, but you really get the feeling of what I’m talking about. So, for example, in “I Don’t Wanna Know,” you were in a relationship with somebody and you really didn’t want to know if she was cheating on you? Yeah. I mean, to a certain extent, I just don’t need to know the details. I don’t wanna know. Wherever I go after that, I mean, any similarities I see I just don’t want to bring all that baggage into my new relationship. No baggage. Knowledge is baggage sometimes, so that’s why I said, “I don’t wanna know.” As far as the production you did behind the scenes, can you give a few examples of things people might be surprised to know that
you did? I’ve done some stuff, as far as singing on tracks, with Mr. Cheeks, Carl Thomas, Lil’ Kim, and 112. And I’ve produced for a lot of people too.
Has working with Puffy helped you develop more of an artist mentality, as far as knowing how to work the media and act in front of cameras and things like that? Yeah, definitely. You know, when I started to learn that part of it, it was from beign on tour and watching him, just how he was and how he worked so freakin’ hard. I kinda picked up on that. I could see how I’ve gotta act to get to where I gotta be at. You developed sort of a workaholic mentality by watching Puffy? I was a workaholic before I came here to Bad Boy, but when I got around Puffy, I just became an extra extra workaholic. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? About four days. Did you start to hallucinate at that point? Nah, I was hallucinating the first day (laughing) Nah, I’m just joking. I was cool for the first couple days. How do you stay awake that long? Red Bull, caffeine? Sugar. Candy. Bad Boy was really known mostly for rap acts, so it’s a little odd that they’re coming out with two R&B acts back to back with you and Carl Thomas. Is there any friendly competition between you and Carl? I mean, what is your relationship like with him? Me and Carl – first of all, there’s no competition. We gonna team up and go get our competition. There ain’t gonna be nobody else after us. Shit, that’s how I’m lookin’ at it. After me and my man come out, it’s a wrap. But, as far as, how do I differ from Carl? You know what it is? I’m like the setup person. I like to get everybody ready. And carl is the closer. I’m gonna set you up and then I go, and carl rips it down regardless. He just rips it. So we pretty much fit together. So should we expect to see a huge Mario Winans featuring Carl Thomas collabo in the near future? Oh yeah! It’s a one plus one equals ten type of thing. When I first heard “I Don’t Wanna Know,” the radio announcer said it was a song by Mario and I was thinking of the other singer named Mario. Do you think you’ll have any difficulty branding your name? Nah, I know there’s another singer named Mario, but I was cool with that. It actually just brought light to my first name, I like that. It helps. I didn’t have no problems with it. I’m assuming you’re part of the famous Winans family? How many of you are there? Yeah. Thirty thousand (laughing). Nah, it’s a lot of us, though. Aight, I guess that’s all the questions I had. Already? (laughing) You didn’t even finish your cookie! - Interview & photo by Julia Beverly, jb@ozonemag.com OZONE MAGAZINE MARCH 2004
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