Parlé: Aight, let’s step away from Day 26 for a minute. You started with Mason Rd back in the day, how old were you back then?
Brian: I started with Mason Road probably when I was 14 years old. We got our first record deal actually months after starting our group. We ended up moving to Atlanta, we were signed to Priority Records at the time. Things were looking on the up and up, we started recording our album, and then Priority ended up folding. So from there we ended up going back home. A couple years later, a couple years of grinding, trying to get our name up as being THE music group of Houston, we ended up signing to Beyoncé’s father’s label, which is Music World Music. We were over there for like 6 years. Things didn’t pan out the way we hoped they’d pan out. I ended up leaving the situation, they ended up staying, I had to go because I had a kid. I was like ‘you know what, I gotta do something and I gotta do something fast.’ I ended up doing the Making The Band situation a year after I left Music World. It was kinda crazy the the way everything panned out. That group Mason Rd is actually signed to my record company now. My younger brother Vaughn, he’s the lead singer of Mason Rd.
Parlé: Now dealing with Making The Band, having a child at home like you said, how was it keeping the group and business stuff happy while keeping home happy?
Brian: Maaaan. It was quite difficult, I had to adjust to a new lifestyle, a new everything, as far as being here in New York, being away from home. It was hard but I always kept in my mind, grind stay strong, because at the end of the day you doing this for your family. That’s what kept me going.
Parlé: First album it took ya’ll about 6 weeks to put it together—
Brian: Naw man, took about 3 and a half—the recording part. The mixing and photoshoots and stuff like that came after, but recording it took 3 weeks. I’m giving it the half for a safety net.
Parlé: So how was it doing that, recording this project with 4 guys you really don’t know and trying to make it a success?
Brian: The hardest thing known to man. You have to understand, we were 5 different guys, brought up 5 different ways, 5 different walks of life. We was still learning each other. We had 2 weeks of break after we made the group than we were in Miami recording the album. It was frustrating at times. Then when you working for someone like Diddy who’s a perfectionist and doesn’t settle for less, it’s kinda like he knows that your capable of more than you know what you’re capable of. There were times where he’d have me go back in and re-record things because he knew what we were capable of. It was frustrating and it was a lot of hard work. I can definitely say I learned a lot.
Parlé: I’ve always wondered, what were those off days life for you? Between seasons and hitting the road?
Brian: For me it was a lot of time not being able to go anywhere. So I’d sit at home chilling with my shorties, playing video games. I stay working so I’m either at home or in the studio. I don’t really have much of a life so if I was at home I’m playing 2K or playing Madden, but I really couldn’t go anywhere.
Parlé: Being the last of Diddy’s “Bands” and knowing what took place with the previous Bands, was there any added pressure for you guys?
Brian: Um… Naw. We just felt like we had a point to prove to our peers more than anything. Of course a lot of people don’t recognize the history behind Day 26. I’ve had 2 record deals before all this Making The Band stuff. Rob has 2 deals before all this Making The Band stuff. Willie had a record deal before this, a lot of people didn’t know that. A lot of people looked at us like, ‘ya’ll can sing’ but we were never treated, I feel, the way an artist should be treated. A lot of people felt like this was given to us, not knowing this grind started long before this Making The Band process started. As far as pressure is concerned, naw there wasn’t no pressure. We wanted to prove something to the world more than anything.
Parlé: Even throughout the whole process you’ve released music on your own, mostly features, including some with Houston’s finest. How’d those collaborations come about?
Brian: We all kinda grew up together, from Paul Wall to Chamillionaire, Trae to Z-Ro, Kirko Bangz, Marcus Manchild, we all support each other. I’m working on my project now, I got quite a few features from my Houston peers. We all uplift each other. We all say we do it for the city and not for ourselves.
Parlé: So let’s talk about the label, A.W.E.
Brian: A.W.E. Stands for Ambassador Way Entertainment. I started it in 2005, shortly after I left Music World. It’s just kinda grown from me having it in my living room and having a couple artists come by my home studio to me actually having an office, me actually having a staff, having people who actually want to see this situation grow and win.
Parlé: And Hulk Entertainment is the new management company correct?
Brian: Yes.
Parlé: And that’s the same company that reps Dorrough—
Brian: Yep, Dorrough, Tum Tum, B Hamp, Ashley Kimbrae, they got a lot of great artists.
Parlé: How’d you hook up with them?
Brian: I’ve known Mike Moodswing for as long as I can remember, since the age of 14, since I got my first situation. He’s always been like a big brother or something like a mentor to me. Over the years he’s just kinda been there for me, my ups, my downs, I call him whenever for advice. So when the opportunity came for me to go off and seek my own management he was the first person I called. It was something I feel was a long time coming.
Parlé: The first buzz single is “Killa,” ‘ve heard the track, but tell me, what’s the concept behind the song?
Brian: “Killa” is just a record that just glorifies a woman’s beauty… You know, in a certain atmosphere. It’s not necessarily saying a woman is gorgeous or she’s beautiful or she’s sexy or ‘damn baby you fine’. I wanted something that was going to start it’s on little trend. I wanted to be like ‘damn baby you fine,’ but instead it’s ‘damn baby you a killa.’ She’s so gorgeous to the point where she hurting the game. So that’s what Killa is.
Parlé: How’d Dorrough Music end up getting on the record?
Brian: Dorrough and I have been friends forever. It was eventually going to happen—me and him get together, but I think it happened a little faster with him being managed by the same management company that I’m managed by. I cut the record and immediately I called Mike [Moodswing] and said, ‘I’m fitting to send this to Dorrough.’ He was like, ‘Do it!’ I called Dorrough, he was like ’email it to me.’ I emailed it and the next day he sent it back. And there you have it, ‘Killa.’
Parlé: Are there plans for a mixtape or an album from here?
Brian: I don’t know man, I’m just recording man. I would say that the records that I’m doing, I’d be crazy to just give it away as a mixtape. I’m not trying to sound cocky or conceited or anything at all, but I feel like right now I’m definitely in a zone as far as recording is concerned and I have some really, really, really great records. So I don’t know. I’ma continue to keep recording and whichever direction the good Lord tells me, whether it’s a mixtape, whether it’s an EP or whether it’s an LP, that’s the direction I’ma go.
Parlé: What are you immediate goals in the business?
Brian: My goal right now is to just be successful. Any way it comes it will be a blessing. I’ma definitely keep pumping out good music, but whatever the good Lord blesses me with, I’ma take it.
Parlé: What advice do you have for young artists coming into the game now?
Brian: Maaaan. Of course keep God first. All things are possible through him. Number 2, I would definitely say educate yourself as far as the business is concerned. I can honestly say this music business is a lot of smoke and mirrors. What you see on t.v. isn’t how it always is in real life. Learn the business side, that’s why it’s called the music business, it’s like 90% business, 10% music. After that, if you prayed long and hard about it and you feel like God is telling you that this is what you should do, then go for it. But please, please, please educate yourself.
Parlé: At this point, let’s say you’ve spent half your life in the music business thus far. Any regrets up until this point?
Brian: No I have no regrets whatsoever. Everything I’ve gone through, whether it was good or bad, I feel like I’ve learned so much from it but at the same time it prepared me to come to this point and time in my life and my career, so I have no regrets whatsoever. And if I had to do it all over again, I’d do it all over again, the exact same way.
Parlé: Any final words you have for your fans and supporters?
Brian: Follow me on twitter @MrAngel_Day26. A lot of people are asking me, are you going to change it, naw I’m not going to change it because I am Day 26 for life. Follow me on fb, The Official Brian Angel. I’m nothing without the people who support me. I don’t like to call ’em fans, I call ’em fams, cause their like my extended family. I’m nothing without them. I mean that with everything I am. A lot of people tend to take their supporters for granted, but I understand where my blessings come from. Thank you so much.
Parlé: Before we get out of here, I’m sure some people want to know, what would it take to get Day 26 back together for a new album?
Brian: Man, all it would take is for all of us to get on the phone and say, ‘It’s that time, we back.’ That’s how we roll. Those are my brother’s man. Someone might be a little upset about whatever but at the end of the day, there’s no love lost in my heart. When I say I love somebody… Those are my brother’s man and I really love my brothers. All it would take is a phone call and all of us to be in agreement and I would be all for it.
But right now, it’s Brian Angel season. Right now… It’s Brian Angel season!
Images by Julius Stukes Jr. for Parlé Magazine
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