Philip Lawrence

R&B Money

The Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartPodcasts

Music, Music History, Music Commentary

4.9 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 5 February 2026

⏱️ 132 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Philip Lawrence—Grammy-winning songwriter/producer and frequent Bruno Mars collaborator (The Smeezingtons)—sits with Tank & J. Valentine to unpack how stadium-level records get built. We get into melody-first writing, lyric clarity, chord choices that carry a hook, and the vocal/arrangement details that turn good songs into culture-shifting moments. Philip traces the arc from early sessions to global smashes, the teamwork behind The Smeezingtons, and how he keeps taste sharp across eras.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This is an I-Heart podcast.
0:02.5	Guaranteed Human.
0:04.9	1969, Malcolm and Martin are gone.
0:07.8	America is in crisis.
0:09.5	At a Morehouse college, the students make their move.
0:12.3	These students, including a young Samuel L. Jackson,
0:15.4	locked up the members of the board of trustees, including Martin Luther King's senior.
0:20.6	It's the true story of protests and rebellion in black American history that you'll never
0:24.9	forget.
0:25.9	I'm Hans Charles.
0:26.9	I'm Mena Lake Lemoombo.
0:28.1	Listen to the A building on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
0:33.5	podcasts.
0:34.7	When segregation was a law, one mysterious black club owner, Charlie Fitzgerald, had his own
0:40.2	rules.
0:41.2	Segregation and the day integration at night.
0:44.3	It was like stepping on another world.
0:46.7	Was he a businessman?
0:48.1	A criminal.
0:49.6	A hero.
0:50.8	Charlie was an example of power.
0:53.8	They had to crush him.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartPodcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartPodcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.