Gloria Ayee
Staff Writer
Some of the most important people in the music industry may be unrecognizable to the majority of people. If you have ever wondered who writes music for some of the biggest names on the Billboard charts, you are not alone. I reached out to The Jackie Boyz, who are behind some big music hits, to learn more about how they have been making a name for themselves as songwriters in the music industry.
The Jackie Boyz are an American Grammy Award-winning singing and songwriting duo. Brothers, Carlos Battey and Steven Battey, make up this dynamic team. In an exclusive interview, Carlos Battey told me about what projects the Jackie Boyz have been involved with lately.
Jackie Boyz began their career in the music industry as street performers in Savannah, Georgia. Carlos and Steven came up with the name Jackie Boyz as a way to honor the memory of their beloved mother, Jackie. Through years of hard work and determination, they were able to make a major breakthrough in the entertainment industry. “There was no elevator to success for us,” says Carlos, “we definitely had to climb the stairs.”
The Jackie Boyz spent four years singing on Hollywood Boulevard, before being acquired as songwriters by Universal Music Publishing in 2009. Since then, the brothers have collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, including Justin Bieber, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, David Guetta, Chris Brown, Jennifer Hudson, Sean Kingston, Cheryl Cole, Mann, Candice Glover, and Flo Rida.
The Jackie Boyz have also been very successful as artists in the United States and internationally. Their 2013 album “585 Dayz Later” was released in the United States under the Star Base Music label. They have also released two albums in Japan, “Love & Beyond” (2009) and “Songs in My Blackberry” (2011).
Apart from keeping busy with singing and songwriting, the Jackie Boyz launched the Jackie Boyz & Friends events in May 2013. “With the good connections that we have been able to establish in the music industry, the Jackie Boyz events series came together organically,” says Carlos.
photo courtesy of MTVThe Jackie Boyz & Friends events offer a venue for relatively unknown musicians from all over the world to showcase their music alongside seasoned artists who want to introduce the public to new material that they have been working on. The showcases are fast paced, high-energy events, and are not just for celebrities. The events are for people who love music and want to enjoy themselves. Carlos says the main goal is to make, “everybody feel like a star.”
The most recent event, the fourth showcase to date, was a pre-Grammy party that took place on January 24, 2014. The Jackie Boyz & Friends Pre-Grammy’s Red Carpet Awards Party at Station was held at W Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. The event, which featured performances by Wayne Brady, Jaden Michaels, Girl Radical, and Julca Brothers, was a huge success, with close to two thousand people in attendance.
In March 2014, The Jackie Boyz and their team obtained a six-figure investment to launch the first Jackie Boyz concert series in Los Angeles. The concert series is being organized by songwriter/producer Swagga Bob, Jordan Hood, Ryan Thomas, Steven Battey, Carlos Battey, and Carlos’ wife Sharyn Vasquez, who has come on board as production manager. Radio personality Manny Streetz, of 102.7 KIIS FM in LA, has also been a big supporter of the Jackie Boyz events. The concert series will be called Jackie Boyz & Friends, and will showcase a variety of artists with different musical influences; everyone from A-list celebrities to YouTube “stars” who have gained a major following. The Jackie Boyz concert series will also offer talented songwriters a platform to perform their own music.
In addition to their music showcases, Carlos and Steven Battey, and their team, recently established JBF Worldwide to offer events services for clients.
The Jackie Boyz are also very passionate about philanthropic work. “When you pay it forward, when you do good things for other people. Life always comes back around in that circle, and you are rewarded,” says Carlos. The Jackie Boyz have collaborated with Black Book Sessions, with funds raised from the Jackie Boyz events going directly to support the charity. Black Book Sessions is a non-profit organization that is committed to empowering and inspiring young talented individuals. The organization provides grants to children who have a desire to pursue educational opportunities in art, design, or music.
Jackie Boyz are back in the studio, “doing everything at once!” They recently wrote music for Candice Glover (whose album reached number three on the charts), and are currently writing music for Carrie Underwood and Rihanna. For fans that have been waiting to hear the Battey brothers sing again, there is good news! The Jackie Boyz are also working on a new single that will be released in April 2014 as a buzz (promotional) record. Carlos describes the sound as “futuristic, at the same time being today’s sound.” Fans of the Jackie Boyz should be on the look out for the duo’s new single, which will be available as a free download! The next Jackie Boyz studio album will be available for purchase in summer 2014.
To learn more about the Jackie Boyz, check out their website.
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