Interview with MTV's Making the Band 4 (aka Day 26) for PEACE Magazine.

MTB4 INTERVIEW : February 10, 2008

No one can deny that Bad Boy and Puff Daddy held a King Kong grip on hip-hop in the 90’s. Since then, a distracting Latina lover, manic multitasking, numerous court cases and a drastically changing industry have contributed to the highs and lows of the man and his music. But when Puff claimed “…and we won’t stop!” 15 years ago, he wasn’t joking.

Diddy is now in full throttle on the reality show train by launching Making the Band: Season 4-Part Two. For our viewing pleasure, his Diddyness ensures the drama by housing Danity Kane, the female platinum artists spawned from Season 3, alongside solo artist Donnie J and Day 26, their Season 4 male counterparts. As expected Brian, Will, Robert, Qwanell, Mike and Donnie quickly create chemistry with the girls, deal with pressure and competition while recording their albums and try to adapt to life on camera.

Far from the amateur attitude that plagued the second season (remember Dyylan?) there are no fistfights or Brooklyn cheesecake treks this time around. The talent in MTB4 has real potential and focus, making it good to watch and, people are buying albums (which is really the point). PEACE was able to talk to Will from Day 26 about the groups new name, his first time with Wendy Williams, past industry experience and how he made it this far.

• PEACE: Recently you announced the name of your group, DAY 26! What were some other options you entertained and why did DAY 26 describe the group the best?

WILL: First we came up with 8/26 since August 26th was the day that we became a band. We knew that we wanted to stick around the date because that was an important day for us, that was the day that changed our lives, and it was the same feeling for all of us, a milestone. We couldn’t get 8/26, we tried Project 26 but we liked Day 26. Diddy liked 26 Days better, but it wasn’t legal so we stuck to Day 26. With the name, this all feels official now!

• P: Speaking of Diddy, how has your perception of Diddy changed through this process; from being a fan, watching him on past seasons of MTB, going through the entire audition process and now as one of his artists?

W: I’ve always watched him growing up and admired that movement at Bad Boy. I’ve been around a lot of people in the music industry before so meeting him wasn’t something that would make me shake up or anything. That’s why it wasn’t really hard for me to sing in the first season because I was never flustered around him. I think that helped me out a lot. So now, just working with him, he’s cool, he knows what he wants, he’s just ready to work at all times, and he knows how to pull the best out of you. He’s a perfectionist and it’s been a blast working with him on this new project.

• P: I understand you were a writer and arranger for a few other R&B acts?

W: Yeah I did some writing and arranging on Avant’s “Director” and some arranging on Marques Houstons “Naked” album.

• P: Out of the people you have worked with in the past, who did you learn the most from and how did it give you an edge throughout the lengthy MTB elimination process?

W: I think I’ve learned the most from Avant. I had more time around him and I got a lot of training from him, a lot of people say that our voices sound similar and he taught me a lot. Avant is a good friend of mine, so his advice really helped me through a lot of situations, especially when he found out that I was even going to do the Making the Band thing. He thought it was a good look with me going in, and said to let them know exactly who I am. But most of what I learned from him was studio related, since that where we spent most of our time together.

• P: After developing such a close relationship with Mike, Brian, Robert and Que how was the first morning, waking up without everyone around?

W: At first it was cool because I had just left them and I was home with my family and it was so good to see them and to see their reactions, to hear what they had to say and let it all sink in and get back to reality for a minute. But after that, I gave it a week or two and then I was like ok, lets get back to work!

• P: Where do you find yourself pushing the others to step up? Is it in dance rehearsals or maybe in the studio where you have more experience or do those roles shift at different times?

W: Where ever it can be a help. Sometimes it’s in the studio, due to my experience and sometimes it could be with the dancing. Not that I’m the best dancer in the group but if I step back, I know what it’s supposed to look like. That push comes from every aspect cause we all can fall short sometimes, and being a new group we’re allowed to. We try and push each other along so that we can get through this project and be labeled as one of the number one groups in the world instead of a just a reality show group.

• P: Looking back, did you think Diddy was harder on the guys or the girls?

W: Well, I’ve heard them say that he was harder on the girls. I wasn’t in the girls’ situation and I didn’t really watch the girls show, but I do know how hard he was on us!

• P: Who has improved the most since the first round of auditions?

W: Que. Que has always been an amazing singer, Que’s voice is gifted, I think he’s one of the best singers that I’ve heard, but Que has grown so much because he listens so much. He listens, he learns, he knows he’s a great singer but he doesn’t really know exactly what he could be. He’s just learning and learning and he’s like a sponge so I think he’s by far going to be one of the best R&B singers in the world.

• P: I know that some of the other members have had to deal with rumors and gossip and haters, have you had to deal with that?  

W: We recently did the Wendy Williams show, and that was a wild experience because I didn’t know who Wendy Williams was until I actually got there. So she came in and the first thing she asks me, is am I gay! That kind of shocked me cause I had never, ever heard anything like that before in my life! I took it, I held it in and I answered the question, but it kind of shocked me that people would even start rumors about you in the first place. But I know it comes with the territory. I know that just because I sing, I’m in an R&B group, people will say whatever they want about you and you just gotta know how to take it, so that was definitely a learning experience for me. I’m open now, I got thicker skin now and I’m ready to handle whatever is put on me.

• P: So it’s dealing with how the people around you are responding to the success of the group?

W: Oh yeah, because people expect more out of you once you get into the spotlight. You can be the same to that person as you were before, but with them expecting more from you, they feel like you’ve changed. Back in the days, if you asked me for a dollar, I’d have given it to you, now you ask me for a hundred-thousand dollars and I don’t give it to you and you say I’ve changed. I haven’t changed it’s just I’m not giving you a hundred-thousand dollars!

• P: What personal trials have you had to overcome in order to adapt to your new success?

W: I had to move away from certain neighborhoods because I really try to be low key. I’m home now, I’m away from the guys and sometimes I walk in the house and there will be a lot of people outside so I try to always walk with a hoodie on. I don’t want anybody to know where me or my family are living. If you see me in the street I always say what’s up but at least in this neighborhood I try to be low because I actually live here. (sighs) This grind for me was so long and so deep. Sometimes I was broke, I’d be praying, asking God “Why?” and “Is this for me?”. I want to be clear and tell people that if you believe it in your heart, than you can achieve it. I’m an example of that cause I tried this for a long time. Before you ever saw me on Making the Band, I’ve been trying to be an artist and entertainer/writer so for me to get this opportunity, I’m definitely going to use it to the fullest and let nobody stand in the way of it.