180S: You have produced for hip-hop royalty, such as Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, and DJ Whoo-Kid, as well as meriting a gold record for Young Money’s, “We Are Young Money”. What would you say are the differences and similarities in working with independent artists versus those signed to major labels? 

   JG:   The creative processes are similar, aside from more people being involved when working for major labels. An independent record might be written by one or two people, while a major record label often has as many as 10 writers. Additionally, there are other people involved in major record labels, like vocal coaches, managers, A+R’s, CEOs, etc. The studio can get a bit crowded, physically, spiritually, and egotistically. Otherwise, most of the differences occur once the record is complete. There are pros and cons to both. Working for a label comes with a bigger budget for production, music videos, promotion, etc., but with that comes a lot of red tape and often, “too many chefs in the kitchen.” A song submitted to a major label has to be approved by about a dozen people. It makes for quality songs, but it can also stifle the creative process. At the end of the day, it’s the producer’s job to make sure that everybody walks away happy with the product, and it is a huge balancing act. I like both, but my favorite creative environment is still just me and the artist working alone, doing whatever we feel is best. That’s why I started 1WayTKT with my partner, DJ U-Kno.

180S: You also play the keys and the horn. How did you & DJ U-Kno find your sound as a duo? Take us through your general creative process.

   JG:   It’s actually an ongoing process. Sound evolves over time, like fashion, but we always make it a priority to focus on making timeless, quality songs, rather than getting too caught up with fads that fade quickly. We also try to focus our sound around certain skills that make us unique. Like when I play live horns, I also re-sample them to make them more unique. Or when DJ U-Kno beatboxes or emcees over a track. We both have backgrounds in hip-hop, so that plays a huge role. At the moment, we are settling into a smooth, soulful, groovy vibe, but we also enjoy making “in your face,” aggressive club bangers too. We think it’s important not to box ourselves in. As far as a general creative process, every song is a bit different. Sometimes we start with a synth, sometimes drums, sometimes a vocal, sometimes horn, etc. It keeps the process fresh. Plus, it’s hard to predict where the inspiration will come from. I sampled a Clorox bleach commercial the other night.

180S: You have performed with other acts, opening for Talib Kweli, Method Man, Nas, Kid Cudi, and LMFAO. How do you navigate your chemistry with DJ U-Kno on stage and transition back to the studio?

   JG:   Even though 1WayTKT is a new project for us, DJ U-Kno and I have been making music together for a very long time. When we were kids, he was in the first hip-hop group I ever produced. And before that, we were playing together in the school band. When you go back with somebody that far, you learn to communicate without using words on stage. A look here, a glance there, a nod… And we jam a lot. In the studio we maintain a healthy chemistry by communicating effectively and being open to trying new things. Since we both engineer, it is pretty easy for us to discuss specific things that may or may not be working about a particular idea.

180S: How do you promote 1WayTKT to the NYC audience, and what obstacles have you come across while doing so?

   JG:   Building a brand from the ground up is never easy. It’s a slow process, but this is a passion project for us, so we look forward to grinding it out. We recently hired a PR company to take over our online campaign. That can be costly, but when you believe in your product, you just have to roll the dice. We also have a close friend, Christina Larocca, who runs a booking agency in NYC. She has helped us get our feet wet in the live scene. As a DJ act, we constantly have to decide between DJing, in the traditional sense of just playing music, and being booked as an “act” where we perform our own songs and play instruments. We prefer the latter.

180S: You have managed your own career for some time now. When do you think it’s the right time for an artist to seek management?

   JG:   Artists are constantly faced with a decision of whether to spend time on their craft or their business. Eventually, business should be occurring so often and consistently that having someone else manage the business allows the artist to focus more on creating, or producing, or whatever. There is no set benchmark for when this should occur. I think it is at the pace of every artist and how well they are able to run their own business. Some artists are more responsible and business-minded than others. I went to business school, so for me to sign with a management company, they would have to be extremely dialed-in to the types of relationships that would benefit me. I’m not as interested in a day-to-day business manager because I already have that part figured out.

I don’t think management is ever something an artist should seek out. An unknown act has little leverage, so if they rush the process, they will likely get the short end of the stick. Either that or find themselves settling for someone who is inexperienced and brings little to the table. It is great finding someone that will build with an act from the ground up, but those people are not always the right people for the job. The bottom line is, in today’s market, margins are slim, so it is increasingly important to be as self-sufficient as possible for as long as possible.

180S: Besides producing and performing, you’ve been making quite a name for yourself as a mix engineer. What makes a song tedious to mix?

   JG:   It’s all about the production, more specifically, arrangement and sound selection. If a song is well put together, it tends to be a smooth process. I’m not saying it needs to be perfect, but I can definitely tell when an artist/producer put adequate work into a song. Arrangement can describe whether a song is minimalistic and stripped down or very layered and overproduced. And I know this might seem counterintuitive, but even a stripped down song, with only a few parts, can be difficult to mix if those few parts aren’t carefully chosen, which brings us to sound selection. Seasoned producers choose sounds from the start that fill the sonic spectrum properly. When a song is arranged with this in mind, the mix usually comes together with ease. That’s the main reason I avoid mixing records that I don’t produce.

180S: Are there certain brands or types of equipment that you are partial to?

   JG:   Yes, definitely. I love Fab-Filter, Soundtoys, and Waves plug-ins. I like my Yamaha speakers, but more important than the speaker brand is having various types of speakers to quickly reference through. I have six pairs of speakers in my studio. That really helps me understand my room. I also love my Apogee Duet interface. And Apple products of course, like most people.

180S: What can we look forward to seeing from 1WayTKT & J. Glaze in the near future?

   JG:   I’ve got a couple projects coming out that I’m really looking forward to. I produced an entire album of remixes dropping with Pittsburgh rapper Kellee Maize. I also have a few records in the pipeline with European TV star Celeste Buckingham. I scored a movie directed by the legendary Frank Henelotter that is slated to be released this winter. And I have more 1WayTKT bangers on deck than I know what to do with. It’s going to be busy the next couple months.

180S: Where can our community connect with you and find your music?

   JG:   They can connect with me and find my music at www.jglazeproductions.com and www.1waytkt.com.

J. Glaze can also be found on Twitter at @jglaze84

1WayTKT can be found on Facebook & Twitter at @1WayTKT 

180S:  First of all, congratulations on your achievement of being recognized as an ambassador and cultural diplomat for your home country of St. Vincent. It is such a beautiful island; what is your favorite place to visit in St. Vincent & The Grenadines? 

   KL:  My favorite place to visit is the Young Island Resort where I have enjoyed spending many of my visits back home. It’s a beautiful island resort that’s located a little more than a quarter of a mile off the shores of St. Vincent. To access the island, you would take a small ferry that adds to the feel of exclusivity and escape — not to mention the beautiful beaches, great staff, and fine dining available to all its guests.

180S:  The Caribbean music industry is very unique when compared to other parts of the world. What are some aspects of the Caribbean music scene that you love, and ones that could use some help?

   KL:  I love the fact that it’s not as hard as it is in the rest of the world to get yourself seen and heard in the Caribbean entertainment industry. However, what I don’t like is the fact that the Caribbean entertainers are very selfish when it comes to pushing each other! This has contributed to the inconsistencies that have been plaguing the industry for a long time. For example, there’s a lack of new artists topping the reggae charts on iTunes. Also, there is a lack of respect from professionals in mainstream music markets…I can go on and on.

180S:  Your voice is very unique. How were you able to keep your voice true to you throughout your experience with a major record label?

   KL:  Well, first of all, thanks for the compliment because I really worked at creating a different sound that no one else can imitate. As far as keeping my voice true, it was very difficult not to because the sound of it is so unique that you either hate it or you absolutely love it. But what I realized a long time ago was that letting my voice sound the way it does naturally worked better for me when singing live and when it came to making my brand stand out.

180S:  Where were you and what was your reaction when you first found out ‘Turn Me On’ went #1?

   KL:  I’m not exactly sure where I was because it was #1 many times in a very short period, in numerous countries, and on different charts. But for the key ones…like, at home in St. Vincent, I think, was the most memorable for me because I had worked most of my teenage life in music and entertainment in St. Vincent trying to get recognition. And when the floodgates opened, the song was playing on every radio station with unbelievable consistency that had me in awe for a long time because it just happened so fast. After that, everything else was a blur!

180S:  What is your songwriting process like? Do you have any rituals before entering the studio?

   KL:  Well, I don’t have any rituals per se because I’m normally rehearsing everyday at random times just exercising my voice or coming with some new songs or melodies. I try to keep my creative processes very brainless and more reflex- and vibe-driven.

180S:  What is some advice you can offer young professionals entering the music industry?

   KL:  The advice I can offer is for them to look at the music business as having the same level of complexities as running any other business as an entrepreneur. It is not as regulated as other industries, hence it’s a lot more cutthroat, and some of the biggest mistakes that have been made by most artists come from the fact that they underestimate how much work there is behind the scenes in order to have a successful career in entertainment.

180S:  What moved you to start Tarakon Records? What can we expect from Tarakon in the future?

   KL:  Tarakon Records was started by me and my manager, Dr. Jacqueline James Lyttle, to be the facilitator of all my music releases when I left Atlantic Records in 2006. It has grown consistently since then to the point where we are now a force to be reckoned with in Caribbean music.

180S:  Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Do you have any last words for our readers?

   KL:  Check out my latest single “Feel So Good” featuring Shaggy!

You can find Kevin Lyttle on his website, Facebook, Twitter at @KevinLyttle and Instagram at @KevinLyttle.

180S:   Tell us a little bit about your background and how your vision for The Huffington Post came to you. 

AH:   Here’s an abridged version of my background: My mother was amazingly committed to making sure my sister, Agapi, and I had the best childhoods possible. She did everything to make sure I was educated. We were living in a one-room apartment in Athens, but when I happened to see a photo of Cambridge University in a magazine, and for some reason felt that I wanted to go there, everybody laughed at me — except my mother. And she helped me make it happen!

The vision for The Huffington Post is closely connected to my Greek heritage and my mother’s influence. Bringing together people from different parts of my life and facilitating interesting conversations has always been part of my Greek DNA. From the beginning, the whole point was to take the sort of conversations found at water coolers and around dinner tables — about politics and art and books and food and sex — and open them up and bring them online.

180S: You’ve spoken about how your mother has inspired you. In what ways has your Father provided inspiration for you?

AH:  My father was a journalist and I grew up on the romance of the profession. He was always reading, and I inherited his love of books. For that I’m grateful.

180S: What are some of the practices The Huffington Post implements in the workplace to encourage a health-first approach for employees?

AH:  At The Huffington Post, since the news never stops, and there is the temptation for editors, reporters, and engineers to try to match the twenty-four-hour news cycle, we do a lot to prevent burnout. First, we make it very clear that no one is expected to check work email and respond after hours or over the weekend (unless, of course, these are their working hours). Everyone has at least three weeks of vacation time, which they are highly encouraged to take. And I have implored HuffPosters— without much success, I must admit— to eat lunch away from their desks. We also have two nap rooms in our newsroom, which are now full most of the time, even though they were met with skepticism and reluctance when we installed them in the spring of 2011. Many were afraid their colleagues might think they were shirking their duties by taking a nap. We’ve made it very clear, however, that walking around drained and exhausted is what should be looked down on— not taking a break to rest and recharge. In our New York offices we host meditation, breathing, and yoga classes throughout the week, while our new D.C. offices have dedicated meditation, yoga, and nap rooms. And the benefits of standing and walking as opposed to sitting all day long led us to provide a standing desk to anyone who requests it. We also have a gym and take part in the Virgin Pulse wellness program, where employees can earn up to $500 a year by engaging in healthy practices. And to facilitate such healthy practices, we have refrigerators stocked with healthy snacks, including yogurt, hummus, fruit, and baby carrots.

180S: You advocate healthy sleeping habits and taking care of your health first, but do you think The Huffington Post would have been successful if you would have started out with this same approach to sleep?

AH:  Yes, and I wish I had known much sooner that not only is there no tradeoff between living a well-rounded life and high performance, performance is actually improved when our lives include time for renewal, wisdom, wonder, giving– and sleep! When you’re on an airplane, you’re told to “secure your own mask first before helping others,” even your own child. After all, it’s not easy to help somebody else breathe easier if you’re fighting for air yourself. I’m convinced that if I had started out with this approach to sleep, HuffPost would be just as much of a success. And most of HuffPost’s successes have been over the past seven years, after my painful wakeup call.

180S: Did you feel a shift in your professional circle when you started to take your health seriously? If so, how did you deal with it and how did you feel about the reactions you got?

AH:  I’ve only ever felt support and encouragement. Meditation, yoga, mindfulness, napping, and deep breathing once upon a time might have been thought of as New Age-y and part of a counterculture. But in the past few years, we’ve reached a tipping point as more and more people realize that stress-reduction and mindfulness aren’t only about harmonic convergence and universal love— they’re also about increased well-being and better performance.

180S: What are some tips to maintain awareness of our health gauge?

AH:  I wanted Thrive to be as practical as possible, and I included many daily practices, tools, and techniques that are easy to incorporate into our lives and help us to increase our awareness. Here are three simple steps each one of us can take that can have dramatic effects on our well-being:

1. Unless you are one of the wise few who already gets all the rest you need, you have an opportunity to immediately improve your health, creativity, productivity, and sense of well-being. Start by getting just thirty minutes more sleep than you are getting now. The easiest way is to go to bed earlier, but you could also take a short nap during the day— or a combination of both.

2. Have a specific time at night when you regularly turn off your devices— and gently escort them out of your bedroom. Disconnecting from the digital world will help you reconnect to your wisdom, intuition, and creativity. And when you wake up in the morning, don’t start your day by looking at your smartphone. Take one minute— trust me, you do have one minute— to breathe deeply, or be grateful, or set your intention for the day.

3. Introduce five minutes of meditation into your day. Eventually, you can build up to fifteen or twenty minutes a day (or more), but even just a few minutes will open the door to creating a new habit— and all the many proven benefits it brings.

180S: What are some details you have observed about businesses that are revolutionizing practices because of all this research on sleep?

AH:  We’re living through an incredible time, when modern science is validating a lot of ancient wisdom – and this includes the ways businesses are embracing the many benefits of sleep. More and more companies are rejecting the stubborn – and dangerously wrongheaded – myth that there is a trade-off between high performance at work and taking care of ourselves. When it comes to sleep, we’re nearing a tipping point in our workplace culture where working till all hours and walking around like zombies is stigmatized instead of lauded.

180S: When we get closer and closer to our dreams, we naturally accelerate our pace and zoom past our own needs. What are some words of advice for those who find it hard to slow down?

AH:  My words of advice are what I tell myself: life is too amazing and mysterious to shrink it down to our to-do lists and careers, however magnificent they may be. My mother was a towering example of the joys of slowing down. She moved through her days like a child does, living in the present, stopping, literally, to smell the roses. A trip through the farmers’ market might be an all-day affair with little thought of All the Things That Must Be Done. I still often think of the advice she’d give my sister and me when we were faced with a hard decision: “Darling, let it marinate.” In other words, give yourself the time to think about and live with the consequences of the decision. She believed that rushing through life was a sure way to miss the gifts that come only when you give 100 percent of yourself to a task, a conversation, a dinner, a relationship, a moment.

180S: How can our community get in touch with you?

   AH:  I would love to invite your community to email me at arianna@huffingtonpost.com and write about the ways they’re redefining success and thriving in their own lives.

Arianna Huffington can be found at The Huffington Post and on social media: Twitter at @ariannahuff, Instagram at @ariannahuff & Facebook.