Quincy is a man of many talents, from acting to singing to modeling to everything in between. Boasting 4.6 million followers on Instagram alone, Quincy, real name Quincy Brown, is best known for his co-starring role in the television series “Star” on Fox and his lead role in the 2015 film Brotherly Love.
As the biological son of legendary producer Al B. Sure! and the late Kim Porter, and Diddy as his stepfather, Quincy was destined for greatness before he was born. But now, the New York native is excited as ever to be shifting his focus to the music full-heartedly.
Most recently, Quincy unveiled his highly-anticipated new project title Q Side B Side, boasting six tracks that showcase Quincy as a recording artist and his two sides as a Gemini. Years in the making, the EP was created with superproducer Harmony Samuels, who has worked with everyone from Ariana Grande and Chris Brown to Mary J. Blige.
And while he’s still an independent artist, he started his label, Frequincy, hoping to sign his own artists eventually.
On the 38th episode of Shirley’s Temple, filmed at the ENCORE studios, Quincy discusses his new project Q Side B Side, the independent grind, getting Usher to do a drop, working with Beyonce, filming ‘Star’, 50 Cent calling him for Power, Diddy not giving him the sauce, love for baseball, and more!
AllHipHop: You just dropped your album, Q Side B Side. Or is it an EP?
Quincy: EP/album. Look, whatever we want to call it. At the end of the day, it’s music. We should chop all those titles off and just say “dropped new music.” Music is going to define it, not the EP or the album or the snippet. I’m more excited than ever because this is the first time I’m really channeling in my artistry. I’m not just throwing out music randomly anymore. I’m about to really put on my seatbelt and get in artist gear, artist mode fasho.
AllHipHop: Is it because you were acting before? Was that taking a lot of your time?
Quincy: No, it’s because the system is f##### up. I don’t like how it goes down. Not all labels, but a lot of these situations: if you’re not already poppin’ somehow, some way, then a lot of it doesn’t work out in your favor until later on. So I’m trying to protect my babies. I’m in no rush. I feel like now’s a better time than ever. The space we’re in, even with technology, everybody’s making it a little more comfortable for the independent artists. They’re making it a little more open arms instead of “nah, y’all can’t do this.” Because before, it seemed a little locked up.
AllHipHop: I had Calboy on Shirley’s Temple, he surprise dropped the project and his label took it down.
Quincy: That’s the stuff I’m talking about! Creative control of the artist should be where they do most of their digging. Yeah they got internal ideas, but also factor in the artist too. Let them drop a surprise project, why not?
AllHipHop: That should be something good. What’s wrong with it?
Quincy: I saw TikTok yesterday, I think it was Halsey. She said something about her label too. She said, “I’m trying to drop my album. I’m trying to drop my singles, but they want me to go viral on TikTok first or they won’t let me drop nothing.” It’s coming from her, I’m like “oh whoa.” I don’t get it, but I get it. It ain’t for me all the way. [laughs]
AllHipHop: How is independent grind though? You probably invest a lot of your own time, money, all that.
Quincy: It’s tough, no lie. I literally make money to put it right back into the craft of what I’m doing. I’ve done some investments with my money, as I should as an adult. But also too, I invest over 50% of my money back into myself, to service as my own label. Shout to Frequincy baby. Look, I got it tatted. [shows inner lower lip]
AllHipHop: That’s your own label?
Quincy: Yeah, that’s the umbrella. That’s the label. That’s the movement. That’s the planet. I actually say the word “frequency” a lot. People you meet, if they’re on a certain frequency, you just get it.
I don’t even gotta say it. That’s exactly what I’ve been on my whole life. The fact that it has my name in it, I went ahead and wrapped all that up. But through my name, that’s what my company is. That’s what the label is, that’s the organization. That’s the inc., all that.
AllHipHop: Are you going to have more artists?
Quincy: Definitely. Step by step, a lot of artists sometimes want to do the “let me sign an artist” before they got their infrastructure situated, then it don’t pan out the way they wish. I won’t want to bring somebody under my wing that I can’t fully, fully give my time to, and really what I see for them. But I got my eyes on them, I’m ready. I just got to get my feet wet still, before I fully take on the artists and do all that.
AllHipHop: Definitely talk about your project. It’s been what, years in the making?
Quincy: Technically. If you want to talk about one of the records on there, 4 or 5 years old in the making. “Another Day Another Lesson.” I went back, added guitars, changed some vocals up here and there. It may just sound like a little sample, but shout out to Usher. I sent him the record. One of the bars I got in the song, I say “here’s my shirt because that’s what you look best in. Let me make love while I play ‘Confessions’.”
Right in that little second before the beat drop again, I said “Yo unc, I need a ‘yeah man’ [Usher voice].” I said “can I get a ‘yeah man’ original? I can rip it from YouTube, but I don’t want to do that.” [laughs] He literally wrote “yeah man,” then he sent it. He sent a few takes. The fact that he sent a few takes was some real love. He didn’t send one, he sent a few. He was like “yeah man. Yeahhhh man. Yeah man!” I’m like ah that’s the one! Shout out to unc, appreciate you.
AllHipHop: Just on some R&B s###, you going to ask for that feature?
Quincy: Absolutely, that’s coming next. First I have to say “hey, I’m here.” Then I’m about to go and of course, go down history lane. I grew up with everybody’s uncle, everybody’s auntie. But at the end of the day, I want to be able to create with them as well. So that’s definitely coming soon.
AllHipHop: What females inspired these songs?
Quincy: Females I listen to. I’m heavy on the ladies. Female artists really really touch ground, that’s untouched. They work harder because they know it’s tougher as a female, as an artist. I got my favorites that I’ll be definitely channeling listening to and getting inspiration from. Not just getting inspiration from Drake, because of course, those are givens.
AllHipHop: What is your #1 characteristic as a Gemini?
Quincy: I feel like it’s a selfishness that we put out, but it’s not selfish. It’s really embodying truly who we are and not letting anything get in the way of that. That comes across too real for somebody, so it’s toxic for some other people. I wouldn’t say it’s a toxic trait. Ain’t no toxicity is over here. That’s per person, I don’t think it’s per sign.
AllHipHop: Do you have a type?
Quincy: No type. I figured that out over Covid.
AllHipHop: What happened during Covid?
Quincy: I cut everybody off and only let real ones in. No cap. When Covid hit, it was like “The Hunger Games.” It really was. People show their ass. People really was showing their true colors. A lot of people that I was maybe around in my circle or involved with, boof. But in a way where I was like wow, this is just bringing out the realness in everybody who I actually should be around. Instead of who you think you should be around, because then you got a little tolerance just because you want to be around them. Eh I don’t f### with you, but I like being around you. But no, no more of that.
AllHipHop: You mentioned guitar earlier. You’re still learning right?
Quincy: Listen, I’m learning in a way where I should be punished. Because I’m not learning consistently, I’m only learning when I want to learn. I’m not going to blame my guitarist, but I’m putting him in a position to make sure I stay at it. I gotta officially hire him as my trainer/instructor, actually be on a schedule. Because anytime I’m in the studio, of course I’m picking it up. Just f###### around. But at the end of the day, I want to actually learn and pick that thing up in one of these performances one day. No cap.
AllHipHop: And have it in your own music.
Quincy: Yeah, that’s my favorite instrument to hear over music. I love a guitar contribution. Acoustic, electric, however they freak it.
And when you play shows, you could play the guitar while you’re singing.
That’s what I’m saying. That’s a secret weapon. I pull that out the pocket, they gon’ freak. [laughs]
AllHipHop: How’d it feel doing the Ivy Park campaign?
Quincy: I was excited. I was jumping up because you know how she’s hand-selecting everybody? This isn’t a casting call, this is very much curated by Bey herself. That feeling had me going crazy.
Her being on set, obviously, energy was the most epic time. Shout out to Beyonce and the Ivy Park campaign, I’m ready to do another one. [laughs]
AllHipHop: Is modeling just effortless?
Quincy: I mean, it’s practice for everything else I do. That’s why people sometimes ask how I do it, it’s more so you just do it. You don’t give a f### about how you look. Because at the end of the day, these brands and the photographer, it’s up to them to get it. And if you’re not giving nothing, make them work too.
AllHipHop: A huge part of this show is mental health. How are you doing?
Quincy: Stressed the f### out. Are you kidding me? Nah but it’s on a decline though, just because it’s a release. It’s a relief, literally. The release was a relief. As an independent, you literally do everything with your core team. My team ain’t bigger than this many [holds up 4 fingers]. We be working every day, all day. Usually the label got the departments and the person to do this and do that and do that, where sometimes they be getting paid way too much money to do nothing.
If that was reverted somehow into us being able to make money for all the extra things that we do, that should be a thing. There should be a fund. It needs to be a fund created for the people who wear other people’s hats, just when we need to. Not because we want to, because we actually need to. That’s being able to do this, that and a third. Not relying on no one else to do it, but that teaches you a lot at the same time too.
AllHipHop: You were signed to Bad Boy right?
Quincy: Yes and no. There was never no official… I never put nothing out under Bad Boy. Right when that Bad Boy moment was happening, when it was my brother, me, and everybody, I was filming “Star.” I wasn’t able to take anything through that.
AllHipHop: What was the greatest memory from filming “Star?”
Quincy: Just the whole set. It’s almost like it was a whole new life, because it was effortless. It didn’t feel like work. Simply, we was having fun every day. We got to know each other through our characters for 3 years. There were no 2, 3, 5 months on set. It was 2, 3 years filming, then off set obviously. We didn’t have the type of work where we showed up to work and we left work, and we didn’t see each other until we went back to work. We was leaving set, going to go bowl. Leaving set, going to dinners. Leaving set, hanging out. So it was a real effortless vibe. And the many sets that I’ve been on after, it’s tough to match. Shout out to Lee, he constructed that cast. So we’ll blame Lee for the great time. [laughs]
AllHipHop: Talk about being in the new “Power Book III: Raising Kanan.”
Quincy: That was a moment. I got to be an adult in the year I was born, so it was a mind f### for me.
AllHipHop: How did that happen? Shout out 50 Cent.
Quincy: It was me grinding, auditions and getting told no. Going on another audition, getting told no, then getting the call saying, “hey, I want you to come in for this.” Getting told no. Next thing you know, “oh, I’m in for this.” Got a call back, then wait a minute. 2 months passed, I thought I didn’t get it. Then I got a call from Fif.
AllHipHop: Damn, the direct call?!
Quincy: The direct call. That’s scary because it’s not like he lets you know he’s calling. He finds your number, somehow someway.
AllHipHop: You didn’t even know it was him?
Quincy: Well I did, because I got a random text like, “Yo, 50 trying to talk to you.” I say that like it was a voice note, but that’s how I read the text. [laughs] I didn’t have his number, I was like, “who?” He’s like “50, this ‘Star,'” I’m like “Shoot him my number.” A minute later, he called. [snaps] So I guess from the moment he needed my number to the moment it happens, it’s pretty fast. Record time, probably 5 minutes from the moment he needed my number. Somebody knew how to get to me, texted me.
AllHipHop: One thing you want fans to get from Q Side B Side?
Quincy: I want to open up that lane for timeless music to be the norm. It has to be a lot of us. When I say a lot of us, I mean us who are really trying to bring the music back. The music, not just some s### to bop or make some content to. I want them to digest it for real, take your time with it. It’s 21 minutes, 42 seconds. That’s how I exported it. It may not say that on the platform, but it was exported at 21 minutes 42 seconds.
AllHipHop: How much does it say on the platform?
Quincy: They round my s###. [laughs] 22 minutes. At the end of the day, stuff I put out before, yes it was a song and whatnot. This is a body work, so it is a different approach to listening. I’m not saying don’t skip, listen to it all. Just listen to the whole thing. However you want to listen to the order, it’s up to you. Obviously, you have the right of way to do — you can flip that. I’m not going to tell you to do something that you can easily not do, but it’s real music. And it’s the start of it. I had 10 that I was originally trying to put on the project.
AllHipHop: I respect that you chose 6, because our attention span nowadays…
Quincy: Yeah, and then I’m not trying to overdo it. Because I got so much to offer, so much music. I want to create a journey within this now. I feel like I treated it a little sloppy, not going to lie. Because I was putting out a song when I felt like it. One, I was proud because I thought “I ain’t gotta listen to a label. I can put a song out on a Wednesday. F### this Friday rule.” [laughs] I literally want to do stuff like that. “It’s my birthday, people are going to be on my page. F### it, let’s put out a song.”
It just wasn’t fully, fully thought like an artist. I still wanted to get my music out as an artist, but just because I really didn’t have a situation or a label, I said look, let me just do it at my pace. Who gravitates to it is up to the people, but I’m not going to force it. I’m a put it out. If you find it, discover it, you do. If you don’t, you’ll catch up later. You’ll still be there right? I paid my dues.
AllHipHop: Did you play Diddy the project before you decided the songs?
Quincy: Not all of it. I couldn’t, because I be trying to get all the sauce from him sometimes, and he don’t let me be hearing everything. The new project I’ve heard, but in the past, he’d be holding out stuff with us. Just like he does with the public because he wants us to be just as surprised. He feels like we gon’ tell somebody or something, I don’t know. But he definitely heard a few, so he knew what was coming.When he heard the rest, he definitely hit me up like “yoooo.” [Diddy voice]
AllHipHop: I was going to ask if you knew about his Love label.
Quincy: Once again, I mean we knew about it. We didn’t know it was about to be boom, boom, official. Billboard bow! Officially launched, but we knew it was coming. Of course, we’re behind-the-scenes. We know a lot, but we don’t know everything because it’s for sure it’s something he’s taking serious. It’s a tight ship over there. I’m doing my own thing. Sometimes I get all the info a little late, all good. They’re working over there. They got some s###!
AllHipHop: What would life have been like if you were playing baseball? If you were an athlete?
Quincy: I would’ve been in the MLB on the Yankees. Simply.
AllHipHop: Is that your favorite team?
Quincy: Yup, favorite team. I still got these weird dreams that I’m a still go to the MLB, which I will to some capacity. You never know, may work for him.
AllHipHop: Hey, J. Cole’s out here professional hooping.
Quincy: That’s what I’m saying. Or I might start like a league. That’s what I might do. Call it a little MLB, but it’s just for passionate baseball players and it’s recreational. I’m not trying to start an official league, maybe go to the MLB after. I don’t know how that works. Baseball is my life still, my first love.
