Review Fix Exclusive: Kenny Black Talks ‘Good Ole Love’

By Patrick Hickey Jr.

Review Fix chats with producer Kenny Black, who discusses his collaboration with Stephen Wrench and Shimmer Johnson and more.

Review Fix: How’d this project start for ya’?

Kenny Black: It all started with a conversation, something as simple as talking. One day Stephen and I were on the phone, and I said, “Hey man, we NEED to do a record.” Stephen replied, “Sure, that would be a great idea.” That very evening I created a track with a simple hook. It started with me humming along to the track, and then I called my writing partner Shakira Jones and told her I needed lyrics while simultaneously emailing the track to her. She loved the song and wrote the verse and a line in the chorus in 10 or 15 minutes. And, as they say, the rest is history.

Review Fix: What was it like to work for Stephen and Shimmer? 

Black: Collaborating with Stephen and Shimmer was an extraordinary experience. Stephen and I bounced ideas and interchanged parts of the song for a few months. Shimer was added toward the end of the song’s journey, but her contribution was organic as if she’d been there from the start. I am beyond pleased with our final creation. 

Review Fix: What do you think is special about this track?

Black: This song is amazing because of the people that created it. Secondly, the message of ‘love’ is necessary to combat the hate we encounter in the world nowadays. 

Review Fix: How do you think you left your mark on it? 

Black: I bring a smooth gospel- r&b sound to the song, and it perfectly contrasts Stephen’s laid-back soulful vibe and the edgy jazzy tone that Shimmer brings. 

Review Fix: Who do you think will enjoy it most? 

Black: This song is for anyone who wants a feel-good moment. I can’t think of anyone that’s turning down good vibes- can you? Long story short, this song is for everyone and all of their friends (lol). 

Review Fix: What’s next?

Black: I’m ready for the next collab with Stephen and Shimmer. I’m always ready for good music!

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Black: It feels great to have such an awesome record. This past year I’ve been blessed with fourteen #1 records on the R&B Soul Effect tv charts with an artist by the name of Ny’a. Despite a pandemic, musically, it’s been a good year. I believe this song is going to be another hit. 

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14320 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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