If you’re a lover of R&B music like I am, you were probably a part of the 4 million people crashing Instagram to watch Babyface and Teddy Riley battle. These musical titans went song for song, with Babyface ultimately winning the night.
You see, Babyface didn’t win solely based on music. Yes, he produced songs for some of the best vocalists of our time (Aretha Franklin, Boyz II Men, Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, etc.). And yes, he has the Grammy awards to spare. He even told anecdotes to punctuate his song choices. But Babyface’s greatest strength was coming into the battle prepared.
Babyface was in his studio with his Instagram page pulled up at 8 p.m. EST. His songs were selected, his wifi was set up, he made sure to read the comments, and he checked his sound. Midway through the battle, he pulled out his guitar to perform “When Can I See You Again.”
In contrast, Uncle Teddy showed up late. He needed time to set up and get his sound right. Within 30 minutes of starting, Teddy’s wifi began to slow. Later in the set, his device’s battery began to die and several people came into his studio to assist him. He got up and left the room on several occasions. (We later learned he was trying to locate his keyboard, even though he was IN. A. STUDIO.) He disconnected from the Babyface’s live stream twice, and the second time he was unable to rejoin. Uncle Ted was the textbook definition of unprepared.
You see, Teddy had time to prepare. TIME. The original battle was scheduled for April 10, but Babyface and his family had coronavirus. The rescheduled battle took place on April 18, but Teddy’s audio was nonexistent. Literally, in a room full of audio equipment, a hype man, a computer and instruments, 400,000 people were only able to hear static. Babyface called it a night, and the duel was rescheduled for April 20.
So here we are in the aftermath of the Battle of Babymaking Legends, and there are many lessons to learn. The biggest lesson is to stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. After the April 18 fiasco, DJ DNice saved the night by hosting Club Quarantine and playing hours of Babyface and Teddy Riley’s hits. After Teddy fell off the live feed on April 20, Babyface gave an impromptu acoustic concert of some of his hits from other genres, followed by a Whitney Houston medley of “Count on Me” with Cece Winans and “When You Believe” with Mariah Carey. DNice and Babyface were ready. No matter what happened, they made a way to recover.
I really wish Teddy did the same. Teddy clearly put effort into April 18, only to prove himself unable to pivot when his vision wasn’t actualized. When he and his team couldn’t configure his audio, he blamed Babyface. Team TR read the comments too late, and by time they attempted to improve, they’d lost their audience of 400,000 viewers. On April 20, it was apparent that he’d seen the feedback from the previous evening and scaled back. He was in a studio by himself, with his headphones, sketchy wifi and an inadequately charged device.
Now, let me be clear. Teddy Riley is a supremely talented musician and creator whose range is unparalleled. He played hit after hit, including several songs I never knew were his. He is a legend who has worked with the music industry’s greats (Janet Jackson), and he’s produced legendary tracks (Remember the Time) and influenced an entire era of music (New Jack Swing). But all of these achievements took a backseat to his lack of preparation when it was time for him to showcase his sound to a world of listeners. That night, Teddy’s jam needed some peanut butter and bread. His ill-preparedness didn’t match his talent and the opportunity at hand. Literally, the most memorable commentary about the battle was Teddy experiencing technical difficulties and getting up and walking around to find his keyboard.
Let this faux pas teach us all a few lessons:
- Be ready to rise to the occasion when opportunity comes.
- Talent must match consistency, and our greatest hits must be on par with our preparation — plans B and C have to be as good as Plan A.
- Check your ego at the door. Our desire to do well may exceed our personal capabilities, and when it does, we have to be smart enough to seek help from those who do know how to do what we can’t.
- Sound checks are necessary. Not that you need to be on a stage with lighting and costumes to present your PowerPoint or to defend your thesis, but you should run through your presentation to work out the kinks.
- Lastly, seek feedback. Read the faces of your audience during your performance; read the comments in real-time if you’re able, so that you can make necessary adjustments; and always read the reviews afterward.
Teddy is still great. I just know that he was capable of doing much better than he did. Hopefully, he’ll show us a little razzle dazzle in the future. We have nothing but quarantime, so we’ll be watching.
hesterandeve.com 