The STUber Podcast
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The STUber Podcast
S1 | EP7: Barely Love
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Join us as we chat with Rosetta, a talented singer, about her creative journey, and her unique sound. We explore how her music connects with listeners on a deep, soulful level.
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Musical and Lifestyle Journey With Rosetta
Speaker 1And God , I see , and now I'm free and there will never be another me . Best believe . You know you're done having your fun with me . Never thought I'd see the day you would run game with me and this pain and swallow . It will be the death of me . You don't know what love is . You never did . You never know what love is , Cause you too sick . I showed you that good love but you lane switched . Yes , yes , yes .
Speaker 2Thanks for stopping by episode seven of the Stuber podcast , and we are just listening to the sultry musical stylings of Mrs Rosetta . How are you doing , rosetta ?
Speaker 3I'm so good , I'm so happy to be here .
Speaker 2Oh , we are happy to have you today . I want to first say that actually you're my first musical talent on the show , so thank you for .
Speaker 3I peeped that Everybody go listen to the podcast . It's amazing . I'm so happy to be here .
Speaker 2Yes , Nice and that actually , that honor shouldn't be taken lightly , because it wasn't just random that I asked you to be on the show . It was because your music , uh , your voice and and your choice of uh beats with it and everything . I was like she has the it factor , she has uh the lyrics to go with it along with the beat .
Speaker 2So , um , I had to approach you and ask if you would be willing to be on the podcast . So we're gonna definitely uh explore some more of your , your , your songs . Um , but quickly just want to introduce you to our , our audience . Uh , rosetta , you hail from new york , representing nyc yeah bow , bow , bow .
Speaker 3Yeah , east coast in a house okay , okay .
Speaker 2So when I go to New York , I need to go bow , bow Okay .
Speaker 3I don't know about that . Um , you know , you know , just uh , you know what's up , how y'all feeling . Okay , I like that , all right . So , uh , she's got a solid head on her shoulders . Graduated from St John's yeah , St John's university , Jamaica .
Speaker 2Queens Okay .
Speaker 3All the SJU alumni Make a queen .
Speaker 2Okay , shout out all the SJU alumni . Yeah Well , tell me about .
Speaker 3SJU . Yeah , so St John's is in Queens . I graduated there with a BS in healthcare and a minor in psychology . That's my second passion . You know , music is my first but , I love to help people .
Speaker 3I work with children currently in lifestyle medicine , so it's really important to me . I think preventative care and healthcare is super important . It's what we need Healthcare workers . You know they don't get paid enough , but they're here not because of the money but because you know they actually care about people , so I love that . St John's was a good experience . New York City is a different place in the Bay Um , but I you know I enjoyed the experience . It was nice .
Speaker 2Yeah , yeah , we're going to talk about , uh , your transition from NYC , the big apple , to here , uh , cali , uh , so it looks like you're um a vegan right .
Speaker 3I am a vegan . Yes , I'm a vegan . Shout out all the vegans .
Speaker 2Right . Um , that's a tough a tough thing to do is is maintain a vegan . Yes , I'm a vegan .
Speaker 3Shout out all the vegans Right . That's a tough , a tough thing to do is maintain a vegan lifestyle . Yeah , so it's been rocky for me for the last couple of years . My job is a non-for-profit focused on lifestyle medicine , so we focus on whole food , plant-based eating , a little bit more strict than vegan , to like no processed food , no oil , things like that . But I really believe in the work and I've been working for them for about three years and they really have taught me just the importance that food is medicine and it really is . And you know , obviously you could still be vegan and be unhealthy and , you know , have cookies and treats and stuff , but it's still a little bit better than you know . A lot of like the meat and the dairy , I think sometimes , like we adapt , like the hormones of other animals and stuff .
Speaker 2Right .
Speaker 3And I'm a big animal lover . My whole thing is like , you know , if you wouldn't go out and slaughter it yourself , then maybe you shouldn't be eating it . But no judgment , you know , I'm I'm a black woman . I grew up , you know , in the African-American standard American diet food you know , fried chicken , mac and cheese all the things are so great .
Speaker 3So I , I , I love it , and I'm not going to say that I don't crave it sometimes , but , um , I just believe in the lifestyle and I think for me , once you're aware , it's kind of hard to not make better decisions . But , like I said , it's a process .
Speaker 2Yeah , no , I tried it for a good six months and I just found that the options weren't keeping me satisfied . I kind of just digressed . It's hard , and then that was a while ago . Then recently I tried it again . I started following this guy on Instagram and he really kind of he goes at it in a very fun , uh , joking way , Like you know . He just kind of criticizes the choices that we make , but he makes it seem funny . Um , but he's got us really on eating watermelon and natural sources of , of , of , of hydrating oneself .
Speaker 3Exactly .
Speaker 2So that's helped a lot .
Speaker 3And I don't think that people are aware that there is a lot of protein in , like you know , plants and like vegetables and fruits and things like that . We think we have to get all our protein from meat , but we don't .
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 3And it's just about being creative , because I felt the same way , transitioning , like what am I going to eat ? Like I don't really know , but I , I'm trying to get creative , but I , I'm trying to get creative , I'm trying to come out with some content of , like vegan meals , because I think sometimes it's nice to see what people can come up with .
Speaker 3Yeah , yeah , yeah Cool , so you eating out or you do a combination of kind of there's some spots , you cook a lot , I cook a lot Since I moved to Oakland . Shout out to Vegan Mob and they're amazing . I know they're moving back to SF like they're opening a spot over there , but they've been great as in like eating out Um , solely vegan is really great out here in Oakland . I'm still looking for places , but I would say that California in general has a more variety than the East coast .
Speaker 2Really .
Speaker 3Absolutely .
Speaker 2Oh nice .
Speaker 3Absolutely yeah .
Speaker 2Well , that's a little bit about Rosetta and how she her lifestyle , but we really want to dig into your musical journey and let's start with your beginnings in New York . Right , you came up in the early days in New York , so what was it like growing up there in New York ? Right , you came up in the early days in New York , so what was it like growing up there in New York ?
Speaker 3What was it like growing up in New York ? Yeah , okay , what was the ?
Speaker 2New York accent .
Speaker 3I know everybody says that .
Speaker 2I hear a little bit of it .
Speaker 3It's a little bit , but I don't know . Like I feel like I really I've only been here for like a year and a half . Y'all , so y'all are ripping off on me in the Bay . Real , real well , I think I have more like sayings that I say more than the accent .
Speaker 2Gotcha .
Speaker 3But yeah , I grew up in New York . I actually grew up upstate . So my family , my parents , are like from Long Island , Queens area . I was born in Long Island but we moved to Rochester , so that's where I'm from . Shout out the Rock , the ROC 585 . That's my city . That's close to Buffalo , if y'all don't know Some people might not know the Buffalo Bills , but yes , I grew up in Rochester and it was kind of like you know the suburbs and stuff
Musical Journey and Inspiration
Speaker 3. I was a big theater kid . Nice Shout out to the theater kids .
Speaker 3I was a big theater kid . I Shout out to the theater kids . I was a big theater kid . I was in an acapella group in high school and I was like a student director , all these things . I used to be into sports but I kind of dropped that . I was like , oh , I'm so sad . I'm like I love music . And then I moved back to the city . When I went to college is when I went to St John's and that was like a big experience for me because going from being a theater kid to kind of like living in a big city that never sleeps and that's full of opportunity , it kind of forced me to like figure out what my artistry was .
Speaker 3I think a lot of times like I consider myself an R&B , neo-soul artist , no-transcript sing , and I'm into theater . But what is my artistry look like ? So shout out to the city because I think I learned a lot about who I am as an artist and who I want to be there . But shout out to the Bay because I feel like there's a sense of community and camaraderie and like just love out here . That's different than in the city . I feel like in the city , just in general , like people are just , you know , mean and rude and working all the time and it's a filled city with lots of people . Everybody's kind of doing their own thing and I really just appreciate the sense of like , love and community here . I feel so loved in the Bay .
Speaker 3I feel like people really appreciate my art . People are not looking to , like you know , um put you down because you're not doing something , but like more like appreciating who you are as an artist . So I love it here yeah , really love it here .
Speaker 2Yeah , so do you see yourself settling down here in the bay , or that's a good question ?
Speaker 3yeah , um , when I moved here I was trying to get out . I'm not gonna lie to y'all . I lived in the ? Um Tenderloin and it was rough for me living in SF . But now living in Oakland and finding my way , I would say it's a possibility . I'm still a New York girl . I still love the East Coast . There's something about the energy that the East Coast brings that the Bay doesn't , but I think there's a lot of things out here in the Bay that I really appreciate , that I could see long term for myself . I think it's a stay tuned type of thing gotcha yeah just kind of follow one's heart .
Speaker 2So what ? What again prompted the move from NY to here ?
Speaker 3y'all , it's a story oh yeah um .
Speaker 2I think off here you mentioned , yeah , okay long story short .
Speaker 3I moved here for love it . It was definitely for love . It was for music too . Yeah , because I think the Bay in California in general everybody looks at California like another state that you can make it in and things like that opportunity .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 3So it was a win-win . But I definitely moved here for love . The love didn't work out , but I will say , you know I'm a big believer in everything happens for a reason Sometimes . You know I'm a big believer in everything happens for a reason . Sometimes you know you need certain things to push you at your comfort zone for other things to emerge . So I'm happy to be here . I stayed because the music thing has been working out for me and because everybody out here has shown me so much love and appreciation and opportunity . So I'm not sad I could have gone back home after that situation didn't work out , but I'm happy to be here and I'm I'm happy for that situation because it brought me here .
Speaker 3Yeah , so it's cool .
Speaker 2That's a big change .
Speaker 3A huge change . I don't really have family here . I actually met a second cousin here .
Speaker 2Okay .
Speaker 3Yeah , we never grew up together , so that's cool . You know I , when you move to a place without people and then you only have one person that you kind of know and then that doesn't work out . You're kind of like in this weird limbo place . But I feel like I'm finally getting my footing . You know , I don't like say my age , but I'm 26, . You know , your twenties are hard .
Speaker 2I know they're very they're very hard .
Speaker 3Um , my advice everybody just keep pushing through you know your twenties are hard . I know they're very , they're very hard . Um , my advice everybody just keep pushing through . You know there's good and bad days and you know getting over the hump is hard , but I'm happy , like I feel like it's a process of life .
Speaker 2Wow yeah .
Speaker 3Heavy .
Speaker 2Yeah , definitely , Um , and I could definitely talk about those , those 20 , those years of twenties and kind of trying to you know , um , feel supported , not feel alone .
Speaker 3Um , what's your advice ? That's funny Something . You're old .
Speaker 2I like what you said about pushing through . Uh , there , cause there are , there are some days where you just have to remind yourself of of you know your purpose , have to remind yourself of of you know your purpose , and so I like your advice of pushing through because that that you know , looking back you , you realize how much stronger you are from that time compared to that time .
Speaker 3Exactly , yeah . So and that's what I think it is is like just being aware of that . Look at where I was and how far I've come .
Speaker 2Yeah , yeah , being aware of that . Look at where I was and how far I've come . Yeah , yeah , um , all right . So now we want to talk about . You know , what's kind of keeping you inspired is ? Uh , you're singing right , and that is a dream that you are living , yeah , and so let's talk about that talent . How did you discover your voice , so to speak ? Or , you know , was there someone that inspired you or did you just , you know , go to church or what ? Was there something worth singing ? Did you do it at home ?
Speaker 3Yeah , so my dad's not going to like this , but my dad is a singer . He doesn't jack , that he's a singer . He won't say that he's a singer . He is a singer , he has a voice . My dad has six brothers . Well , five brothers , the six of them and my um , my grandfather tried to do the johnson six .
Speaker 3That's our last name , johnson so he tried to do a spin off of the jackson vibe right , the johnson six . It didn't really go well . Um , but I feel like my dad was kind of grown like , grew up in that environment of music and like playing instruments and things like that . He used to play saxophone . That's what I played like in middle school and beginning of high school . So I had that , like you know , inspiration of , like you know , this is what you can be into . Even though he never pursued music , we still always sung together with old school songs and like introducing me to music , even though I didn't always know the lyrics correctly , because he never knew the lyrics correctly um so it's something that we definitely , I feel like you know , was able to understand each other through the music , amongst other things , but he's been a big inspiration .
Speaker 3I think he'll probably be surprised that I'm saying that , um , but definitely my father . And then I would just say that both of my parents are very open and creative and love music themselves . So growing up in a household of hearing old school stuff and like realizing that they I feel like they realized that I was like a really creative kid , so they put me in everything and that really helps me kind of realize , oh , I really love this . Like I really was in theater and you know I used to play piano and all those things and that was really young , like you know , seven , eight , nine , 10 . And from then on it was kind of like once I was really in school and the opportunities I just took , you know , advantage of those opportunities that were in front of me . So I'm appreciative of that and I mean it was a great experience . Growing up , I think music was all around me .
Speaker 3My parents never made me feel like it wasn't something that I couldn't pursue .
Speaker 2OK , which is important , so it started at home . Okay , which is important , so it started at home . And now would would you say that there's any artists that you really admire , someone , someone that you would love to like work with down the road ?
Speaker 3yeah , I'm a big jasmine sullivan fan , I love her , oh my goodness , I actually did that song with one of my best friends , um , in high school . Yeah , we didn't win the talent show . We should have won . Honestly , I'm not even gonna lie , we really bust the windows on that stage . Okay , we was getting it . I love her so much . It's funny because I think , when I think about like artists that I used to listen to growing up and artists that I listen to now , she's one of them because she really was out when I was you know like 10 , out when I was you know like 10 11 years old , and she's been in the game for 10 plus years and she's just , uh , just iconic . I love Mary J Lauren Hill like I love them , and I feel like the new girlies , like I love Summer Walker okay , jhene Aiko yeah .
Speaker 3I'm definitely a neo-soul R&B artist and I make songs , you know , for the sad girls .
Speaker 4You know I'm like a sad girl for real myself .
Speaker 2Right .
Speaker 3So I really relate to all of them because I feel like they really make music about how they really feel about situations and they're not holding anything back in their lyrics but , like in the house , how they convey the music and their voice .
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 3And I want to do that myself .
Speaker 2Oh , you're doing it .
Speaker 3That's what I was trying to say at the top of the show , doing it trust me . That's what I was trying to say at the top of the show . Like you , I love everything . Be airing out all my tea . I'm like , uh , yeah , this is , this is what I'm going through yeah , oh yes , we're gonna get into that .
Speaker 2A lot of things you just hit upon we're gonna get in that , but before we do that , I want to uh talk about your latest single barely love . Right , that is the latest one , are you gonna ?
Speaker 3drop another one , but yes , barely love is . Barely love is the recent one . Are you going to drop another one ? Yes , barely Love is the recent one . I have some unreleased stuff that I'm dropping soon , but Barely Love , yeah , barely Love just dropped this year . Guys Go stream it .
Speaker 2Yeah , so set this song up for us . We're going to play a bit of it . Give us some background on this song .
Speaker 3I wrote this song when I was going through a breakup with my ex and we're actually super cool right now . Like me and my ex were , we're super cool . I'm big on , like you know , being able to mend relationships if you can .
Speaker 3It's very platonic , very healthy , but at the time it wasn't , and I don't know I , when I was going through the break , it was around the holiday times . So I I remember it was literally I wrote this song on Thanksgiving and um , you know , I was just going through it and I was just like , oh , it's the holidays with my family . You know , I really wish I'd be with my ex right now and I'm like , but we don't , we don't even like , we barely have love , we don't have trust , we don't have nothing . And it made me realize that sometimes it's hard to build a relationship when you want it , so bad when there's no foundation , and I think a big foundation is trust you know , like just because you love somebody .
Speaker 3That's not everything , you know . It really isn't everything Like . Love is , you know , a part of the foundation . But you need trust , you know , you need to be able to communicate , you need to understand each other . Compatibility plays a big part in it , you know , I think all of those things . So I was kind of in a place of like I want this so bad , but how can I have this if we barely have all of these things ?
Speaker 2Right , yeah , yeah , like trust and love go hand in hand . Oh my God , so so much , yeah , all right , so so let's , let's have a listen . This is Barely Love by Rosetta .
Speaker 1I'm so used to your lies I never know what's true , and even when I look in your eyes , I never seen the real you . There's no more compromise . I'm better off without you . But I'll tell you I'd rather die than let the cycle continue , cause you , you question everything I do for you , and every time you switch up on me it feels like deja vu . You're no good for me , but I never leave . I never leave . I just stand by your side and I swallow my pride . Give you all that I have , all that I have . And it wasn't enough . It wasn't enough . Tell me how we have trust when we barely have love .
Speaker 2We barely have love . Oh , my goodness , I think you sung that at the event where we met . Yeah , I did you know . The lyrics had me captured , the beat had me captured .
Speaker 3Thank you .
Speaker 2And I think it's so important to have that . That's a winning combination . You can have good lyrics but not a good beat , or vice versa . You agree with that or no ?
Speaker 3oh no , I definitely
The Power of Sad Music
Speaker 3agree . I think that , um , every song is what you make it and I think for me , especially finding um a beat or music anyway , that I relate to it . I have to feel it . I was just talking about this actually yesterday when I was at the studio and I'm just like for me being able to write something . I have to feel it . I was just talking about this actually yesterday when I was at the studio and I'm just like for me being able to write something . I have to feel it in the music to begin with . Yeah , um , it's so important .
Speaker 2And that's , I think that's the why we made that connection , Cause that is , you have that as your um , your foundation , that you want to find the right sound . You know , um , and I and I , and that's what I appreciate . Now , you talked about it earlier . You mentioned you say you're a sad girl and , uh , that that for me , is a uh , I don't know if it's a lost art , but it's something that , um , I want to talk about . And so , before we , we , we go into that , uh , your , that topic , I want to play a little snippet to kind of get the conversation going .
Speaker 4So let's take a quick little listen .
Speaker 4Lots of people feel the way I do about sad music , especially sensitive types . People play the happy songs on their playlists about 175 times on average , but they play the sad songs 800 times , and they tell researchers that they associate sad music with beauty and wonder and transcendence , the so-called sublime emotions . And you know , just think of how many musical genres tap into sorrow . Right , there's Spanish flamenco and Portuguese fado and the Irish lament and American country music and the blues , and then even lullabies , which , all over the world , we often use our most heartbreaking melodies to sing our newborns to sleep . Why on earth do we do that ? And then it's not just music , right ? We like rainy days and tragic drama and cherry blossoms , which we celebrate over equally lovely flowers , partly because they die .
Speaker 4Young Philosophers call that the paradox of tragedy . Why do we sometimes welcome sorrow , when the rest of the time we will quite naturally do anything we can to avoid it ? There's actually a scholarly debate raging over this question , but I have come to believe that , really , what we are craving at bottom is that state of longing , that joy that's laced with sorrow , which is often triggered when we experience something so exquisite that it seems to come to us from some other world , and this is why we give painters and rock stars such exalted status , because they're the ones who bring us the breath of magic from that other place , except it only lasts a moment , and we really want to live there for good , because we know that we live in a deeply flawed world and we have this stubborn conviction that we come from a perfect and beautiful one that remains forever out of reach and lots of people feel that way .
