For those that have tried mastering the art of creating a playlist you know that picking and choosing each song becomes a fight to the death.  Should I really put song A before song B?  What if Song B doesn’t flow right into Song C?  Well, put the iPod down and let Kenny “Babyface” Edmond’s Playlist save the day.

The ten-time Gammy award-wining musical icon who has created not only his own outstanding body of solo work, but has also added classics to the catalog of everyone from Whitney Houston to Madonna--makes a welcome return to the music scene.

With Playlist, Babyface has crafted a piece of subtle and engaging work that finds him trading in his trademark R&B sound for covers of pop classics and a couple of originals.  Throughout the album Babyface’s music and vocals remain so cool they bring heat to a chill.  Now that’s something for the cool in you.

Recently Babyface spoke to Sixshot.com about his musical evolution, the greatest challenge of being a divorced man, having a heart-to-heart with Eddie Murphy, why he never wants to take credit for New Jack Swing, and his thoughts on today’s music scene.

In an interview you stated that the songs on this album helped shape who you are and who you’re beco ming.  Which song had the greatest influence on you and why?

I think the James Taylor song "Fire and Rain" and "Diary.  "Diary is a song that I remember specifically from high school where everyone would play the song at bonfires.  It’s just one of those songs that when I hear it I can picture the day and the setting.  It was one of those love songs that made me want to write songs.  James Taylor had such a smooth voice and soulful voice and [he’s] a great songwriter as well.  So he also influenced me to want to become a writer and to write some songs on acoustic guitar.

When I read that quote it sounded like you were on a journey of self-discovery.  Throughout your journey what has Babyface needed to learn and improve upon to be a better artist and person?

I think that music is always a journey.  Anytime you do any record--whether you’re working with another artist or for yourself you grow from it.  There are things that you can pick up and learn in every situation.  There’s a certain discipline to having to do particular songs like this--trying not to overdo them and trying not to under-do them.  A certain maturity comes with that as well.  There’s a respect for the artist that came before you and recognizing that had it not been for them you wouldn’t be the artist that you are.  So if you’re looking at it and you’re learning from it you can’t help but grow from it all.

What’s the next step in your evolution?

I think it just prepares me for more work in terms of producing and working with other artists.  If I do something that’s more pop/rock then I’m more prepared for it now.  It won’t be as foreign to me in terms of production.  It’s not that I haven’t listened to it but listening, producing, writing, and performing it are different things.

You say that this record was inspired by memories.  So what’s your fondest and worst memory?

BF:  I don’t know if I have a worst memory.  It just reminds of growing up, listening to the radio, and wanting to play guitar.  It reminds me of my junior high and high school years.  So it’s really a general memory.

I enjoyed one of the original songs on the album, "The Soldier Song".  Like several other recent songs that reference the Iraq war there is a focus on the personal aspects of a soldier’s struggle.  Why do you think we have yet to hear a very politically charged anthem like "Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On" that addresses the political as well as the personal?

I don’t know if the artists exist yet that’s supposed to sing that song or something close to that.  They don’t exist until it’s done.  Even with Marvin Gaye everyone wasn’t doing it at the time but he did it to a point where people listened to him.  He did the right kind of song.  It’s one of those things where someone has to have the right voice, the right melody, and charisma that will write a song like that to make a difference.  That’s just not one of those things that anybody can do.

I think there are artists that are born to write and perform stuff like that.  They have those kinds of voices where people will listen.  I wrote the song more on a personal sense so it wasn’t like to the world per se.  It was just more of a thank you to the soldiers to show respect.  In terms of trying to be a voice for the world--I think that’s for the Stevie Wonder’s and the Marvin Gaye’s of the world.  Maybe they are there [and] we just haven’t seen them yet.

I also enjoyed the very touching original song, " Not Going Nowhere", where you assure your children that you’ll still be around despite getting a divorce.  What has been the hardest adjustment as a divorced man?

The hardest adjustment is to wake up everyday with your kids not in your house.  That doesn’t go away.  I’m with the kids a lot so it’s not as bad as it could be.  Nevertheless there are days when you wake up and you just want to see one of them come running in your room, or you want to go to their room.  When they’re not there that’s probably the hardest part and will continue to be the hardest part.

I read that during the divorce you and Tracey Edmonds sat down with your children and discussed the situation.  You both told them that you would still be friends.  Now with Eddie Murphy engaged to Tracey there will be a new man in the lives of your children.  Have you had a heart-to-heart with Eddie about this change?

It’s still pretty early right now.  They haven’t gotten married just yet.  I think they’ll get married pretty soon.  I think all those kinds of things will probably happen in time.

Teddy Riley was honored at the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors this year for New Jack Swing.  Some also think that you should be credited as well for helping to develop that genre.  Do you agree?

You know it’s funny because Antonio L.A. Reid and I talked about that and we feel like Teddy Riley coined it.  When he came with Keith Sweat’s "I Want Her" that was it!  That was a movement and unlike anything we had heard [before].  It was unbelievable.  We obviously catered to it afterwards and said, “We got to make sure our beats have some swing to it.”  But I think that for the most part we were more so concentrating on writing songs that would last for a long time, and not necessarily creating a movement.

So you wouldn’t say that you created it?

I would definitely not claim creating New Jack Swing—not at all!

Some people feel that New Jack Swing was the starting point of a decline in smooth R&B and ballads because of its heavy hip-hop influence that was mostly geared toward a young audience.  What are your thoughts on those criticisms?

I think because of [New Jack Swing] music became fun.  It created a whole youth movement.  So I would totally disagree with that.  Jodeci came out of [New Jack Swing] and their music was powerful.  They had amazing ballads that came from there.  Mary J. Blige is a baby of New Jack Swing.  New Jack Swing gave us some amazing artists and songs as well, so I would totally disagree with that.

Aside from the thousands of kids conceived to your music do you see any particularly outstanding influences from you in today’s music?

 I don’t really pay that much attention.  I don’t ever go [and] try to find myself in other people. [Laughs]

Many producers of your era were engineers and musicians.  They came with a wealth of knowledge about music.  Many of today’s producers don’t necessarily play an instrument or have as much musical knowledge.  What are your thoughts on that change?

I think as long as you are in a studio guiding people to make a hit record then you’re a producer.  I don’t think you necessarily have to play an instrument.  Every producer doesn’t necessarily play an instrument on every record they produce and it’s been that way forever.

To stay relevant in today’s market many artists feel the need to heavily market themselves and brand their names.  This can sometimes divert attention away from the music.  In your era artists seemed to focus primarily on just the music.  So what are your thoughts on the branding of talent?

I think that it makes young artists very rich and I have no problem with that.

Do you wish that you could have branded yourself in a similar fashion?

At the time that we were doing music it was a different game and it’s a different game today.  Certain things are available [now] that weren’t available at the time.  I think from Jay-Z to Beyonce--these are really smart kids.  They figured out how to take advantage of their celebrity so kudos to all of them.

What’s up next for Babyface?

I think I’m just gonna do the same thing; writing, performing, and once the right thing comes up I’ll get involved with it.