Kehlani is laying it all on the line in her new visuals, “Altar.
“Altar” is a faultless fusion of pop-R&B that finds Kehlani begging her loved one to stick around a little longer. The video is directed by Kid Studio and stars Diovanna LaBeija.
“So I put you on the altar, stay just a little bit longer/ Laid it out for ya, thought I felt you before/ Now you’rе closer, closer,” she sings. The track is Kehlani’s first single of the year and is from their third studio album, “Blue Water Road.”
Philidelphia-born producer Pop Wansel gets into his bags, assisting the west coast singer with punchy synths and brooding guitar strings.
Wansel has worked with many of the industry’s biggest names — Nicki Minaj, Usher, Trey Songz, Kanye, Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne — the list goes on.
As a child, Wansel used to sit in on his father, Dexter Wansel’s studio sessions, where he developed his love for music. At his father’s studio, Wansel was fortunate enough to come across music legends.
His father worked on projects with Phyllis Hyman, MFSB, Teddy Pendergrass, The Jacksons, Patti LaBelle, The Jones Girls, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Lou Rawls, Grover Washington Jr., The Stylistics, The O’Jays, Billy Paul, Jerry Butler, Pieces of a Dream and many more.
“I’m sure my father wanted me to do music. Every father wants their son to follow in their footsteps. My dad saw me get so involved so early. But, he didn’t want me to disregard other important parts of life,” Pop told BMI.com. “But he saw how into (music) I was. He wanted me to establish myself more before music. Growing up learning about his mishaps, I was so business savvy and oriented. I was ready to go.”
However, Wansel cites hearing Nas’ 1994 hit “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” for the first time as a “turning point” in his music career.
“I come from rap. I used to freestyle, battle at the corner store. Hip-hop is what made me want to be a producer. When I heard Nas’ “It Ain’t Hard to Tell,” I said, ‘I want to do that.’ At the same time, melody and soul music is second nature because of my dad, what I grew up around,” he told the publication. “I was exposed to all kinds of music. Hip-hop is based on R&B and soul. The first rap song is a sample: “Rapper’s Delight” sampled Chic. That’s the foundation. It’s easy for me to create that.”
He went on to say that he has dreams of making his mark in country music.