The Sound Behind the Feeling

KP

How The Colleagues Built a Career Chasing Emotion Instead of Trends

Some producers make records. Some make hits. The truly special ones create songs people unknowingly attach their lives to. That's where The Colleagues have quietly lived for more than two decades. While artists stand in the spotlight, the Tampa-bred production collective has been behind the boards, crafting records rooted in melody, emotion, and musicianship—proving that timeless music never has to chase trends to leave a lasting impression.

Long before Grammy conversations, platinum plaques, Billboard success, K-pop placements, and collaborations spanning hip-hop, R&B, gospel, and soul, KP and The Colleagues were simply students of great music. They understood early that timeless records aren't manufactured—they're felt. From Nipsey Hussle's Crenshaw to records with Raheem DeVaughn, October London, Pastor Mike Jr., Red Velvet, Vedo, Case, Kevin Ross, Slim of 112, and countless others, the mission has never been to follow the market. It's always been to follow the feeling.

That's what makes The Colleagues so unique. Their signature isn't tied to one style, one tempo, or one sound. It's found in their consistency. Every production begins with the same standard: if it doesn't move them first, it doesn't leave the studio. That simple philosophy has allowed them to move seamlessly across genres and generations while staying true to themselves.

Their latest body of work, Sincerely Yours: Songs in the Key of Love, continues that tradition. More than a collection of songs, it's a reminder of when R&B albums invited listeners to sit down, press play, and experience a complete story from beginning to end. In an era driven by singles and algorithms, The Colleagues are still making records with replay value, substance, and soul.

For this conversation, I caught up with KP, one-half of The Colleagues, to discuss the journey from Tampa to the world stage, the lessons learned from producing for some of music's biggest names, why faith remains at the center of everything he creates, and how one of modern R&B's most respected production teams continues to let the music—not the moment—lead the way.

Q. Before Grammy conversations, Billboard No. 1s, K-pop placements, and platinum records, there were two young creators from Tampa chasing great songs instead of great credits. Looking back, what part of those early years still drives every record you make today?

KP: I still chase the goosebumps I get when I create something I love. I still love what I do. The accolades are a plus. It's a blessing to still be doing this 20-plus years later.

Q. The greatest production teams have always had an identity—Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, L.A. & Babyface, The Neptunes, Organized Noize, Cool & Dre. When did you realize The Colleagues had developed a sound that people could recognize before they even saw the credits?

KP: Honestly, I still don't think The Colleagues have a recognizable sound—and I think I want to keep it that way. I love all those producers you named, but having a sound that anyone could immediately recognize was never something I wanted to aim for.

Q. Your catalog moves effortlessly from Nipsey Hussle to Raheem DeVaughn, Red Velvet to Pastor Mike Jr., without ever sounding disconnected. How do you adapt to completely different artists while still protecting the musical DNA that makes a Colleagues production unmistakably yours?

KP: I think it's just about staying true to ourselves. The music comes first. I have to love what I'm letting the artist hear. I don't like making music just for the sake of making it. I have to feel it, no matter the genre.

Q. Producing "No Regrets" for Nipsey Hussle's Crenshaw feels even more significant today than it did when it was first released. Looking back, what did working with Nipsey teach you about intention, ownership, and creating music that outlives the moment?

KP: Good question. More than anything, it taught me to make sure your business is handled! [Laughs] It also taught me a lot about betting on yourself. This was several years before we started releasing our own music independently, so being part of that album was crazy. I got to witness it firsthand and take notes from what Nipsey was doing.

Q. Sincerely Yours: Songs in the Key of Love draws inspiration from an era when albums told complete stories instead of chasing singles. Was this project your way of reminding people what it feels like to sit with an album from beginning to end?

KP: The majority of The Colleagues' R&B albums tell stories in a sense. I love projects that tell a story rather than just having a list of songs that don't connect with the listener.

KP

Q. You've found success in hip-hop, R&B, gospel, and K-pop—genres with completely different audiences and expectations. Beyond the business, what universal truth about music have those experiences taught you?

KP: Real music speaks the same language, no matter the genre. As long as it's something that feels somewhat familiar to the listener, it will land.

Q. Working with artists like Raheem DeVaughn, October London, Vedo, Slim of 112, Case, and Kevin Ross, you've helped preserve a style of R&B rooted in musicianship and songwriting. Do you feel a responsibility to protect that tradition while still pushing it forward?

KP: I wouldn't say that. I literally approach The Colleagues' albums by asking, "What does KP like?" Not, "What will they like today?" That makes the process easy and fun. Like I said before, I have to love it. There's no pressure when I do it that way.

Q. K-pop introduced your music to millions of listeners around the world. What surprised you most about creating for an international audience, and did that experience change the way you approached records back home?

KP: K-pop absolutely changed the way I approached music. It changed my ears and made me more of an executor. The label executives are extremely picky, and they would have us making so many changes! It got to the point where my goal was to make the beats and have them buy them with no changes. [Laughs] That made me a lot better across the board.

Q. Producers often shape the emotional direction of an artist's career without fans ever realizing it. Is there a record in your catalog that changed you personally, even if listeners only heard a great song?

KP: Pastor Mike Jr.'s "So Good." That song means so much to me. It was my testimony that God was listening to me and recognizing my tears.

Q. Technology has made producing music more accessible than ever, but access doesn't always create artistry. What's one lesson about craftsmanship that no software, plug-in, or AI could ever replace?

KP: Real feeling can't be replaced. I don't even know how to explain it. Producers like Timbaland can't be duplicated. His old style was so original and ahead of its time that, even now, with all the technology we have, it still can't be duplicated.

Q. You've built your careers by making other artists shine, yet your own albums finally put The Colleagues front and center. What have you discovered about yourselves as artists now that your name is leading the conversation instead of appearing in the credits?

KP: It takes a lot of drive to be on this side. It's not for the weak. You might release a song on the same day as somebody else, and you'll see your friends and family proudly promoting that artist's new song or album. Meanwhile, you have to ask to get supported. Then, when they do post, it can come off like charity. [Laughs]

It's not easy, but the people who genuinely connect with your music make up for the lack of support.

Q. Years from now, when someone studies your catalog—from Crenshaw and Love Sex Passion to Rookie and Sincerely Yours: Songs in the Key of Love—what do you hope they say The Colleagues contributed to modern music that extends far beyond platinum plaques, chart positions, and production credits?

KP: That The Colleagues changed how people viewed their own limitations. That The Colleagues made them believe they could jump over that hurdle. That The Colleagues helped them believe again.

And that they saw how God can work through you if you just believe in Him.

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