Before the music of today, there was great R&B. The 90's and early 2000's were filled with what many people call "real R&B" and "great music". Behind many of these classic songs that kept us desiring love and love making, was Link. Lincoln Browder is a successful singer/songwriter hailing from Dallas, TX, that has definitely made a name for himself in the music industry, and continues to put out amazing R&B music that makes the world yearn for the return of the "Real R&B era".
Link is the lyric machine behind many of the world's greatest R&B hits, including LSG's "My Body", Kci & Jojo's "Crazy", Silk's "If you", "Meeting in my Bedroom", "Lets make love", and "Sexcellent". He has also worked with Bobby Valentino, Keke Wyatt, and Latin singer Thalia, on one her hit songs "Love will save the day". Not only does he pen great lyrics for others, he has had two successful albums of his own, "Sex Down" and "Creepin".
Many of his songs from his first album "Sex Down" immediately became popular. Hits like "How would you like it", "I really wanna sex your body", and "I don't wanna see" became a part of everyone's playlist, and remain there today. He later dropped "Creepin" as his Sophomore album, full of even more great hits about the ins and outs of love. Songs such as "Hooked" and "Personality" remind us of how addictive love can be, while "It's over now","Am I", and "Creepin" remind us that the game of love can sometimes throw us curveballs. Link took a break from working on his upcoming album to talk with me about everything from love to rollercoasters.
5 Things the world may not know about Link
1. He played college basketball on a full scholarship
2. He served in the military
3. He hates rollercoasters. He won't ride one until they get steering wheels for him to control
4. Despite the sex infused lyrics in his songs, he is very passionate about his religion.
5. He is interested in acting, and is currently working on a script that will bring his last album "Creepin" to life
On who he would like to work with in the future
"I'd like to work with Usher, Keri Hilson, Kelly Rowland, of course Beyonce, and Joe, I love Joe."
On the motivation behind his music
"A lot of my songs are based on my own experiences, past and present. Some of the experiences are from people that I know, like close friends and family members. I try to keep the music as real as possible, so that people can relate when they hear it. They can have their own personal favorite record based on what they've gone through, or maybe what they may be going through at the time. Very seldom do I make music that's just for play. If I have something to do with it, it's coming from a real place."
On "It's over now" (Listen to "Its Over Now" by Link here)
This song is self explanatory. It's a song revealing the guy's way of breaking it off with the side chick. It's his way of saying "We had a great time. I really like you. If we were in another place and time, we could probably be a little more serious, but since you're the woman on the side, the time has come for me to end things before it gets too far out of hand. It's over now."
On cheating being so common (Listen to "Creepin" here)
"I think in this day and time, cheating isn't as taboo as it used to be. I don't necessarily believe it's happening more today than it did in the past. I just think it's more out in the open. It's not viewed in as much of a negative light as it used to be. Cheating has always been done, it's just more blatant and in your face this era. People don't really care anymore, they're just blatant with it."
On cheating and music: which influences which? (Listen to "Am I")
"That's a good question...I believe they influence each other. I write about experience, so experience influences my music. But if someone sees or hears something it may influence them to behave a certain way they normally wouldn't have. So I believe they influence each other.
On whether cheating is more emotionally invested or just sexual convenience
"I think it's a combination of both. Contrary to what many women think, men have feelings, and I think that anytime you spend a lot of time with a person, you can't help but develop some kind of feeling for that person. In some cases, it could just be convenience and great sex, or whatever drew you to that person in the first place. It could be just to fill a void that you're not getting from that significant other. It doesn't necessarily have to be just about sex, but most of the time that's what it is. I think some guys do tend to get caught up in side chicks and have to cut things off before they get too comfortable."
On who is "better off": significant other vs the other woman (Listen to "Hooked")
"It's difficult to tell. Many people look at cheating as a bad thing. I'm not saying it's not. If the other woman is really getting all she wants, and she's not tripping about him having a significant other, then she doesn't really have a problem. Ultimately the one you're supposed to be committed to is the one losing. The commitment was made to her."
On casual sex (Listen to "Sex Down")
"I don't believe in casual sex, and the whole 'no strings attached' idea. There's no such thing, especially if this is a person you continue to see over and over again. When you spend time with that person, some kind of feeling will develop, especially with women. A lot of times women will say 'I'm good, this is cool. You don't have to worry about me tripping.', but if their partner is an exceptional lover, and takes her places she's never been, she's going to get caught up in feelings. Continuing to see someone will cause you to become attached. There's no such things as 'no strings attached'."
On whether casual sex will hurt a woman's chances of finding a meaningful relationship
"It depends on the relationship you have with that person. It depends on how the situation is entered. You could be hurting yourself, because the old saying is 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free'. On the other hand, you could still be developing a meaningful foundation with that person that could turn into a relationship when your partner is ready for that.It's really situation-based."
Advice to women regarding booty calls (Watch "I don't wanna see" video starring Lisa Raye)
"Make a decision based on being real with yourself. Don't try to turn things into something they're not. Don't sugarcoat what you want. Of course, you need to be safe. If they're your booty call, they are more than likely a booty call to others as well. No matter what the label of your situation is, make sure you are always respected. A lot of times guys think that just because they have someone they're not serious with they can treat them however they want, and talk to them a certain kind of way. You're making an adult decision to put yourself in that situation,but still demand respect from that person."
On obvious signs that a guy's not interested (Listen to "How would you like it pt. 2")
"First and foremost, it's reciprocity. If a woman's always reaching out, calling, texting,etc and he's not responding. That's an obvious sign. That's cut and dry. If you're hitting him up, he's not hitting you back, and the only time you hear from him is when you initiate contact, that's a major sign. Another sign is if you're doing all the talking when you do communicate with him, and he's simply answering you. Not spending any time at all, or if you're the one always initiating everything, whether it's going places, having sex,etc, he's not really interested. If a man is interested he will find a way to show it, it doesn't matter if he works multiple jobs."
On what he views as the perfect woman for him (Listen to "Don't run away")
A woman who is God fearing, as I am. A woman that's masterful in the kitchen...she doesn't have to be a fanatic, but she needs to like sports. She's a woman that's into physical fitness and without a doubt...a woman that is uninhibited in the bedroom. Bad sex is absolutely a deal breaker....if it ain't going on...we won't make it. I'm sorry. you can have all those other qualities but without that we won't work. Relationships are a lot of work. You're gonna encounter some difficulties. There will be times when you can't stand to look at that person. And sometimes the only way you will get to that point of wanting to make an effort to resolve those issues is because of that sexual chemistry. If you don't have that chemistry with that person, it's not gonna be worth it to you. That can definitely lead to you being unfaithful. I'd rather not play with someone in that way. I know how I am and what I require, so if you can't keep up, we won't make it."
On making love to his own songs (Listen to "911-0024")
I have done it before. It's not something I have to do, but I've done it. (laughs) It was kind of awkward, I must admit, and it still is, a little. But I have, and I'm pretty sure I will again (laughs)"
On what love is (Listen to "Spill")
"My idea of love is constant thought of that person...of their well being, if they're okay at all times, etc. It's being happy at the thought of being with or seeing that person. It's not being able to go a day without seeing or speaking to them. It's being comfortable enough to be completely open and honest with them. If those things exist, and I would rather tell you the truth than lie to you, then I love you."
On lying vs being honest when feelings are involved (Listen to "Personality")
Theoretically, being honest is better. you never want to treat lying as a good thing or reward it. However I understand why guys aren't always honest. We truly don't want to hurt that person, and sometimes even when women say 'Just tell me the truth', we know it will hurt. It doesn't matter if you're the main woman or the woman on the side, we don't want to hurt that woman. A guy can only hope that she can handle whatever level the relationship is truly on, but we understand that she is still a woman with feelings. To keep from hurting a woman right then, a guy sometimes chooses to be dishonest, even though he knows at some point, he'll have to deal with things. Sometimes a guy would just rather deal with it on the back end when things are over rather than dealing with the hurt and anguish while he's still in the situation. I'm not saying it's good or right, but we tend to do that. For the time being, it makes things easier."
On advice to women looking for love (Listen to "One of a kind love")
Stop looking for it....stop searching. You can't search for love, love searches for you. The right person will find you. It will happen accidentally. When you search for love, you tend to accept certain things you normally wouldn't because you feel you're in need of it by a certain point of time. Just take care of you, enjoy life, and love will find you when you're not worried about it. That kind of love catches you off guard and it's real. Don't have a game plan of finding love, that's not real.
Link's new album will be out this summer, but be sure to follow him on Twitter at @linkmusic69 to stay updated! His latest single "Erotic" will be released on Valentines Day!
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