Ep. 20 | Fitch Means: Queer in R&B, Philly Pride, Whitney, and Building AVANT BLK

Send us Fan MailFitch Means came to sit with Kenlo and ended up telling the whole truth: what it costs to be an openly queer R&B artist, and what it pays back.The Philadelphia singer, songwriter and producer talks about growing up in a house with domestic violence, moving in with his grandparents at 14, and caring for both of them until their last breath. He explains why he never staged a coming out, why he refuses to dial himself down for a collaborator who's uncomfortable with one pronoun in a love song, and why he'd rather walk than shrink.He walks through the catalog too. "Secrets," his 2018 debut, hit over a hundred thousand SoundCloud streams the first night and got him signed. "Only One" has landed in multiple films. The "2AM Drive" EP got picked up by MTV and VH1, and the "Millions" video was shot in Jamaica on an actual vacation. Now there's a new EP coming, built around the single "King of Everything," which is up for Grammy consideration.Then there's everything outside the music: the fragrance line Vice and Magic, two original recipes split from one formula that recombine when you wear them together, and AVANT BLK, his free all-ages festival at Cherry Street Pier in Philadelphia on August 8, hosted by Kenlo.He also gets into Philly Pride versus Harlem Pride, drumming behind Jill Scott, why Whitney Houston is still the cosign he'd take over anyone, and what he wants people to say about him when the music stops. Stay to the end for a rapid-fire one word round that gets quiet fast.IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 Welcome back to the people's platform 01:36 Growing up between two parents who didn't get along 03:35 "Raving reviews" for mom, and an Aquarius manifesto 08:30 Who is William Fitch, and why he won't answer to it 11:13 Fragrances, festivals, and the year that changed everything 13:46 Moving in with his grandparents at 14 14:40 Why he never did a big coming out 15:56 The cost of being a queer artist in R&B 19:20 Drumming behind Jill Scott 21:51 What younger Fitch would say to him now 24:27 Philly Pride vs Harlem Pride, and Patti LaBelle 33:30 Lock Haven, moving to LA, and finishing the degree 34:15 Writing "Only One" 35:32 "2AM Drive," MTV, VH1, and "Millions" in Jamaica 36:06 How he actually got placements 37:12 "Secrets," 2018, and the night SoundCloud went off 38:39 Game: what he'd do for a Bruno Mars feature 42:38 The studio process 44:35 Why Whitney Houston is still the cosign 47:39 The song that scared him most: "Merlot" 49:03 What Black women have done for his career 52:40 Fitch on stage vs Will in the room 55:26 Vice and Magic: one recipe split in two 1:01:25 The new EP and "King of Everything" 1:03:49 AVANT BLK: August 8, Cherry Street Pier, free 1:08:03 What he wants left behind 1:10:13 His best advice for anyone starting 1:11:27 One word round 1:15:49 Where to find him 1:17:30 Fitch teaches Kenlo the "King of Everything" choreoFOLLOW FITCH MEANS Instagram and Facebook: @fitchmans Music: every streaming platform Fragrances: fitchmans.com Festival: avantblk.com and @avantblkSupport the showFollow the Kenlo Showhttps://www.instagram.com/thekenloshow/Follow Ya girl Kenlo here :https://www.instagram.com/yogirlkenlo_/