ATLANTA — The Georgia native and self-proclaimed king of R&B is ready to expand his talents.
Jacquees has an alluring penchant for self-aggrandizing. Not in a way that’s condescending, though. His approach for talking highly about himself is warm and welcoming, inviting the curiosity to explore the depths of his confidence.
On a muggy Thursday in Stonecrest, the artist randomly, mid-conversation, starts singing along to his songs playing in the background. During the beginning of said conversation, when asked what would be on his Valentine’s Day playlist, he’s sure to include his most recent album before thinking of anything else. And by the end of the conversation, he calmly admits Michael Jackson is his dream feature as if the late king of pop is still making music.
He wants you to know that none of his living contemporaries are on his level. Given Jacquees’ longevity in R&B and his keen understanding of the genre’s core fundamentals, he could be right.
But the Decatur-bred singer’s confidence was firm before he went viral for crowning himself as the king of R&B, before the release of hits like “You” and “B.E.D.,”(which peaked at no. 58 and no. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively) and before an extensive collection of mixtapes shaped his early career. It was cultivated by his family who raised him to never stop believing in his dreams.
“I got that from where I’m from,” the 28-year-old said about his confidence. “I’m a neighborhood superstar. I wasn’t built on the internet or one of those guys who would post a picture and got 100,000 likes and start thinking he all that. I was one of those guys in my neighborhood, at my school, before anybody knew what I could do or who I was. My family put a lot of confidence in me. Anything I wanted to do, my family said I could do it. My mama, just everybody around my community. I wasn’t built by myself. My family and my community built me and made me who I am.”
That strong sense of community is felt when walking into Jacquees’ new business venture, The Wine & Tapas Lounge. The intimate spot, located in Stonecrest, serves a selection of wine daiquiris, hookah and a full tapas menu that includes crispy salmon bites and shrimp & grits — while cozy R&B music plays in the background. On Sundays, the lounge serves brunch. Lavish green-and-black furniture, grass wall panels and black-and-gold color schemes encompass the 160-square-feet interior, cementing the space’s grown and sexy vibe.
The warm atmosphere of the lounge is further underlined by Jacquees’ actual friends and family members who greet you at the door. His sisters often work at the lounge, and executive chef Tebryan Terry is Jacquees’ childhood friend. Continuing to support his family and his community on Atlanta’s east side is the foundation for the R&B crooner’s foray into the restaurant business. In fact, he has his mom to thank for helping him open the lounge, which officially debuted on Jan. 4.
“I’ve always wanted to get into other businesses besides music,” he said. “My mother knew this lady named Voneka Marks, which is my partner. She had this business already, but it wasn’t really running. She just had the building and the name. (She) wasn’t doing too much with the business and was ready to get rid of it. My mom introduced me to her, and instead of taking it on by myself, I decided to go into business together. I couldn’t turn it down. I’m from this side of town. I’m from Wesley Chapel Road. Just to bring something to this side of town to give opportunities to people, with jobs and stuff like that — I couldn’t turn it down.”
The Wine & Tapas Lounge offers an ideal setting for a date night or just a laid-back time with friends when wanting an alternative to the club scene — which is exactly how Jacquees perceives his music. Since the early 2010s, he has released a handful of mixtapes and EPs that encapsulate a traditional, sultry R&B style for younger generations. He signed to Cash Money Records in 2015 and has since released three albums. “Sincerely For You,” his latest LP, dropped in December. The 17-track album was executive produced by Future and boasts features from Summer Walker, 21 Savage and more.
Jacquees said working with Future on the album helped him to make music that’s more raw and vulnerable than anything he’s released before.
“We’re from the same side of town and Future really sees my talent, he sees who I am,” he said. “We look past the memes, we look past all the fake criticism and different things like that and we just see the rawness and realness in people. We want to spread that. Future being on another level and pulling me up the ladder. Where we come from, that’s what we’re trained to do. He kept it real by doing that with me.”
But it’s a lesson he first learned from his late grandmother. Jacquees dedicated “Sincerely For You” to her.
“My grandma had a day care she ran for 15 years called One Step Forward,” he said. “I took it on and made it my One Step Forward Foundation after (her) One Step Forward Learning Academy. She put that in us to put family first. My grandmother hired all her family to work for her, so I always knew that family was so important to us because, at the end of the day, we’re all depending on family, so I want to put my family in positions to have where if I need something from them, they got it and they can go do what they can for themselves and others.”
Next on Jacquees’ list for this year is touring “Sincerely For You,” although dates and locations aren’t set. He also plans to release more music and delve more into his acting career. And, of course, he’s going to continue to convince fans and skeptics alike on why he’s the king of R&B of this generation.
But, for now, he’s focused on making the lounge a go-to destination for people in his community.
“This is the spot for business people, athletes, lawyers, doctors — everybody,” he said. “You have to have some class when you come in here. You gotta know how to conduct yourself. It’s a feel-good space. You’re gonna feel the good energy when you walk through the door. It’s family-oriented. I got my big sisters in her, my little sister. It’s just a big whole family movement.”
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IF YOU GO
The Wine & Tapas Lounge
6-10 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursday; 7-11 p.m. Fridays; 5-11 p.m. Saturdays; noon-9 p.m. Sundays. 8180 Mall Parkway, Stonecrest. 347-736-2528, instagram.com/thewineandtapaslounge.
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