Travis Malloy on Vocal Producing Kim Burrell & Monica to Overcoming Industry Rejection

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Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer, artist, and entrepreneur Travis Malloy joined the We Sound Crazy for an emotional, wide-ranging conversation about faith, perseverance, and the music industry. Known for bridging the worlds of gospel and R&B over a 15-year career, we honored Malloy live on air, presenting him with the We Sound Crazy Black Excellence Award. The hosts celebrated Malloy's unique ability to seamlessly dream up innovative concepts and execute them as a powerhouse independent creator—a journey he admits took immense courage, risk-taking, and survival through seasons of extreme financial and emotional lack.

Malloy walkes down memory lane, reflecting on his Pittsburgh roots, where 1,500 people wrapped around the block for his 2009 debut album release party, Lift Him Up. He shared a series of exclusive, high-profile industry stories, from his early days being pushed into masterclass vocal production by gospel legend Dorinda Clark Cole, the very collaboration that earned him his first Grammy nomination, to becoming a fixture in the studio with Missy Elliott, vocal producing stars like Monica and Halle Bailey. Malloy also touched on the profound impact of timely industry mentorship, recalling a lifesaving, middle-of-the-night encouragement call from gospel legend Kirk Franklin during one of his lowest professional seasons, and a moment where Jonathan McReynolds stepped in to buy him a plane ticket to the Stellar Awards when he was down to his last hundred dollars.

Central to the discussion was Malloy’s highly anticipated album, Favor, which features an elite lineup of vocal powerhouses including Kim Burrell, Le'Andria Johnson, Zacardi Cortez, and Ray J. Malloy revealed that the title track was actually written 15 years ago when he was behind on rent, emphasizing that songwriters must have the courage to write to their future rather than their current struggles. Beyond the music, Malloy highlighted his thriving entrepreneurial ventures, including the Urban Worship Collective and his highly successful luxury streetwear line, Millions, Billions and Trillions. He explained that the brand represents consciousness and mental elevation over mere currency, capping off an inspiring episode that showcased the resilient spirit behind one of modern gospel and R&B's brightest visionaries.

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