One is an old white guy; a veteran commercial musician, a suburban dad, an award-winning recording artist who sings, plays, and writes music for TV and film. The other is a young Black man; a son of immigrants, a student, a kid with a laptop and a passion for music. They, and the music they each love, are as different as can be. But they both love music, and what came from the collaboration of their dissimilar styles is something that seldom occurs: they created something truly unique.
Derrick Procell, 69, and Jay Netic, 27, have created The Healing, an anthem for 2021. It gives eloquent words to the fear of the future that young people feel, provides a lens through which a Black man has seen recent political events, and clings to the faith and hope we want to share. It melds rap, beats, soul, gospel, hip-hop, and rock. Yet it is not confused. It knows what it is.
Procell and Netic met at a clothing store. Netic was working his part-time job, and Procell was shopping with his wife. Checking out at Netic’s register, they began to chat. When Netic mentioned his interest in creating “beats,” Procell saw an opportunity to help a young musician just as he had been helped in his early years. He offered his time and music studio, and soon the two were meeting regularly.
The first few meetings were musically rocky, as each man tried to learn from, and understand, the music of the other. They inspired one another and got excited about possibilities.
“It was amazing to get to work with Derrick”, Netic recalled. “He’s a great musician, and even though he didn’t know much about what I do, he wanted to learn. The way he incorporated my music into his…I couldn’t believe it.”
Their song, The Healing, can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and all major streaming platforms.