Mario has reached out to Swizz Beatz about possibly collaborating on a jazz album.
In an interview with Billboard to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut self-titled record, the R&B singer-songwriter revealed he has a number of projects in the pipeline, including a memoir and fashion collection. In addition, Mario wants to venture into the world of jazz.
“I DM’d Swizz Beatz two months ago, because he has a label focusing on jazz music. I said, ‘Bro, let’s do a whole jazz album.’ It’s possible to try something new,” he explained. “You have to partner with the right people so it can translate.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Mario discussed how his relationship with his mother, who battled drug addiction and died in 2017, has informed his music, and the way in which he overcame mental health struggles in his twenties.
He also noted that he wants to explore his spirituality within his music.
“By the time I was 20 years old, I studied world religion and it gave me an understanding of how people felt about God as a whole. Then I asked myself, ‘What other artists did what I’m doing what I’m doing by becoming a mystic?’ Prince was a mystic. Earth, Wind & Fire were mystics. Mystics are open to understanding symbolism and God on a multi-dimensional level without disrespecting anybody’s religion. That’s what caused me to be more open in my music about understanding how God and life work,” the Let Me Love You hitmaker added.
