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Victory Boyd Roc Nation, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Grammy Winning Music, “Just Like Heaven” & “Glory Hour” | Nick Egan Times
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Victory Boyd joins Nick Egan Times for an inspiring conversation about music, faith, songwriting, and her remarkable journey from performing on the streets of New York City to becoming a Grammy Award-winning artist and member of the Roc Nation family.
Known for her powerful voice and uplifting message, Victory Boyd has built a unique career blending gospel, soul, folk, blues, and contemporary music. Her authenticity and artistry have earned recognition across the industry, including collaborations with major artists and the support of Roc Nation founder Jay-Z.
In this episode, Victory discusses her breakout success, her creative process as a songwriter, the influence of faith on her music, and the story behind her single “Just Like Heaven” from her acclaimed project Glory Hour. She also reflects on her musical upbringing, performing with her family, overcoming challenges in the music industry, and staying true to her artistic vision.
The conversation explores songwriting, creativity, spirituality, artist development, the music business, independent thinking, and the importance of creating music with purpose and meaning.
A powerful and uplifting discussion with one of the most distinctive voices in modern music, whose journey continues to inspire audiences around the world.
Hi everyone, thanks to this episode in the Keegan Times. On this episode, we have the incredible Grammy Award-winning Rock Nation artist Victory. Victory has just dropped her amazing new song, just like heaven, from her upcoming highly anticipated new album, Glory Hour. The track showcases Victory's distinct and soulful vocals, bringing the full measure of the talent that blends gospel, blues, folk, pop, and soul musical styles. Just like in Heaven follows the breakout song El Shadai, which is more which has gathered more than 1.2 million Facebook views today. Welcome, Victory, and thanks for coming on the podcast.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for having me, Nick.
SPEAKER_01You're really welcome. How's it all been going over there?
SPEAKER_00My day is going really well, you know. Um just gearing up for this album release and trying to stay as paced as I possibly can because I know it's a marathon and not a sprint.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. And it's definitely really exciting. I could imagine the excitement that's building and the momentum behind it. So yeah, that's incredible. Been many years in the wonderful. All right, let's just jump straight into it. Take us back. Let's um tell me about what life was like growing up for yourself. Um, obviously, you come from a big family, and um, yeah, everything to relate to that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. So growing up, there was always music. Uh, there was always uh togetherness. You know, I have eight siblings and um, you know, our two parents. So we grew up on the west side of Detroit and and um in Michigan, and uh it was just a lot of music and a lot of, you know, we were homeschooled at the time, you know, when we were kids. So we were always, always, always together. And uh, and then and music was our livelihood. Um, pretty much ever since I could remember, we always uh were involved in music as for a living as a family, together as a family. So, you know, and and there was no um outside like school situation. So it was uh it was like we worked together, we learned together, and um and we grew together, you know, and uh definitely an interesting um upbringing. I thought that was normal because that was my normal. Um, but it it turned out to make some incredible human beings that are uh really gifted. So I'm glad to be in the number.
SPEAKER_01Sensational. And what does family mean to you?
SPEAKER_00You know, family to me is it's it's your roots. Without your family, it's hard to understand identity, you know what I mean? And uh because especially as as long as um, you know, my my life is very family oriented, so a lot of my identity was my family, and I've had to grow into a new identity as an individual. Um, and that's not to throw away um everything that my family means to me, um, but to step out and take initiative for who I am based off of what choices I make as opposed to the environment that I happen to be born in, if that makes sense. But it's uh it it definitely means a lot. Um you know, and it really to me it it mirrors uh an even an even greater dynamic of um uh the family, like a spiritual family, you know, like the family that you get to um choose and the family that you get to uh love for the rest of your life. It and and and the family that is God's family, you know, God as our father. And you know, so it's it's central to how the whole world goes around.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's that's great. I totally get what you're saying. I think um yeah, it's really great insights, and yeah, I definitely agree with you 100%. All right. Tell me about tell me about the um new album. Talk to me about that, and obviously the new song, um, just like headlined that you dropped. Tell me about all that and yeah, what that's gonna look like.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so so glory hour, it's inspired by the sunrise, you know, in the morning. I used to have the studio uh called The Secret Place, and uh it has these two ginormous eight-foot windows that overlook the skyline of New York City. And every day at 7 a.m. you go in there and it's dark, right? But at about 7:10, it starts to get lighter. 7:30, it's like the sun is just peeking over the buildings. By the time it's 7:45, the whole room is filled with glory, the glory of the sun. And by the time it's 8 a.m., it's like it's just full blown. And so to me, glory hour is the appointed time that darkness has to reckon with the glory of the sun. And when you see that happen, darkness is nowhere to be found, and not only is it nowhere to be found, but it's completely swallowed in intense radiance of the glory of the sun. And to me, this is a metaphor of the points of darkness in our life. Sometimes it's intensely dark, but I believe that if we simply just wait, we wait and we put our hope, we put our faith um in the greater power, which my experience is putting our hope and putting my hope and faith in Jesus and seeing that though it's dark right now, he's this too will pass as soon as he comes to redeem the time. And uh, and so my goal with this album is to inspire people to wait for glory hour. You know, you might be in a dark moment, you know, you see darkness all around in our society, in our schools, in our culture, and it can sometimes feel helpless and hopeless. Um, but I believe that our job is to wait with faith and hope for the appointed time when glory, the glory of the sun is going to swallow up darkness, and so um that's the whole inspiration of the album. And uh, and I want to encourage and inspire people to um to dare to believe and to dare to believe in Jesus. And if you don't have enough faith for that at the moment, then at least at the least dare to believe that things will get better.
SPEAKER_01That's extraordinary, and that's inspiring, even how you articulated that. Yeah, it's incredible. Thank you. Well, when you're writing the songs, what's the process like there? And I guess specifically obviously it touched on how you draw inspiration from the album. But when you're writing a song, where does that come from? And how how does I guess how do you get it? Like, how do you actually get the process of it?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so my process has evolved, you know. Um, when I first started writing songs, I was very particular about getting it right and getting the most well-crafted piece of music that I could possibly make. And so it was a lot of brainiac kind of things, a lot of like using my brain to crack the code and anything sloppy, anything, you know, I just can't have anything that's not pristine. That was my mindset. But but then I worked with Kanye and I saw that process where he leveraged a lot of humanity in its raw state, and just expressed it no matter how messy, no matter how uh much it doesn't make sense, no matter, even if it's just a few, even if it's just grunts and and moans or or seemingly gibberish, let it all out and then take it through a process of refinement after that. So my job on that team was to take raw um take the songs in their raw state of being and then craft the stories and lyrics and and narratives into that specific structure. And so that experience for me, where I was like writing every day, every day, like three songs a day, but I was never trusted with the freedom part because uh I was too scared to make something that wasn't perfect, you know what I mean? And Kanye's not scared of anything, so so like he's got the freedom part, and so what that showed me was several things. One is most people can't access the genius that is inside of them because they're too afraid of being rejected, they're too afraid of not being good enough, and so we all reach for the the version of ourself that is edited and good enough and you know ready for consumption. We don't want to be laughed at, we don't want to be, you know, ridiculed. Um, he doesn't care about that. So he got to express all these things that can only be found when in the in the messiness. Even even look at how babies are born. No baby is born in a cute, perfectly packaged context. It's always messy, it's always in the in the midst of just the rawness of our human experience in all pain and all. So, anyways, me seeing that process gave me the revelation that our you know the biggest thing in songwriting has got to be, you know, we gotta have a level of self-acceptance, um, regardless of if it makes sense or not, if it's cute, if it's packaged, right? And then just don't judge it before it comes out. Like let it come out, let it come out. And this led me to put language to this method of writing. I call it freedom writing. Well, when it's done by Christians, I call it freedom writing because there's a scripture that says, where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom, right? And so, but if you're not a Christian and you're doing this method of writing, I call it vessel writing. It's where you're uh you become a vessel to the spirit realm. It might not be uh the spirit of Jesus, but it might be another spirit. That's why a lot of people get high and they just act as a vessel and let whatever comes through from the spirit realm come through. They don't judge it, but then later they edit it. So most of these almost all the songs were written in this process of freedom writing where I partnered um with the spirit of Jesus specifically, and I just let everything flow through me. I might be playing guitar, I might be playing the piano, I let it flow through me, and then I edit it later. I try to make sense out of it later. So I have some recordings that are like 30 minutes long of just streams of consciousness, just like in heaven specifically. This recording that I did, I I didn't sit down, oh, I'm gonna write a song. No, I just was in prayer and worship, and I picked up my guitar, and I didn't have words. That wasn't words, was not what was in my spirit. I had I had a breath and a rhythm, and I started and I was rubbing my guitar, and the rubbing on the guitar had it had a rhythm too. I didn't I didn't know and I didn't need to know what I was doing. I just kept doing it, and my voice memo was running, and then I just kept going, going, going. Man, I played a piece of that voice memo to one of my producers, and he's like, that's the record. He took it and he sampled it and he sped it up, like you know what I mean, like, and then I crafted um different sections of that freedom writing and put specific lyrics that rhymed, and you know, I edited in a a tight rhyme pattern and a tight, you know, concept and narrative. Um, so that's like the the part two of taking the raw substance and then working it to make a song out of it. So many of the songs were created like that.
SPEAKER_01Wow, that's sensational. You just blew my mind, but that's um that's truly sensational. Wow. Um you touched on Kanye. Tell me what is he like into obviously you're very close to him. Um, what is the relationship like? And I guess, yeah, what what how did that evolve too? The relationship.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well, I wouldn't say that I'm close to him these days, but at the time, um uh it was a beautiful relationship, you know, in that I learned so much, and he really believed in me a lot. Um, I had never wrote raps before in my life, and he trusted me to write his raps. Like what? Uh I couldn't understand why. Um, but he believed that I was the best songwriter in the world, and I dared to agree with him and keep keep keep giving him the songs that you know I that his faith in me helped me it fueled me to show up and give a hundred percent in something that I'd never done before. And and um, and and I was able to find success in that. So he's like a he's like uh he's definitely a lot of people's big brother. He has an outrageous faith, and he's really sensitive to um people that um he's sensitive to people that are um that might find themselves being bullied or people that might find themselves being made fun of. Like he he he likes to be a defender, you know, and he's really got himself in a a lot of um complicated things with with you know the recent things that happened, and um I think sometimes uh the the challenge is uh uh when you operate so much out of your emotions as he does and and not out of your you don't put your brain back on, you just you just keep going from your emotions, from you know, um you can get into a lot of uh messy things. Um but I I think underneath it all is um you know someone who is fearless uh and is searching, searching to find what is the highest demonstration of um the highest demonstration of expression at times, uh and sometimes that can jeopardize the highest demonstration of love if if all you're about is expressing yourself in its highest form and no one can stop me. Uh that can that can get in the way of keeping love at at the top, you know what I mean? And I think that's kind of what we experienced. Uh but um but for me, you know, I want to maintain, I'll always have, I'll always love him. That broke my heart a lot, you know, what we witnessed, but um I'll never not love Kanye.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, cool. Thanks for sharing an explaining too. That's that's really nice. Actually, tell me too. You you obviously signed to Rock Nation label. That's that's incredible, truly, you know. Well done. Congratulations on that. What was that? You know, like that's that's once in a lifetime, I guess, experience so many people had, right? Um, what was that like with Jay-Z and yeah, everything relating to that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you know, um Jay and I, we've had a handful of interactions, though he was the one that signed me originally, and um he too demonstrated a lot of faith um in me. And um he he he was one of the first um influential people to not only validate my artistry um but to um put investment behind it. And so uh, you know, there's it's just it's it's a remarkable story, you know, and I think yes, definitely, you know, a fairy tale kind of story, a girl who's singing in Central Park for 10 years and with her family singing, and you know, and then out of all people in the world, Jay-Z is the one that you know gives me a record deal. So uh definitely it's it's I I I know it's something divinely orchestrated, and and I have a purpose at um Rock Nation. And even if even though we, you know, I've been signed there for about six years now, and you know, we've been through many ups and downs, but I I've I I feel like um it's more of a it's more about the long haul, you know. Their motto is greatness is a process. You know what I mean? So I'm on my process of greatness specifically with them in this relationship. And yeah, it's it's um I'm excited to see how we how things turn out.
SPEAKER_01Well, you're definitely on it. You know, your trajectory, your humility, you know, you're you're an amazing human being. I can just tell the vibe, just your attitude. It's it's incredible, it's sensational, truly. All right, let's take me back. Obviously, you had an accident too. How did that change your life? And I guess obviously the pain, which you know, uh sad. Well, how did that change you and when you endured it as a person?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. So that was about 10 years ago. I was 18, and it was it was this the summer of 2013, and you know, I had lived quite a bit of life up to that point, um, believe it or not. Um and But what was really exciting at that time was my future because I had just finished high school and um I just me and my siblings we just moved in with our with our dad. Our parents had separated, we went through all this crazy stuff, life stuff, and then we moved in with our dad, and and it was just like a fresh start, and I'm I'm I'm 18 years old and and uh I'm growing as a guitarist, as a singer, as a songwriter, and and I can be anything I want to be in this world. Um, you know, that was my vibe. And you know, being in the New York area, you don't really drive cars. Um, you take the train, you take the subway. Uh, but I was excited, even like as soon as I turned 18, I got a bicycle and um and I rode it everywhere. And and that also felt like freedom and coming of age. And then uh one day uh I just got in an accident on my bike and it could have I could have died, you know. Um so grateful that I didn't. Um, but what did happen was I uh I I lost everything that made me valuable, or so I thought, um, in a split second. Um my jaw was broken, uh my face was disfigured, I lost teeth, my arm was broken. So they had to wire my mouth shut, and they had to uh, you know, I couldn't play the guitar, they they bandaged up my arm. And so I couldn't during that time, like I I couldn't find the courage to call myself victory anymore because I didn't see a basis for why I could claim that as my identity. Uh I felt utterly defeated. Um uh I mean just think about it, the the jaws of victory were clenched shut. Like that it that says defeat more than anything. Um uh and so because of this intense darkness, uh and you know, literally my religion was shattered too. Everything I I thought I knew about Christianity, so like it didn't matter because it's like that's not strong enough to save me right now, right? I need I like all of the things I thought are not strong enough to save me at this point of darkness. But what happened was I needed a new revelation that was strong enough to meet me at this intense point of darkness, and I encountered a more intense revelation of the glory of God in that very intense reckoning with with darkness and pain and defeat and and all of that. And so uh what happened was I discovered for the first time in my life the whole point of a savior, which I thought I knew. I I grew up Christian, I I I thought I knew it, but no, the whole point of a savior was because God knew that I wouldn't be strong enough. There was going to be a moment when my victory would come to an end. And he knew that you know, this world, there's so much treachery that happens in this world, there's bound to be something that that that would that would injustly or anything's liable to happen in this world, you know what I mean, and so we might not be able to overcome the world, but that's why he came to overcome the world for us. He said, In this world, you will have many troubles. Jesus said this, but fear not, for I have overcome the world, and and what I learned was that you know, even if I'm not strong enough to overcome, that's okay. Even if I'm not strong enough to win, that's okay. Even if I'm not strong enough to be successful and climb up all these success mountains and ladders, and it's okay. He's strong enough, and he won the victory for me. He literally defeated death itself, went to the cross, died, rose again, because he knew that I wouldn't have the power to do that myself, and so that revelation came to me in that lowest place that oh my gosh, I can claim his victory, though I didn't earn it. He already been here, done this, and defeated this. And so what I did was I latched on to him and I claimed his victory as my own. And so since then, I've uh the the the basis on which I claim the basis on which I call myself victory is not because of how strong and victorious I am, but because of how strong and victorious he is. And I know that there's nothing that can triumph over his victory. Um, and as long as I just lay hold of what he's done, I will always and forever be able to uh claim claim this. And so, yeah, that's what happened in that accident.
SPEAKER_01Thanks for sharing. And you really articulated everything too um extremely well then. So yeah, it's incredible. Thank you for sharing that. Um what does success look like for you? Like what you obviously just touched on you know the measures of success and climbing and all these things. What is it, I guess, that yeah, that you know, really you uh measure yourself personally, I guess, to a level that would be success.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. For me, um my goal is um I have a few goals, you know. I want to be able to impact culture, not only with my voice, but to empower other artists to do the same. I think that our culture is very much dictated by the arts, by the songs that we meditate on and uh and by the things we watch on our screens, our televisions, our phones. Um and so we need a cultural revolution in the arts and entertainment industry. I think if we put more emphasis on arts and less we'll we'll have we'll we we won't have much work left to do by the time it gets to policy. You know what I mean? People always put all these billions of dollars into policy and fighting for their agendas and policy, but how much do you empower artists to uh to feed people's souls with with principles of love and principles of life and principles of justice and all of these things? Um, and so I want to just I want to see culture changed. Um, and I know uh I know that the arts and entertainment industry play a big role in that, and so I want to be a part of that revolution. Uh and to me, that's not a quick route, that's like a 50-year journey. I mean, if you look at hip hop, for example, look at where it is now and look at where it started, like when Jay-Z first started his career, you know, like it it had very little impact on culture, but now it's like a lot of the music that is consumed is hip-hop, you know what I mean? It's like it's it's influenced just about every culture, and so I want to see that kind of cultural revolution happen. Um, and I want to be a part of it, and I want to empower other artists, I want to, you know, so that to me is success, and it doesn't always look like running ahead and going to go, um, you know, just focusing on what's the best for me. Um, but sometimes it does. So, you know, I I'm I'm figuring it out step by step.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, cool, fantastic. What what inspires you, Daily?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you know, I'm inspired. Uh this might sound redundant, but I'm I'm inspired by by moments of glory, you know, like you could read a story like the story of Harriet Tubman, and you see all the darkness, all the injustice, you know, you see all of that, but but then you see that she defies it all. It's like defying gravity, it's like defying, you know, all the rules that say it's impossible, freedom is impossible. And then and then she just lays hold of a different um she believes differently, you know, and and and walks almost in another reality, uh, and and manifests freedom, the reality of freedom, until the her surroundings have to agree with it. You know, it that's a story of glory, you know. And um so I'm I'm continually inspired by uh different things like that, you know. It just points to this this truth that you know we don't have to just sit back and agree with what the world gives us, we can have a greater hope.
SPEAKER_01Tremendous. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? That I've ever received, hmm.
SPEAKER_00You know, I've received a lot of advice throughout my life, but there's this recent piece of advice I actually heard a pastor say, and he was saying not to focus on gaining influence, but rather focus on increasing in faithfulness, because if you stay faithful, everything else will follow, you know, and sometimes, especially, you know, when you when you have to have metrics and you have to uh measure up and you know you everything counts so that you can move the needle in your career, it's easy to slip into a mindset where you're chasing chasing influence, chasing success, quote unquote. But I think that pursuing faithfulness is a much more um it's a much more grounding pursuit. And uh, and the the return on it is is something that's that's much has much more of longevity effects. You know, I just want to wake up today and faithfully steward my inbox, faithfully steward every every interview, and every, you know, like that's just my goal. Faithfully steward my social media. And and and that's all I can do, you know. So that's that's some really wise advice for me recently.
SPEAKER_01Wonderful. Victory, thank you for coming on the podcast. I do appreciate it. I've really enjoyed interviewing. I think you're an amazing human being and everything you've done and what you're doing. And yeah, thank you for coming on.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. You're very welcome.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. Have a great day. You too.
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