She and my grandfather had a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise, she was a bridal store owner, a jeans store owner, and a hair salon owner. She had a career in hospital administration. She and my grandfather eventually moved to Hercules. When she was in her early twenties, she moved to Oakland. She was born In Madison, Illinois and her parents were originally from Arkansas and Mississippi, respectively. Tell me a bit more about your grandmother’s life in Oakland. I think that’s a testament to the type of woman she was. Even in her last days, she forgot about everything else, but she never forgot about God.
Most importantly, I would say a God-fearing woman. I would say fashionista, entrepreneur, silly, kindhearted. What words do you think best describe your grandmother? We shot those with my family members at Sound Wave Studios in West Oakland and I think that took the video to another level. His encouraging me to include a performance is what led to getting those shots a couple of months later. He had all the footage from the actual service and hit me up a few weeks later saying that we should get performance shots. She loved everybody equally but she would call every grandson her favorite. Growing up in the household, there were probably four or five of us who consistently grew up around her. My grandmother has about 10 grandchildren. It’s an inside joke in our immediate family. Towards the end of the song “Granny Said,” you refer to yourself as your “granny’s favorite grandson.” Why are you your grandmother’s favorite? This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The Oaklandside spoke with Savoy about the process behind making the song & music video, his grandmother, and her influence on his life.
Isabelle passed away in April at the age of 74 and the video features video clips from her funeral. Savoy’s melancholic yet love-filled act of poetry would become the song “Granny Said,” which he released a music video for in late July. He lived with his grandmother for most of his life and decided that he wanted to write a song that would serve as a tribute to her and a cathartic release. “That was heavy on my heart in a lot of ways,” Savoy said in a recent interview. While he was working on the album, his grandmother Isabelle was living with Alzheimer’s. He also released his second full-length music project titled “King Diamond” in December of 2021. Savoy has since gone on to graduate from Howard University, start an equity cannabis business with his mother, and co-found an Oakland-based non-profit that organizes community activities such as group hikes, a book club, and toy and food giveaways. At the same time he was falling in love with hip-hop, his grandmother, Isabelle Payne-Brown, who lived with Savoy and his mom in the same home encouraged Savoy to pray with her and develop his sense of faith in a higher power. From there he was hooked on making music. When he was 11, his late uncle Gregory Savoy “G-Nut” Brown III had him rap his first lyrics in a studio. Bryce Savoy has been making music since he was a kid growing up in East Oakland.