On Showing Pride in your Craft and Your Cultural Contributions

With Adam and Jerome Bell-Bastien, OneUp Duo

OneUp Duo is a Detroit-based pop/soul vocal combo composed of husbands Adam and Jerome Bell-Bastien. Together, they bring a fresh, palpable energy to the art of music.  So naturally they got picked up for Season 15 of NBC’s The Voice and made history as the show’s first ever same-sex duo.

Since performing on The Voice, OneUp Duo has traveled extensively across America and headlined various Pride Festivals, sang the National Anthem for the Brooklyn Nets and NY Yankees, and lit up stages as lead singers for ‘The Disco Nights,’ NYC’s premiere disco experience. Aside from their exceptional talents as a performance duo, they are the couple who you want invited to every single party you throw.

We talk about why collaboration and sharing the spotlight is so core to the way they approach music and business and also in their marriage. Jerome and Adam sparked a renewed sense of appreciation in me about what it means to work in partnership with another professional on a team, or with my partner in life (who, may I add, I am *not* going into business anytime soon). They truly enjoy the company of one another and admire the strengths in the other person – just like the potential of when a great team comes together to create magic. 

Their creative talents really do speak for themselves, but I just can’t tee up this episode without calling out the deeper intentionality and purpose of their work.

Folks, theirs is a love story.  And a powerful one at that.

Adam and Jerome aren’t shying away from the social issues that have plagued us all for way too long and that they as an interracial same-sex couple are uniquely positioned to address head on.

“Everything we do is a statement to show that this kind of love is valid, it’s real, it’s effective, and it can change people’s perceptions. And I think that is kind of our purpose to be together is just to show people, this thing that maybe a lot of folks have been judgmental or scared of, and show that it’s beautiful and real. And you can do great things with it.” Adam said. 

They are so comfortable in their own skin that you can’t help but be inspired to own yours too.

And while we could have talked for hours about personal life, we brought the conversation back to business and the opportunity to really take ownership of and pride in the place you work and live and play. They are so excited to be creating something innovative in Detroit. 

And to top it all off, they sing us out – so you aren’t going to want to miss it! Go ahead, listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Follow along with all the exciting happenings at www.oneupduo.com and on Instagram at @oneupduo.