Deb Antney & ‘Deb’s House’ Winner Audrey Lakel Talk Mentorship, Music, & Making R&B Magic [Exclusive]

After the Deb’s House season finale, the music mentor and her newest protégé sat down to reflect on the power of purpose, perseverance, and passing the torch in R&B.

Deb’s House began as a music competition created by veteran manager and industry powerhouse Deb Antney, the woman behind the early success of Nicki Minaj, Gucci Mane, and Waka Flocka Flame. Season 1 spotlighted hip hop, crowning Philadelphia rapper Rocky as its first champion.

For Season 2, Deb decided it was time for something different. The show traded bars for ballads, channeling the heart of rhythm and blues: a genre Deb proudly calls her first love. This time, contestants were pushed to master storytelling, tone, and emotional presence while surviving the same no-nonsense structure that defines Deb’s brand of artist development.

Now, BOSSIP’s very own, Lauryn Bass, chatted with Deb Antney and Season 2 winner Audrey Lakel, granddaughter of soul legend Loleatta Holloway, to talk about mentorship, growth, and what it means to carry a legacy into the future of R&B.

“It’s Not Just a TV Show, It’s Artist Development”

For Deb, Deb’s House has always been about more than television. It’s a test of character and a crash course in artistry.

“You have to create a map, and in that short period of time, that’s just a snippet of what you bring to the table,” she said. “Having a good team is very, very important because there’s no ‘I’ in team. There’s no one person that can bring one person into the game alone. It takes a team of people to do that.”

Audrey agreed, describing the experience as unpredictable, rigorous, and humbling.

“When you wake up in the morning, it’s not like, ‘Hey, you’re going to be doing this today,’” she explained. “You don’t know what the challenge is or who’s going home. I would have overthought it if I knew what was coming next, so I’m glad it was that way.”

Through those surprises, the series doubled as a masterclass in professionalism and adaptability. It was a full training ground where instinct mattered as much as talent.

A Sober House and a Serious Standard

While other reality shows thrive on chaos, Deb keeps her competition grounded, literally. Deb’s House is intentionally sober, a decision she says filters out distractions and forces contestants to rely on discipline rather than dependency.

“Watching reality TV and being a part of reality TV, you see people become other than themselves once they take that drink or they’re high off whatever it is,” Deb said. “We’re not doing that. I got to see how bad you really want this, and I can’t have somebody having a dependency like that.”

That clear-minded focus set the tone for a different kind of show — one that centered growth and groundedness over gimmicks.

R&B’s Revival: Why the Genre Still Matters

Deb’s pivot to R&B wasn’t just creative; it was personal.

“R&B fell off, and actually, R&B is my first love,” she said. “We need that love. We need that love in the air. R&B stands for rhythm and blues. It has nothing to do with how wet you are between your legs. We need that love element back in the air, not R&B becoming angry.”

Her mission was clear: to bring back the feeling that defined generations of soul — vulnerability, romance, and real storytelling.

Audrey echoed that sentiment, crediting her upbringing for grounding her artistry in musical integrity.

“My grandma did disco and pop, but she started off in the church,” she said. “Her mother, who was also named Audrey, had a huge choir in Chicago called the Holloway Community Singers. I grew up listening to Anita Baker, James Brown, that real blues, rhythm, and soul. That’s definitely what I incorporate in my music.”

Audrey Lakel: From Legacy to Leadership

Carrying her grandmother’s torch is a responsibility Audrey takes seriously.

“It’s such a cool thing to be able to pull up Apple Music and scroll through hours of her [Loleatta Holloway] songs,” she said. “They were speaking life into me and praying for me the whole time. I was definitely leaning on the parts of her that are inside of me to pull out my best.”

Since returning home, the singer has been busy writing and recording, balancing her coursework at Clayton State University with hours in the studio.

“I’ve been writing two to three songs a week just in the midst of my normal work and all the other things that I’m doing,” she shared. “That’s probably been the biggest change.”

Deb says that drive is exactly what made Audrey stand out.

“The one thing that stood out to me was watching her evolve into the butterfly she is,” Deb said. “She didn’t believe in herself at first. Her self-esteem wasn’t there, but I watched her grow.”

Advice and the Next Chapter

As Season 3 looms, Deb and Audrey both offered powerful advice for the next wave of contestants.

“Focus on yourself, period,” Deb said. “Be true to your craft. Know exactly what it is that you want. What’s your purpose here? What are you willing to sacrifice to get to the top? It’s not about who you know or how you look. It’s about who wants it the most.”

Audrey added that self-discovery and discipline are essential for longevity.

“I used to be somebody that smoked every day,” she admitted. “I started asking myself, if you’re saying this gift is from God but you feel like you need to smoke to deliver it, what are you actually giving the world? I’m not making music with streams in mind. I’m making music that’s coming to me naturally, and that’s why it feels so good right now.”

Deb closed by reminding everyone that for her, the show is only the beginning.

“The season’s not really over,” she said. “Next is her music. You’ll hear her music soon. It goes as far as she takes it. When you step into Deb’s House, you don’t just chase a title, you earn your sound,” Ms. Deb Antney said.

With Audrey Lakel carrying her grandmother’s torch into a new era of soul, Season 2 didn’t just revive R&B, it redefined it.