AHHA: So they did try to Hip Hop you out. Rick: Well yeah. It came out in the [news]paper… what all record companies are trying to do is get a hit producer on each artist to help them sell. Stokley: The producer became the artist. AHHA: Do you feel that there are any themes or topics that haven’t been expressed in R&B or other types of Black music that you would like to explore? Stokley: One of the best love songs I’ve ever heard is Stevie Wonder’s ‘Isn’t She Lovely?’ about his daughter. When you talk about love songs people think it’s just that romantic adult love thing. But it would be cool to hear more about family, different dynamics of love. You got love for Hip-Hop – along those lines and things like that. Also I like narratives, when you’re talking about someone else’s perspective and you have a narrator for me. I think those things would be cool to hear, what we try to promote too from a male perspective is a real feeling about what men really go through. Sometimes you get a little vulnerable, sometimes you get scared and you wanna cry and how you kinda combat that is it turns to violence ‘cause you don’t wanna cry. These are real feelings, everybody goes through them – quit frontin’. AHHA: Is there any music that inspires you from today’s young artists? Rick: I like Van Hunt. AHHA: I think I broke the grooves off that CD I played it so much. Rick: We like artists that everyone else would hate. Everybody ain’t gonna be able to sing and dance and be the greatest, but they might have something else to offer. Stokley: I like Anthony Hamilton, Bilal, and 4th Avenue Jones. AHHA: You have outlasted other groups, have classic material and a loyal fanbase, yet you have no industry awards or recognition. How do you deal with this? Rick: You know what? When Stevie Wonder calls you, that’s a reward right there. Whitney Houston… when you hear Gladys Knight on Oprah and Oprah asks her, ‘If you were on a beach somewhere who would you like to have there to sing to you?’ and she said our name… We’re winning way more awards than a lot of other people. Stokley: Our whole thing is we don’t need any awards to validate us and tell us we’re good. Obviously anybody in this thing thinks that they’re good, otherwise they wouldn’t be doing it. We’re trying to acquire our talent, fertilize it and grow it up. Rick: If you think about some of the other artists that never got their due until 25 years later [like] James Brown, we have nothing to complain about. Stokley: Really to me, no disrespect to any other artists or anything, but the way they give so many things out it almost seems like it’s in some ways cheapened. So to me it doesn’t mean as much, but of course it’s extra gravy. It’s great if it happens, but really we find joy in our craft. What we do on stage and you get that back from the people. That’s what we’re trying to inspire some people to do. We do what we do and really make people feel good about themselves. AHHA: What’s the best song that you feel you’ve ever recorded? Stokley: I can’t answer that, all of them are special for different reasons. We recorded some stuff, we sang some stuff, we played some stuff live. All of them have a special uniqueness for me. A moment in time where certain things were inspired lyrically. It’s hard to do that, it’s real difficult. Rick: In the past, for me it probably be ‘So Fine’ or ’10 Million Strong’ off the top of my head. AHHA: Were there favorite recording sessions that you recall as being memorable? Stokley: Yeah. ‘Someone To Love’ being one of ‘em, ‘So Fine’ being one of ‘em. Some of Definition of a Band and From The Mint Factory. There was some originality going on with the kind of double drumming me and Chris ‘Daddy’ Dave did. A lot of the interludes, it was a special moment. A lot of energy in Flyte Time Studios going on at the time. AHHA: You did ‘Call My Name’ with Prince. How did that collaboration come about? Stokley: There was a local club in Minneapolis, and I was playing drums with this band every Wednesday, and we’ve played with people who have worked with Prince throughout the years. Prince came down one night, he was jamming, nodding his head and throwing hundred dollar bills at me. I was like, “I’m about to keep this, bro”. After that he was telling folks he wanted to work with us, and his assistant called us and told us to come up. Rick: Actually a friend of mine called me – I think I called Stoke and told him Prince was trying to get a hold of us. AHHA: How can you not be overwhelmed by that? I mean, you have to be cool on the outside, but inside aren’t you like, ‘Oh sh*t’? Stokley: He started so much, he’s the reason we’re doing what we do. If you just look at his whole legacy, he’s really a trailblazer. In music and in business he’s done stuff that nobody’s done. So it was incredible to have the opportunity to sit there and talk to him a couple of times. He’s a brilliant man at what he does, you can say whatever else about him, but the man is brilliant. To watch him work, the way he puts things together. AHHA: How much pressure do you guys feel to carry on the Minneapolis legacy? Rick: I’m not necessarily thinking about Minneapolis, I’m thinking about the band period. The Black band to carry the torch for the bands there, of course, but also Earth Wind & Fire, The Ohio Players, those kinds of people. People are […]

Do you know that Suge Knight is rumored to lift weights to Al Green everyday? Clearly, RZA, Kanye West, and even Ganja K have proven that Al Green is required in any producer’s listening exercises. In the privacy of cars and showers, we all mimic one of the greatest voices in musical history. With the resurgence of vocal sampling, Al Green’s significance to the sound of Hip-Hop may parallel to James Brown’s influence on percussion. These are not overstatements. Reverend Al Green is one of the only singers of yesteryear that still keeps up with his listeners’ high expectations in 2005. In the last three years, Reverend Green returned with a Soul album that rekindled his immaculate albums of the early 1970’s. Recently released, Everything’s OK is the second installment of love songs, croonings from a pained heart, and all else in between. AllHipHop.com Alternatives had the pleasure of discussing the new music, Hip-Hop, church, and love with Al Green. We even reminisced over the soul blueprint of its time: Green is Blues. The musical icon reflected with riddling, soft-spoken wisdom. It is with our greatest honor that we offer you some of Reverend Green’s jewels. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: You’ve got this song on the new album, “I Can Make Music”. In it, you discuss the direction of your music. I wanted to ask you about how that direction has changed since you joined Blue Note and came back to secular Soul. Al Green: Hmmm. I don’t know the answer to that question. That’s kinda hard. AHHA: Okay, well a lot of songwriters can write love songs, or lonely songs. Throughout your career, you’ve been able to masterfully write both kinds, and on the same album. What makes this possible, when so many can’t? Al Green: Definitely something magical happening, or something isentropic. AHHA: Well, you have one song on the album, “Be My Baby”. In one hand, it sounds like you’re affirming a love. In another, it sounds like you’re pleading for love from a woman. It works both ways. Al Green: That’s “Won’t you be my lady, won’t you be my baby, girl, won’t be my lady”? You tryin’ to figure out what zone I’m in? AHHA: I’m afraid so. Al Green: I’m like, I wish you were my baby. I’m asking you to be. I desire you to be. That’s where I’m at. Won’t you be my baby. AHHA: But there’s also serenades on there, there’s no desire needed. You do both so well. How are you able to keep it so authentic? Al Green: To keep it authentic, I don’t channel in anything. I let the song do what it does. I stopped taking it by the horns, making it do what I want it to do, because it may be wrong. So, I just let the song be what the song is. That gives the song freedom so that I can go up, I can go down, I can sing in front of the band, I can sing behind the band, I can sing with the band. [Lifelong producer] Willie [Mitchell] said, “He wants to run and buck and jump. We gonna take him out on the range, and take the blinders off of him, and let him run free. You got 10,000 acres to run on. You feel like runnin’?” On Everything’s OK, I might’ve overdid it a bit. But Willie said run, oh boy, I got busy sho’nuff. [laughs] AHHA: What makes you say you overdid it? Al Green: I said I could’ve overdone it. I don’t know. I’m very cautious of that. I don’t wanna get too much G in there ‘cause there’s also A,B,C,D,E,F. See, I don’t want G to cover everything. G is great big letter. The G stands for good, and a few other great and other notable names that I could mention. Therefore, sayin’ that it is seventh letter of the alphabet, and Al Green has seven letters in his name. When you put all that together, I don’t wanna overdo my little part. I’d rather for Him to have the glory and the benefit. I’m a smart businessman in reference to trying to write songs so that the secular market will go and buy it, so I can supply for my family and have a roof over they heads, go to school and stuff. But then again, there’s a double-meaning in all songs. I’m not talkin’ ‘bout some girl at “three o’clock in the morning,” [in “Love & Happiness”]. I’m not in the hotel at all. What I said in “Love & Happiness” was, “be good to me, and I’ll be good to you.” Everybody missed that part, they only heard “three o’clock in the morning.” That’s what they want to hear! I’ve learned to write for the secular market, but I have some hidden meanings in there for the real people who really know. AHHA: A master of metaphors? Al Green: A master of metaphors, there you go! I have many disguises, my friend. I come in lookin’ like Cinderfella, and I come back lookin’ like the wolf. You never know! [laughs] AHHA: Approaching this from a Hip-Hop side, you take a song like original “Simply Beautiful,” that really helped Jay-Z as well as made you accessible to young people. How do you feel about your legacy within Hip-Hop? Al Green: Man, I think with the Queen Latifah Hip-Hop version of “Simply Beautiful” that’s out there now, and doing so well – I think all the kids are doing wonderful. You have to remember this: those are our kids. Whether you like it or not, those are our children. My daughter is 22. If they cussin’, they ours. If they rappin’ in boom-bop-a-loo-bop, they ours. And if they sayin’ something positive and useful for the whole human race, they ours. I have to embrace what’s ours. In doing that, I have to embrace Snoop Dogg, Run-DMC, Nelly, Alicia Keys, Usher, Whitney, whatever. All of us come in […]

Frankly, today’s up-and-coming R&B divas seem to be cut from the same never-ending cloth. Their back-stories rarely differ from those of their peers, sticking mainly to either earning stripes as part of a group or through a co-sign from an industry heavyweight. Thankfully, newcomer Yara is far from typical. The 21-year-old singer/model sports a bio all her own. Born in Mozambique and raised in Australia, Yara brings an exotic flair to the game. Now a fulltime U.S. resident, her hopes of music stardom are facilitated by hunger akin to novice rappers. You can catch her name frequently throughout the career-igniting mixtape scene, offering personalized remixes to such radio favorites as Fabolous’ “Baby.” An ‘all Yara’ mixtape is being prepared for street-corner release, and, with major labels already expressing interest, her official debut album is also on the horizon. Utilizing mixtapes and a budding modeling career – fueled by appearances in FHM magazine and spokes model gigs overseas – as starting points, Yara’s track record thus far promises a bright future. In this formal introduction, AllHipHop.com Alternatives is granted a closer look at the vocally-inclined dime’s hustle through her own words. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: You’ve already experience success as a model. In what ways do you think the modeling can help you in the music industry? Yara: Well, it’s a great opportunity because a lot more people will see you and get to know you as a person rather than just an artist. Through acting or being a spokes model you can reach audiences that might not have access to you directly through music. Plus I think if it’s done well it could help increase the length of your career as an artist and show people your many talents. AHHA: We’ll get into the music in a minute, but let’s start off with your modeling career. Modeling brings a sense of sensuality, and there are some sexy pictures of you out there. How are you able to incorporate that sexiness into your music? Yara: All women like to feel sexy and desirable, so I have songs that reflect that. It might be a track about sharing an intimate moment with you somebody, or it might be a track about going out all done up with your girls and getting your game on like, ‘Look at me’. [laughs] So I guess that’s how I incorporate sexiness into my tracks. The tone in my voice helps a lot, too. AHHA: Being born overseas, how has that influenced your music? Yara: Being born in Mozambique and living in Australia had great influences on my music. I grew up listening to a lot of African music, predominately from Mozambique. I also listened to a lot of the great icons in R&B, like Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson. I love artists like The Beatles and the Rolling Stones too. I listened to pretty much everything. I think that because I have had so many influences I am able to break out of the stereotypical R&B cage. The formats for all these genres of music are very different and I’m incorporating them into one that reflects me. I think it has also helped me because all the music I do now is based in the U.S. and whenever I release new music I find out that they are playing it on the radio in different countries to support me. So, that is a good feeling. It has helped me to reach people in different countries around the world rather than just being known in a certain market. AHHA: When did you first take singing seriously? What moves did you make at first to pursue singing as a career? Yara: I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember, I even have a tape of me when I was like four years old singing in a choir and you can hear me just taking over. [laughs] But I never considered pursuing singing as a career until I finished high school, when I met some friends who introduced me to the music industry. I first started recording with a producer who saw a spark and thank god he did, ‘cause I don’t know what I would do without music. AHHA: How much of your material do you write? Yara: I haven’t done a song that I didn’t write. My current material is way better than what I used to write when I first started out, but you get better with practice and as time passes I have more to write about and can write with more conviction. AHHA: Everybody has different muses. Where do you draw most inspiration from when you write? Yara: Mostly relationships, as you will find in my music. I draw inspiration from various parts of my life, from childhood and growing up, experiences in relationships, to just everyday living, and of course, partying. AHHA: Not being with a major label yet, what have been the most difficult aspects of your career so far? Yara: Believing that people will do what they are supposed to do. Trust is a big thing in this industry. You have to be able to trust the people you work with or nothing will get done. I’m very luck Chris Dwyer [C.D. King Entertainment, Corp/Blueprint Records CEO] supports everything I do, and he has faith in me. I’ve been burnt many times along this real long road but it helped me realize what I want for my music and I’ve learned some good lessons too. A lot of the major labels have been showing interest so that helps to keep me focused and it motivates me to keep my music consistent. AHHA: What is the situation with your album? Yara: Well, before the album, there will be an official mixtape from me, which will have all new original tracks. It will be a change up from the remixes I have been doing on a lot of the mixtapes. Then comes the album. A lot of the details are still being […]

Ever since Mariah Carey’s first album dropped 15 years ago, her status in the public eye evolved from R&B Cinderella to Pop Princess as her career progressed. By 1999 she was the first artist to have a hit song in every single year of the ‘90’s. She sold millions of records and won two Grammys, eight American Music Awards, Billboard’s “Artist of the Decade” Award and the World Music Award for “World’s Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium”. Mariah entered into the new millennium with an $80 million dollar deal with Virgin Records – the biggest deal ever signed by an artist. Where does an artist go from there? For Mariah, it seemed as though it was all downhill. Within a year of landing her Virgin contract, her film Glitter was released and received some of the worst reviews in the history of film. She suffered some serious personal setbacks, and talks of her depression and suicidal feelings became fodder for the media and public. By 2002 she left Virgin and moved on to Island/Def Jam with her own label imprint to release her ninth album, Charmbracelet, picking up steam once again with multi-platinum sales. Even still, the public’s scornful eye seemed to continue to disregard her phenomenal successes and charity work, focusing instead on her short-term failures. After a hiatus, Mariah is back with a vengeance in 2005 with The Emancipation of Mimi, her tenth album, and most personal work to date. Recently, AllHipHop.com Alternatives had the opportunity to get friendly with Mimi, and find out more about her new direction in life. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: How would you describe the sound of your new album? Mariah: It’s more fun, party records. There are still those songs that can make you cry. I was on tour for a long time, and I’ve been to places like Russia. I’ve seen all these types of fans and I really experienced life on the road. I never really did a long tour before. It also got my voice in a place that really good in general. I would do a show, and then I would take like two days off. So I got a really good schedule, which was good for vocal rest – this may be hard for people to understand who aren’t singers. I really need to take care of my voice. So being on that tour really got my voice into a place where it was before I did my first album. It’s a great place to be. AHHA: Can you explain the meaning behind the name Mimi? Mariah: It was a nickname that… nobody called me Mariah. Only my mother or people who don’t know me call me that. Mariah has become a foreign name, and there’s a negative perception that comes with that. Basically The Emancipation of Mimi was the freeing of my mind and spirit. I told LA Reid the concept for the title, and he loved it. He was like, ‘I totally feel you as a person when I hear this album, as opposed to an over produced studio moment.’ AHHA: You mentioned [in the past] that you were depressed. Are you happier now? Mariah: Yeah. Nobody really asked me about that, because it is so played out and so misconstrued – honestly it is just like any other person having a bad day – but with me it was blown out of proportion. That is with everything we go through – it is apart of our journey of being human beings. I am grateful for every moment that I have been through; I am not mad or bitter about anything that I went through. I had to go through difficult times to get to this point in my life and career. The excitement around this record is genuine. Even on the record it was not anything that was forced on me – that is the cool thing about the record. This is the first glimpse into the album, and it is getting a really good response. I am at a better place because it is something I had to go through to find a better moment. AHHA: How do you feel about Def Jam? Have you discussed your plans with Jay-Z? Mariah: LA and I have been working together on this project from the beginning, so it has really been our thing, but now that Jay is there I will be able to bounce ideas off of him, because that would be something I would do even if he wasn’t president of the label. It is great that he is there; I believe that he and LA make a great team. AHHA: Why was your project pushed back? Mariah: I wrote four more records; I went to Atlanta to work with [Jermaine Dupri] because LA was like, “Why haven’t you worked with Jermaine already?’ Jermaine and I have been working together since “My Baby”, but now you can watch peoples’ careers grow and flourish. I am really happy to see people that love music in a powerful position, because even LA Reid was a producer. AHHA: What was the writing process with this album? Mariah: It was a good experience because I really got to stretch; I have been wanting to work with Kanye for a long time. We tried a couple of things previously and it never happened, but this time around it did. We did a record call “Stay The Night”, I got a beat from Traxter and did a song called “One And Only”. I saw Twista backstage at a show and I was telling him about the track, and he said that beat was supposed to be for him and he had written something for it, so we did a collaboration. I finally worked with Pharrell. I feel like he had me in a different arena from what I am used to chord-wise – he is very creative yet has a young sensibility. It was really different experience for me […]

Martin Luther King Jr. once said that ignoring Gandhi was our own risk. There is nothing wrong with taking a trip to the “Candy Shop” with 50 Cent, but ignoring young, educated and inspirational artists such as Nafeesa Monroe might be our biggest mistake. Without taking any credibility from other, more pop-oriented artists out there, this young lady delivers more of a message than many conscious Hip-Hop artists can fit in an entire album. Unfortunately, strong messages in art are often lost in today’s commercial world. Even Kanye West, who was definitely on the right path with his hit “Jesus Walks”, cheapened his message with lines like: “The way Kathy Lee needed Regis / That’s the way I need Jesus”. An actress and poet, Nafeesa has worked in the mainstream on The Jamie Foxx show and The Parkers but it is her independent work and her poetry that she is most passionate about. The word ‘poet’ does seem to have a stigma attached to it, and people who think poetry is not for them can miss out if they forget that two of the greatest poets in the world were Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. AllHipHop.com Alternatives spoke with Nafeesa Monroe about a variety of issues that concern us, from women’s roles in Hip-Hop to the war in Iraq. It is only when we speak, that we are free. AHHA: How did you get into poetry? Who inspires you? Nafeesa: As far as artistry and poetry, the first poet to inspire me was Lucille Clifton. When you read her work it appears plain and simple, she doesn’t use a lot of big words. But she has meaning and a lot of depth in her poetry. I used to think that I couldn’t be a poet because I didn’t know a lot of big words. I was like, ‘I’m not a poet; I don’t have the vocabulary for it.’ But she was the first person that showed me that it’s not about using big words but how you use your words, what you’re saying and why you’re saying it. AHHA: You talk about your childhood quite a bit and the difficulties that come with growing up half white and half Black. Is that an inspiration too? Nafeesa: My childhood is definitely an inspiration. Growing up of mixed ethnicity in an all white neighborhood with my white mother…for a lot of my life I thought I was white and I wanted to be white. Then there was a point where I realized that I wasn’t and that everybody else saw me differently than how I saw myself. And so there was a big struggle where I wasn’t accepted from the white people or the Black people. I was too much of the other for everybody. So I was always struggling to find that place to fit in. I didn’t find it for a really long time, then I went to college in Connecticut and I learned a lot more about being African American, and that’s also when I started to write poetry. Poetry is a place where I can be myself rather than someone else, which is what acting is. I think the first poem that people really related to was ‘Half Devil’. It was about a Black person calling a white person ‘devil’ and then they turned to me and said, ‘You’re only half devil’. I had a lot of people say thank you to me for saying what they were unable to say. AHHA: What’s your definition of Spoken Word? And how would explain it to people out there who are only now being exposed to it? Nafeesa: Although you can speak poetry, my definition of poetry is that it lives on the page. Spoken word is an art that must be spoken. I think it’s more tied to the tradition of African storytellers and I also believe that Hip-Hop came from spoken word. Hip-Hop was originally poetry. We get a lot of Hip-Hop heads that are listening to words that many not stand out have they been put over a really strong beat. Spoken word is more raw and anyone can be a great spoken word artist, in the sense that there is no one judging you. For example there is an Asian kid called Beausia. If you look at him he looks like your average Asian kid but he gets on stage and he says the most outrageous things that if he was rapping, noone would take him seriously. They would be like, ‘Oh he’s an Asian kid trying to be somebody…blah blah’. But spoken word allows him to be who he is and as crazy and wild as he wants to be. People take it as an expression of him rather than him trying to be something else. AHHA: How did you get into acting? Do you find it hard to get roles that align with your beliefs? Nafeesa: I’ve been acting since I was 11 years old so I grew up on the stage. There’s a weird part of me that feels home in a theatre than on the street or even in my house. When I came to L.A to do it professionally a few years back, I realized that there’s got to be a different passion behind it because if you’re here just to be a star it could be extremely difficult. I think what really keeps me going is telling the story in a different way. A girlfriend of mine, an actress named Kimberly Elise, said she wants to make sure that the stories of her ancestors are told properly and that’s one of the reasons that she acts. And I really identify with that. I think there is a certain healing that goes on through the art of film and television. Even some sitcoms that people think are really silly, but truth of the matter is, even laughter is a healer in its own rights. I attempt to be selective with my […]

You may not recognize his name, but producer Tony “CD” Kelly’s music might be the reason why you secretly signal the plane, row the boat, and practice the heel-toe before you hit the club. “Bookshelf” riddim “Deport Dem” and “Say Wooee”, are the hits he had a hand in that made Sean Paul and Tanto Metro & Devonte household names. Tony Kelly is also the man behind such Hip-Hop/Reggae collabos as “Top Shotta” from the Belly Soundtrack and Foxy Brown’s remake of the Wayne Wonder classic “Saddest Day.” And the list goes on: he produced nine joints on Patra’s 1993 debut album Queen of the Pack, Lady Saw’s “Nice It Up”, T.O.K.’s “Chi Chi Man”, Tanto Metro’s “Everyone Falls In Love”, and the Soca hit “Big Phat Fish” for Machel Montano. He was even on to Reggaeton before the Dancehall spin-off became an American phenomenon. His work has helped bring Jamaican music to the height of popularity – something Kelly attributes to a more professional approach than in earlier years, when Dancehall artists did not recognize the potential success to be found outside of Jamaica. AllHipHop.com Alternatives talked to Tony “CD” Kelly about his accomplishments and more. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: Back in 1996, there was a lot of music coming out of Jamaica that was heard in the US. Then over the last four of five years, American audiences have fallen back in love with Dancehall, which has created a lot of opportunity for the music to be heard. From the standpoint of a Jamaican producer or artist, how do you view that on again, off again relationship with the American public? Tony: That’s more like a behind the scene issue. I think the time you were talking about is more around ’93, when Shabba Ranks and Patra and Cobra and those people come in. And there was an insurgency of dancehall artists coming up here. But they weren’t organized. They didn’t have a level of professionalism behind them. They kept changing lawyers and kept changing managers. And the companies that were dealing with them got fed up with dealing with all the changes. AHHA: There also seems to have been a rise in collaborations between Hip-Hop/R&B artists and Reggae artists. Do you think the more professional approach is the reason for that as well? Tony: The opportunity was always there, it just wasn’t on a broad spectrum as the popularity that we’re getting now. You hear more about the duets with American artists and Jamaican artists. But it was always there. They were always doing collaborations. AHHA: Explain the whole concept of the “riddim.” When we hear four or five different songs on the same beat, is that produced by one person? Tony: Yes. 95-99% of the time it’s produced by one person. It derives from the base of this culture in the dancehall, that they call it the jugglin’. What they love to do is, they’ll play the riddim and they’ll juggle everything that’s on that riddim, or most of the things that’s on that riddim. It’s kind of a way of showing the talents of the artists. You hear one riddim, and several different people come with several different ideas. AHHA: You’ve been responsible for some of the most recognizable riddims that American audiences are familiar with. Is that something that you always wanted to do? Did you want to get that kind of crossover success? Tony: Definitely! When I started out I didn’t wanna just be a local Dancehall producer. You have to show growth in everything. So, my style is different from others. I’m more of an international Dancehall producer. I do stuff not just for Jamaica, but for the rest of the world. My style is more melodious, so you can really rap to my melodies. Instead of just hearing drum and bass, and then you couldn’t really understand what we’re saying on it. AHHA: How is Reggaeton viewed by the Reggae community, and how do you feel about it? Tony: I can’t speak for the community, ‘cause I didn’t really ask, I didn’t hear a vibe or anything negative or positive about it. But I know for myself, I will be working with a couple of Reggaeton artists in the future. I’ve been in talks with Daddy Yankee and his people, and we’re looking at doing a project together. We were talking about doing a song with Daddy Yankee and Shaggy. AHHA: How do you feel about the style? Obviously it’s not new: back in the day, El General used to remix a lot of dancehall songs by just translating the lyrics into Spanish… Tony: The first major one was the “Tu Pun Pun” one, right? AHHA: I think so… Tony: That was my song! I wrote that for the “P###### Tegereg” song for Little Lenny and El General re-did it – so I’ve been around Reggaeton for a while. I think it’s been said that I’m one of the guys that’s responsible for the Reggaeton sound. AHHA: Do you feel that way? Tony: Not really, but okay! [laughs] AHHA: But you do feel it’s a good thing? Tony: It’s a good thing. The only thing: when I get into it, I won’t be doing the same sound that’s in Reggaeton now, cuz somebody has to take it somebody has to take it somewhere else. I’m always one of those guys that wanna try something different. AHHA: You’ve recently received some accolades from the more mainstream side of the industry, with a “Best Reggae Album” Grammy nomination for Red Star Presents Def Jamaica and a BMI Urban Music Award for Sean Paul’s#### “Like Glue”. How did it feel to receive that kind of recognition? Tony: The Grammy wasn’t really me getting nominated ‘cause they revised the rules and they said that only the label executives could get that nomination. But I think they were gonna make a special case for me ‘cause I did so much work on that album. The BMI award [for […]

A lot has changed in the life of Dominican beauty Zoe Saldana. From her break-out role as the best friend of pop princess Britney Spears in Crossroads, to playing a sexy siren who got to slap the taste out of co-star Johnny Depp’s mouth in Pirates of the Caribbean, there is something about Zoe that makes audiences want more. Born in New Jersey, Zoe was raised first in Queens, New York then in the Dominican Republic, where she studied ballet and various forms of dance at the Espacio de Danza Academy before returning to the United States for high school. Her first major motion picture role was actually as a ballerina in the film Center Stage, followed by an appearance in Get Over It with Kirsten Dunst. She became a member of the New York theater group FACES, which performs skits directed at teenagers to open up conversation about drug abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault. All of her hard work began to pay off with more scripts being passed her way, and her role in the phenomenally successful film Drumline set Zoe firmly in the ranks of hot Hollywood ladies. Now starring in the new film Guess Who alongside the King Of Comedy, Bernie Mac, and the prince of Punk’d, Ashton Kutcher, Saldana is continuing her path of box office success. AllHipHop.com Alternatives got a chance to talk with Ms. Saldana about sex, love and what makes her tick. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: I got a chance to see you on Punk’d with Ashton. How did you feel, and was it before or after you shot Guess Who? Zoe: What was funny is, it was way after. We wrapped Guess Who last summer, and that was done a few months ago – so it took him that long to get me. AHHA: Well, at least we know you are a ride or die friend. Zoe: Yeah, [laughs] and what’s even more hilarious is that one of my guy friends called and said that I am his chick for life because of the way I reacted. AHHA: Yeah, it was serious. Now let’s talk about Guess Who. You play Teresa Jones, who falls in love with a white stock broker [played by Ashton Kutcher]. Was that a stretch from your actual dating life? Zoe: Not really, as far as dating someone who wasn’t Black or Spanish. Truthfully, I don’t look at someone for their color, because if they are a good person, they are a good person; that’s just how I was raised. So when I see a guy, I don’t think,’Wow, he’s a fine Black guy’ or whatever, I just think, ‘He’s a cool guy’. AHHA: How was it working with Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac? Was it hard to keep your composure? Zoe: It was great! They are so hilarious and such talented actors, I learned a lot from them. As far as keeping cool and not laughing my ass off, no I didn’t do a good job because they are just too funny. But I loved working with them, we had fun. AHHA: I hear that you teamed up with Orlando Bloom again for a new film called Haven. How was it working with him and what is Haven about? Zoe: Working with Orlando was great. I remember when we met on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean, we were just two kids happy to make it. Now we have grown a lot, both personally and industry-wise, so we met up and we’re like, ‘Let’s have lunch’. [laughs]. Haven to me is a great film, we are in the process now of looking for a studio to house the film. It’s about two people who are on this beach and they are there to just escape, you know, get away from everything in their everyday lives. AHHA: With a lot of Hip-Hop stars getting into acting, is there anyone that you would like to work with? Zoe: I would love to work with someone like Nas or Andre 3000, because Nas is so poetic with his rhymes and I feel he could really bring something to the art. But, I would really love to work with [Andre 3000], he is so fine.[laughs] I love the fact that he is so experimental [with his music] and it’s just something about him, I would work with him anytime. [laughs] AHHA: I hear that you are stepping into the producers chair by producing your first independent film, Dias Duesperte. How is it taking on the role? Zoe: It’s cool, but a lot of hard work. We are actually in the process of wrapping up the script, and I am flying to the Dominican Republic where the film will take place to do casting and all that stuff, so we can start filming hopefully this summer. AHHA: What is the movie about? Zoe: It’s about the children in the Dominican Republic who are starving and are very poverty stricken. It’s basically giving you an up close and personal look into what a day in their life is like. We ended up choosing to shoot the film in the Dominican Republic, because that is where both the director and I are from. AHHA: That’s pretty deep… Zoe: Yeah, it just shows that anyone can make a difference, but that celebrities need to use their money and star power to go towards something more than just shoes and things like that. I like shoes and things too, but instead of buying a $400 pair of shoes, buy a $150 pair and donate the rest, because there are kids out there who can really use a hot meal and warm clothes – and they need it way more than we do. AHHA: Are you planning on debuting your film at the PanAfrican Film Festival when it’s completed? Zoe: I would love to debut my film at an independent festival, but I really want it to debut on a major level. That way it can reach […]

Doing a double take on Thara? Can’t put your finger on how you know that face? Well, it could be a number of things, because this half-caste beauty has been in numerous videos, commercials and print ads. She is also the first lady of DJ Clue’s Desert Storm label, and with a bit of help from some famous label mates, Thara is about to be in your face a whole lot more. In less than two years, the 21-year-old has built quite a portfolio from Reebok ads and Verizon print ads [who have just renewed her] to video clips such as Jay-Z’s “Excuse Me Miss”, Chico Debarge’s “Home Alone”, and the Fat Joe and Thalia duet “I Want You”. But it was a chance meeting with DJ Clue that really got her musical career to a head start. Now with the mixtape scene buzzing and a feature on Fabolous’ new album , Thara is getting ready to step her game up with her own album, which will include a duet with John Legend, appearances from Joe Budden and Kanye West, and of course label mate Fabolous. AllHipHop.com Alternatives gets some insight on how this video vixen has made some serious moves. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: Tell us about your background. Thara: My dad is Indian. My mom is half Irish and half Black, but she thinks she’s Indian! She came from a broken home and embraced the Indian way of life. It’s a beautiful thing. AHHA: When did you start singing? Thara: I was singing for a long time, but I’ve been singing professionally for only two years now. I always sang on the side. I started playing the piano when I was two-and-half and I hated it. I played it till I was 12 and then I told my parents I wanted to start doing voice lessons. I was a straight-A student, and when I was 19 I got a full scholarship to Fordham University. When I got into school I went through a massive depression. I was miserable. The only thing I would get up for was to go to the city for auditions or to go to voice lessons. I started working at clubs in the city and meeting producers. I went back to singing and that’s where the doors started opening so easily for me. I’m a very big believer in the universe – the universe works with you when you’re on the right path. If you’re going in the wrong direction, it makes it that much harder. AHHA: Was it scary doing this full-time and dropping out of school? Did you ever say to yourself ‘What if I don’t make it’? Thara: Even if I fail at this it’s okay, as long as I gave it my 100%. But when I was at University I wasn’t booking jobs, I wasn’t succeeding in anything, and I wasn’t doing well at school either because I was half giving myself to everything. So I left school and I said to my parents give me six months – and exactly six months later I booked my first commercial. AHHA: Since then you’ve appeared in countless videos. Was it a concern for you that you would get that tag of being a ‘video girl’? How did you screen the parts so you weren’t shaking your booty on TV? Thara: Yeah, that was a big concern for me. The Jay-Z ‘Excuse Me Miss’ video was my first video. It got so much airplay and that was terrific for me. It was a groundbreaking video, because that was the time that Jay-Z was coming out all dressed up in suits. They told me it wasn’t going to be anything trashy so I didn’t have to worry. The people that I work with all know what I will and won’t do. They all know what my goal is [to be a serious artist]. So with the video thing, it was just the start of meeting the people that I needed to meet to be here today. You do get into really uncomfortable positions. For example I did a video a couple of weeks ago. They flew me to L.A to do a cameo. I walked in and the director sees me and then decides to use me for a whole bunch of scenes. So I get dressed for the part, they show him the Polaroids, and he decides that it’s not sexy enough and wants me to show more skin. But I didn’t want to. Now all the video girls are there looking at me like, ‘Why she buggin?’ I have no problem with being sexy, but it has to be classy. I also have a thing about videos. Everybody is going to see this, so you have to be even more careful in the video world. It was cool what they wanted me to wear but I wasn’t going to compromise myself. I worked too hard to get here to let one thing ruin it. AHHA: Did you get your cameo? Thara: Yes, I finally did! [Laughs] AHHA: How did you meet DJ Clue? Thara: I was doing the commercial for MTV 2 Sucker Free Sundays. I don’t like running up to people and handing them a CD – it puts them in an awkward position. I was sitting next to La La, and she asked me whether I sing. I said yes and then she started screaming to Clue. I was mortified! After the shoot, he comes over and asks me for a demo. I had a demo, but it’s not one of those that you actually give to people. Anyway, he took it and 10 minutes later my phone rang. It was Clue, and he actually liked it. After that Duro, Clue’s partner, called Jeremy, my producer – and the rest is history. AHHA: What was the sound like on the demo? Has it changed? Thara: It’s evolved. It’s still very much what it was. My voice has evolved – I’ve gotten […]

By now you have probably heard “Country Boy” on the radio or have seen the video, which has been in BET’s 106 and Park Top 10 Countdown for the past few weeks. The sudden buzz has many people wondering: “Who is this girl Tyra?” The Virginia native has managed to land a nationwide hit with “Country Boy”, all without the backing of any major label push. Signed to the newly formed independent label GG&L Music, the modest 19-year-old speaks firmly about her love for a Southern brotha from around the way. Tyra has made music her top priority, and she has managed to find the kind of success that many up and coming artists only dream of. In the midst of putting the finishing touches on her debut album, and still grasping the whole notion of overnight success, Tyra took time to talk with AllHipHop.com Alternatives to tell us how it all came about. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: How does it feel to be 19 with a hit single? Tyra: It feels incredible. I’m really excited that it’s happening so fast and being so young it gives me the chance to see a lot of things. AHHA: How have your friends and family reacted to your recent success? Tyra: They’re both real proud, especially my parents. They love to watch my video on 106 and Park. Everybody’s proud, and I’m happy that I have been able to make them proud. AHHA: What was it like the first time you saw your video on 106 and Park? Tyra: I was all smiles of course. Just the fact that I was Number 10, I was like wow…It was really a good day for me. AHHA: For a while people heard your single, but didn’t know who you were. You were kind of this mystery girl, while some artists choose to evolve on the coat tails of other artists or producers that are hot. What made you decide to come out on your own? Tyra: Actually I didn’t know that “Country Boy” would be my first single. It actually just kind of happened. I wrote the song about a year ago. Danja Mowf out of Virginia, who produced the track for me, had connections with GG&L Music and took them my demo, and they were feeling the song. Then they saw my performance tape, and before I knew it, a month or two later they were sending me a contract, and a week after that I was hearing my song on the radio. It happened real fast for me. They pretty much made the decision as to what my first singe would be. They were feeling “Country Boy” and had confidence in it so they put it out there. AHHA: When you were younger you were part of a group called Kraze. What was that experience like? Tyra: In the group was me, my older sister Toya and a close friend of ours. My parents were our managers. I started writing music when I was about nine years old as a hobby, but then things got kind of serious. We hit the stage, and people were responding to us. We were together for about a good six years and opened for acts like Immature and The O’Jays, and met a lot of people. Then when I turned 15 they both went off to college and decided that they didn’t want to do it anymore, so I went solo. I then developed my own style, did what I did, and now I’m here. AHHA: So what is about a country boy that made you want to write a song? Tyra: Country boys are kind of unique. It’s just something about them. You might think you see it everyday but the 24’s, the dreads, the corn rows, the accent – the “shawty”, the “cuz” – the things that they say and do… They just have a different style, and I just appreciate it and think it’s sexy. AHHA: Have you dated other guys that weren’t from the South and it wasn’t quite the same? Tyra: Well no, I love men from the Midwest, Westcoast, etcetera, and I think all of them have something special too, but I’m from down south so I am just giving tribute to the guys that I see everyday. I haven’t had a chance to really explore the whole world; I still have things to look forward to because I’m only 19. AHHA: At first did some people get you confused with the model Tyra Banks? Tyra: Yes. I had no problems with it though; I just knew I had to get out there and get some exposure so people could see my face and know that there was another Tyra. Even to this day though, people are still like, ‘Is that Tyra Banks?’ AHHA: Now that you’ve gotten a record deal, what’s been your biggest purchase so far? Tyra: I really haven’t purchased anything big. I just been chilling, buying clothes and trying to manage my money right. I’m trying to be smart about everything. I just want to make sure everything goes right and pay my taxes. I don’t want to mess up, so I’m being cool about everything. AHHA: What can people expect from your album? Tyra: My album is called Introducing Tyra. I worked with a lot of people on it from Rapheal Saddiq, Eric Sermon, and Keith Sweat to Mike City, Platinum Brothers, and Sanchez, who did the remix for “Country Boy” with Chingy and Trillville. I’m almost done with my album and it should drop around May. AHHA: In your video for “Country Boy” you did a lot of dancing. Can we expect to see more of that side of you? Tyra: Oh yeah, I love to dance. I’m really kind of a [B-girl]. I love to do a lot of poppin’ and lockin’, but you really didn’t get to see that in my video. It was a one day shoot and we tried to get it […]

Amerie is no diva. She’s perfectly fine doing her own laundry, she loves being the underdog, and she doesn’t understand people with identity issues. While some may have trouble connecting with their different races, she insists that she has always been secure with herself. And though the 25-year-old singer remains slightly under the radar in the music industry, it’s exactly where she wants to be. As evidenced by her striking facial features, her mother is Korean. Her father is Black and a lifelong military member, so Amerie jumped from base to base as a child before settling in Virginia and earning an English and Fine Arts degree from Washington, D.C.’s prestigious Georgetown University. When her powerful soprano crept up on us with her debut “Why Don’t We Fall in Love” in the summer of 2002, she seemed innocent. But any notions of her as a round-the-way girl can be thrown out after her sophomore release, Touch. Without stripping off extra layers of clothing in the name of album sales, Amerie is revealing a bit more of herself this time around. Here, the understatedly sexy songstress chats with AllHipHop.com Alternatives about identity, change, and fitting in. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: I want to talk about your Korean background. I’m sure you get those annoying “What are you” questions all the time, right? Amerie: Sometimes, but it’s not annoying though. AHHA: Were you prepared for people asking about your heritage? Amerie: Yeah, because I mean, when I see people sometimes I ask that question, too. I think it’s just an interesting thing. Sometimes you see someone and you can’t really pinpoint exactly what they may be as far as ethnically. It’s cool, but I was also always fascinated with genetics when I was younger. AHHA: But are people still ignorant sometimes, do you deal with offensive comments? Amerie: No, I think these days, people are used to different mixes and stuff, so they don’t really. I can’t really say I get any ignorant stuff. Not since I was a little kid. AHHA: How connected are you to your Korean background? Amerie: Well, my mother, she’s from Korea, so we definitely had a lot of the culture in the house and the food. And then her friends would come over, so we pretty much had it good. [Korean] was my first language, but I kind of forgot it because she was afraid I wouldn’t learn how to speak English, so she stopped speaking Korean to me. But then I took it in college and I started taking some classes to help me out. AHHA: Did you ever have identity issues growing up where you were either confused or frustrated about who you were? No, actually I never understand that one. When people who come from mixed backgrounds say that, I don’t get it because from my experience, people are very open and understanding of whatever it is that your heritage is, and also with being Black, everyone’s either Indian [or] something in their family. I mean, who doesn’t know someone who’s mixed Black or white. I see it sometimes when I’m reading about it and [people are] like, ‘Oh, I didn’t belong.’ I don’t want to say they’re making it up, but half the time I think maybe they just had some issues. They’re over-blowing things because when you’re a kid, people will take whatever it is that makes you different and blow it out of proportion. So it’s kind of weird. I think sometimes it can be an issue. Of course, there are some things that will come up sometimes, like people not being sensitive to it or saying, “What if you had to choose” and not understanding that you wouldn’t choose one ‘cause you are both and that is what makes you, you. And there were sometimes, you’d have issues with girls ‘cause they’d basically be hating ‘cause they would think that you have issues. They would think that you’re stuck up because you’re mixed, but you might not have that attitude. I wouldn’t say that there weren’t some girls who weren’t like that, but I guess [people] would just assume that everybody’s like that. So there would be issues sometimes, but for the most part, I think it wasn’t really anything that any kid doesn’t goes through. Some kids go through it with their name. Other kids are taller or skinnier than others. It’s just part of being a kid and growing up. AHHA: Were you always this comfortable in your skin? Amerie: Yeah. AHHA: Where were you born? Amerie: In Massachusetts. AHHA: And since you moved around so much with your father being in the military, is there anyplace you call home? Amerie: Well, D.C. is always home, but I’m in Jersey now. I always feel like I can make my home wherever I am. I think that’s the best thing about being comfortable, you have to make your home wherever you are. But D.C. is always home as well. When I go back there, it always brings back so many memories. AHHA: While you were at Georgetown, were you focused on singing or just getting your degree? Amerie: I definitely was trying to pursue a career with music and everything, but I also definitely knew that I needed to get my degree. AHHA: And when, if ever, does your degree in English and Fine Arts come in handy? Amerie: I wouldn’t say that about any of my degrees themselves. It was more of the whole experience with being in college, doing my own thing and being responsible for myself that came in handy just because in music and everything, you really have to be responsible for so many things. I think it’s a great training ground, college, as well as being from a military family. That helped a lot because you learn a lot about people. You learn about traveling around a lot. AHHA: I noticed that a couple of other artists, like Ciara, said that growing up in a […]

AHHA: A lot of female singers tend to get more revealing with their image after their first album. Is that something you think you’ve done or do you think you’ve kept a pretty clean image? Amerie: Well, I think definitely [my image] has gotten a little sexier. As far as with short shorts, that hasn’t changed because that was something I was doing already, but I think it’s a natural progression. I think as artists become more comfortable, they’re more free with their bodies and stuff to be more revealing. I think that just happens because women, we just kind of like to be sexy. I don’t really know many women who say [they] don’t want to be sexy, but being sexy is not only defined by what you’re wearing, it’s a whole state of being. But, for me, I definitely wanted to talk about more things that I didn’t talk about last time, like the sexual aspects of myself as it relates to relationships on this album, so that changed. Image wise, as far as with clothes in particular, I can’t really say it’s gotten flashier. I think just what I’m doing is a little different, like the dancing and stuff like that. I think it’s a little more assertive, but that’s just because I feel more confident now. It was like four and a half years ago when I started doing the last album, so from 22 to 25 is a big difference. AHHA: Right, ladies can be sexy without being trashy, though. Amerie: Oh definitely. But then I always think, hey, there always has to be variety, so somebody’s gotta be out there wearing no clothes. It keeps it interesting. And then there should be some people who like to cover it up. It just keeps the variety. They say variety is the spice of life. AHHA: Your album title Touch implies a more intimate side of yourself. Can you talk about what personal subjects you touch upon on this record? Amerie: Well, the title track “Touch” is very personal. The hook to that song is actually, “Don’t be afraid to touch/I know you think I’m a good girl.” And I wrote that in response to the perception that people had of me….They say, “I always thought your vibe was very round-the-way, cute, nice, goodie-goodie.” And I’m like, really, that’s so funny because I am a good girl, I think, but that’s so just the surface. It’s very like, the tip of the iceberg. But I also realized that that’s what I had given, so that’s why people saw that. And I was like, okay that’s cool that they’re getting to know me a little bit. So this time I want people to get to know me even more. I want to reveal even more, so lyrically, I’m talking about a guy [on “Touch”] who needs to get his act together. I didn’t have any kind of “I-got-an-attitude” songs on the last album, but this time I wanted people to know, don’t be afraid to go there with me because you think I have this goodie-goodie thing going on. I am a good girl, but if you get to know me and you’re allowed to get to know me more and we get in that area, you get to see different layers. Didn’t Shrek say people have layers? [Laughs] I think that’s true. AHHA: So you think you’ve been misunderstood? Amerie: Not misunderstood completely. I think it’s that people saw one facet of me, but there’s just more to it than that. AHHA: Do you ever find time to relax, like what do you do on a Sunday morning? Amerie: I love cleaning up around the house. I love that because you’re always in, out, in, out, and you don’t really get a chance to clean up, do laundry. And I’m a Capricorn. I’m a very a### personality. I mean, aside from my business stuff, which I’m really a### about too, I’m a### about my home as well, so I don’t let anyone do my laundry. That’s something that I have to do on my own. I don’t like to let the hotel people do my laundry. I know how I like to separate my loads [laughs] and all that stuff. I really enjoy those times. I’m also addicted to the game “The Sims” right now. AHHA: Wow, really? Amerie: I’m so addicted to it right now [Laughs] It’s like a sickness for real. AHHA: I’ve heard you describe your new song “1 Thing” as go-go. For people who are not familiar with the term, can you describe the song’s style? Amerie: Well, go-go is pretty much a lot of drums, almost kind of like, Congo and mamba drums, cowbells. Some people liken it to pots and pans, but it has a very distinctive sound. It’s very live drum and it’s very beat-oriented. And it’s really pretty much just D.C., Virginia, Maryland. People hear it in other places too sometimes, but it’ll usually be some tape or somebody they know from the area that brought it there. I thought it [would be] really cool for people to hear it because most people don’t get a chance to hear that and they’re very unfamiliar with it. But the people in the D.C. area have already heard it for years and years and years. AHHA: There’s a lot of remixes for the song, too. Amerie: Oh yeah. Eve and I just did the video, which was really great because she’s a fearless female. She’s really independent, so strong. I thought it was hot to have both of us together. And I think it’s been a minute since anyone’s seen anybody with a female rapper, as far as R&B. I know [Eve] and Gwen [Stefani] did their thing. Another remix I really like is the Fabolous remix. AHHA: Is that one official? Amerie: No, it’s not. There are a lot of them out there. [Laughs] But Fabolous did his thing. […]

The streets fell in love with Frankie J when he laced the hook of Baby Bash’s huge summer hit of 2003 “Suga Suga”. After completing high school in his hometown of San Diego, the Mexican-born crooner got his shot in the music business as lead singer for the successful group Kumbia Kings, and has since been developing his own sound and style on the solo tip. Now releasing his fourth studio album The One, he is here to show and prove that he is more than looks and hooks. AllHipHop.com Alternatives got a chance to sit down with Frankie J during his stop in Philadelphia to discuss his road to stardom. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: For those who don’t know, how did you get started in music? Frankie J: I have always loved music. I grew up listening to a lot of greats but I loved music by people like what George Leman and Sweet Sensation Girls were putting out. Eventually my brother started to introduce me to his friends who were really big in the clubs, and I actually got started professionally when I was like 12 or 13 years old. I was really involved with people who were in the industry, and ended up signing with a Canadian record label, and I started doing a lot of the dance music I heard in the club. After that I started doing performances and started bringing down artists, and that’s basically how I got started. AHHA: How did you end up signing to Columbia? Frankie J: Initially I was a lead singer of this group called the Kumbia Kings for like three years, which consisted of like eight members and one of the members of the group was actually Selena’s brother, [A.B.] Quintanilla. One day he heard me sing, and he just brought me into the group and I started touring with the guys. Eventually I knew that I would want to go off and do my own thing, so I started writing my own songs and stuff while I was on tour, so I could start getting some type of feedback to see if I could do the whole solo thing. When I left the group my single “Don’t Want To Try” got leaked out and my manager helped me get it to radio and see if it would get spins and the song blew up. Eventually Columbia got a hold of the record and basically it was a big bidding war between a lot of major labels for the song, but I finally ended up signing with Columbia because it was the best deal in my interest. So it worked out really well. AHHA: So who are some producers you are working with on the album? I know you teamed up with Irv Gotti and Mario Winans, and I also heard that you teamed back up with Happy Perez who did “Suga Suga”. Frankie J: Yeah, I teamed up with Happy because we had such an awesome chemistry when we did “Suga Suga” that I had to go back. So we teamed up to do “Obsession”, the first single off the album. Actually Happy, Baby Bash and I all teamed up to do the single, because we wanted to see if we could re-create the magic we had with “Suga, Suga” and I think that we did because the single is hot. AHHA: What would you say is the difference between The One and your previous album? Frankie J: This album is definitely more mature and it’s more of what I wanted to accomplish with the urban and R&B feel that it has to it. I got a chance to work with Mario Winans, Irv Gotti and Brian Cox. I really got a chance to work with a lot of people I didn’t get a chance to work with on my previous albums. All my fans who listen to this album will definitely see and hear the difference, because it’s produced a lot better and the songs are just incredible this time around. AHHA: Speaking of being more mature, your first single “Obsession (No Es Amor)”, is hot and the video definitely captures how racy the song is. How was it working with the director and Vida Guerra as your love interest? Frankie J: The director, Gil Green, was very professional. What he really wanted to do with the song is bring it to life and that is what he did. The song is about a guy being obsessed with a girl, he’s been seeing her for quite awhile and he thinks it’s love. But, at the same time, he knows it’s dangerous for him because she’s playing mind tricks on him, and that’s exactly what the video captures. As far as working with Vida, she is incredible, very professional and we became really good friends. To be honest with you, I was the one out of everyone that was the nervous wreck because I had never done a video like that before. I had never been in a tub with a girl, in a video that is. [laughs] You know everything we were doing was different, but I liked it. AHHA: What was the toughest for you when you were shooting the video? Frankie J: That fact that I was in the back of a car and there was like forty people watching us and cheering telling me to kiss her. [laughs] I mean we can’t escape the fact that she is Vida Guerra, the FHM model of the year, so everyone was really watching and cheering. But overall I liked it and I’m glad we found her and that she fit the part, because she truly is amazing. AHHA: What is the concept behind The One? Frankie J: I really think that this record is the one that will take everything to the next level. I wanted to work with different people and just get a different feel and different vibe from the first album. I wanted to […]

R&B vocalists tend to come and go swiftly, while Hip-Hop pays little regard to what abyss the singer eventually falls. Such is the case with Olivia, who caught our attention with her popular debut single “Bizounce”, then virtually vanished from the scene. As the first artist signed to Clive Davis’ nascent J Records, the Brooklyn native found herself at the mercy of label executives, who were uncertain of her position in the R&B world. Despite the setbacks with her first deal, and hoping to finally display her true colors, Olivia has plunged into the arms of 50 Cent’s all-male G-Unit squadron as the first and only lady, and sole singer in the crew. Amidst lyrical warfare between 50 Cent and the world, and growing internal beef within G-Unit, Olivia talks with AllHipHop.com Alternatives about her Jamaican heritage, new career moves, and her work with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, whom she lovingly refers to as “Fif”. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: First off, I read somewhere that you were born in 1971, which would make you 34 years old. That sounds very incorrect. Olivia: Who told you that? [laughs] It’s 1981. See, somebody had told me that one before too, and I was like, where did they get that information from. AHHA: It was somewhere on the Internet… Olivia: That’s funny. You was like, ‘hmm, that’s not right.’ [laughing] AHHA: Yeah, so I had to ask. After your first single, it seemed to fans like you disappeared. What exactly happened with that situation with J Records? Olivia: Well, I was the very first artist signed to J Records, and I think what it was, I was the experimental one, so nobody knew which direction they wanted to put me in. And since I was a brand new artist, they didn’t think I knew which direction I should go, so I had to actually listen to what the company wanted me to do. They just really didn’t know what to do with me, is what it was. But I’m glad for the experience, I’m not hurt or ashamed or anything like that. It was a learning experience for me, and now I’m in a much, much better place. And, you know, everything happens for a reason, you gotta go through something to take you to another era in your life anyway. AHHA: But then, when people heard you were signed to G-Unit, they were really surprised. Olivia: I think it’s great. Like Fif [50 Cent] said, I’m here to diversify the perception of G-Unit ‘cause it is all men. Now, I can speak from the women’s perspective, and I think most people want to see me back. Everywhere, I’ve been, they’ve been real excited and happy that I’m on another label, and they wanna see what’s gon’ be next for me and how my music is now, because it’s nothing like what it was on J Records. Like I said, I was doing what they wanted me to do. So now everybody will actually see what the real Olivia is this time ‘cause Fif just let me go out and do my thing. He just got me the best producers, and I wrote all the music on the album. I only didn’t write two songs on this album, and I’m just real excited. I’m just real happy, and I can’t wait to see what the public thinks of me. AHHA: Were you able to work with Eminem or Dr. Dre in the studio? Olivia: Well, Dre produced a record. Of course, Fif is on a song, Banks is on a song; Buck and Yayo are on there too. I had a lot of producers on there. I had new producers called The Movement, out of L.A, they’re really hot. AHHA: People want to know how exactly you hooked up with G-Unit. Olivia: I was dropped from J [Records], and I was actually signed by Interscope. And Fif had heard my music while I was at Interscope, and he had called me up and said, ‘I heard your stuff, and I really think it’s hot, and I want you to be the first lady of G-Unit.’ So I took probably like a day, and I called him back and I told him, ‘yeah I’m ready, let’s do this.’ So that’s how I came on G-Unit. AHHA: What are your thoughts on all the controversy surrounding Game and 50 Cent? Olivia: People are always gonna start rumors, I think, regardless of any situation, just so that people in your camp can be torn apart, just ‘cause they see how hot everybody is. So I just think, it’s a jealousy factor and everybody just starts rumors. Everybody’s fine in the crew. AHHA: So do you try to stay away from all the beef that surrounds them? Olivia: Yeah, I stay neutral. I have nothing to do with it. I’m a girl, I don’t wanna beef. I just wanna get dressed, go do my show, and support my crew. But Im’a support 50 no matter what he does. I don’t think he’s wrong in any step that he makes ‘cause he doesn’t just do things. People think he just does things, people come at him first, so Im’a support him in whatever he does, regardless. AHHA: Your background is pretty mixed—Indian, Cuban, and Jamaican. Can you talk about how you were raised? Olivia: Yeah, I was actually born in Brooklyn, in Flatbush, East 49th, and I actually went to Jamaica while I was still a newborn. I went to school in Jamaica until I was around eight years old, and that’s when I came here, and moved to Queens. So, I been here since I was eight. I always had a good childhood. My parents been together for over 30 years, so they raised me well. I think that’s why I got such good morals right now. AHHA: So you connect more with your Jamaican side than the other nationalities [Indian and Cuban]? Olivia: Yeah, more of the […]

Just a few summers ago, it seemed as though Americans had traded in their red, white and blue for green, yellow and black. Dancehall music was quickly storming up the charts with the likes of Sean Paul leading the charge in the mainstream. Naturally, it wouldn’t take long for America and the rest of the world to start exploring the other musical styles that the Caribbean had to offer. In 2004, Kevin Lyttle was bringing Soca music to the masses with his single “Turn Me On”, and around the same time, Raga-Soca artist Rupee was preparing his debut album on Atlantic Records. Though the native Barbadian is new to listeners at large, Rupert Clarke is definitely no stranger to the music business. He had his first international hit single back in 1995, and already has several albums under his belt. His first single in the U.S., “Tempted to Touch”, has steadily been on the rise in radio and clubs across the country, but why would he have the urge to sign with Atlantic if he already had a successful career? He recently took the time to speak to AllHipHop.com Alternatives about his decision. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: Let’s talk about the success of your latest single, “Tempted to Touch”. Rupee: [It’s] unbelievable when I really think about it. It’s doing amazing things across the globe, and it still continues to be doing amazing things. And it all started here on this small little island of Barbados, and now we’re on the Billboard charts and it crossed over to the Billboard Top 100. We’ve gone as high as 34, I believe. It’s still fluctuating, but it’s still in the Top 100. On the top R&B single charts, we went as high as 24. AHHA: Congratulations. That’s a good way to start off the New Year, right? Rupee: Definitely. The commercial single was just recently released, and it actually was the greatest gainer in sales on the Top 100 R&B chart. AHHA: Do you think that the success of Dancehall here in the U.S. opened the door for Soca music to step in? Rupee: Yeah man, definitely. That resurgence of dancehall music via Sean Paul, specifically, and subsequently Elephant Man and Wayne Wonder, definitely opened the doors to Kevin Lyttle because the eyes of the industry overseas were really focused on the Caribbean around that time. Lyttle’s “Turn Me On,” opened the doors for Soca music and Raga-Soca. I know that chain of events definitely allowed me to benefit. AHHA: Explain to us the difference between Soca and Raga-Soca. Rupee: Well, if you basically were just to say the word Soca, that definitely would send out a vibe of faster paced music. With Soca music, the BPM’s go well over 150 to 170 beats per minute. Soca is definitely a lot faster. The subject matter is generally centered around carnivals. Ya know, flags in the air, waving, jumping [and] costumes. But Raga-Soca now, it’s considered to be a blend of Dancehall and Soca music. It’s a lot slower. The BPM’s are maybe like 85 beats per minute or up to 100 or maybe as high as 115. It has a very heavy Dancehall influence, in terms of vocal stylings and melodies. Soca is… that’s my forte; that’s my strength. AHHA: You’ve been doing your thing across the West Indies for a long time. How did you finally get the attention of Atlantic? Rupee: I’m definitely not new to this. That’s the unfortunate thing with a major [label]. Well, it’s not unfortunate, because I like a challenge. But now with a major label release, a lot of people are seeing me for the first time and they think I’m a new artist, but I’ve been in the game since I was a wee lad. [I’ve had] three independent albums, the last of which actually sold just over 50,000 copies. In the Caribbean, if you sell 1,000 cds, that’s considered to be a tremendous feat. So the sale of those albums definitely put us on the radar and certainly the song “Tempted to Touch” gained its own steam, through our own work in selling the albums through the mom-&-pop stores and the trunk of our car. When “Turn Me On” blew up, [major labels] were definitely looking toward the Caribbean again for more of this Raga-Soca sound and who else was creating a buzz in that market. A few labels were interested in us, but we chose Atlantic because they definitely knew a lot about our music, about the Caribbean, and I knew they would definitely help market and promote it. AHHA: Now that the song is blowing up, how has your schedule changed? Rupee: Man, this weekend happens to be my first weekend off in about five months. Even prior to signing the deal, I was literally performing every single weekend. I’m constantly on tour, all over the U.S., in clubs and arenas across the globe. We just recently did the Office Depot Center in Fort Lauderdale. Alicia Keys headlined with Black Eyed Peas and Maroon 5 – many huge artists that I’ve always dreamed of just being in the same room with… and I got to share the stage with them. The response we got was unbelievable. We’ve done Madison Square Garden – Fat Joe was headlining. We killed it. Every single person in that audience knew our music. They were singing “Tempted to Touch” word for word, and it was a non-West Indian audience. So that just shows you that music is penetrating. We’re big in Japan too. A Gold record over there is 100,000 and we’re just about to reach that. AHHA: How does it feel knowing that you are able to break out of the boundaries of just the West Indian community? Rupee: It’s definitely really uplifting, because the truth of the matter is, we were very comfortable in the zone we were in, prior to signing. As I mentioned before, we were performing every single weekend. We had a huge […]

Where is Nivea? Her string of popular singles and her highly publicized romance with Cash Money’s Lil Wayne made her the artist to watch in 2002. After hitting the charts and earning a Grammy nomination for her hot single “Don’t Mess with My Man” from her self-titled debut album, the then 21-year-old songstress disappeared from the spotlight. While fans wondered where she went, Nivea was in the studio working, reflecting on the journey she made with her first album. The young Atlanta native had managed to turn her dream into a reality; so what went wrong? Well, nothing actually. Artists need a chance to grow, and it seems Nivea had realized some mistakes on her first album situation that she didn’t want to repeat on her second. Entering into the promotional phase for her new album, Complicated, the rumor mill was set ablaze with more questions as people began seeing the young star performing with a special “glow” about her: “Is she pregnant?” “Is it Lil Wayne’s baby?” And just like that she was back in the spotlight. Baby or not, Nivea has no plans of slowing down. In fact, after three years of soul-searching, her career seems to be in full swing once again. It’s a beautiful evolution, and Allhiphop.com Alternatives has the exclusive first-hand as she sets the record straight on the past, present and her exciting future. Allhiphop Alternatives: Let’s straighten out the rumors once and for all. Are you pregnant? Nivea: Yes I am. I’m having a little girl, and I’m seven months pregnant. It’s my first one and I’m really excited. AHHA: Is that going to affect all the promotional commitments for your album? Nivea: Probably not. Not in a negative way for me anyway. It’s been going great so far. I’ve been performing all the way up till now. Everyone has been so supportive, so it’s great. AHHA: Are you planning on taking the little one on the road? Nivea: Oh lord yes! She’ll be with me. Me, my hubby and my little one. AHHA: Introduce us to your husband. Did you have a wedding? Nivea: His name is Dream. He’s a songwriter/producer that actually worked on most of the album with me. He has been my everything, helping me out at this crazy but beautiful time. We are newlyweds. The wedding was small but nice. We had it outside. It was beautiful. AHHA: Since the last album you’ve been off the scene for a while. What have you been doing with yourself? Nivea: I was trying to get a lot of my business straight. I had two managers, and I was taking a little break, but I was still doing a lot of recording though. AHHA: Tell us about the time you were starting out, and how you got signed to Jive. Nivea: It was interesting. I was in high school recording basically every day or every weekend that I could. After I graduated in 2000, we went to New York to shop the demo. And that summer I was signed to Jive. Quite a few of my demo tracks were on the first album. In fact, the first single ‘Don’t Mess With The Radio’ was from the demo. AHHA: How did life change for you after the first album came out? Were there any surprises to your newly found fame? Nivea: It didn’t change me as a person, but you do get treated differently. People stop and stare! I did a lot of traveling and a lot of performances. It’s what you expect when you become an artist. I went to Germany, Japan, Australia and I will probably go to those places again later this year when I start touring. I think I handled [the fame] pretty well. However, I didn’t acknowledge the fact that people knew me. I’d be out by myself, thinking no one would be mess with me because no one knows me, which is crazy because everywhere I went people would recognize me. I’m still getting used to that. AHHA: Are you ready do it all again? Nivea: It’s basically the same routine. You go through the promotion. You get used to it, now that I know what I’m doing! I won’t say it’s easier but it’s definitely a familiar place. I’m not walking into it blind, and this time I have my husband to help me with my baby. AHHA: What made you decide to come out now? Why not earlier? Nivea: You know what, I don’t know! I don’t think it was a planned thing. I just look at it as a blessing. I’m finally happy. I found someone I could fall in love with and call the love of my life. It’s not only that, I finally have a best friend and someone who is teaching me something about life and about music. There was a lot of stuff that I knew nothing about. I’m fortunate enough to be able to continue my career with Jive supporting me. I think it was God saying, ‘Now is time’, rather than me saying ‘Ok time to get back into it’. AHHA: Did you feel lost before this? How has this changed you professionally? Nivea: At the time I didn’t realize how lost I was. I just realized!! It’s so insane that I just had no clue [on production, publishing, vocals, etc]. I never asked anybody, and nobody ever told me anything. Oh my goodness, it changes a lot of things. Now I’m realizing where money is or different ways that money can be made. I have made so many mistakes, just simple things that could eventually turn into something big. It might not seem a lot now but down the line it adds up. AHHA: What role does your husband, Dream, play in career? Nivea: I’m at a great place right now because I’m learning so much from Dream. I don’t even want to go anywhere! I’m learning about vocals, writing, producing. Basically the entire creative process […]

When most music listeners first caught wind of the song “Blackberry Molasses”, chances are they never imagined that Mista, the group behind the slow-burning, yet solemn single, consisted of four fresh faced teens. It was hard to believe that the lead singer with the grown-up voice that was seemingly filled with years of frustration could belong to a then 16-year-old Bobby “Valentino” Wilson. Released to glowing reviews, Bobby and his label mates were poised to become the next Boyz II Men, based in part to the four-part harmonies that belied their youth. However, shortly after releasing their self-titled debut, Mista’s rising star seemed to fizzle. In no time, music fans quickly forgot about the promising quartet and moved on to the next flavor of the month. Undaunted, Bobby would later resurface, but this time on the collegiate playing field. After enrolling in Clark Atlanta University, the Jackson, Mississippi native quietly immersed himself into the experience, on the surface appearing to be your average college student. But deep inside, he never lost his passion for music, recording several demos during his time away from the limelight. After earning his degree in 2003, he decided it was time to return to his music roots. He aligned himself with Ludacris’ Disturbing The Peace clique, becoming the only R&B artist in the group. Now a little older, a little wiser and oozing with sex appeal, 22-year-old Bobby Valentino talks with AllHipHop.com Alternatives about his desire to tackle the music charts again with the release of his upcoming album, Give Me A Chance. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: First, fill us in on what happened with Mista. Was that a bad experience for you? Bobby: No, I won’t say it was a bad music experience; it was a learning experience for me, which I was real glad that I had that chance to learn about it. It’s hard getting four people on the same page all the time, let alone get four people at the same venue at the same time. It was a learning experience. We’re all still cool. We had worked on our second album, but we had had so many different management issues and people not liking different managers, so we just kind of split up after we had did the album. It was extra hot too because we were working on it with [writing team] Tim and Bob, which made me want to work with them on my solo album because I realized how hot and how tight they were. They were very talented. AHHA: Are you guys still in touch now? Bobby: Yeah, we’re still in touch; we’re still cool. It’s all good, but everybody trying to do their own thing. AHHA: Are they still doing music? Bobby: Yeah, they’re still doing music. I was just one of the fortunate ones that got a chance to go with DTP and do my own thing. I had a few different demos and I had gotten them to a guy named P### Daddy that used to be on the radio with Ludacris. He took it to Chaka Zulu and Luda and it was history. They loved it from there. AHHA: How has it been being linked up with Ludacris and DTP? Bobby: It’s real good because it’s just like you just said, I’m the only R&B singer, so a lot of time is being put to me versus being another rapper on DTP. You might get lost in the shuffle. That was one of the things that interested me about going with DTP. AHHA: Tell us about your decision to put your career on hold and earn your college degree. Bobby: Well, I felt like this music business is so competitive, so I feel like if it’s something you want to do, you definitely have to have something to fall back on. I really wanted to enjoy college, first of all, and get a degree and make sure that there’s always something else that I could do in my life. I wanted to learn more. I learned a lot about being a man, being a Black man and just about life in college, which are things that I’m glad that I did because it’s helping me now in doing this music thing. It’s not just about being an artist; it’s about being able to talk to people and be very versatile. AHHA: What’d you get your degree in? Bobby: Mass Communications, radio/TV/film. AHHA: That’s a good major to fall back on. Bobby: Yeah. I actually wrote the treatment to my first video, so I put that [degree] to use a little bit. AHHA: How was it being on campus for you? Did a lot of people recognize you from Mista? Bobby: Some people remembered and some didn’t. But it really didn’t matter because I was there to really just be myself and not be a celebrity or a has-been. I just wanted to get my degree, have fun and have memories for the future. AHHA: You were on the football team while you were there, right? Bobby: Yeah, I played football and baseball. I really got into the whole college life. AHHA: So you finally decide to come back to the music industry. What was on your mind when you were making the album? Bobby: I just wanted to make this album the next R&B album that really catapults R&B and takes it to the next level. It really raises the bar for anybody else that wants to put out an R&B record. AHHA: Tell us some of the people you worked with on the album. Bobby: I wrote on every record. I wrote with Tim and Bob mostly and I worked with a couple of new producers. That’s pretty much it. AHHA: You co-wrote the single, “Slow Down”. Tell us about the idea behind that song. Bobby: Well actually, I was driving down Melrose with Tim and I just saw this pretty girl from the back. I never got a chance to catch up […]

Growing up is hard to do, and it’s even harder when you are growing up in front of millions of people. For some who start a career as a child or teenager, the stardom comes and goes – and the chances of a lasting career are even slimmer when you are in a group of four boys. Omarion is here to prove that he is an exception to the rule. With the phenomenal success of the super boy band B2K to their abrupt split, moving on and finding his own sound, Omarion has definitely faced a lot of challenges in his life. Now with the success of his debut solo album and book, both entitled O, Omarion has something to say. AllHipHop.com Alternatives got the scoop on why he is no longer playing games, and is on the path to handling his business like a grown man. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: Congratulations on your album reaching number one on the Billboard Charts! How does it feel reaching number one on your own? Omarion: It’s really exciting to me, because who would have thought that I would reach this point by myself? When the record first came out I just wanted to do good numbers. I wasn’t setting out to be number one, I was just really on the humble, so when it number one it really surprised me, and showed me that my fans love me and it showed me that I am ready now. AHHA: What were you doing when you heard? Omarion: We were on the road, and they called me and told me that I was number one, and I just went crazy. [laughs] AHHA: There was a lot of beef talk when B2K split up. Are you guys still friends, and will you ever do anything together again? Omarion: The only member I have spoke to was Raz B, but I look at it like this, we were kind of young when we started and still young now, so a lot of the mistakes that were made were immature mistakes. I know there were things they could have done differently and there are things I could have done differently, but when it comes to that situation, guys are stubborn and I ain’t going to front, I know I am. So to sum it up, I am going to say when I bump into them it’s either going to be good and we build our relationship back up, or it won’t. But right now I can’t even see putting the group back together or anything without repairing our friendship, because we had a personal relationship before we even started the group – so that is definitely what’s more important to me. AHHA: From leaving B2K to now talking about your ‘package’, what do you feel will draw the older crowd and still maintain your younger fan base? Omarion: Well, in all honesty, I am twenty years old and I am really trying to cater to fans who were fifteen when I was fifteen and the older crowd, because to me this is a growing process and I am older. This [album] is a letter to let all the ladies know that I have grown up. I mean, I got facial hair [laughs] and I can talk about some things like love and relationships. I know [B2K] talked about love on our albums, but truthfully we were young, so we really didn’t know about real love like I have experienced now as a grown man. AHHA: What is the hardest thing you had to deal with coming from a group? Omarion: Nothing in particular, because I had to do a show in Philly and the boys didn’t show up, so I had to go out and do it on my own and that was something that I couldn’t avoid, so that really prepared me for doing things on my own and I did it. Some people will say that the experience [in Philly] built my confidence, but it definitely made me realize that I could go solo although I never planned on it. AHHA: With the major success of your first single “O”, what is the next single and how do you plan to top the success of your debut solo video? Omarion: The next joint is “Touch” produced by the Neptunes, so you know it’s crazy. But I chose it as my next single because it really goes with “O” – because if you saying ‘oh’ then you know there’s touching. [laughs] AHHA: So the video for “Touch” is going to correlate with “O”? Omarion: Yeah definitely, and you are going to see a lot of dope choreography, because it’s a mid-tempo song. I am really going to be dancing because that’s what I do. Ya’ll thought you saw me break it down in the slow joint, just wait until you see how we moving on the “Touch” video. AHHA: In addition to releasing your first solo album, you also released your first book also entitled O. What can fans expect when they read it? Omarion: Well the album is my most personal ever, and the book is even more personal. I basically put all this out there because I want people to get a chance to know me. I’m not talking about Omarion the artist, I’m talking about Omarion the person. In the book there are really good pictures of me and my mom, and I talk about her in my book because she is my life. She was sixteen when she had me, so in the book I really let people know pretty much everything so they can really know me. AHHA: Was there anytime you hesitated thinking you may be letting out to much information? Omarion: No, never. I mean if you are getting to let it hang out, let it all hang out. You can’t be letting it peak. [laughs] If you are going to tell the truth, tell the truth all the way no […]

Talk to any connoisseur of fine wine, and they will tell you that ‘to perfect is to age’. If that’s the case, there are four ladies in particular who would probably tell you they have a lot in common with a bottle of 1959 Chateau Margaux – although you would know them better as the Atlanta group Xscape. The soulful foursome who dominated the airwaves in the early ‘90s are ready for another shot in the spotlight. You cannot make a bona fide comeback without having made a huge impression in the first place – and Xscape had a successful run their first time around. Shortly after signing to Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def label, the R&B quartet recorded their first album, Hummin’ Comin’ at ‘Cha. Thanks to hits like “Just Kickin’ It”, the LP went multi-platinum in 1993. It didn’t take much time for them to record follow-up album, Off The Hook, which also earned multi-platinum status. The ladies of Xscape went their separate ways shortly after recording Traces of My Lipstick in 1998. Over the years, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle teamed up with member Kandi Burruss, writing hits for groups like TLC and Destiny’s Child. Tamika Scott got the acting bug and began working on television and film projects. LaTocha Scott embarked on a solo career. They each took on new phases of their personal lives, most notable to the public being Tiny’s longtime relationship with Atlanta emcee T.I. Now that the group is back together – with a new member, a reality show, and a new album, entitled Unchained in the mix – they have got a lot to tell AllHipHop.com Alternatives! AllHipHop.com Alternatives: What recent events led up to the reunion of Xscape? LaTocha: Well, actually the fans…they did it. Everywhere we went, it was like, “When are you guys going to come back?” We just thought about the state of R&B and where it was going and knew there was a void. Tiny called me one day and she was like, “Yo, we got to do this because everywhere I go…I can’t go into a store…nowhere without people saying Xscape needs to come back!” With that in mind, we would listen to the radio and we were like, “Let’s do it!” We always knew that we would come back and do this because it was always in our hearts. Now was the perfect time. AHHA: So you’re saying there’s a void? Are you not feeling what’s out there as far as the genre is concerned? LaTocha: Realistically, there’s no soulfulness in R&B. I just feel like it lost its flavor. There were other [soulful artists] out, then all of a sudden everybody just disappeared. So now is the time for us to come back because I feel like people are looking for that. You know, you have John Legend out there. You got Alicia Keys who’s holdin’ it down. And you have Usher. But at the same time, there’s not a group bringing it soulfully like Xscape. That’s why I said that void hasn’t been filled. I just feel like this is a better time for us because R&B is coming back. AHHA: Since the group split, you all embarked upon solo careers. Individually, was going solo more challenging than you expected? Tamika: I don’t think it was challenging for me because I’ve always wanted to act. I’m an actress just for life. Ever since I was born, I was born to act in anything. When it comes to entertainment, it’s always easy for us because that’s our destiny. I guess the only thing that bothered me was not being with my girls. Standing on your own and not having that support…you’re out there by yourself…out there on an island by yourself. Usually in a group, you have someone that says, “Come on, you can do it!” If you get tired, they’ll be like, “I have it, I’ll take control and you can relax.” When you’re by yourself, you have to be strong on your own. Tiny: Most of the time when I was gone off the scene, me and Kandi were doing things together. We were writing together. You know, we wrote “No Scrubs” for TLC and then we started working on the project we were working on together called KAT [which stands] for Kandi and Tiny. So we were writing, I was being a mother and just relaxing. It was challenging because the rest of the girls weren’t there. Just everything was new, because before it was four and now there were only two of us. And the whole two girl thing is like a big myth. You know, like two girls can’t make it. It was very challenging actually to try to get something going. AHHA: Tiny, congrats on the birth of your baby boy. With you and T.I. so busy with your music careers, how do you juggle the role of being a mother with your professional role? Tiny: As with everybody in the group, our parents are very, very supportive. They help us with our kids a lot. My mom and my dad, they have my kids and take great care of them when I’m gone. As far as me and T.I.’s schedules, right now mine is just starting to pick up. It’s a little different and it’s a little challenging for us, because when he comes home, we’re used to being together. So now that I’m gone and he’s gone, it’s like the timing of the schedules has to get right. We don’t want to neglect the relationship, but at the same time we’re both working and trying to do what we do. AHHA: Speaking of T.I., I hear you’ve been really instrumental in his success. How much involvement have you had in his career growth? Tiny: I guess you can say it’s a lot of inspiration. I give him inspiration to write songs. Basically he was a man before me and his talent was just there. I think I […]

After wooing audiences up north, Keshia Chante has arrived in the U.S with her single “Bad Boy”, which is currently impacting MTV and BET, although it is her third consecutive hit in Canada. Yes, you heard right. This little lady has already had string of Top 10 hits, shot numerous videos – two of which were directed by Little X – and has a chart-topping album to her name. It was only a matter of time before Canada became too small for her talent, but as everyone knows, America is no easy market to crack. In fact, not one urban act from our northern neighbors has actually managed to cross over in the United States, although Kardinal Offishall came close with his Neptunes produced “Bellydancer” as did Inessence with their club hit “You Will Never Find”. With a dozen teen artists coming out every month under heavyweights like Jermaine Dupris and P.Diddy, will Keshia Chante be able to make her mark? Will she be able to put Canada’s urban scene on the map? Already off to a good start, this 16-year-old self-proclaimed Tupac fan lets AlllHipHop.com Alternatives know that she is not here to play teenage games. Her plan for world domination has only just begun. AHHA: There’s alot of buzz on you in Canada. How do you manage school in all this? I read somewhere that you choose not to have a tutor; you prefer to go to regular school. Keshia: I just think that if you do what you really want to do, and I do love to sing, you’ll do whatever you have too to make it happen. I know school is important and I don’t want to loose it in all of this. So it’s pretty much balancing the two. It’s all about focus. I go to school usually from nine to three, and then I come home and get ready for shows. There’s usually dance rehearsals and stuff like that. AHHA: How do your classmates handle your fame? Keshia: It’s kind of weird. They are more shy with me than anything else. I guess that’s kind of a good thing though. AHHA: They’re probably intimidated! Keshia: Yeah, I don’t understand why! I guess it’s a good thing because it doesn’t distract me from my classes. AHHA: Your schedule must be crazy considering there is so much hype on you at the moment and so much press. How old were you when you started? Keshia: It’s really strange because the album came out when I was 16. I got signed to BMG when I was 14. I was shooting videos, recording and everything when I was 14. I did an underground joint and released four singles and three videos before the actual album came out. I’ve been working hard and doing shows all over, so I’m used to the hectic schedule. AHHA: What’s your opinion of the Canadian urban scene? Keshia: I’m definitely representing the frost side [Toronto]! There’s a very strong rock scene that overcomes everything else, but R&B is definitely rising up. Toronto is like a mini-New York, and the music follows what America does. So when you go off [that formula], there’s definitely a different outtake. But I think we’re growing – we are going to get there eventually. R&B and Hip-Hop have taken a huge leap in the past few years. We’ll develop our scene eventually… AHHA: Why do you think no one from the Canadian urban scene has cracked the U.S? Keshia: I think our formula is different. And I think population is a big factor. We have a lot of rock fans; the number one stations play Rock and Top 40. So for a Canadian urban artist to crack the U.S market, that’s a whole another level. AHHA: Who are some of your influences? Keshia: Oh my god, definitely Tupac Shakur. I was six years old when I first heard ‘Dear Mama’. I was at the back of my mum’s Mustang and I learned every word. I memorized it even though it was a five minute song. My mum’s friend wanted me to perform it, and my mum wasn’t sure whether she wanted me on stage. I did it, got a standing ovation and just that feeling, it was so much fun. From there I knew I wanted to be in music. AHHA: So what’s in the future for Keisha? Is there another album? Are you pushing it internationally? What are your goals? Keshia: My definite goal is to push this album internationally. I’ve been working on material for my second, third, fourth album [laughs] since I was little. The first album is still pretty new. ‘Bad Boy’, which was the first single in Canada, has just been released in the U.S. I was so excited when I saw it on BET for the first time! AHHA: The relationship topics you sing about on your album, are they real life experiences? With school and music where do you find time to date? Keshia: I don’t write about things that I haven’t gone through in my real life, but I do believe you don’t have to write everything on your album. A true vocalist does have to write every song on their album. A true entertainer can make any song real, even if they didn’t write it and never experienced it. They can sing it with passion. There are some issues that I have dealt with but there are also issues [on the album] that I can understand and can relate to. The ‘Bad Boy’ song is definitely real though!

While Atlanta quartet 112 has yet to reach a decade in their recording career as a group, they are on the verge of a “comeback” of sorts with their fifth studio album, Pleasure And Pain. In the midst of the current trends of rap-crossover, crunk&b, and two-stepping, the group is revitalizing the club-friendly vibe that lit up the airwaves with their 1996 single “Only You”, while bringing back the sensual ballads that made 112 a force to be reckoned with in the realms of R&B and pop music. 112’s self-titled debut album dropped on Bad Boy in 1996, following with Room 112 in 1998, and Part III in 2001, churning out several massive hit singles and driving the group to incredible heights of popularity. After a quiet, yet tense breakup with Bad Boy in 2002, they were re-introduced to fans through a new record deal with Def Jam. Unfortunately their 2003 album Hot And Wet was anything but, and critics along with fans turned up their noses at the effort. After taking some time off to rejuvenate and refocus, 112 is back with a vengeance. The four charming crooners sat down with AllHipHop.com Alternatives to talk about the good, the bad, and all things in between with regard to their career. Will they be able to give the fans what they delivered with the first three albums? Their first single states their case: “U Already Know”. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: What have you guys been up to since your last album? Mike: [We’ve been] recording this fifth album, we’re in the jam, we’re in choreography – we’re just getting back to what makes 112 so special. We’re just getting back to basics. This is the most critical album of 112’s whole career, because a lot of people are doubting 112 right now, a lot of people are saying ‘Can they do it? Are they gonna come back?’ Everybody’s just waiting in anticipation to see what 112 is gonna come up with, and we got something baking in the oven for you. It’s a beautiful thing right now to be 112. AHHA: The last album didn’t necessarily live up to the expectations that a lot of fans had. Going from that first experience with Def Jam, what do you guys feel that you’ve learned? Daron: The thing we’ve learned I think the most is that no one is gonna love your project more than you. With that you gotta also be careful what it is you ask for. You ask God for it because he will give it to you, we asked for total control. We asked to be the heads of our ships and we got it, and when we got it we didn’t know how to handle it. We had all this control, all this power but in a sense we kinda abused it. It was a humbling experience with the mediocre success of the fourth album but we’re grown men, we admit that we looked at the fourth album with a little lackadaisical mind frame. AHHA: But is that really fair though, considering the fact that in the past you guys hadn’t had a lot of control and everything was laid out for you? Do you feel that maybe it was unfair for people to expect you to know what to do? Daron: I don’t even think there was a situation in the past where everything was totally laid out for us, but I think that our relationship that we had developed with Bad Boy, they knew what things to lay out and what things to fall back on. From a musical standpoint, we pretty much always had that locked down – we pretty much always wrote our own lyrics and always produced our own records. But in terms of other things, like marketing and promotion, and maybe helping the group pick the singles, helping the group styling, different things of that nature – I think now we’ve developed a relationship with Def Jam where I feel like everybody knows their place. They know when to step in, whereas in the past they were tryna kinda feel us out and tryna see, ‘Ok what can we and can’t we say to these guys? Even though we might feel like they’re going a little too to the left with this, we don’t wanna step on their toes, we don’t really know them that well’. I think at this point we got it down to a science, and people gonna see that with this new album, because the new album is incredible. AHHA: I’m sure you’ve all gone through some changes personally and professionally. Have you guys had any pressure at any point to do solo stuff? Have you had people in your ear? Mike: Well I think everyone has heard the conversation once or twice before. We take it with a grain of salt – we look at the situation, and we look at what’s going on in the music industry right now and say, ‘Is that something that I really wanna do right now?’ Why be an alright solo artist when you could be the greatest group in the world? I think that’s the main goal right now, to establish 112 the group, the brand, as those legendary R&B singers. That group that could just not be faded no matter what you did. You entertain the possibility, ‘cause it’s been put out there. We’ve been talking about the whole situation, because we feel like in a sense it may be inevitability that one day we may wanna go out and do the solo thing. You grow up and you go out, but it won’t be anything that’s underhanded. It won’t be negative it wont be like ‘Ay dawg, my album comin’ out tomorrow’. It would be done strategically, it would be done with the blessings of everybody else in the group, and we’ll just keep it moving like these rappers do. You got 50, he’ll come out with his solo […]