1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: Request Left Show is a production of iHeart Radio, Ladies 2 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: and Gentlemen. 3 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 2: I will say that James Todd Smith famously yelled in 4 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety don't call it a comeback. Our guest today 5 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 2: has probably been hearing that term for at least the 6 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,919 Speaker 2: last ten years, which means it really isn't a comeback. 7 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 2: She's had quite the journey in her music career. She 8 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 2: rose to fame in the late nineties under her birth 9 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 2: name Nicole Ray. Of course we all remember make It 10 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:51,559 Speaker 2: Hot top five hit with Missy Elliott's gold Mine imprint. 11 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 2: She experienced the challenges of navigating the music industry, including 12 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 2: shifts and label support and evolving musical landscapes. We are 13 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 2: definitely gonna get into that, and after a period of 14 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,279 Speaker 2: personal reflection and growth, she basically returned to her roots, 15 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 2: embracing her authentic, soulful self and redefining her sound, starting 16 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 2: with twenty sixteen's mind blowing Queen alone album. There's also 17 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 2: Piece of Me in twenty twenty two, and now her 18 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 2: new album entitled Cover Girl, which is on Big Crown Records. 19 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 2: I can personally attest that her discography might be the 20 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 2: unofficial roots background Dressing Room soundtrack. I've been a longtime 21 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 2: fan and I would like to welcome Lady Ray to QLs. 22 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: How are you. 23 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 3: Today, I'm great, Thanks Ques for having me. I'm a 24 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 3: longtime fan of you guys and of you as well. 25 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 3: This is just a pleasure today. 26 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: Yeah. 27 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 2: I was gonna say, there's a difference between the two 28 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 2: dressing rooms of the Roots and usually before a show, 29 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 2: I wanted real quiet and zen and in the opposite 30 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 2: room where the rest of the guys are, you know, 31 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 2: they gotta it's almost like a football atmosphere where they 32 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 2: got to get each other hype. And I remember sometime 33 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 2: like maybe two or three years ago, I popped my 34 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 2: head in but there was something different about this was soulful, 35 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 2: but it was almost like this one sounded young. I 36 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 2: was like, yo, who the hell is that? And they 37 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: were like Lady rayn. I was like I never heard 38 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 2: of her. He's like, oh, you remember Nicole Ray from 39 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 2: Da Da Da Da Dad, And I was like, no, 40 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 2: there's no way that. Like I was flabbergasted and shocked 41 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 2: that I wasn't up on your your pivot, get your 42 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 2: information or like what I feel is like really your 43 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 2: your true arrival. And so yeah, I will say that 44 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 2: Tariq pretty much keeps you in rotation for like the 45 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 2: last two years, like. 46 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 3: Just kind of love to love to reak. 47 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, so it's an honor to talk to you. Okay, 48 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 2: So my first question to you, in the first twenty 49 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 2: minutes of your day, what is your routine? 50 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 3: Wow, first twenty minutes of my day routine? 51 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: Well, specifically this. 52 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 3: Morning, well this morning it does not include my daughter 53 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 3: because she's at home with family and I'm here in 54 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 3: La getting ready, gearing up for my tour. So this 55 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 3: morning I kind of slept in late because I was 56 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 3: out a little late last night in a writing session 57 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 3: which I had a great time worked with Raymond Nominee 58 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 3: Josh Grant, and I think I slept a little late 59 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 3: this morning. I skipped breakfast, and when I did wake up, 60 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 3: I immediately reached out to my husband and told them, 61 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 3: you know, I'm getting ready to get myself together, you know, 62 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 3: and did my makeup of my hair because I knew 63 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 3: I was going to see you today. So I was like, 64 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 3: I can't go in there looking busted. I gotta get 65 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 3: myself together. And it always takes me a minute to 66 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 3: get the eyebrows. I'm not like a professional makeup artist, 67 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 3: but I mean, you know, doing makeup for myself on 68 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 3: tour for the last two years, I kind of like 69 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 3: perfected the eyelashes and the eye brows. So that takes 70 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 3: me a good little minute to get that perfected, because 71 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 3: without that, my day is not It's going to be off, 72 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 3: especially if I have to do it like interviews and 73 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 3: to actually be seen. Got myself together. Listen back to 74 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 3: the song that I created last night, which is a 75 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 3: Monster A Beast. Kind of got hyped for the day 76 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 3: and got some lunch and got my room cleaned and 77 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 3: kind of got ready to get all t minutes. 78 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: I was like, you did all that in twenty minutes. Okay, 79 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: I get it now. 80 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 3: That was your day, Yeah, that was my day. 81 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:31,919 Speaker 2: If I were to ask you pre tend like, what 82 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 2: is a typical memory of your childhood? I never know 83 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 2: that you were born in California but later moved to Virginia. 84 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 2: Give me a picture when I ask you, like, just 85 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:45,720 Speaker 2: give me a random memory of your childhood. It doesn't 86 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 2: have to be something like monumental, like the time that 87 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,039 Speaker 2: you know they took us to see the Victory tour 88 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 2: or something like that. But right no, give me a 89 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 2: happy moment of your childhood. 90 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 3: Happy happy moments are church, church, church, church, church, birds, 91 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,119 Speaker 3: a lot of doll I had a lot of dogs 92 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 3: growing up. My three my two siblings, my oldest brother 93 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 3: and my youngest sister, us just hanging out outside all 94 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 3: day and toil. My mom would yell our names to 95 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 3: come in. We would ride our bikes, we would go 96 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 3: to church. We had like an apple tree. We had 97 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 3: a great tree. My brother would flip learn he was 98 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 3: learning how to do backflips in the yard, and we 99 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 3: just we had each other. So those were my best 100 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 3: memories as a kid growing up. Would be church. Baptist 101 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 3: church with my grandmother. 102 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 1: What's your denomination, Well, it was. 103 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 3: Pentecostal and Baptist. My grandmother, she was devoted to the 104 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 3: Baptist church. And then my mother and father, you know, 105 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 3: kind of grew out of that and we went we 106 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 3: started the Pentecostal church. Yeah. Yeah, So it felt like 107 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 3: every day we were in church, and we did vacation 108 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 3: Bible school, like the summer, being in a choir, and 109 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 3: just growing up in the church background. 110 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: Roots for me. 111 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 3: It's always been something that I can look back and 112 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 3: smile and I could be anywhere, and I will hear 113 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 3: these lyrics from so many years ago that I didn't 114 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 3: even think that I was listening to as a child, 115 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 3: like these old like gospel lyrics which just come in 116 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:03,919 Speaker 3: my head. I could be like cleaning up. I'm like, 117 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 3: oh my god, I did a lot of church, so 118 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 3: it's there. 119 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:06,280 Speaker 1: Got it. 120 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 2: The song that first brought you to my attention, it 121 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 2: was your twist on Sunshine. 122 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:15,359 Speaker 3: Yeah. 123 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: Everyone always asks you about this, right yeah. 124 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, So I was explaining to my friends when I 125 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:23,720 Speaker 2: was playing it for them. You know the story behind 126 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 2: that was even an artist loved this. Stevie Wonder wasn't 127 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 2: allowed in the Clark household because it was secular mm hmm, 128 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 2: devil's music. So thus they would have to disguise their 129 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 2: fandom for you know, regular songs and put a twist 130 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 2: on it. But I want to know for you, was 131 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 2: outside music allowed in your everyday week life or was 132 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 2: it also a strict Christian music only household. 133 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 3: It was not only strict Christian music household. My father 134 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 3: welcomed Jackson, Five, Whitney, Houston, Aretha Franklin, Marvel, Gay, Sam Cooke. 135 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 3: The list goes on. But my pastor in the Pentecostal 136 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 3: church would not have agreed. I remember being fourteen years old, 137 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 3: after my mom and dad got a divorce, we still 138 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 3: would go to the family church, and I remember my 139 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 3: mom asked for prayer. You know, the lady with the 140 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 3: big flower hat. You put your name in the thing 141 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 3: and she gets up there and say, sister. 142 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: Every report card Monday, I'd ask for prayer and get 143 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 1: born again. 144 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 3: Yeah before yeah, yeah, but my pastor was not having it. 145 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 3: He was not having it. My pastor, he had these 146 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 3: like gazelles and he got up. All he heard was Jimmy, 147 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 3: Jame and Terry Lewis, and he stood up. He says, 148 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 3: disregard the prayer. They're serving the devil. And I was 149 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 3: like fourteen, about to be fifteen, and I was shattered. 150 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 3: I think right there was a pivotal moment for me 151 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 3: in my career. That's probably why I never went gospel. 152 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 3: I didn't feel welcome as a teen, and I really 153 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 3: wanted to be a gospel singer and my pastor was 154 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 3: not having it, and it just pushed me into secular music. 155 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 3: So yeah, but yeah, it was not a thing to 156 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 3: not listen to second music in my house. 157 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 2: The elders once asked me once we got a record 158 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 2: deal in a kind of backwards way. 159 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: They were like, so are you uplifting the Lord in 160 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: your music or are you uh. 161 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah. 162 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 1: I never went back after that after twenty. 163 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 2: Years, right, what three songs would you say is the 164 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 2: soundtrack to your first ten years of life? 165 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 3: Tony Braxton for sure, Baby Breathe Again. Mary J Blige 166 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 3: was the four to one one okay, and Wu Tang 167 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 3: Clan for sure. That's in the whole, like mixture of 168 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 3: you got some hip hop, you got some and probably 169 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 3: a little bit of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. But 170 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 3: I know you asked me for three bus. 171 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: Everyone who would you say your north star was? As 172 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: far as your craft. 173 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 3: Is concerned, I'm gonna tear up my idol has and 174 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 3: always will be married j Blige. She was the soundtrack 175 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 3: to my my ten their youth, me being inspired, me 176 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 3: learning things for the first time, me having boyfriends for 177 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 3: the first time, getting yelled at by my mom, running 178 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 3: into my room with my radio that she would sometimes 179 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 3: pawd for to pay a light bill, and I would 180 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 3: come home like, where's my radio? She said, don't worry 181 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 3: about it, We're gonna get it back, and I was like, 182 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 3: I have my Mary J. Blige cassette in there. But 183 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 3: we did get my radio player back. But it was 184 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 3: always Mary J. Blige in my life and my world 185 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 3: as a young girl growing up in Portsmouth, Virginia, it 186 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:31,960 Speaker 3: was always Mary. And I had an opportunity to meet her, 187 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 3: and nobody believed me because when I met Missy Elliott, 188 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 3: you know, she was hanging out with Mary, and I 189 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 3: met Mary at a young age. I was still a 190 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 3: young teen when I met Mary. So I was like 191 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 3: sitting there like shaking inside, like I couldn't believe it. 192 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 3: And she said, oh my god, I love you. She 193 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 3: told me she loved me. She had heard my music, 194 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 3: she knew who I was, and I almost like fainted, 195 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 3: like I was like, oh my god. So it's always 196 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 3: going to be Mary J. Blige for me. 197 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: Okay, So my life was like your ear. 198 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 3: That was my soundtrack. 199 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: Yes, and you were open, like one of the percent open. 200 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 3: And one open. I think the drink back then was 201 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 3: gin and juice because I think Snoop Dogg and we 202 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 3: were young and we were like trying to, you know, 203 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 3: sneak around and you know, but it was always my 204 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 3: life listening to those songs. I was young, and I 205 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 3: just some of those lyrics when I was young, and 206 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:23,959 Speaker 3: I didn't understand, but I think it hit different for 207 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 3: me because my mom was a single mom and my 208 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 3: brother was holding down the household, and just those lyrics 209 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 3: just resonated in my soul as a young girl. 210 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 2: I specifically remember the day that that album came out. 211 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 2: You know, it's like ninety four and we're in DC 212 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 2: and we were like doing promotion around the Howard area 213 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 2: and our label rep haded and started playing it, and 214 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 2: it's so weird. 215 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 1: We sat there frozen in the car. Now, had he said, yo. 216 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:00,599 Speaker 2: Like I got the new NAS album, or here's the 217 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:04,959 Speaker 2: new Brand Nubian album, or here's the you know, yeah right, 218 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 2: I mean, it would have just been like, oh, we're 219 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 2: open for business. But I remember by the time we 220 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:12,959 Speaker 2: got to the title track, when we got to My Life, 221 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 2: I noticed that we were all looking at each other 222 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 2: the way that our parents looked at us listen to 223 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:21,559 Speaker 2: hip hop, because we said. 224 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 1: She's a singer, like she's not allowed to sing over samples? 225 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: Like it was hard. 226 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 3: It was so hard. 227 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 2: Well, I will say that I was maybe for like 228 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:36,080 Speaker 2: four months, like I didn't realize that this new movement, 229 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 2: this this bad boy movement was coming in kind of 230 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 2: a lot of the traditional unspoken rules of what we thought, 231 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 2: like singers should never sing over a sample, like you 232 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 2: can sing anything, make up your own melody like rappers 233 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 2: gotta have. 234 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 1: So for me at. 235 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 2: Least, like I was arms crossed only because I was like, well, 236 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 2: if singer is gonna make me music like rappers, dude, 237 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 2: then who's going to make the music that we're going 238 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 2: to sample in the year two thousand or two thousand 239 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 2: and five or two Yeah. But you know, also as 240 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 2: a DJ, I'm seeing the effect that this this new 241 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 2: style of music's coming, and so I gave in. 242 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:18,679 Speaker 1: I mean, of course now it's classic. 243 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:20,320 Speaker 3: We just you welcomed it. 244 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: We played with her a. 245 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:24,439 Speaker 2: Week ago and it was where her band like one 246 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 2: show a year where she'll join us and we're her 247 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 2: band for that show. 248 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: And it's like, oh my god. 249 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 3: I love that you you guys and Mary, Oh my, 250 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 3: I gotta get a ticket. I gotta get there to 251 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 3: see that. 252 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: So wait, we're in California. Were you born? 253 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 3: I was born in Selinas, California, on an army base. 254 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 3: My dad was an army so they traveled a lot, 255 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 3: and I was born here and then raised Enforcemouth. 256 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:49,640 Speaker 1: How old were you when you came to Virginia. 257 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,320 Speaker 3: I was a baby. Yeah, I was still a baby. Yeah, 258 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 3: I was a. 259 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: Baby from Virginia. Okay, yeah, I'm from Virginia. 260 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 3: Yeah. 261 00:12:55,840 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 2: Now where does Portsmouth fall into the proximity of you know, 262 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 2: I know di'angelo like his Richmond and Virginia Beach and well, 263 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 2: it is. 264 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 3: Definitely part of the d MV. It's like right near 265 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 3: like Norfolk. It's like right under the water. It's under 266 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 3: the bridge like as a tunnel that always for years 267 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 3: it's like how do they build this? It's like under 268 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 3: it's water under there, it's it's it's so wild. But 269 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 3: it's like it's right like next door to to Norfolk, 270 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 3: Newport News, bad News where Alan Iverson is from. So 271 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 3: we're kind of like right next door. And Portsmouth is 272 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 3: has always been known for its a lot of talent 273 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 3: that gets unseen, got it? Like they say something's in 274 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:46,600 Speaker 3: the water that's everywhere in like kind of like Norfolk, Hampton, 275 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:50,720 Speaker 3: Virginia Beach, Portsmouth and Newport News. 276 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 1: So okay, I know for like a New Yorker. 277 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 3: Mm hmmm. 278 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 2: Anything south of Philadelphia and their eyes is down south. 279 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 2: Like I know people that actually think that DC and 280 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:04,079 Speaker 2: Maryland are that's down south even though southern. 281 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:09,319 Speaker 1: No, are you more northeast or north of North Carolina? 282 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, I feel like growing up when I say Wu tang, 283 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 3: we will always like connect ourselves to New York. Like 284 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 3: we would go to New York when the Timberlands would 285 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 3: come out and the music would come out, we would 286 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 3: always go. I mean I have family members that would 287 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 3: just go and drive to New York and say, I'm 288 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 3: in Brooklyn, I'm going to get some jewelry. I'm going 289 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 3: to get the front somewhere in Brooklyn at this big mall. 290 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 3: And we will always like just go back and forth 291 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 3: to New York. So I feel like we're close more 292 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 3: close to you know, a lot of people say that 293 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 3: I sound like I'm New York. I sound kind of 294 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 3: like country. My accent is all over the place. I 295 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 3: will tell you that. 296 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 2: So when you first came out, of course you've been 297 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 2: on Missy's label. I was like, Oh, she must be 298 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 2: from VA. 299 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: I know. 300 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 2: The irony of this story is that the second album 301 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 2: didn't come out but I will say that the street 302 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 2: promoters when you signed to Rockefeller were like heavy on 303 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 2: me as far as like spinning you. 304 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 1: So then I thought, well, well, damn, maybe she's. 305 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 2: From Philadelphia like I right, right, no, because I was like, 306 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 2: wait a minute, I thought she was down with them. 307 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 2: So first of all, I want to know for you, 308 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 2: what were the first steps and you wanting to pursue 309 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 2: music as a career, Like was there another option? Did 310 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:44,640 Speaker 2: you have another passion or desire when you were younger. 311 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 3: My story for wanting to embark in this crazy music 312 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 3: business has always pointed at my dad. My dad was 313 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 3: a singer in the church. You had inspirations to be 314 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 3: an R and B singer, Like my dad's voice was 315 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 3: similar to my Gay and Sam Cook. He had a 316 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 3: strong voice. And then his life kind of took a 317 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 3: turn and he kind of he was homeless for about 318 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 3: twenty years and he had a drug addiction. And I 319 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 3: think as a young child when my mom and dad 320 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 3: got a divorce, I think for me it was like 321 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 3: this hunger to find my dad. And when I did 322 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 3: find my dad, I wanted him to hear me sing, 323 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 3: and so I was always singing loud and until he 324 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 3: came home, and he didn't come home to like maybe 325 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 3: like over twenty years, he didn't come home and get 326 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 3: himself cleaned and off drugs and homeless. It felt like 327 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 3: two lifetimes. And I think that was the goal for me, 328 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 3: is to sing as loud as I could and so 329 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 3: my dad would hear me and come back into my life. 330 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 3: And it didn't work right away because he was out 331 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 3: there in the streets and I was trying to focus 332 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 3: on my career. When I met Missy Elliott, I kind 333 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 3: of started young in the music business. I got my 334 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 3: deal when I was I think just turning like seventeen 335 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 3: years old, and my dad was out there and I 336 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 3: was trying to focus on my career. Helped my dad 337 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 3: get his life back together. And I think for me, 338 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 3: initially in the beginning, it was me calling out to 339 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 3: my dad and for him to, you know, come back 340 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 3: into my life and to know that I'm pursuing the 341 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:15,920 Speaker 3: same dreams that he had. So that was my ultimate goal. 342 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 1: What would you say your first creative project was, and 343 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: this way before the record deal, but like when did 344 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: you discover that you were at creative Like what was 345 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: the first real creative project that you put together. 346 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 3: I had quite a few. My mom was like my 347 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:34,479 Speaker 3: manager many years ago. She was the momager. And I 348 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 3: had like a few, like producers that are no longer 349 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 3: living that I worked with when I was young, anywhere 350 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 3: from twelve to fourteen, and I would go in the 351 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 3: studio and make records and sing, but I wasn't writing. 352 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 3: I think the beginning creative thing for me was when 353 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 3: I was eight and I had to learn lyrics to 354 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 3: a song. I was eight years old, one year older 355 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 3: than my daughter is now, and I could imagine her, 356 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 3: you know, the age that I was in the room 357 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,240 Speaker 3: listening to a gospel song and write. I wrote them 358 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 3: down and nobody helped me. And that Sunday I got 359 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 3: up there and I sung that song by myself because 360 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 3: I had been practicing. 361 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 1: That was lyrics. When you performance eight, Walk me through that? 362 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:17,119 Speaker 1: What was it like? 363 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:21,199 Speaker 3: I remember getting to choir rehearsal early Saturday, maybe like 364 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:25,400 Speaker 3: we got there maybe like around eleven. I think rehearsal 365 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 3: started about twelve, And I remember it was a group 366 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 3: of all of us little kids. We were all little, 367 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 3: and my brother was in the choir with us as well, 368 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 3: and I remember the choir director was like, anybody want 369 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:37,639 Speaker 3: to lead a song, raise their hand. And I was 370 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:39,879 Speaker 3: standing there like I knew I could sing, but I 371 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 3: didn't have the nerves too, And my friend just raised 372 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 3: my hand up. She was like, Nicole wants to sing, 373 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,680 Speaker 3: and she's like Nicole and she says, come over here. 374 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 3: And I remember the name of the song was titled 375 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 3: I might as well Think Big, and I remember, like, 376 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:56,199 Speaker 3: I have to sing this song in front of the 377 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 3: whole congregation. But the lyrics of that song, it hits 378 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 3: crazy today because I've been thinking big ever since I 379 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 3: was like eight years old. And that was the moment 380 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 3: that I knew I was gonna be a singer, that 381 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 3: this is gonna be the love of my life and 382 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 3: I would be doing this for a while. 383 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 2: So kind of without knowing it, you subconsciously manifested where 384 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 2: you are right now. Correct, There is no trepidation or 385 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 2: nervousness about it at all. 386 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 3: I still get nervous today, Like when I was eight 387 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,160 Speaker 3: years old. My dad used to tell me, I still 388 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 3: get nervous, and everybody like why they come to see 389 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 3: you do what you do? And I just feel like 390 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,919 Speaker 3: I am a ball of nerves, like I can be 391 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 3: backstage and I'm like, I'll ask the band, I'm like, 392 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 3: how's it looking out there, and they're like, they're out there, 393 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 3: they're rated for you. And then my stomach will just 394 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 3: get it still like I'm eight years old. Like my 395 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:48,640 Speaker 3: dad will say this. When I was younger, he would say, 396 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:50,879 Speaker 3: look up at the clock, just don't look at the crowd. 397 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 3: But I can't do that now. I'm gonna grown up, 398 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 3: and you know, you gotta engage with the crowd. But 399 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 3: sometimes I get so nervous. I just kind of look 400 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 3: above the crowd until I get in my zone and 401 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 3: the energy is there and the vibe is there, and 402 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 3: then I'm in it and I feel great. But initially 403 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 3: going out there, I'm nervous. As I'm so nervous. 404 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 1: How did you get the attention of Missy Elliott? 405 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 3: Well, this is like a story from out of one 406 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 3: of those movies like Ray Charles, Like, I've always been 407 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 3: an artist that like looking at those enjoy looking at 408 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:23,159 Speaker 3: the bios of the artists, how they got started and 409 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 3: their journey. I think for me this was in the 410 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 3: late nineties. I don't even know if they do this 411 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 3: anymore because artists kind of get famous off TikTok YouTube. 412 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 3: This is like organic, the most organic of organics. Missy 413 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 3: Elliott lived right down the street from me. I had 414 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:41,399 Speaker 3: no idea who she was in Portsmouth. She lived in 415 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 3: the house and I lived in apartments right and she 416 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 3: lived across from my middle school. My brother went to 417 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 3: a talent show that Missy. She graduated from Churchland High 418 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 3: School and she was a judge at the school. And 419 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 3: my brother was in a singing group, a boys group. 420 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,680 Speaker 3: They sung, they won. They met Missy and she says, 421 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 3: I I like you guys. You guys sound amazing, but 422 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 3: I need a girl artist. And my brother goes, He's like, 423 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,719 Speaker 3: I got a sister she can sing, and she goes okay, 424 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 3: And so he gave her our house number, our landline, 425 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 3: and she calls our house and talks to my mom 426 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:17,399 Speaker 3: and I think I had a little key. She was 427 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 3: not Missy Ellie by then. She was working with Jodysy 428 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 3: Timberland and all of those guys. And so my mom 429 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:26,280 Speaker 3: paged me and says, is a girl over here, she 430 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 3: wants to meet you. I walked over, came to the 431 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,680 Speaker 3: house and walked in. Missy's there. She had her finger 432 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 3: waves and she has a magazine and she's like, she's 433 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 3: telling me all about who she is, what she does, 434 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 3: her group sister, she knows Jodasy. She told me I 435 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 3: worked with TLC and that was like my favorite group, 436 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:45,399 Speaker 3: like back in the day. And she's like, sing something 437 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 3: for me, and I sung week by s w V. 438 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 3: I get so, and she says, you remind me of Mary. 439 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:53,159 Speaker 3: I mean, everybody was always comparing me to Mary J. 440 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 3: Blige as a young girl. And when she saw it, 441 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 3: she's like, I'm taking you with me. And my mom 442 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:00,200 Speaker 3: was like, just make sure she's okay. My mom would 443 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 3: let her drive the car. We would drive to Philly 444 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:02,960 Speaker 3: in the snow. 445 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 2: Wait, I got a question. So I kind of wound 446 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 2: up going backwards. I'm also friends with the Skills, okkk yeah, 447 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:18,880 Speaker 2: And so the thing one is I wasn't aware of 448 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 2: the mixtapes that they were making in the basements, yeah Davante, Yeah. 449 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 2: So I was fully of board by the time one 450 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,959 Speaker 2: of the million came out, Like once Elia's record came out, 451 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:36,439 Speaker 2: I was like, yeah, and go backwards like, oh, it's a. 452 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:37,680 Speaker 1: Guy named similar, Missy. 453 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:42,560 Speaker 2: But when I got wind of those mixtapes that they 454 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 2: were making, like were you ever eyewitnessed or worked in 455 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 2: that basement. 456 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 3: I didn't work in that basement. I think Missy was 457 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:52,680 Speaker 3: on her way out. She had told me so many 458 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:56,120 Speaker 3: horrible stories, and she was kind of like becoming stronger 459 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 3: as a writer, as an individual, as an artist. And 460 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 3: I think she took all that thissh she learned from 461 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,720 Speaker 3: that and put it into herself, into her career and 462 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 3: all the other artists like myself that she began to 463 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 3: work with. But I remember her telling me the wild 464 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 3: stories about those days in the basement, and I'm kind 465 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 3: of glad I did not kind of come up in 466 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:16,439 Speaker 3: that because I would probably not be here talking to 467 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:18,919 Speaker 3: you today from some of the things that I've heard 468 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,480 Speaker 3: that she told me that was going on back then, 469 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,359 Speaker 3: which is horrible. But look where she is now. You know, 470 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 3: she's you know, she is on top of her game, 471 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 3: a trendset of icon iconic. Yeah. So I think when 472 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:33,879 Speaker 3: I met her, she just wanted to get out of 473 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:37,439 Speaker 3: that and pull her her talents into you know, something 474 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 3: else and something fresh. And I was I was like 475 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 3: her little sister. I went everywhere with Missy, everywhere, like 476 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:46,680 Speaker 3: I said, would we would drive to Philadelphia and it 477 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 3: would be cold, like on the weekend, my mom would 478 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 3: let her take the car. We would drive and we 479 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 3: would go in the studio and just sit there all 480 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 3: night and just I mean I was the like studio rat, 481 00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:00,040 Speaker 3: like lab like muse. Like she would write songs. I 482 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 3: would sing them, pumping them out, singing them, pumping them out, 483 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 3: singing them. 484 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 1: How are songs crafted back then? 485 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:10,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, back then it is, So it's not quite as 486 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:13,119 Speaker 3: similar as it is now, Like more like now writing 487 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 3: is more of a jam Like back then, you would 488 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:16,000 Speaker 3: get the. 489 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:17,919 Speaker 1: Stand in the room and just add to the pot. 490 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:22,399 Speaker 3: Yeah, Like this was not what Missy was like or 491 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 3: creative on her own. She would get in there and 492 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 3: make like beats with the producer and sit in there 493 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 3: and write songs like all day. Like her, she would 494 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:33,720 Speaker 3: get the track and sit in there and like listen 495 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:37,400 Speaker 3: to the actual track and write lyrics. Like now it's 496 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:40,119 Speaker 3: more kind of jamming and organic and you're coming up 497 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:42,159 Speaker 3: with the track all together and not like kind of 498 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:44,679 Speaker 3: like sitting there listening to the production and coming up 499 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 3: with lyrics. That takes a lot today to sit I 500 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 3: mean some artists do it. I kind of got out 501 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:51,359 Speaker 3: of that writing style because it's that was a little. 502 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:53,159 Speaker 3: It seemed like it took so long for me to 503 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 3: kind of I think I wanted the music to speak 504 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 3: to me as it's happening and in real time, and 505 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:01,159 Speaker 3: that's how I write now. But for me, I learned 506 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:05,639 Speaker 3: the importance of melody and harmonies working with Missy. She 507 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 3: could come up with harmonies, I mean, like stacking vocals, 508 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 3: and I learned all of that from her. Like today, 509 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,159 Speaker 3: I can't be I mean, I could work with artists 510 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 3: now and they're like, wow, like you helped me. But 511 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:20,359 Speaker 3: that's what Missy was doing and preparing me as a 512 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 3: you know, a songwriter today. And I look back on 513 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 3: those experiences as well. 514 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:28,639 Speaker 2: I know it's really weird to say, but I realized 515 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 2: in the pandemic, I didn't know. 516 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 1: How to write a song. 517 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:37,199 Speaker 2: Oh you know, Tarka and I started well when we 518 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:40,479 Speaker 2: started in high school. So our high school experience was 519 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 2: basically just limited to beating on the desks, right, do 520 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:49,119 Speaker 2: an occasional talent show and when you do someone else's 521 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:53,320 Speaker 2: song and he rhymes over it. And then when we 522 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:56,719 Speaker 2: really got serious as the roots, we were like busking. 523 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 1: On the street corners m hm. 524 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:00,880 Speaker 2: And you kind of have to think off the top 525 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 2: of your head, whatever's happening. And so it wasn't until 526 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 2: when I started DJing in the pandemic in which I'm 527 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:11,679 Speaker 2: spinning records that I'm not spinning in nightclubs. It's not 528 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,440 Speaker 2: like I'm spinning records to make you dance. I mean, 529 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 2: you know, we're locked in our houses. Son think I'm 530 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 2: like a radio station. So I'm like doing an hour 531 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 2: of Marvin Gaye, an hour of Bill Withers. And suddenly, 532 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 2: in subjecting myself to five hours a day DJ online, 533 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 2: I was like, oh now, and reading the comments that 534 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:36,199 Speaker 2: are coming up, that was a backwards way for me 535 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:40,200 Speaker 2: to learn how a song works actually in the pandemic 536 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 2: where you know, I mean there was a point where 537 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:45,760 Speaker 2: I play a radio hit song people are like yo, 538 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 2: like crying, and yeah, I'm seeing like what emotionsly touch, 539 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 2: like what touches them emotionally and hour shot day and 540 00:26:55,720 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 2: somehow I realized maybe like by July twenty twenty, oh snap, 541 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:09,840 Speaker 2: I know grooves and I know like the backdrop of rhythm, right, 542 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:14,520 Speaker 2: but never once did I think can you whistle this song? 543 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 2: And there's a melody to it? And I was like, 544 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,920 Speaker 2: oh my God, like for seventeen albums. I don't wait, 545 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 2: it like, how do we get here? 546 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:22,639 Speaker 1: So? 547 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 3: How do we get here? 548 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 1: Now? I know the importance of it. So that's that's 549 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:28,639 Speaker 1: basically what you learned. 550 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:33,400 Speaker 2: Like when you're crafting making Hot the record, how much 551 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:36,959 Speaker 2: agency are you given as far as like what your 552 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 2: vision is for this record? Or was it just like 553 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:41,119 Speaker 2: all right, I'm open and I'll listen to whatever you 554 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 2: say and I'll do what's necessary. 555 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:47,159 Speaker 3: I think back then you had to do what was necessary, 556 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 3: you know, being a new artist and coming up under 557 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 3: Missy Elliott and Timberland, and I like, I had no voice. 558 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:55,119 Speaker 3: I was young, I was new, I was fresh, I 559 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 3: had no story. I wasn't a writer. I hadn't been 560 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:00,919 Speaker 3: through I had been through stuff. But I think at 561 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 3: the time, I think they were trying to mold me 562 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 3: as what they saw me to be. 563 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:04,680 Speaker 1: Right. 564 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 3: So Make It Hot was a song that was written 565 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 3: by me and had vocals that was already in there. 566 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 3: And I remember when I first heard it, I didn't 567 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:14,399 Speaker 3: like the song. It was just like, I don't know 568 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 3: if I liked this song. That wasn't the last song 569 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 3: that I made you that was. 570 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:21,359 Speaker 1: A hit single. It was always the last song, the 571 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 1: last three songs, but it was. 572 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:26,040 Speaker 3: Not that everybody was excited. I remember Sylvia Rown being 573 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:29,200 Speaker 3: in a studio. I remember Timbaland being there and Missy 574 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:31,679 Speaker 3: and I come in the studio. I flew to New 575 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 3: York from Virginia, and I get to your studio and 576 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 3: everybody's excited about this record, because Missy would get so excited. 577 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 3: And I get in there, I'm like, I'm ready to 578 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 3: hear some you know, And I'm like the tone was 579 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 3: like very like outte and I kept trying to get it, 580 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 3: and I remember Missy said, you take this to your 581 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 3: hotel room and you listen to this song over and over, 582 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,280 Speaker 3: and when you come back tomorrow, you're gonna have it. 583 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 3: And I remember getting back. I was just like I 584 00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 3: remember telling my mom. I was like, I don't know 585 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:00,440 Speaker 3: if this is the one, but it's probably all. Always 586 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 3: that second guess in yourself is always that hit record, 587 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:06,360 Speaker 3: you know. Like I wasn't bonded to it, but after 588 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 3: it was recorded and I heard everything that they had 589 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 3: done to it, and Timbland added some more stuff to it, 590 00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:14,520 Speaker 3: and I was just like, oh my, when it was 591 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 3: all said and done, I just fell in love with it, 592 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 3: but initially I did not like it. 593 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 2: I was going to ask you, you know, Neptunes also 594 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 2: do this as well. There are songs that sound like 595 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 2: the Neptunes, like off right, that's the Neptunes. Timbaland had 596 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:32,280 Speaker 2: a rept like whoa, that's instantly Timberlin. It's almost like 597 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:37,040 Speaker 2: they were crafting a new sound also, right, And I 598 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:40,200 Speaker 2: actually went through this with the Neptunes because you know, 599 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 2: we finally went down there to the studio. So in 600 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,840 Speaker 2: your mind, you're like, you're thinking of like your top 601 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 2: ten Neptune songs and this is what this has to match, right, 602 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 2: and then he gives you some of the total opposite 603 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:52,120 Speaker 2: of that. 604 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:55,600 Speaker 1: You're like, wait a minute, that's not Nord's nothing like 605 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: wait a minute, wait a minute. 606 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 2: In your mind, all of your expectations, their hopes for 607 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 2: to receive, like what was your tip. 608 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 3: I wanted something like sw V. I wanted some more 609 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 3: like more singing, less, less breathy songs because I always 610 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:17,120 Speaker 3: had a voice. They didn't let me flex ever, and 611 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:19,400 Speaker 3: I was all And that's probably what you hear today 612 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 3: when you said I didn't know I had that in me. 613 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 3: It was always there, but I was being molded and 614 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 3: created the way what they saw for me. But inside 615 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:29,560 Speaker 3: it was a girl that just wanted it just belt 616 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 3: out and just singing some like Mary and just sing 617 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 3: like Keisha Cole when she first like, they wouldn't kind 618 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 3: of let me go off like that. It was always 619 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 3: kind of like just relaxed, breathy, and then every time 620 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:43,760 Speaker 3: I would try to, they like, that's not the vibe. 621 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:46,720 Speaker 3: That's not the vibe for this song. So it's always 622 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 3: been living inside of me to just bring out those 623 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 3: strong roots and kind of write my own story and 624 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 3: sing the songs that I've always wanted to sing, not 625 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 3: no shade to them, because I wouldn't be here today 626 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 3: without that make it hot so and being able to 627 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:06,800 Speaker 3: even sing that tone and have that breathy, almost Tony 628 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:09,280 Speaker 3: Braxton tone, because that's what I was listening to a 629 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 3: lot of Tony Braxton and Mariah has that like low 630 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 3: key tone as well. So I've always could do it, 631 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 3: but Missy kind of pulled it off, and I always 632 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:21,160 Speaker 3: really wanted to go in there and sing some like 633 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 3: SWV stuff. 634 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 2: You know, when you get this deal, what was your 635 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:45,920 Speaker 2: definition of making it like right when you get your 636 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 2: record deal, not like once you're in it, but before, 637 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 2: like for me, it was like having eight pairs of 638 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:53,520 Speaker 2: Puma sneakers in every color. 639 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 3: It was never money for me because that money was 640 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,480 Speaker 3: not there. For some it was. It was not there 641 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 3: for me. I think it was being around the other 642 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:05,320 Speaker 3: artists I would meet, go on to meet Jana Jackson, 643 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:08,480 Speaker 3: I would go on to meet Buster Rhymes and Mary J. 644 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:12,120 Speaker 3: Blige and some members of TLC, and just to be 645 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 3: in the room with these artists. That was the definition 646 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 3: of me making it, because I never thought a little 647 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,160 Speaker 3: girl from Virginia Concrete Jungle that would be sitting in 648 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,240 Speaker 3: the room next to Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson's sister and 649 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 3: having a conversation and she's looking That's how I knew 650 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 3: I made it, because Misi had took me in that 651 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:33,400 Speaker 3: room with these artists that had already been made it, 652 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 3: and they've already like they were already millionaires. And to me, 653 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 3: I felt like, I'm here, I must have made it 654 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:42,280 Speaker 3: because I'm not sitting at home anymore. I'm in this 655 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:45,480 Speaker 3: room with Jane Jackson, or I'm sitting right next to 656 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 3: Mary J. Blige and or Beyonce Destiny's Child. I'm here 657 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:52,800 Speaker 3: so it wasn't money, and it wasn't closed. It wasn't fame. 658 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 3: It wasn't like fortune. It was just it was fame. 659 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,600 Speaker 3: It was like, I'm around surrounded by my peers, and 660 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 3: that's what let me know I may had made it. 661 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:06,880 Speaker 2: How does your life change in terms of like having 662 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 2: made it? How jarring was it to your personal circle? 663 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:13,520 Speaker 2: Your high school friends, your cousins. 664 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:14,280 Speaker 1: Mm family. 665 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:17,920 Speaker 3: I had a long talk with an old friend that 666 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:22,560 Speaker 3: had she passed away about I want to say seven 667 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 3: years ago, and she and I before my career were 668 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 3: really tight growing up in the concrete jungle of Portsmouth. 669 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 3: She was really like a friend to me. I was 670 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:36,400 Speaker 3: the girl that everybody like, they liked me, but they 671 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:40,240 Speaker 3: couldn't understand, like how is she Like she's pretty, but 672 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 3: she's like hard and she she's like us, but she's 673 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,160 Speaker 3: something about her. She was at gap in between, like 674 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 3: don't mess with her. She is special. And I think 675 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 3: when I talked to her after my career, she kept 676 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:55,960 Speaker 3: asking me why didn't I come back? When I got 677 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 3: out of school and I moved and it was just 678 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 3: on tour, right and I wasn't home for a while, 679 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:05,760 Speaker 3: so I missed a lot of engagements that was happening 680 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:08,879 Speaker 3: around my way, and I was just suddenly pulled out 681 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,719 Speaker 3: of this zone to like this famous thing that I 682 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:14,279 Speaker 3: had no idea about. And I'm still trying to be 683 00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:16,880 Speaker 3: I'm hard. I'm from Portsmouth, you know, I'm this girl. 684 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:19,759 Speaker 3: And she would always say, I wish, you know, you 685 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 3: would have came back or came back to visit. So 686 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 3: it broke my heart that my peers were looking for 687 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:27,719 Speaker 3: me to come back and I didn't make it back 688 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 3: in time. And then by the time I made it back, 689 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 3: she wasn't around long enough for us to kick in 690 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 3: and hangout and for me to tell her my experience 691 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:39,960 Speaker 3: and my journey coming from Portsmouth and being in the 692 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 3: industry to share that with her, and that kind of 693 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:44,720 Speaker 3: broke my heart just to hear that they were rooting 694 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:46,759 Speaker 3: for me. They were rooting for me, and they didn't 695 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,480 Speaker 3: understand why I didn't make it as far as they 696 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:51,000 Speaker 3: thought that I should make it. 697 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 1: How hard is. 698 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 2: It to explain or convey to them what it is 699 00:34:57,200 --> 00:34:59,879 Speaker 2: that you're in because again, like when people see from 700 00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:01,839 Speaker 2: a far they're like, well, damn, she's not with them, 701 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:04,200 Speaker 2: and then where's your maid back at. 702 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:07,200 Speaker 1: Where's your you know, your beach house. Where's your and 703 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:12,279 Speaker 1: how did you deal with the stress of trying to 704 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:14,520 Speaker 1: maintain it once you got your foot in the door. 705 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,400 Speaker 3: I asked myself that a lot. And I think for me, 706 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:23,160 Speaker 3: I started writing. I started cooking. I know it sounds 707 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:28,040 Speaker 3: really strange, but that's what's happening. I met this lady 708 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:31,759 Speaker 3: and she was like a mother to me, and we 709 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:33,799 Speaker 3: would talk and I would see her. We would be 710 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:36,759 Speaker 3: talking and she's cut up onions and she's got the 711 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:39,840 Speaker 3: seasonings and she's we're talking, and she came like a 712 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 3: mother to me. And I saw how effortless it was 713 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:45,279 Speaker 3: for her to just cook and talk to me, and 714 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:48,000 Speaker 3: it started to calm me. I just started doing what 715 00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:51,440 Speaker 3: I saw her doing and that really eased my and 716 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:53,879 Speaker 3: everybody like, how can you cook so good? And you're 717 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 3: so young, and where did you learn this from? And 718 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:58,880 Speaker 3: it's so crazy. I didn't even know that was That 719 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:03,920 Speaker 3: was my like therapy, cooking and bringing people together. That's 720 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,400 Speaker 3: what it was for me, because it was very stressful. 721 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:11,319 Speaker 2: It was if you are creative nine times out of ten, 722 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:16,920 Speaker 2: just to stay creative, you sometimes have to do creativity 723 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 2: in other areas, like God right, there was one point 724 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 2: where I started taking up photography. There was a point 725 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:27,279 Speaker 2: when I started doing artwork, and yeah, so for you, 726 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:29,200 Speaker 2: it was the culinary arts. 727 00:36:29,239 --> 00:36:31,680 Speaker 3: It was culinary arts. I was even thinking about going 728 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:35,640 Speaker 3: to culinary art school, and at the time, my boyfriend 729 00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 3: which is now my husband, he was taking me while 730 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:40,440 Speaker 3: I needed to go to get the credentials and everything 731 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:42,600 Speaker 3: that I was going to do to join to be 732 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:45,040 Speaker 3: into culinary school. But then they were like, let's get 733 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:47,440 Speaker 3: you here and work on this music again. See, I 734 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:51,399 Speaker 3: keep getting pulled out of something that I really want 735 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:53,840 Speaker 3: to do for this music, and it's just like wow, 736 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 3: I was really about to go to culinary art school 737 00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 3: in Atlanta, Georgia, and I got pulled out to work 738 00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:02,480 Speaker 3: on Queen alanaw them Oh man, Okay, what. 739 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:03,920 Speaker 1: Is your go to dish? 740 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,920 Speaker 3: What is your I love a roasted chicken and I 741 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:10,759 Speaker 3: have so many ways of did I do it? And 742 00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 3: I'm working on a cookbook as well. And I'm also 743 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:16,480 Speaker 3: into interior design. So those are things that calmed me 744 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:20,200 Speaker 3: down and my mind goes somewhere else with color and 745 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:24,360 Speaker 3: fabrics and just putting things together and just seeing something 746 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:28,160 Speaker 3: from nothing and turn into like so whimsical and colorful. 747 00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:31,560 Speaker 3: That makes my heart smile outside of doing music. 748 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:35,000 Speaker 1: What is your go to comfort food at two in 749 00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:35,440 Speaker 1: the morning. 750 00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:39,320 Speaker 2: Artists are always eating at odd hours. 751 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:42,960 Speaker 3: For me, it'll probably be shrimping grits because it's so fast, 752 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:47,480 Speaker 3: and I've always got some oats somewhere for the grits. 753 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:49,839 Speaker 3: I always have grit somewhere, and I'll always make a 754 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:53,880 Speaker 3: nice route very fast, and I have shrimp, so I 755 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:56,280 Speaker 3: do it shrimp and grit like really quickly, or maybe 756 00:37:56,800 --> 00:37:57,320 Speaker 3: a taco. 757 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:01,400 Speaker 2: I wanted to know why you tiele your album electric Blue. 758 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:06,759 Speaker 3: My brother and I are huge outcast fans, right got it, 759 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:10,520 Speaker 3: And it's this song and one hundred three thousand is 760 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,880 Speaker 3: yelling something something in the sky is electric Blue, and 761 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:16,960 Speaker 3: he's yelling it, yelling it, yelling it, and we were 762 00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:21,840 Speaker 3: just like, this would be so cool as an album title. 763 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,719 Speaker 3: And what my brother was like, what you're going through 764 00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:26,960 Speaker 3: right now because he always felt like I was kind 765 00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:31,440 Speaker 3: of like this voice and this like meling infinite sadness. 766 00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:35,000 Speaker 3: That was a young girl trying to get everybody to 767 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,839 Speaker 3: understand who I was. And then because I had hip 768 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:40,360 Speaker 3: hop living inside of me, I had church living inside 769 00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:42,200 Speaker 3: of me, and he would be like, you know, this 770 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:44,880 Speaker 3: would be so dope if you name your album electric Blue, 771 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:47,480 Speaker 3: and we just named it Electric Blue and for all 772 00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:50,800 Speaker 3: my Electric Blue fans. One day, I'm gonna I'm gonna 773 00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:51,560 Speaker 3: release this album. 774 00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 1: How many songs were done? 775 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:59,680 Speaker 3: At least? I have about fourteen songs on there? Go ahead, Yeah, yeah, 776 00:38:59,880 --> 00:39:02,880 Speaker 3: about fourteen songs and I don't know I have it 777 00:39:03,239 --> 00:39:04,800 Speaker 3: and they really want me to release it. So I 778 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:06,279 Speaker 3: got to figure out what I need to do to 779 00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:10,280 Speaker 3: release this album. Some songs already have been released on YouTube. 780 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:12,759 Speaker 3: I don't know who released them, but I need to 781 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:15,640 Speaker 3: do it professionally and get it out there for my fans. 782 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:20,520 Speaker 1: After the Rockefeller situation didn't work out. 783 00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:22,439 Speaker 3: Hmmm, that broke my heart. 784 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:23,040 Speaker 1: Yeah. 785 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:26,680 Speaker 2: I was gonna say, can you walk us through what 786 00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:32,040 Speaker 2: you felt your world was going to be like this? 787 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:34,680 Speaker 2: Where you like, I got to be a civilian again. 788 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:39,520 Speaker 2: I gotta like, what's the journey of dealing with it 789 00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:42,160 Speaker 2: and then what was the journey in picking up the 790 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:44,560 Speaker 2: pieces and starting all over again from scratch? 791 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:48,400 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh. I think when I first had the 792 00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:51,480 Speaker 3: idea that I wanted to be part of Rockefella, I 793 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:53,520 Speaker 3: thought it was Gonna. I thought, I that light bulb 794 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:55,640 Speaker 3: went off in my head. One night I had was 795 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:57,840 Speaker 3: I was back at home. I wasn't doing too good 796 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:01,480 Speaker 3: and I was staying over at my for a while 797 00:40:01,680 --> 00:40:04,279 Speaker 3: and I remember I think BT was on late night 798 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:06,440 Speaker 3: and they were showing like some hip hop videos and 799 00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:08,720 Speaker 3: I was like, I want to be signed to Rockefeller Records. 800 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:10,320 Speaker 3: It was that light bulb that went off, like I 801 00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:13,719 Speaker 3: don't think they have any like girls singers that you 802 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:16,840 Speaker 3: know that's kind of got a little hip hop, you know, 803 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:21,000 Speaker 3: kind of thing going on. And I just manifested that. 804 00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:23,840 Speaker 3: And then it happened. I was working with Kenny Barnes. 805 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:26,279 Speaker 3: He introduced me to Damon Dash and they loved me 806 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:29,200 Speaker 3: over there. They were like, we got you, don't worry 807 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:32,280 Speaker 3: about it. And then I started working on music and 808 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:34,799 Speaker 3: the music was great. I made all these great relationships 809 00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:37,680 Speaker 3: and I get home, I'll go back to Virginia and 810 00:40:37,719 --> 00:40:40,400 Speaker 3: I read on the internet that Rockefella is splitting up, 811 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:42,960 Speaker 3: and I'm like, I felt shattered. I was like, here 812 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:45,560 Speaker 3: we go again. I'm just like, what is happening with 813 00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:49,759 Speaker 3: my luck? You know? And I just wasn't feeling what 814 00:40:50,160 --> 00:40:52,759 Speaker 3: they wanted to continue to do. Like I was cool 815 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:54,360 Speaker 3: with Damon Dash and we were like, you know, he 816 00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:56,000 Speaker 3: was like, I got something else I want to do 817 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:58,160 Speaker 3: with you, and I just felt like down. I was 818 00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:01,040 Speaker 3: just like I'm back at home again, and I don't 819 00:41:01,080 --> 00:41:03,920 Speaker 3: know where to pick up the pieces from. But I 820 00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:07,640 Speaker 3: do know. I kept my relationships with Damon Dash and 821 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:12,640 Speaker 3: he would call me maybe a few years later and say, 822 00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:14,759 Speaker 3: I got another situation for you. And this was the 823 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:16,960 Speaker 3: Black Key situation, which opened up a. 824 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:20,000 Speaker 1: Whole nother How did that even come to be? 825 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:23,160 Speaker 3: The Damon Dash called me and like I said, I'm 826 00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:25,719 Speaker 3: glad I project. Yeah, he was doing nothing. 827 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:27,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I was part of. 828 00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:30,719 Speaker 3: The black rock I was the girls singer that was 829 00:41:30,719 --> 00:41:35,680 Speaker 3: doing all that's me. Yeah. And and then the Black 830 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:38,400 Speaker 3: Keys asked me to come to Muscall Shows, Alabama to 831 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:41,640 Speaker 3: work on the Brothers album. And then that's where the 832 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:44,560 Speaker 3: thought of this soul thing that was always living in 833 00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:47,920 Speaker 3: me it just woke up. It just woke right on up, 834 00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:49,520 Speaker 3: and I was like, this is what I want to do. 835 00:42:03,760 --> 00:42:05,040 Speaker 1: What was it like to be. 836 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:09,280 Speaker 2: In the studio, the same studio that I believe Aretha 837 00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:13,440 Speaker 2: Franklin created her Landmark never loved demand the way I 838 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:17,680 Speaker 2: loved you, respecting all those classic songs like Muscle Shoals 839 00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:22,000 Speaker 2: is probably haunted, legendary, legendary. 840 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:26,359 Speaker 3: It is legendary, it is. It had its moments. It 841 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:29,760 Speaker 3: felt a little creepy, but you can feel the vibe 842 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:31,839 Speaker 3: of they left. I mean, everything is still the way 843 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:34,640 Speaker 3: it is. They have the old pictures, they have Atta James, 844 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:38,120 Speaker 3: they have Aretha, they have Sonny and Share even record 845 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:43,000 Speaker 3: there and it's given this ghost there for sure, it's giving. 846 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:46,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, here's a fun fact that not many people know. 847 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:53,160 Speaker 2: George Michael wrote Careless Whisper mm HM in nineteen eighty 848 00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:59,720 Speaker 2: two and right before whim becomes an idea. 849 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:01,960 Speaker 1: Hmmm, I believe that. 850 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:08,200 Speaker 2: Jerry Wexler, you know, Riata Franklin's producer, decided to fly 851 00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:12,440 Speaker 2: George over to America to record some demos, and the 852 00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:19,520 Speaker 2: original Careless Whisper was recorded in Muscle Showl's studio as 853 00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:21,680 Speaker 2: a you know, a totally different song, like different than 854 00:43:21,719 --> 00:43:26,840 Speaker 2: the saxophone thing that we know, right, but yeah, he 855 00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:28,960 Speaker 2: not many people know that that's like one of the 856 00:43:29,120 --> 00:43:32,640 Speaker 2: uh that's where kind of where Careless Whisper was born. 857 00:43:32,719 --> 00:43:37,520 Speaker 2: But for you, how did you in terms of joining 858 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:42,640 Speaker 2: the well what I call the dap King cult of Brooklyn. 859 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:47,319 Speaker 2: How familiar were you with those guys as far as 860 00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:47,960 Speaker 2: their vindage? 861 00:43:47,960 --> 00:43:49,799 Speaker 1: Shund was concerned and I. 862 00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:53,640 Speaker 3: Had no idea about dep Tones, deb King, Sharon Jones, 863 00:43:53,760 --> 00:43:57,319 Speaker 3: Lee Fields, Charles Bradley. When I heard Charles Bradley and 864 00:43:57,360 --> 00:43:59,440 Speaker 3: Sharon Jones for the first time, I thought that they 865 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:02,719 Speaker 3: were artists of yesteryear. I was like, who is this? 866 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:04,960 Speaker 3: And this song is hitting me, It's bringing out all 867 00:44:04,960 --> 00:44:07,440 Speaker 3: these emotions. It was like, no, he's alive and he 868 00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:09,520 Speaker 3: just recorded this last I'll say, get out of here. 869 00:44:10,040 --> 00:44:10,680 Speaker 1: Who put. 870 00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:14,919 Speaker 3: One of the girls that was hanging out with Damon Dash? 871 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:18,520 Speaker 3: She put me on because I think Dan from Black 872 00:44:18,560 --> 00:44:21,280 Speaker 3: Keys have put her on because they were huge fans 873 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:23,920 Speaker 3: of Lee Fields. And it's so crazy because it's parallel 874 00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:29,319 Speaker 3: because I met Leon Michaels, who produced Lee Fields, and 875 00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:32,440 Speaker 3: I didn't know Leon when I was working with the 876 00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:35,279 Speaker 3: Black Keys, so it's kind of parallel. And I'm just like, 877 00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:37,120 Speaker 3: I think it was all meant to be. It was 878 00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:41,760 Speaker 3: all manifested in itself, and they are still working together 879 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:46,120 Speaker 3: today and we all know each other, we all work together, 880 00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:48,920 Speaker 3: and it's just like, I don't know It's just so 881 00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:52,520 Speaker 3: crazy that when I first heard Lee Fields and then 882 00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:54,759 Speaker 3: I met him and then Leon asked me if I 883 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:57,840 Speaker 3: would come and write on his album Faithful Man, I 884 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:01,120 Speaker 3: was just like, nobody has ever asked me. Everybody always, 885 00:45:01,160 --> 00:45:03,520 Speaker 3: you know, when I was coming up, like you need writers, 886 00:45:03,520 --> 00:45:06,919 Speaker 3: you need help, and he let me do my thing. 887 00:45:07,200 --> 00:45:09,359 Speaker 3: And I take my head off to him, because I 888 00:45:09,360 --> 00:45:13,680 Speaker 3: think initially Michael Blue Williams, who managed Outcasts, once told 889 00:45:13,760 --> 00:45:16,200 Speaker 3: me the best advice that I ever could have gotten 890 00:45:16,200 --> 00:45:18,279 Speaker 3: in my career, was like, Nicole, what you need to 891 00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:20,319 Speaker 3: do is get a pin and get some paper and 892 00:45:20,360 --> 00:45:23,040 Speaker 3: start writing. And I was like, what does that mean? 893 00:45:23,040 --> 00:45:24,560 Speaker 3: What does that look like? For me? When I think 894 00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:27,640 Speaker 3: about it now, I just look around and observe everything, 895 00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:30,840 Speaker 3: my feelings, my emotions, my family, my friends, out of 896 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:35,480 Speaker 3: my window. Whatever I see, I put it on paper 897 00:45:35,719 --> 00:45:39,520 Speaker 3: and it's my heart and my emotions. And I think 898 00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:42,920 Speaker 3: that's what kind of saved my career, is becoming a songwriter. 899 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:46,399 Speaker 2: What was it like at least the beginning of presenting 900 00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:50,520 Speaker 2: this live presentation like the Soulful Live thing. 901 00:45:51,640 --> 00:45:55,759 Speaker 3: I think presenting the Soulful Live Show was something new 902 00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:58,120 Speaker 3: for me because I had been singing for many years, 903 00:45:58,120 --> 00:46:01,640 Speaker 3: and I didn't really perform as much as I felt 904 00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:03,200 Speaker 3: like I should as an artist. I kind of was 905 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:06,719 Speaker 3: always like put in the background somehow. I'm like, why 906 00:46:06,719 --> 00:46:09,600 Speaker 3: am I alway back here? I would always ask myself. 907 00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 3: I would see other artists doing a lot of things 908 00:46:11,800 --> 00:46:15,080 Speaker 3: and performing and all over the place, and I was 909 00:46:15,120 --> 00:46:18,440 Speaker 3: always this girl that was eager to just get and 910 00:46:18,480 --> 00:46:20,360 Speaker 3: do the music and not always be in the studio. 911 00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:21,879 Speaker 3: I would write a lot of music, but a lot 912 00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:23,719 Speaker 3: of that music would never see the light of day. 913 00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:25,520 Speaker 3: You know. I have a lot of music that it's 914 00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:30,120 Speaker 3: somewhere in a laptop, somewhere on a dat somewhere that's somewhere, 915 00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:32,680 Speaker 3: or it's just lyrics and a notebook. So when it 916 00:46:32,719 --> 00:46:34,279 Speaker 3: was time for me to do a live show, like 917 00:46:34,280 --> 00:46:36,880 Speaker 3: I said, I get really nervous because it starts first 918 00:46:36,880 --> 00:46:39,360 Speaker 3: with the writing and you got to write these songs 919 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:42,719 Speaker 3: that are you know, transparent, and I felt like I've 920 00:46:42,719 --> 00:46:45,560 Speaker 3: been doing that for the last five years. It's just 921 00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:48,880 Speaker 3: writing stuff that people want to hear, because I'm actually 922 00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:51,680 Speaker 3: a living proof and that's living these things, right. And 923 00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:54,239 Speaker 3: so when you get the ticket sales and you get there, 924 00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:56,920 Speaker 3: you get the outfit, you get the rehearsal, and then 925 00:46:56,960 --> 00:46:58,759 Speaker 3: you get out there on that stage and it's like 926 00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:01,920 Speaker 3: and I I'm overwhelmed because I, like I said, I 927 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:05,799 Speaker 3: have never really experienced it until now, the love that 928 00:47:05,880 --> 00:47:08,680 Speaker 3: people have for me as an artist. And they're singing 929 00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:11,200 Speaker 3: these not they're not singing they know, make it hot, 930 00:47:11,239 --> 00:47:14,440 Speaker 3: but they're singing songs after make it hot? What was made? 931 00:47:14,920 --> 00:47:16,440 Speaker 3: You know what I mean? I feel like I'm blessed 932 00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:19,319 Speaker 3: of a blessed artist to not be still singing the 933 00:47:19,360 --> 00:47:22,719 Speaker 3: same tune as some I see some artists that I 934 00:47:22,760 --> 00:47:24,840 Speaker 3: came up with, they're still singing the same songs. And 935 00:47:25,280 --> 00:47:28,400 Speaker 3: I don't know if me being such a creative person, 936 00:47:28,480 --> 00:47:30,640 Speaker 3: I don't know. I gotta do something new always, I 937 00:47:30,680 --> 00:47:34,080 Speaker 3: gotta have something fresh, and to see these even when 938 00:47:34,080 --> 00:47:37,279 Speaker 3: I go overseas and it's like hitting me that I'm 939 00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:40,919 Speaker 3: in another country. I'm not singing make it Hot. I'm 940 00:47:40,960 --> 00:47:45,760 Speaker 3: singing maybe guilty, and these people are yelling these lyrics 941 00:47:45,800 --> 00:47:49,520 Speaker 3: back at me. And I'm overwhelmed because I wasn't the 942 00:47:49,600 --> 00:47:52,319 Speaker 3: artist that was getting the love and the platform that 943 00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:55,520 Speaker 3: I should have been getting many years ago to perform 944 00:47:55,640 --> 00:47:58,359 Speaker 3: at places and to do shows I was always kind 945 00:47:58,360 --> 00:48:00,279 Speaker 3: of like in the background, So it makes me feel. 946 00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:04,200 Speaker 2: Great that said in your live presentation, do you now 947 00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:07,960 Speaker 2: present your second act? Mm hmm, like the Make It 948 00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:10,000 Speaker 2: Hot the album, Like, do any of those songs ever find 949 00:48:10,000 --> 00:48:12,520 Speaker 2: their way back in the set list sort of refiltered 950 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:13,560 Speaker 2: and oh. 951 00:48:13,480 --> 00:48:15,839 Speaker 3: Yeah, oh yeah, we do like a mash up. We 952 00:48:15,880 --> 00:48:19,560 Speaker 3: do like a sort of a mash up of the nineties. 953 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:21,719 Speaker 3: I let people know I'm about to take you on 954 00:48:21,760 --> 00:48:25,160 Speaker 3: a journey from the nineties, and they get so excited 955 00:48:25,160 --> 00:48:27,040 Speaker 3: because they know what that means. Because you have some 956 00:48:27,080 --> 00:48:29,879 Speaker 3: people that are there that has no idea that I'm 957 00:48:30,040 --> 00:48:32,719 Speaker 3: Nicole Ray Cole Ray, and they're like they're trying to 958 00:48:32,760 --> 00:48:35,960 Speaker 3: like connect the dots, like is that her or I 959 00:48:35,960 --> 00:48:37,960 Speaker 3: don't know? And then when I'm start saying I see 960 00:48:38,040 --> 00:48:40,800 Speaker 3: people kind of like confused and they're like, oh, Mike, 961 00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:41,719 Speaker 3: that is her. 962 00:48:41,960 --> 00:48:42,160 Speaker 1: You know. 963 00:48:42,600 --> 00:48:46,200 Speaker 3: It always makes me smile and laugh that I have 964 00:48:46,400 --> 00:48:48,600 Speaker 3: my older fans and I have new fans that are 965 00:48:49,200 --> 00:48:50,960 Speaker 3: they know I'm Lady Ray, but then when they find 966 00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:52,880 Speaker 3: out I'm the Cold Ray, It's a whole nother like 967 00:48:53,280 --> 00:48:54,000 Speaker 3: thing happening. 968 00:48:54,600 --> 00:48:58,440 Speaker 1: What would you say that cover Girl represents in terms 969 00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:00,760 Speaker 1: of where you are now today. 970 00:49:01,680 --> 00:49:06,080 Speaker 3: I think Cover Girl is that little girl that was 971 00:49:06,120 --> 00:49:10,760 Speaker 3: so eager and bright eyed, ready for the business, ready 972 00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:14,080 Speaker 3: for the music business without getting my heart broken, and 973 00:49:14,239 --> 00:49:17,360 Speaker 3: just brave right that I felt like I was so 974 00:49:17,480 --> 00:49:20,200 Speaker 3: brave before any of all of this, and I wanted 975 00:49:20,239 --> 00:49:23,560 Speaker 3: to bring that spirit back into the music and my 976 00:49:23,680 --> 00:49:26,840 Speaker 3: church roots and how I preach about, you know, self 977 00:49:26,840 --> 00:49:28,879 Speaker 3: care and taking care of yourself. And I think that's 978 00:49:28,920 --> 00:49:31,799 Speaker 3: how Cover Girl was born. Like I'm like, I need 979 00:49:31,840 --> 00:49:34,480 Speaker 3: to get back to where I was because Peace to 980 00:49:34,520 --> 00:49:36,440 Speaker 3: me was so serious. I was pregnant with my daughter. 981 00:49:36,520 --> 00:49:38,719 Speaker 3: I was about seven months pregnant with her when I 982 00:49:38,760 --> 00:49:41,719 Speaker 3: was working on that album, and I didn't know what 983 00:49:41,880 --> 00:49:44,759 Speaker 3: I was gonna do, but she gave me everything that 984 00:49:44,800 --> 00:49:46,720 Speaker 3: I needed to give for that album, and I felt 985 00:49:46,760 --> 00:49:50,120 Speaker 3: like I'm raising a young child. I'm a new mom. 986 00:49:50,480 --> 00:49:52,959 Speaker 3: And I think now with Cover Girl, she's here, my daughter, 987 00:49:53,040 --> 00:49:56,080 Speaker 3: she's seven, she's my inspiration, she is the light of 988 00:49:56,120 --> 00:49:58,720 Speaker 3: my life. She's given me all the courage and everything 989 00:49:58,760 --> 00:50:01,560 Speaker 3: that I need, and that little girl that lived inside 990 00:50:01,560 --> 00:50:03,839 Speaker 3: of me is her And so I wanted to kind 991 00:50:03,840 --> 00:50:06,520 Speaker 3: of just pay homage back to that and get back 992 00:50:06,560 --> 00:50:10,600 Speaker 3: to that free vibe, being brave, not caring about anything, 993 00:50:10,680 --> 00:50:14,759 Speaker 3: and just looking right at myself and saying this is 994 00:50:14,760 --> 00:50:15,279 Speaker 3: who I am. 995 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:18,960 Speaker 2: Is she putting two and two together of what you 996 00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:21,520 Speaker 2: do and what you do for a living. 997 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:23,919 Speaker 3: Yeah. She took one of my albums the other day 998 00:50:23,960 --> 00:50:26,200 Speaker 3: and put it in her book bag and she's like, Mom, 999 00:50:26,239 --> 00:50:29,960 Speaker 3: can you sign this? This is for my teacher? And 1000 00:50:30,000 --> 00:50:31,680 Speaker 3: I signed it for her, she said, and I was like, 1001 00:50:31,760 --> 00:50:33,600 Speaker 3: she got home, she said, my teacher said she's going 1002 00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:35,920 Speaker 3: to listen to this on the weekend. And I was like, oh, 1003 00:50:36,040 --> 00:50:38,360 Speaker 3: so she knows. She see my merch. She sees the merch. 1004 00:50:39,160 --> 00:50:42,160 Speaker 3: She sees me like rehearsing my songs. She's even been 1005 00:50:42,200 --> 00:50:45,640 Speaker 3: on tour on the tour bus and got on stage 1006 00:50:45,640 --> 00:50:48,320 Speaker 3: and sang with me. So she's putting too one two together. 1007 00:50:48,600 --> 00:50:51,960 Speaker 3: A voice, she has a voice, she is, Oh, I 1008 00:50:51,960 --> 00:50:52,719 Speaker 3: can't believe it. 1009 00:50:53,000 --> 00:50:55,239 Speaker 2: Well, obviously if she has a voice, then you know 1010 00:50:55,880 --> 00:50:59,640 Speaker 2: she'll follow the lineage, what was the best advice that 1011 00:50:59,719 --> 00:51:03,440 Speaker 2: you were given and what was the worst advice you 1012 00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:03,839 Speaker 2: were given? 1013 00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:09,040 Speaker 3: Hmm. The best advice that I was given was to 1014 00:51:09,120 --> 00:51:13,200 Speaker 3: become a songwriter, and the worst advice I was given 1015 00:51:13,880 --> 00:51:17,160 Speaker 3: was to to It's kind of crazy because it kind 1016 00:51:17,160 --> 00:51:19,799 Speaker 3: of is in the same vein as being a songwriter, 1017 00:51:20,120 --> 00:51:24,040 Speaker 3: Like take your artist out of being a songwriter and 1018 00:51:24,080 --> 00:51:27,759 Speaker 3: be a songwriter, and I'm like, I'm still an artist, 1019 00:51:28,080 --> 00:51:31,120 Speaker 3: got you know? So it was the first advice, the 1020 00:51:31,160 --> 00:51:34,440 Speaker 3: best advice was to be a songwriter, and that's what 1021 00:51:34,480 --> 00:51:36,120 Speaker 3: you need to do. And then as I, you know, 1022 00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:38,840 Speaker 3: start writing and I was writing so good, everybody's like, 1023 00:51:38,880 --> 00:51:41,680 Speaker 3: you know, you're a good songwriter, but you need to 1024 00:51:41,719 --> 00:51:44,399 Speaker 3: take your artist. Just take your artist out of being 1025 00:51:44,400 --> 00:51:47,399 Speaker 3: a songwriter. And I'm like, I can write songs all 1026 00:51:47,440 --> 00:51:50,400 Speaker 3: the time. I want to give the artist the best 1027 00:51:50,400 --> 00:51:53,600 Speaker 3: song that I can give them, not because I'm trying out. 1028 00:51:53,640 --> 00:51:56,520 Speaker 3: I want to not be an artist. So it's just strange. Yeah, 1029 00:51:56,719 --> 00:51:57,240 Speaker 3: got itself. 1030 00:51:57,719 --> 00:52:01,799 Speaker 2: For your daughter, do you have dreams or wishes for 1031 00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:04,600 Speaker 2: her to also follow in your footsteps if that's what 1032 00:52:04,640 --> 00:52:05,560 Speaker 2: she wants to do, or. 1033 00:52:06,080 --> 00:52:07,640 Speaker 3: I want her to be free at whatever it is 1034 00:52:07,680 --> 00:52:10,840 Speaker 3: that she does. And I would not be a mom manger. 1035 00:52:10,880 --> 00:52:12,800 Speaker 3: I would if she was to get in the industry, 1036 00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:15,680 Speaker 3: I would find her the best team that she could 1037 00:52:15,680 --> 00:52:18,279 Speaker 3: ever have. But I think for me, I want her 1038 00:52:18,320 --> 00:52:20,160 Speaker 3: to be happy and whatever it is she wants to 1039 00:52:20,160 --> 00:52:22,799 Speaker 3: be a neuroscientist. She wants to be a veterinarian. And 1040 00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:25,600 Speaker 3: if that's what she she wants to get on stage 1041 00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:28,880 Speaker 3: with her old mom when I'm about sixty seventy and 1042 00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:32,239 Speaker 3: come and sing with me. She can, and that would 1043 00:52:32,239 --> 00:52:34,279 Speaker 3: make my heart smile. But I want her to be 1044 00:52:34,400 --> 00:52:37,000 Speaker 3: happy and to do what makes her happy in life. 1045 00:52:37,040 --> 00:52:39,359 Speaker 3: I would not stop her, but I would encourage her 1046 00:52:39,400 --> 00:52:41,080 Speaker 3: to do whatever makes her happy. 1047 00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:41,800 Speaker 1: Beautiful. 1048 00:52:42,320 --> 00:52:45,680 Speaker 2: What I like about your projects is that you're able 1049 00:52:45,719 --> 00:52:52,080 Speaker 2: to somehow musically astro travel to different eras you know, 1050 00:52:52,640 --> 00:52:57,040 Speaker 2: sounds like the sixties, late sixties, seventies, hearing traces of 1051 00:52:57,080 --> 00:52:58,280 Speaker 2: disco and whatnot. 1052 00:52:58,800 --> 00:53:00,160 Speaker 1: What is your life like? 1053 00:53:00,480 --> 00:53:06,239 Speaker 2: Dream conquering kind of mountain to climb as far as 1054 00:53:06,280 --> 00:53:07,960 Speaker 2: your creativity is concerned. 1055 00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:12,359 Speaker 3: I think for me, my first love would be hip hop, right, 1056 00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:15,600 Speaker 3: so I think next I'm definitely going on this hip 1057 00:53:17,200 --> 00:53:21,560 Speaker 3: I am. I. I am a very secret MC and 1058 00:53:21,680 --> 00:53:23,759 Speaker 3: a lot of people they like, I want to see 1059 00:53:23,760 --> 00:53:26,719 Speaker 3: what you do, and I'm like my brother, you know. 1060 00:53:26,800 --> 00:53:28,719 Speaker 3: He he was the man of the house for a 1061 00:53:28,719 --> 00:53:30,640 Speaker 3: long time as a kid, and he was the one 1062 00:53:31,040 --> 00:53:33,640 Speaker 3: who put me onto like leaders of the new School 1063 00:53:33,880 --> 00:53:37,200 Speaker 3: and Wu Tang and like Heavy D and the Boys 1064 00:53:37,239 --> 00:53:40,719 Speaker 3: and and all of these artists. I think Pete Rock 1065 00:53:40,760 --> 00:53:43,560 Speaker 3: can see smooth like I'm a rap head, you know. 1066 00:53:43,719 --> 00:53:47,120 Speaker 3: So I think next for me is like going back 1067 00:53:47,200 --> 00:53:50,400 Speaker 3: to my hip hop roots for sure. That's that's what 1068 00:53:50,400 --> 00:53:54,640 Speaker 3: I That's what I really would love to do. Oh yeah, 1069 00:53:54,640 --> 00:53:56,000 Speaker 3: that would be beautiful. 1070 00:53:55,680 --> 00:53:58,520 Speaker 1: When you get in mind. Because you know is a 1071 00:53:58,520 --> 00:53:59,240 Speaker 1: big fan of yours. 1072 00:53:59,640 --> 00:54:01,520 Speaker 2: I really want to thank you for taking the time 1073 00:54:01,560 --> 00:54:04,319 Speaker 2: out and speaking to us here at the Quest Love Show. 1074 00:54:04,360 --> 00:54:07,160 Speaker 1: And I'm such a fan of yours and I love 1075 00:54:07,200 --> 00:54:07,920 Speaker 1: a good pivot. 1076 00:54:08,080 --> 00:54:10,480 Speaker 2: To me, that's one of the main subjects that I 1077 00:54:10,560 --> 00:54:14,640 Speaker 2: try to convey with every episode that I do to 1078 00:54:14,719 --> 00:54:19,480 Speaker 2: the audience, which is basically oftentimes we might hit a 1079 00:54:19,520 --> 00:54:22,759 Speaker 2: dead end wall or a street and just be like, well, 1080 00:54:23,320 --> 00:54:24,160 Speaker 2: that's it, it's over. 1081 00:54:25,440 --> 00:54:27,799 Speaker 1: I'm really glad you didn't give up. 1082 00:54:27,800 --> 00:54:31,520 Speaker 2: And I love your your your patience, and I love 1083 00:54:31,920 --> 00:54:33,759 Speaker 2: the pivot that you've done with your creativity. 1084 00:54:33,800 --> 00:54:36,680 Speaker 1: And forever fan of yours and I thank you, oh, thank. 1085 00:54:36,520 --> 00:54:38,600 Speaker 3: You, thank you. I'm a forever fan of you guys, 1086 00:54:39,000 --> 00:54:42,280 Speaker 3: and you thanks for having me. This has made my week. 1087 00:54:43,040 --> 00:54:45,759 Speaker 3: I'm excited. I was so excited about this, and I 1088 00:54:45,800 --> 00:54:48,560 Speaker 3: would love to work and do some music with you. 1089 00:54:48,640 --> 00:54:50,840 Speaker 3: I would love to It would just be an honor. 1090 00:54:51,080 --> 00:54:53,800 Speaker 1: Yes all right, Lady ray Ladies and gentlemen, see I 1091 00:54:53,800 --> 00:54:56,160 Speaker 1: almost Sittingnicole ring. Lady Rayleies and gentlemen. 1092 00:54:56,200 --> 00:54:57,680 Speaker 3: Thank you. 1093 00:54:57,680 --> 00:54:57,960 Speaker 1: Thanks. 1094 00:54:58,000 --> 00:55:05,359 Speaker 2: Quass West Love Show is hosted by me a Mere 1095 00:55:05,480 --> 00:55:09,840 Speaker 2: quest Love Thompson. The executive producers are Sean g Brian 1096 00:55:09,920 --> 00:55:15,880 Speaker 2: Calhoun and Me. Produced by Brittany Benjamin and Jacob Payne. 1097 00:55:16,960 --> 00:55:18,839 Speaker 1: Produced for iHeart. 1098 00:55:18,560 --> 00:55:24,080 Speaker 2: By Noel Brown, Edited by Alex Conroy. iHeart Video support 1099 00:55:24,160 --> 00:55:29,719 Speaker 2: by Mark Canton Locals Graphics and animation by Nick Lowe. 1100 00:55:31,360 --> 00:55:33,160 Speaker 2: Additional support by Lance Coleman. 1101 00:55:34,719 --> 00:55:36,120 Speaker 1: Special thanks to Kathy Brown. 1102 00:55:37,640 --> 00:55:42,400 Speaker 2: Special thanks to Sugar Steve Mandel. Please subscribe, break review, 1103 00:55:42,520 --> 00:55:46,120 Speaker 2: and share The Quest Love Show wherever you stream your podcast. 1104 00:55:46,600 --> 00:55:50,040 Speaker 2: Make sure you follow us on socials That's at the 1105 00:55:50,239 --> 00:55:55,360 Speaker 2: q LS. Check out hundreds and hundreds of QLs episodes, 1106 00:55:55,400 --> 00:55:58,960 Speaker 2: including The Quest Love Supreme Shows and our podcast archives. 1107 00:56:01,440 --> 00:56:04,080 Speaker 1: The Muslim Shows a production of iHeartRadio