Hello Global Grind!
I’ve been signed to Def Jam records since I was 14 years old & I still can remember how excited I was. At the time Jay Z was president of the label & I couldn’t believe that I was going to get to work with him. It was like a dream come true.
I released my debut album ‘First Love’ in 2008 & although it was Grammy Nominated, it didn’t sell the way I would’ve hoped. My single 16 @ War was a great intro to the world from me, but deep down inside, I really wanted the label to release my song Slow Motion as a follow up. Slow motion is about a girl asking a guy to be her best friend before they rush into a relationship or rush to have sex. This song embodied everything that I believed then & still do now, & I know so many other young girls my age feel the same way. I wonder sometimes when will I be able to make and release the type of music that I love & know my fans will love instead of the songs that label execs tell me I need to put out.
How do I find myself musically if I’m not able to dictate what records my fans hear, or even what records I record?
I have an AMAZING team! My dad who is my manager, my brother Dex, who sometimes acts as my road manager, but also a VERY talented artist himself; My publicist Mecca Moore, my co-manager Phillana Williams, & my label DEF JAM all support me & I know that they want nothing but the best for me, but I haven’t figured out how to express my feelings to them without someone thinking I’m talking back or trying to be grown. All I wanna do is make good music that I know my generation needs. Sometimes I sit in my room & listen to records from past generations, & the quality of the music is so different. I want to make songs like that! Songs that hit people and they feel deep down inside. Not bubblegum.
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I had a studio session & producer Rockwilder stopped by & said to me ‘I didn’t realize you were so talented.’ He also told me that when the label hears my new records they will see the vision.. No need for me to stress.
I’m excited about music now more then ever.. I’m watching so many talented artists finally get to shine. My friend Dondria (So So Def) has a GREAT single titled ‘Your the One’ that I think everyone should check out. Also, my friend Diggy Simmons just signed with Atlantic
Records. Him & I worked on a record for his mix tape ‘The First Flight’ & I can’t wait to hear what he’s working on for his album. Another one of my friends who is very talented, Lil Mama is working on stuff as well.
I hope I’m able to bring you guys the music I know you want to hear. It may not be a crazy uptempo, & it might not be the record you can dance to in the club, but I promise it will be the record that will touch your soul & hopefully change the way you look at young talent in the industry.
Check out this link to one of the best records I ever recorded, co wrote & co produced. It’s called ‘Perfectly Different.’ Let me know your thoughts…
