Ex-wife of rapper/producer Swizz Beatz, Mashonda Tifrere speaks out about her newfound happiness, closure between her and Alicia Keys and who mediated the ensuing discussions between the three.
Mashonda also dishes about her slot as a recurring guest on VH1’s hit show “Love & Hip-Hop” and about her new music and upcoming book “Death Of A Mermaid.” Check out Mashonda’s exclusive interview with GlobalGrind below and on the next few pages!
GLOBALGRIND: You’ve had a pretty tough year with a very public divorce from your now ex-husband Swizz Beatz and now you’re on VH1’s “Love & Hip-Hop.” How long did it take you to come to the point where you were ready to call a truce and resolve your issues with Swizz & Alicia Keys?
MT: I feel like it wasn’t only me, but everyone involved had to put in effort and prove to each other that it is about the kids at the end of the day. My son is old enough now, he’s four years old and he can talk. He’d come home and tell me how much fun he had. He just loves to be loved and all kids do. With me knowing that, it just gives me comfort. With that I was able to write that letter and let people know that I was leaving all of the negative stuff behind and moving into a positive light. Let’s move on, because it’s all about moving on.
GG: How did you all [Swizz & Alicia] come to a better place? Who mediated the situation?
MT: My son was the mediator. He let me know he’s good over there. Once I figured out that he was okay and that he was happy, I was good. And that’s the comfort zone for me. Everyone is in a good place.
GG: What made you decide to join the cast of “Love & Hip-Hop?”
MT:I felt it was time. I had been approached by a couple other producers the past three years. I didn’t feel ready for it emotionally. So I turned them down. I’ve known Mona for years in the industry. When she asked me, it felt right, because I felt like I’d be in safer hands, but I still wasn’t completely ready so I turned it down initially. She came back and asked me a second time. She proposed it as me being a friend of one of the girls in the cast. Being that I knew Emily so well. So I finally accepted and we started filming.
The first scene we did is the scene you see on the first episode. That was the first time I seen her in a month, so our interaction was so real. The producers fell in love with our chemistry so much, so they asked me to come back as a recurring guest. You’ll see me throughout the show.
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GG: There was a little drama between Chrissy and Somaya Reece during the season, what else can we expect to see during the series?
MT: You can definitely expect to see a lot of passion. Not really a lot of drama, of course it’s TV so we have to give you a little something to talk about. But all five of us have passionate stories. You’ll see us all break down and give our hearts. It’s so different from any other reality show out right now. We have goals we want to achieve and we’re not afraid to share it.
GG: What’s the most difficult part about being the wife or girlfriend of a rapper or hip-hop artist?
MT: I believe it’s the constant pull from people on the outside. Everyone wants a part of it, everyone wants to roll with you or a piece of you. As a woman behind a man, you have be their backbone. You have to deal with them on their worst days when they don’t want to be bothered with the world, or when the world doesn’t want to be bothered with them. We have to deal with that ego, that attitude and just everything. It’s hard and it’s almost no balance.
GG: What advice would you give a woman who is in a new relationship with a rapper?
MT: Any girl who wants to date a rapper can’t be serious. (They should) want to date a good man. If you are in a situation with a rapper or a man in the entertainment industry, my advice would be to have your own career and your own life. You can’t focus on whatever they’re doing all the time, because you have to stay loyal to yourself. You need to focus on yourself. What’s here today may not be here tomorrow.
Find out the details of Mashonda’s book on the next page!
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GG: Are you working on any new music projects?
MT: Yes. I’m in the studio right now working on new music. Go to mashondaloyal.com you can always get updates on new music. I also blog, so I give a lot of health tips and a lot of positive stuff.
GG: What are your top 5 favorite hip-hop albums of all time?
MT: Definitely, Biggie and Nas’ first albums. I love Foxy Brown’s first album and Faith Evans and Mary J. Blige.
GG: Besides working on music, is there anything else you want to share with your fans and GlobalGrind?
MT: I’m writing a book entitled “Death Of A Mermaid,” that should be finished later this year. It’s about my life and journey. There’s something for every woman in that book to relate to. It embodies my spiritual journey and my life.
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Mashonda Tifrere and rapper Fabolous’ girlfriend Emily Bustamante.
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Ex-wife of rapper/producer Swizz Beatz, Mashonde Tifrere speaks about her happiness and closure.
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Ex-wife of rapper/producer Swizz Beatz, Mashonde Tifrere speaks about her happiness and closure.
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Ex-wife of rapper/producer Swizz Beatz, Mashonde Tifrere speaks about her happiness and closure.
