Transcript
Michelle Williams Advises Gospel Singers To Collaborate Across Genres
Global Grind spoke with Michelle Williams in a Q&A, asking the former Destiny’s Child star if there was any advice that she’s learned working in pop or R&B that she would lend to the gospel industry what would it be. Michelle responded:
Collaborations across genres. Mainstream artists respect all types of music and they work with other artists to create new sounds and ideals. This is what makes them grow and stay innovative. It would be great to see more gospel artists and producers work with Christian artists and producers, country artists, bluegrass, pop and R&B. They all evolved from gospel anyway so why not! LOL
Check out the entire interview at globalgrind.com.
Keri Hilson Discusses ‘Turnin’ Me On Remix’ Controversy
Pyroradio.com spoke with Keri Hilson in a Q&A, asking the singer and songwriter if she could understand the belief she was taking shots at Beyonce and Ciara when the ‘Turnin’ Me On Remix’ came out. Hilson responded:
Absolutely. I was using somebody else’s lyrics and the word ’she’ can be taken many ways. Any piece of art is subject to interpretation and I understand that music is no different. When a rapper uses someone else’s lyric, it’s like that was a hot line that so and so used, but when a girl does it, or when I do it, all of a sudden it means I was talking directly to who they’re considering as my competition when I don’t even see it that way. I see that there’s a place for all of us and I’m addressing what these people say about me on these blogs. I hear she’s a song writer but ain’t nothing special about her. She should just go marry an athlete and have some babies. But I do see where they got it from but that wasn’t the energy behind it.
Check out the entire interview here.
Rihanna’s Dad Hopes Justice Prevails In Chris Brown Felony Charges
UsMagazine.com spoke with Rihanna’s father Ronald Fenty following news that the singer’s boyfriend Chris Brown was charged with two felonies for the February 8th attack on his daughter in Los Angeles. Asked for a reaction to the news, Ronald said, “I don’t know how to react. Chris is a very talented guy. I still think he’s a little immature for Rihanna. Justice can never be served in this situation. He can’t feel the pain she felt. I don’t believe in hitting a woman. I hope everything works out better for them. I don’t feel happy or sad. He’s in the court’s hands. Let justice prevail.”
Fenty added that he’s had trouble trying to reach Rihanna. “I’ll text the old numbers she had, and I call them,” he explained. “One girl answered, and she said, ‘This is not Robyn’s number anymore.’ I asked, ‘Do you work for Robyn? Do you deal with Robyn?’ And the girl hung up, so I don’t know what’s going on anymore. I’m lost.”
Bobby Valentino Expands On “R&B Is Dead” Remark
Singersroom spoke with Bobby Valentino in a Q&A, asking the singer about his recent comment that R&B is dead. “People to me don’t really love anymore like they did back in the day,” Valentino said. “I remember growing up – when you went to a party the highlight was trying to get that special dance with that girl that you liked. You might just want her to hold you or you wanna hold her or you might just wanna try to rub on her booty. Like when I was in middle school when we used to have those school dances (it was about) who was going to get that last dance. Now when you got to the club the DJ’s don’t even play slow music no more, even at the end of the night. They might play kind of like some groove music that you can step to but the slow jams are really out.” Read more.
Frigid Cold Affected Aretha Franklin’s Inauguration Performance
Aretha Franklin appeared on ‘Larry King Live’ last week after performing at ‘My Country ‘Tis of Thee’ at the inauguration on Tuesday. Asked if it was a tough song to sing, the Queen of Soul responded, “No, not at all, but (Tuesday) it was. Mainly because of the temperature outside. I don’t have to tell you, it was freezing, if you were there. Some singers it doesn’t bother, and others it does. I don’t care for it. It affected my voice.”
As for Aretha’s thoughts about Barack Obama being elected president, she said, “Oh boy, how do you put it into words? There’s a love affair going on with the country and Barack. I think it’s the age of Barack. People have just fallen head over heels in love with him. His ascent to the presidency was miraculous. But we have to remember that he’s not going to work miracles right off the top. It’s going to take time.”
Check out the entire transcript at CNN.com and watch the performance below.
Suai: Ne-Yo’s One Of The Real Cool People In The Industry
Clutch spoke with Suai in a Q&A, asking the Motown newcomer what it was like working with Ne-Yo. “He’s one of the real cool people in the industry. Over the last three years since I’ve been signed, I’ve met a lot of people and some people just aren’t cool and you’re like I don’t want to meet them again! His company is called Compound Entertainment, and at the time I went to Atlanta to work with him, it was based in the basement of his condo. So, I’m at Ne-Yo’s house and he’s just got on a T-shirt, sweatpants, a blinged out chain and gym shoes. He was totally cool and was like ‘OK, whatcha wanna sing about?’ I told him and he wrote the record. We also did a couple more records together and ‘Hey’ was the one song that made the album. Ever since we wrote that song together, I’ve opened shows for him in different cities. He’s always cool. Once when I opened up a show in Detroit for him, he came by my dressing room, gave me a hug and took pictures with all my background singers and band members. Ne-Yo’s a real cool dude.” Check out the transcript at clutchmagonline.com.
No Competition Between Akon And T-Pain
Kevin Nottingham spoke with Akon in a Q&A, asking the singer about comparisons he gets with T-Pain and if there’s any competition between the two friends. “Within me and T-Pain? Far from competition,” Akon responded. “Anything I can do to make sure that he precedes me, I do that. My goal was always to make sure any artist attached to me was larger than me. That’s why we put all of our energy into Pain the way we do it; allow him to grow and be his own man and to build his own empire from [Digital record label] Nappy Boy to everything else that he’s doing. It’s always been a situation where, you know, I never pigeon-held any of the artist that were signed to Konvict. I want them to be able to expand, grow out, become their own person, you know, have your own identity. That’s why I never hugged over him or stamped him so hard to a point where you get him and the brand mixed up, you know. But, I’ve been extremely proud of him for what he’s accomplished to this point, what he’s going through and what he’s about to do. I mean, it’s incredible to have him be the first artist, and represent the Konvict movement as thoroughly as he did. It’s a proud moment for anybody to have an artist, any record company to have an artist like T-Pain who’s probably representing and doing his thing to a level to where we could proudly say he’s a Konvict artist. There’s definitely no competition whatsoever; it’s our sound. This is what we do; we just blend it out for everybody else to enjoy it as well.” Check out the entire interview here.
Estelle Cites Mary J. Blige As Her Role Model
Lisa of FredFlare.com caught up with Estelle for a Q&A, asking the singer who her role model is. “Mary J. Blige! I love her,” Estelle said. “I met her, she’s lovely, it was amazing, she actually knew my name. It was so cool, especially because I never had vocal lessons and I used to listen to her CD and taught myself to sing from there. Basically she’s one of the main reasons why I do what I do, we bonded over that when we met, she feels the same way about Aretha Franklin!” Check out the entire interview here.
Robin Thicke’s Audience Isn’t Like Winehouse, Duffy Or Stone
The Hook Up caught up with Robin Thicke in a Q&A, asking the American R&B singer about whether the UK perception that white female soul singers are more favored than black female singers – as in Amy Winehouse, Duffy and Joss Stone – is something he faces in America. “In the US it’s different,” Thicke said. “All that is, is people want to be connected with something that’s similar to them, I bet it’s more of a white audience that go to those artists (Amy et al) shows. My situation is different because my audience is mostly black, my music doesn’t even play on pop radio. I play on the most urban stations out there, I haven’t even begun to cross over. Y’know I’m not an artist just to be an artist, I’m an artist for the sake of the music being appreciated.” Read more.
Sparkle Discusses Her Role In R. Kelly Trial
Sparkle gets candid with Sister 2 Sister Magazine in its October issue about testifying in the R. Kelly child pornography trial, which saw the Chicago R&B singer acquitted in his hometown. “I was like, because I do care I have to show up. I have to basically finish what I started, which was basically just to tell the truth,” Sparkle told Jamie Foster Brown. Those most upset were the parents of the girl believed to be on the tape. “I think they felt like I wasn’t going to testify, and I don’t really know what gave them that idea, but I believe they felt like I wasn’t going to show up,” Kelly’s former protege said. “And the thing is, I even thought about that because I’m just like, you know what? If my sister and them don’t give a fu**, excuse my language, why should I? But then I was like, because I do care I have to show up.” The excerpt at s2smagazine.com has since been removed.
