What’s the highlight of your career so far?
The highlight of my career to date, hmm…that’s kinda tough because there’s a lot of great things that have happened in my career. I’d have to say my first single going number one and staying there for seven weeks, that’s definitely a highlight. Also, another highlight is the album going double platinum.
You’ve already won a bunch of awards – Soul Train’s Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist and BET’s Best Collaboration with Missy Elliott to name a few – what’s the next award you want to take home?
You know, to be honest, I don’t want to say I’m looking for one particular award. It definitely would be cool to receive more of them (laughs), but I can’t say any one in particular. Actually, the day I win a Grammy, that will be kinda cool.
When you were growing up, was your goal always to be a performer? Or did you ever want to have a “regular job”?
When I was young I really wanted to be a lawyer. But that was when I was really young and didn’t know anything about it. You know how when you sit around with your friends – “I’m going to be a doctor when I grow up”, “I’m going to be a dentist”. I always said I was going to be a lawyer.
When you first hit the scene there was the “overnight sensation” tag thrown around. How long were you in studios and honing your craft before you blew up?
I’ve been doing this now for a total of five years. I started when I was 14 years old.
“Goodies” was one of the first hits in the genre dubbed “Crunk & B”. Were you into crunk music before recording that track?
Actually, at first I couldn’t take crunk music. Then I was just like, you know, I can’t deny this – it’s full of energy, it’s great energetic music. Then the cool thing was that we were able to come up with “Crunk & B” which is a different sound and started a whole new trend, that’s when I was really sold on crunk. I actually heard Usher’s “Yeah” record before it came out – I remember listening to that before it was on the radio – and everyone at the record label was real excited about that track. Lil Jon was known for producing a lot of great rap records and that was the first R&B record to really come out for him, after I heard that track I was really a believer.
When you recorded “Goodies” and “1 2 Step”, could you tell straight away they’d both be hits?
I definitely believed that “Goodies” was going to be a hit record. I knew that “1 2 Step” was a big record too. I guess the thing with “Goodies” though, is that I never knew it was going to blow up as fast as it did. I believed in that record, though – I knew it would be a big hit, just not as fast as it happened.
With “1 2 Step”, were you worried that the track needed to be as successful as “Goodies” so you weren’t labelled a one hit wonder?
I had a lot of confidence with the whole album and I knew a lot of the tracks could potentially be singles, and that was very cool for me – at least that’s how I felt. After “Goodies” came out, I just thought that even if that’s my only hit – no one wants to be labelled as a one hit wonder, but the reality is at least I’ve released one great record in my life and I can take it from there. I really did believe in “1 2 Step” though. I actually picked that record to be a single, even though the label wanted another track to be a single, but I said I believed that “1 2 Step” was a better record to represent me as an artist and how I see myself. It’s one of those things where you don’t know what will happen – people may like the record, they may not, but you have to go for it and have faith.
At the moment you’re all over Australian TV in Missy’s “Lose Control” videoclip – what the hell is going on in that video?
In that clip we’re having a really good time, and we’re really losing control.
One minute you’re all dancing in the desert, then the next minute you’re flying up against a wall…
Yeah, we’re getting flung into a wall, we’re dancing…that’s what I love about Missy though, she’s so innovative, always doing new things, stuff you don’t expect. I had a really great time shooting that video.
How’s the second album coming along?
Well, actually I haven’t been in the studio yet, but I’ve been doing a lot of brainstorming. I’m very anxious to get in the studio – I’ve got so many ideas, so many thoughts that I want to share with the world and I can’t wait to do that and I’m definitely looking forward to it.
Will it be similar to the “Goodies” album, or do you have something new planned?
It will be a little different, I think you’ll get to know a little more about me.
Do you write most of your own tracks?
I do a lot of co-writing on my records, I’m very involved when it comes to writing my tracks.
Do you think that it’s important to be able to compose your own lyrics, rather than being a voice for someone else’s words?
You know what, I think that if you have that talent to write then it’s very important to be able to express yourself through music. I’m not trying to say you have to write your own lyrics – if you can’t do it, then don’t but if you can, why not.
As a public figure, how do you deal with the endless rumours that come up about you and your life? Do you laugh at it, or is it something that annoys you?
I laugh at it, that’s the best way to deal with it. If you worry too much about things like that you’ll never enjoy life. I just try to push the negative aside
What’s the craziest rumour you’ve heard about yourself?
I don’t even want to talk about that stuff, honestly.
You’re the first artist signed to Jazzy Pha’s ShoNuff Records, right?
I’m the first lady of ShoNuff.
Does that mean you get the pick of his best beats?
(laughs) Jazzy always saves the good beats for me.
Have you ever heard a Jazzy beat that he was going to give to someone else and you had to jump in and steal it?
Well, he always runs them by me first, so yeah if I hear something I like I just tell him I have to have that one.
What was the last track you heard on the radio and you wished you got that beat?
You know what track I really like at the moment, “Don’t Cha” by the Pussycat Dolls. It’s a real nice record.
It’s well-documented the groupie problems that male artists face, do you have the same thing happening where male groupies are chasing after you when you’re on the road?
I think for females it’s not the same…I know male artists get it really bad when it comes to female fans. Maybe if you’re a mega-mega-mega star, but my experience has been it’s not as bad for female artists.
