The Philly songstress took to her Twitter to confirm her new project.

Though we were cool with the fact she made her presence felt behind the scenes, writing Monica’s track, “Until It’s Gone,” Jazmine Sullivan’s place is in the spotlight. How excited are you for Jazmine Sullivan’s return?!

RELATED POSTS:

Noel Gourdin Talks Depression, His New Album & Jazmine Sullivan [Exclusive Interview]

Jazmine Sullivan “Fly & Sexy” [NEW MUSIC]

Jazmine Sullivan “Boy Why” [NEW MUSIC]

We’re not sure if this is something that’s new or unreleased from her last album “Love Me Back,” but it has the vibe you’d expect from Jazmine.

RELATED POSTS:

Jazmine Sullivan Announces Retirement From Music On Twitter

Noel Gourdin Talks Depression, His New Album & Jazmine Sullivan [EXCLUSIVE]

Jazmine Sullivan “Boy Why” [NEW MUSIC]

Check out the audio below.

Recent Post:

Jazmine Sullivan Announces Retirement From Music On Twitter

Jazmine Sullivan Will Let You Run Before Busting Your Windows [VIDEO]

In the most extreme instances, one person in the relationship doesn’t understand when it’s over. Those are the ones who still call intensely and show up unannounced. A lot of times you don’t catch the subtle signs of crazy. The Urban Daily and I (@JaySpeakEasy) decided we’d help you out. If you’re in a relationship and they constantly play any of these songs–run!

Jennifer Hudson – “No One’s Gonna Love You”

Jennifer Hudson lets the man know from jump that there’s a little bit of crazy somewhere in her head. She sings about her going through some things before getting into the current relationship. The trouble arises when she starts talking about he better not send her to voice mail because all she’s going to do is text him. Here’s a tip: if you got sent to voice mail, the person doesn’t want to talk to you. Leave them alone and maybe they will call you back. But the calling and texting one after the other is a huge turn off and let’s me know you need more attention than I’m willing to bestow. Fall back.

The Supremes and The Temptations – “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”

This is a duet between a man and a woman, the title should raise a red flag. Despite the song’s intentions of being a sweet love song, it comes off stalker like because there are undertones of forcing someone to love you. If they don’t like you, move on. People like this switch personalities like Lynn Whitfield in ‘A .’ one minute they’re sweet and loving and the next thing you know, you’re playing James Caan to their  Kathy Bates in Misery. You all saw how that one ended.

John Legend ft. Kanye West – “It’s Over”

John Legend takes the role of the person being harassed after a break up. The girl in the relationship tried to change him. When he walked instead of caving to her demands, she became obsessive. The calling was non-stop and John Legend wants her to get it through her head that the relationship is finished. If you have an ex still calling and coming around, two things should run through your head, “What the hell was I thinking when I started dealing with them.” and “Damn, I’m good.” Whichever you prefer.

Jazmine Sullivan – “Bust Your Windows”

Jazmine Sullivan made a name for herself with this song about destroying an ex’s whip because he destroyed her heart. Homegirl busted his windows, scratched her initials in the upholstery with a crowbar, and went to town messing his car up. The troubling thing about the whole episode is she’s still crying at the end of the song. That’s reason to be concerned because that means the dismantling of the car wasn’t satisfying enough, which means she may do something worse to get her desired effect of making the man miserable. Plus, they’re crazy enough to tell you to watch them do it?! You better have them locked underneath the jail because the streets won’t be safe.

Lionel Richie – “Hello”

This track has ‘crazy person’ written all over it. Lyrics like “I’ve been alone with you inside my mind/And in my dreams I’ve kissed your lips a thousand times” showcase a person who is a stalker with good intentions. This guy doesn’t want to be a creeper, he just doesn’t know how to express his feelings verbally. Don’t let that fool you, ladies. Just because he doesn’t want to get crazy with you doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of doing so. It’s people personified by “Hello” that will chop you up into tiny pieces if you don’t accept their advances. Proceed with caution.

Isyss – “Single For The Rest of My Life”

The now defunct girl group’s biggest hit is also a stalker anthem. Think about it. These ladies sing, “If I can’t have you, I’ll just be single for the rest of my life.” Excuse me, shortie! You will not be single for ever because some guy doesn’t like you. If you feel that strongly about him, you might need to see a therapist in order to not go down that Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction road. No need for boiling bunnies. Find a new man and let it be over!

Mya – Ridin

Mya is gorgeous, so why she can’t keep a man is beyond me. In “Ridin,” she drives all around looking for her man because she cooked him dinner and he didn’t come home to eat it. Some may say this song is more about a woman’s intuition than stalking someone. Those sentiments have merit, however, Mya’s on here because of the lengths she goes to in order to figure out if he’s cheating or not. No need to drive past his mother’s, cousin’s, baby mama’s, and his doctor’s office. No need for all of that. You just wasted a whole tank of gas chasing this guy when you know he’s out doing dirt. Gas is expensive as hell these days. You could’ve stayed home and went all Kelis “Caught Out There” on him.

Lisa Stansfield – All Around The World

“All Around The World” is one of the catchiest stalker songs ever. When you hear it you just have to bob your head. The music is infectious enough to distract from the stalker message. Stansfield is looking for her baby all around the world with no luck. If you couldn’t find him in the first three countries you scoured, you need to have a seat and do some soul searching. There are millions of men on this planet and you can’t find one? You and your stalker tendencies are the problem. Point blank, period.

The Police – Every Breath You Take

A lot of people mistake this song as a love ballad.  Personally, I think there’s no way in the world those lyrics could be interpreted as pure love. If someone used these lyrics in general conversation, the police would immediately be called. (No pun intended.) I would not allow myself to be put in a situation where a female wants to know my every move. Actions like that cause claustrophobia in relationships. Hold up, back it up , and give me some space.

Related Posts:

Serena Williams’ Stalker Arrested Outside Of Her Home

She Uses Me: 5 Celebrity Sex Toys

Top 10 Controversial Music Videos By Female Artists

Picture this: You are a singer signed to label that houses artists like Beyonce and John Legend. On your debut, they pair you with successful producers and musicians like Raphael Saadiq and Salaam Remi and you have a smash single, “The River.” Sound too good to be true? If you’re Noel Gourdin, it was.

Although he has a chart topping R&B single, fans recognized the song and not the singer with a silky tenor and crisp falsetto. I caught up with Noel to talk about his new album Fresh: The Drefinition, the camaraderie of R&B musicians, and his favorite female vocalists in the game.

Fresh:The Definition is your second album out. How is it different from your first?

I’d have to say it’s a lot more live instrumentation this time around. From the drums to the bass guitar and grand piano and horns. It was just something I really wanted to have apart of this album. I really wanted to do it on the first album, After My Time, with Sony. But this time I wanted to make an earnest effort to get that pure production value into it. I wanted it to be reminiscent of  classic soul music. Another thing was being able to have more creative freedom. There was a more tight knit group of writers for this project. There were five including myself. I feel this album is more me.

How did your personal trials and tribulations between your two albums add to the musicality of the new album?

After leaving Sony, I did have a rough patch. I went into a depression. I fell out of touch with God and stopped praying. I even fell out of touch with my family for a large part of time. For people who know me, that’s not me. I’m very family oriented. They had an intervention for me where they told me, “You have to pick yourself up, get back in the studio, and start writing again.” But being able to get back on the horse was a big step for me. Overcoming depression and being able to do what I felt was true to the album made me feel good. Those trials have contributed to my growth, not only as an artist, but as a man. This album allowed me to put the rejuvenated spirit I had into my music. The title is Fresh: The Definition because I wanted this to be a fresh start for my career and life.

You seem to have a genuine love for soul/R&B music. What are your thoughts on the condition it’s in now? The Gramm

ys are cutting out a lot of awards for you guys and the feeling of soul music isn’t what it used to be. How do you feel about that?

It’s disheartening. All the music getting love and the spotlight is like that electronic style. A lot of the  lyrics aren’t particularly for young kids. I don’t want my nieces and nephews listening to most of the stuff that’s on the radio. I can only speak for myself, but I’m sure other artists in my genre feel the same way. We make music, for the most part, that’s clean. A vast majority of people can listen to our music. It’s respectful and tasteful. We, as R&B singers, have a tough challenge. It’s going to take a movement. It’s not up to one artist or one fan. We have to band together and keep this music alive because it is so important. A lot of people say it’s purely entertainment, but it’s not. When you have people back in the sixties and seventies whose records started baby booms. That’s not entertainment, that’s a way of life. The music from that time will never die and it’s kind of scary to think of what our kids are going to be listening to 25 years down the line.

You spoke of artists needing to band together in order to keep the music alive. What is the camaraderie like between R&B artists?

For the most part, people I’ve run into have been great. Running into people on the road like Eric Benet, Anthony David, Rahsaan Patterson has been really good. The camaraderie between most artists is great. You know, you have a select few who I choose not to be around too much. [laughs] I think this music is bigger than that–bigger than the egos. I think we can get past all of that and band together more to get soul music where it needs to be.

Your first single from the album is “Beautiful.” That record contains a positive message towards women. How do you feel about the objectification and the hypersexualization of women in videos and in the industry as a whole?

I think it starts with the self respect type of thing. It’s not right to treat a woman a certain way based on what she’s wearing and all of that, but it’s a self respect issue. If they continue to allow themselves to be objectified, it will continue to happen. It is what it is. Sex sells. It really does. Personally, I will not jeopardize the integrity of my music and artistry. Like I said before, I want to be respectful and tasteful. I want my grand mama to be able to enjoy my work. So it’s very important to me to not be condescending or disrespectful to women in my music. I still feel self respect is the main issue because there are some records out there with the rudest lyrics towards women and women are out there reciting all the words, putting themselves down.

Because you make clean music is it harder to get played on a mainstream hip hop/R&B radio station?

It’s tough. “Beautiful” was number three on the Adult Contemporary charts. I’ve come to realize I’m not a hip hop/R&B radio type of artist. I’m more of a classic soul and today’s R&B type of guy. Should a record like “Beautiful” be played on a hip hop/R&B type station? Yes, because it’s got a positive message. However, the positivity of the music isn’t accepted as much as everything else. But I’ll just continue to make music that I feel from the heart and soul. I just hope things will get better.

What was it like having your debut single, “The River” become a big song and sort of overshadow you as a person and artist?

I made it a conscious effort to bridge the gap between the my first album and second album. I wanted to let people know that was me singing “The River” because when I go and do shows and sound check “The River,” people are always like, “Oh, that’s him?! He’s the guy that sings that?!” [laughs] So I’ve run into Anthony Hamilton and Jaheim on the road and they have both said, “Noel, a lot of people think that I’m the one that sings ‘The River.’” I always reply, “Damn man, you trying to take the hits!” That’s our running joke.

Personally, I like Fresh: The Definition more so than After My Time. Conceptually, it felt like After My Time was more about a young man trying to find his way in love and relationships. Fresh: The Definition is more the man finding that type of love he’s been searching for and not accepting anything less.

Exactly. You are absolutely right. It definitely shows growth, not only as an artist but as a man. That was the vision we had when we sat down with the writers and talked about the project. It was great to have that come to fruition.

When I told some of my female friends I was interviewing you, they were like, “His voice just makes me want to fall in love.” They said other things I won’t be repeating. Just know it’s all good stuff. [laughs] But which female vocalists have that effect on you?

[laughs] Jazmine Sullivan. Just the conviction she sings with is incredible. I know she’s taking a little hiatus, but I’m hoping she comes back. The game needs voices and talents like her. Lalah Hathaway has an incredible voice. Ledisi’s voice is amazing. She has a classic feel to her voice which I love. Gladys Knight’s voice is crazy. She’s still got it. It just blows you away. Also, I’d have to say Miss Jill Scott and Faith Evans. Those voices are from the heart and soul. You know they’re doing the right thing with their lives by the way they make people feel.

Speaking of Jazmine Sullivan, right when she went on  her hiatus she said she always told herself she would stop performing when it stopped being fun. Obviously, she’s stopped doing music for the time being. What advice would you give her to help her rediscover her love for music?

I understand what she means. It’ a personal thing. I just think she is so talented. The legacy she will leave is already impactful, even if she never makes another record. Imagine how much more impactful her legacy would be like if she came back. We need her. She’s one of the front runners leading soul music. The industry needs her. Our genre needs her back. I believe she will come back because this music is her passion and I think being away from it is going to eat right through her. I’m waiting on her next project, whenever it comes, because it’s going to be special. Come on back, Jazmine!

Related Posts:

Patti LaBelle Names Ledisi As Her Successor

Chrisette Michele to Charlie Wilson, “If You Don’t Tell Us, Who Will?”

Marsha Ambrosius & Miguel Reveal Their First Jobs [VIDEO]

In a series of tweets posted by Sullivan, and later taken down, she announced that she was retiring from the music business, much to the chagrin of her fans.

i’m making an official announcement that i am taking a break from music … i’m trying to figure out who i am … w/out a mike, paper or pen. i promised myself when it wasn’t fun anymore i wouldn’t do it. and here i am. i love u all and appreciate u soooooo much … u have no idea how much u’ve inspired me and fed my ego. but the truth is that i have to believe in me whether you all do or not. and thats what i’m lookin for. that belief in myself. me. I. i love us. thanks for being here for me and riding with me on this journey. let us continue.

We hope that since she later deleted the tweets, that she’s reconsidered her decision!

RELATED: Jazmine Sullivan “10 Seconds” [VIDEO]

RELATED: Jazmine Sullivan Will Let You Run Before Busting Your Windows [VIDEO]

The show was heavy on performances from the likes of Ne-Yo, R. Kelly, Jazmine Sullivan, Erykah Badu, Bruno Mars, Tamia, Faith Evans, Lalah Hathaway, Bilal, and many more.

Thanks to Yardie, we got all the performances here for you to check out!

Scroll down to watch!

Ne-Yo “Champagne Life / One In A Million”

R. Kelly – “Bump & Grind / Your Body’s Callin’ / When A Woman’s Fed Up / Happy People / When A Woman Loves

Jazmine Sullivan “10 Seconds / Holdin’ You Down (Going In Circles)”

Chrisette Michele, Tamia, Rachelle Farrell, Kem, Faith Evans, Lalah Hathaway, Dionne Farris, Goapele “Tribute To Anita Baker”

Cee Lo Green “Forget You”

Erykah Badu “Out My Mind Just In Time / Window Seat”

Bruno Mars “Grenade”

Keyshia Cole, Bilal, Tank, El DeBarge, Eric Benet, Peabo Bryson, Freddie Jackson, Jeffrey Osbourne “Tribute To Ron Isley”

RELATED: Chrisette Michele Not Pleased With Rick Ross’ Behavior At Soul Train Awards

RELATED: VH1 Hops Aboard The Soul Train For New Documentary

In her debut single, “Bust Your Windows,” she does just that to her man’s car.

Now in the video for her new single, “10 Seconds,” homegirl tied her cheating man up to a chair and strapped a bomb to him.

No lie.

Fellas, if you see Jazmine walking down the street, cross to the other side.

Immediately.

RELATED: Jazmine Sullivan Will Let You Run Before Busting Your Windows [VIDEO]

RELATED: Jazmine Sullivan Takes It Back To “House Party” In New Video

The newest single from Jazmine Sullivan is so good that I can’t help but make the ugly face every time I hear it.

The Salaam Remi-produced “10 Seconds” is the second single off of Jazmine’s sophomore album Love Me Back, which hits stores Nov. 2. Getting in her best woman scorned character, Jaz tells some unfortunate soul that only has 10 seconds to get his ‘ish and walk out of the door.

10 Seconds – Jazmine Sullivan

Follow me at Twitter.com/Youngpharoh

Jazmine Sullivan sings about relationships and heartbreak but how does she deal with stress in real life? With the recent news of Fantasia and the media scrutiny of her relationship with a married man that led to her attempted suicide Jazmine talks about how she copes with fame and how she isn’t so quick to resort to busting windows in her upcoming album.

Spotted at KYSDC.com

RELATED:

Jazmine Sullivan Takes It Back To “House Party” In New Video

Jazmine Sullivan & Mary J. Blige “Holding You Down (Goin’ In Circles)” Remix

The remix for Jazmine Sullivan’s new single “Holding You Down (Goin’ In Circles)” dropped late last week and capitalized on it’s 90′s throwback sound by adding the inventor of this hip-hop soul s**t, Mary J Blige, to the track.

In the video, which just hit today, Jazmine takes it back to the classic 1990 film, House Party.

Keep an eye out for cameo appearances from Missy Elliott, Pete Rock, Doug E Fresh, Pepa, and Kwame!

RELATED: Jazmine Sullivan & Mary J. Blige “Holding You Down (Goin’ In Circles)” Remix

RELATED: DJ Premier & Pete Rock To Collaborate On An Album

Jazmine Sullivan’s latest single “Holding You Down (Goin’ In Circles)” gets the remix treatment. The early 90′s throwback vibe of the single reminded many people of old school Mary J. Blige, so it’s only fitting that Mary hops on this remix!

RELATED: VIDEO: Jazmine Sullivan Speaks On Pressure To Lose Weight

RELATED: Kanye West Unleashes A “Monster” With Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj

It’s been a minute since we heard any new music from Jazmine Sullivan.

She just dropped a brand new joint which was premiered today on NYC’s Power 105 during DJ Envy’s Exclusives at 2.

Didn’t remain an exclusive for long though as it almost immediately hit the internets!

Check out all the joints sampled on this record below!

RELATED: Drake Being Sued By Playboy Over “Best I Ever Had” Sample

RELATED: Rapper Kanye West Accused Of Stealing 2007 Hit ‘Stronger’

VIA DX:

With the Lady Gaga-assisted “Chillin’” gaining ground on rhythmic radio, Interscope Records announced this morning that Wale’s Attention Deficit will be releasing on September 22.

Besides the single, the album reportedly features “W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.,” an update of Justice’s “D.A.N.C.E.” hit single from 2007. A previous version of the Wale cover appeared on his 2007 mixtape, hosted by Nick Catchdubs 100 Miles & Runnin’. The album also reportedly features K’Naan (“Warrior”), Bun B (“90210″) and Jazmine Sullivan. Production duties include Allido Records founder/Grammy Award-winner Mark Ronson, as well as Cool & Dre, Sean C & LV and Dave Sitek of TV On The Radio.

In the first episode of her new VIDEO BLOG, the great DJ TT Torrez, from Richmond, VA’s iPower92.1sat down with R&B songstress JAZMINE SULLIVAN. In the interview she discusses some of the obstacles she faced at the start of her career.

What do you think of her style? Let us know in the comments!

“I was sitting at the nomination ceremony with my mom and the Jonas Brothers were four rows in front of me,” she recalls fondly. “So I was like ‘Ok mom, these look like Grammy nominated seats. Something is gonna go down.’ They called my name and I just couldn’t believe it.”

Sullivan has a list of heavy hitters to thank if she wins. Producer Salaam Remi, Missy Elliot, Stargate, Fisticuffs, Jack Splash and Dirty Harry all contributed to her debut CD, Fearless, which has seen sales upwards of 234,000 units since its debut this past September. Remi produced the lead single, “Bust Your Windows” as well as “Live A Lie” and “Call Me Guilty.”

“It was wonderful working with Salaam. He definitely pushed me to work even harder,” she says. “We have about 500 songs [done] so he’ll probably be on the second album.”

The 21-year-old singer is still touring in promotion of the CD and is looking forward to some holiday R&R with her family. As for The Grammy Ceremony in February, she can’t wait to walk the red carpet.

“I’m excited that people are gonna let me wear their clothes so that’ll be a first,” she beams. “I can’t wait to see all the dresses.”

The 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Feb. 8, 2009, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on CBS from 8-11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Once you get over the Missy Elliott guest spot on the radio hit “Need U Bad” and the overstated Lauryn Hill comparisons, J Records new artist Jazmine Sullivan bodes well amongst the labels other deep throat divas.

The disc’s opening track, “Bust Your Windows,” where the just now legal Sullivan warns of the fury of a woman scorn is bound to become the alibi of plenty sistas from around the way. As will “Call Me Guilty,” where Sullivan sings of taking the life against a man who abused her.

Although it sounds rather heavy, Sullivan actually keeps the party going for much of the set. The best of the CD’s throwback vibe is heard on “One Night Stand” and “My Foolish Heart” which samples GZA’s “Liquid Swords.”

Sullivan’s voice on most of Fearless is mature, powerful and consistent (“Lions, Tigers & Bears,” “After The Hurricane”) yet never outshines her equally respected songwriting. Songs like “Dream Big,” “Fear” and “In Love With Another Man” wouldn’t be noteworthy vocally if they weren’t so deftly written.

Pick any track from Fearless and it is sure to serve as evidence that Jazmine Sullivan is both a talented singer and songwriter. That’s the good news. The even better news is that despite a few loud moments, her songs about giving it up on the first night and vandalizing a brotha’s car earns its rightful place among the same brand of soulful, gritty, realistic R&B to come out of Philadelphia for years.

In the R&B world of blonde ambition, the key to longevity is creating a brand. And at 21 years old, Jazmine Sullivan has already been pegged as the second coming of Lauryn Hill, while dodging the “neo soul” label affixed to fellow Philly singer/songwriters. But not many artists (old or new) get to say they had a vocal battle with legend Stevie Wonder or that they auditioned live for music giant Clive Davis. With the September 23 release of her debut album, Fearless, Sullivan hopes to showcase herself as an independently minded and eclectic artist, ready to change the way you think about her music.

The Urban Daily: How long have you been singing?
JS: I’ve been singing since I was like four or 5. I started singing when I was out at church. I decided when I was 12 to sing R&B and my parents were really supportive. My mom got me an audition from the Jazzyfatnastees for something called The Five Spot, which was an organization started for females. I sang there for about three or four years before Tory Green, who was an A&R at Jive Records, contacted me and I got signed to Jive when I was around 16. Well, 15 going on 16, actually. And I got dropped from Jive when I was 18. You know, I was so young, and I didn’t really know who I was as an artist at that time enough to be able to express it to them. They had one vision for me and I didn’t really have another. So it just didn’t work out. But it actually ended up being a blessing because I had time to go through some things that a teenager should go through and I took that time to focus on my writing.

During that time I wrote the song, “In Love With Another Man.” My mom and I realized that it was a special song, and we sent it out to different record companies. Peter Edge from J Records heard it, and called and said how amazing the song was and invited me to his office. And I got there, and I sang it for him live he was just like “Okay, we need to start doing something.”

So, for almost a year I worked on getting some songs together to present to Clive, because you know, you have to have your stuff together before you go and stand in front of Clive. So, we took that time out, got about five songs, including the single, “Need U Bad,” and I preformed for Clive he was like, “Welcome to the family.” So I’m here now. That was pretty much one of the highlights of my career, because I’ve always wanted to sing for Clive, and my mom always put it in my head that that’s who we want to get to. Because he was known for being able to recognize special artists and special talents and singers, so we’ve always wanted to get there. I’ve never been star-struck, but when we saw Clive I was like, “What?!”

TUD: How old were you when you wrote your song, “In Love With Another Man”?
JS: I was 19, 20? I’m not saying I went through all of these life-changing things and I wrote it; it still is a pretty deep song for somebody my age, but what I do is, when I write, I gather information from all different kinds of sources. So it could be from my parents, my friends, or anything – TV, movies, anything. I try to write music that is real and music that will relate to people

TUD: So how old were you when you started writing music?
JS: I started writing, I would say, at about 15. I wasn’t really good at it but I just wrote, and I just tried to do it just to learn. So I started writing early.

TUD: How do you go about writing? Do you write to music, or do you write first and then try to find an instrumental?
JS: Someone gives me a track, or gives me the music and I write to it. I try to listen to the song and what the track is saying so that when I write it’s not all over the place, so that when I write it, it should be a good marriage. Very rarely do I have the lyrics first. I may have an idea in my head like, “Okay, this is what I want to write about,” but if it doesn’t go with the track, then I won’t do that. Because I think that in order to have a great song, there has to be a good marriage between the lyrics and the music.

TUD: I know you wrote Christina Milian’s “Say I.” Are there any other songs that have been on the radio, or anywhere else for that matter, that people would know that you’ve written?
JS: That song, which was intended for my album with Jive, that’s been pretty much the only song that I’ve written. I actually co-wrote it with Cool and Dre. But I would like to write for other artists. But right now I’m just focused on my album and getting my stuff together. But once the album comes out and I kind of settle into the industry, then I’ll start writing for other people.

TUD: I’ve heard a lot of people compare you to Lauryn Hill. How does that feel as a new artist, being compared to someone whose work is still so respected in the industry?
JS: Well, Lauryn is great artist. I’ve listened to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill a million times like everybody else. I think it’s easy to compare me to her because of the reggae vibe on the single. But I think once people hear the rest of the album, they’ll see that we’re two totally different artists, and they’ll respect me for who I am. But of course, there’s no other Lauryn and I have no problem with the comparison [laughs]. She’s a great artist.

TUD: How would you describe the album and yourself as an artist? I know you started in Black Lily, and a lot of people who come out of there – Jill Scott, Musiq, Floetry – they all get pegged as “neo soul” artists. But how would you label yourself?
JS: I try not to label myself; I make music. When people hear the album, they’ll realize that there really is no label for me. I been influenced by so many different genres, and its included in my album. There’s really not one thing that you can say I am. I try to be as creative as I can and include all those things so that it can reach everybody. I don’t want to leave anybody out. So, you know, if there’s somebody that loves jazz, they should be able to get a taste of it on my album. Or if there’s somebody that loves R&B, they should hopefully get a taste of it on my album. Or if there’s somebody that loves reggae, or hip-hop, or pop or anything, they should be able to get it all included in my album because that’s who I am. And I’m just not afraid to be different and try different things, and do different things. And that’s the main reason why I named the album Fearless, because that’s really where I’m at right now: I’m not scared to say certain things that other people may not say. I’m not afraid.

TUD: How many tracks have you written and co-written on your album?
JS: I’ve written and co-written every song on the album, which is a blessing because not a lot of artists, let alone new artists, get that opportunity. I’m just really happy to be at a label that supports me and let’s me be that creative.

TUD: What producers are you working with on this project?
JS: Of course, Missy, who’s a good friend of mine; Stargate, who are pretty big right now, Salaam Remi, Jack Splash, Fistacuff, Dirty Harry, and Anthony Bell, who’s from Philly. I think I have a well-rounded album. I think I have a mixture of really well-known producers, and producers that aren’t so well-known. And some in the middle. When I was working on the album it was really about getting good music and a credible album. So the music could come from anywhere as long as it’s good.

TUD: And how did you and Missy end up getting connected?
JS: I met missy when I was about 13. I was around singing for a bunch of people, a bunch of artists trying to get put on. But missy was one of the artists who just let us know early on that she wanted to be a part of my career, and that she believed in me. We reconnected when I got signed to Jive when I was 16, and she really helped with that situation, because they were like, “Why would Missy Elliot want to be a part of this girl’s album?” So that made them pay attention to me as an artist. And she’s my friend, so we’ve been in contact and have done things for a while now. I did “Free Yourself” for Fantasia, I sang background. So, she’s been in my life for a while now.

TUD: Who are your musical influences? Who did you listen to growing up? Who are you listening to now?
JS: I listened to a lot of gospel growing up, mainly because my mom didn’t listen to anything R&B or hip-hop or any of that. But then she started schooling me on the artists that were out during her time like Aretha and Chaka and Donnie and Stevie, and I actually got a chance to perform for Stevie when I was 13.

TUD: How’d that come about?
JS: I kinda of bumrushed my way there. Kindred were actually supposed to perform for him and his family at his grandson’s birthday party at his daughter’s house. And I kind of snuck in and I sang, “What’s Goin’ On?” And immediately we connected, and he started playing “These Three Words” and I sang a little bit of that. And we started having a rifting contest – he would do a rift, then I would do a rift, then he would do a rift – so we had a lot of fun that night. He invited me to L.A. for this annual Christmas event, which is still, to this day, probably the biggest venue that I’ve performed at.

TUD: Do you have any guests on your album, or is it all you?
JS: It’s all me right now, but I’d like to get Andre 3000 on it. He heard “One Night Stand” and wanted to be a part of it, so I’m crossing my fingers ’cause I really want him to be on it. If he doesn’t, it’ll probably just be me, but hopefully he’ll be on it.

TUD: Is there anything you want people to know about yourself as an artist?
JS: Pretty much that I’m open to trying different things; so don’t be so quick to label me as one thing, because I’m probably not that. Or if I am that, there’s more to it. I’m very creative and I like to do a whole lot of different things.