EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW W/ LIL' MO

A few days ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Lil' Mo. This beautiful singer has been in the music industry for many years and has a voice of a angel. I had the chance to ask her some questions that I have wanted to know and also some that her fans wanted to know. Peep the interview below.

Me: What have you been working on the last few years that you have been away from the industry?

Lil' Mo: I've been focused on my family and reorganizing what I really want to do within the industry. Getting my business and personal together.

Me: I know you are a radio host on WPGC, so what is your radio segment all about?

Lil' Mo: I'm the afternoon drive hostess, with the MOstest. (laughter) Because my delivery, insight, and opinion is well respected in the corporate america side of the music industry, this is what I felt would be one of the best ways to reintroduce myself to my fans in an audible way.

Me: I remember you telling me via Twitter that your working on a new album, so explain the direction of your new music verses your old music.

Lil' Mo: The new album is entitled Tattoos and Rosez. The direction is still hip-hop and R&B the only difference is that now I don't have any limits, if I feel like yelling I'ma yell on a song, if I want to lay it back, whatever I want to do I have the power. I'm the BOSS.

Me: When will your next single & album be expected to be released?

Lil' Mo: As of now, I just finalized some behind the scenes issues, so that caused the delay, but soon as it's ready I will let the world know. Hopefully everyone will be ready. This I declare will be my best work yet.

Me: How do you feel about the direction that music is going in right now?

Lil' Mo: I don't really pay attention to the direction of music. I have and always create my own lane. So in actuality I live and follow my own directions. Whenever I make a statement about what I don't personally consume, it's immediately assumed I'm hating. But those who know me, know that my preferences are that if you can't really sing it doesn't mean you and I can't be cool, it just means I won't buy the bubblegum. (laughter)

Me: Who are some of your all time favorite music artists?

Lil' Mo: The Clark Sisters, John P. Kee, Missy Elliott, J. Moss, Patti LaBelle, Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, SWV, Jodeci. I can go on and on. But be clear they can all sing in and out the studio, in real life.

Me: How has being a mother changed your life with in the past few years?

Lil' Mo: It has changed me for the better. My kids keep me youthful. They keep me on my toes. Which is great because they are my critics. If they don't think something I do is cool or hot, then the world will never hear it. I trust their ears and hearts because they are pure. They have no ill intent. That's the best part of being an industry mom.

Me: Define what you mean when you say "MESSY".

Lil' Mo: #messy is a movement. When I say it, it's borderline controversy. When you are subliminal only guilty people will get offended. When no harm is intended but a pun is, then it's MESSY. It's almost like a guilty pleasure. You know you shouldn't touch it but because you are curious, you MESSY.

Me: At what stage in your life were you in while recording your album "Pain & Paper"?

Lil' Mo: I was at a place in my life when I felt that money doesn't make you happy but either way you have to have it. If you knew the trials I have been through in order to maintain that is the pain. But I realized that it didn't kill me it made me smarter. So it's a smart way of learning not to hang around things that hurt you, when you have a family, you are a hunter. So for anyone who has tried to hurt me, I'm still here and still gettin' this paper.

Me: Which song off that album meant the most to you & why?

Lil' Mo: I love all the songs off "Pain and Paper" I think "Youngin" would be my sneaky favorite and "Heartbeat" featuring Donny Roc would be my heart felt favorite. "Lucky Her" is a GO too. I don't have a favorite, it's just different levels of passion that I exude in each so it is really hard to choose.

Me: As a music artist what do you want your audience to get out of your music?

Lil' Mo: I want them to feel good, knowing that we all go through things. We don't have to stay in them. My music is like a road map to your hearts desires. If you follow the rules there is no way you should still be STUCK. When someone gives you the formula, then use it. Don't abuse it. Because when it's gone, you will realize the candy in the medicine really works. You feel me!

Me: What artists and producers would you like to work with?

Lil'Mo: I love working with people with passion, none in particular just anyone who is HOT and not an *sshole. (laughter) I'm over people acting extra. Like nobody cares. I've learned first hand you are only good as your last breath. Life is too short to not wana rock right now. I do however would love to work with Missy Elliott again. She is the greatest. That is all.

Me: What advice would you give to aspiring singers who want to be apart of this industry?

Lil'Mo: Realize this is a business, it is NOT just singing and video shoots, bright lights etc. You have to be prepared for the worst in search of the best.

I must say this is one of the best interviews that I have done, and I want to give a special thank you to Lil' Mo your the best. Below I have one of my favorite songs off her album "Pain & Paper" it's called "Heartbeat".

NEW VIDEO: KERI HILSON "BREAKING POINT"

Keri Hilson is back with a brand new video for her single "Breaking Point" This is the first single from her upcoming second album "No Boys Allowed" Peep the video below.

MONICA TALKS NEW ALBUM

Monica sat down with Rap Up Tv to talk about the new album that she's working on, how much Whitney Houston has helped her through things in her personal life, and her love for rapper Nicki Minaj. She stated that we can expect a new single Summer 2011. Check out the video after the jump.

NEW MUSIC: NICKI MINAJ "RIGHT THROUGH ME"

A new song has been leaked from Nicki Minaj's debut album entitled "Right Through Me". The Trinidad native album "Pink Friday" will hit stores on November 23rd.

Take a listen to the new track:

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

CIARA: BEHIND THE SCENES "MAXIM" MAGAZINE

Ciara recently did a photoshoot with Maxim Magazine which is available now on newsstands. Below you can watch the behind the scenes footage from the photoshoot.

VIDEO: LADY GAGA "IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, GO HOME

Yesterday in Portland, Maine Lady Gaga made a speech on CNN in front of a crowd of people on the topic of "Don't Ask Don't Tell". This policy prevents openly gay people from serving in the U.S. Military.

During her speech she stated:

“I’m here because ‘Don’t ask, Don’t tell’ is wrong, it’s unjust and fundamentally it is against all that we stand for as Americans"

I believe that she spoke from her heart and trying to make people realize that it is not fair or just to disqualify people from the military just because they are gay. Watch the video below and tell me how you feel about Lady Gaga's speech.

FANTASIA TALKS REALITY SHOW & TOUR

Soul singer Fantasia has been through a lot these past few months and is ready to put those thing behind her and move on to bigger and better things. The 2nd season of her VH1 reality series "Fantasia For Real" premiered this past Sunday and now she is about to go on tour with singers Kandi and Eric Benet.

In a recent interview with VIBE Magazine she explains these new things in her life, but not forgetting the life learning situations in her past that have helped her to keep striving and fighting to remain a strong person. Check out the interview below.

VIBE: You’ve talked about your controversy so much over the last month, let’s put it to bed for a sec and talk about what else is new with you. You've started season 2 of your reality show and there are some big changes this season. What can viewers expect?

Fantasia: "You’ll see on this season of the show that most of my family has moved out. My mom and her husband got their own place, Teeny got his own place, he’s paying his own bills, it’s getting to be a whole lot better. Everybody is not relying on me for everything. Of course I still have to help out with some things, but that’s okay because the burden has been lifted on the family part."

VIBE: Witnessing some of the family issues you had in the first season I always wondered why you did the reality show.

Fantasia: "My main reason for doing the show was I wanted my family to see themselves. A lot of time you can talk and talk and it goes into one ear and out the other, but we caught it [our problems] all on camera and everybody was really to sit back and see themselves, it was like, 'Oh okay, I get it.' I was a little scared, because I didn’t want it to bring confusion between us or for them to to think I was trying to put them out there, but it went the way I needed it to go. We would watch the shows together when they aired"

VIBE: And did you always want to financially support your whole family?

Fantasia: "In the beginning I wanted to support everyone, because we’re such a tight family and we all started singing gospel together. And when I got blessed I wanted to bless them. That’s what happens with a lot of people who make it. When you’re coming from a family that don’t have nothing and struggle to get what they've got, you’re like I’m gonna bless my brother, my mother… And what happened was I created that monster. Once you start giving, giving, giving people just kick their feet up and say, ‘I know you got it.’ I had to put a stop to that, because I was standing in the way of their destinies."

VIBE: And now members of your family are independent financially and have their own careers...

Fantasia: "Teeny has an album coming out. He’s kind of crazy [laughs] but his ideas are really good. Now Rico is singing with T.I. and I’m very proud of all of them because back when we were kids these were all of the things we said we were gonna do. I want to do a gospel album with my whole family soon."

VIBE: Your third and latest album, Back To Me did very well its debut week on the charts. What are some of your favorite songs?

Fantasia: " I love all of them. 'Even Angels,' 'I’m Here' from The Color Purple—I don’t listen to it too much because it makes me cry. 'Bittersweet' is my baby too, but I really love all of them, I really do. Some of the songs on the album were recorded before I went thru this stuff. That’s when it got spiritual for me. Listening to 'Even Angels' coming out of the hospital and listening to the words, it was just spiritual. We took three years to do this album and it turned about to be a reflection of all I went thru. 'Teach Me' reminds me of Tina Turner, because I love Tina Turner. I liked how they recorded her albums. So for 'Move On Me' and 'Teach Me'— we recorded them live in the studio with the background singers and it gave me such a rush, I loved it."

VIBE: But you do realize with the timing of everything there are still people who think this was a trumped up publicity stunt to get publicity for your side of the scandal, sell records or get more viewers for your show.

Fantasia: "I almost messed my kidneys up with my O.D. I had to have all these needles and IVs and now I have to go to the doctors regularly to check on my kidneys. I had to go to a home and meet with a lifecoach. And I have to continue with the lifecoach and speak with to him everyday on the road. I was on suicide watch at the hospital. [For those who think this was all a publicity stunt] the best way to answer that is that I was already getting publicity for the other situation [the alleged affair]. I was on Nancy Grace, CNN, every gospel station, every newspaper, every magazine, every newspaper. At the time I wanted to be away from all of the noise."

VIBE: And people also wonder after going thru all of that why didn’t you just take some time off.

Fantasia: "Guess what? I couldn’t afford to stay out of work right now even if I wanted to. My life right now is fighting my way out of debt that I’ve been in. But music is exactly what I need— it’s the place I go to let go of everything. A lot of people say when I perform I go someplace else and give it my all. And I tell them that’s where I release everything I go thru. When I get on the stage that’s where I let everything go."

I met Fantasia a few months ago and she was truly very humble and a pleasure to sit down and talk with. I want the very best for her and her career & I know that she will take everything that she has been through and turn it into something positive which she calls music.