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A lot of artists do cameos or guests on other artists
singles before they drop their first single. Did you
make any guest appearances on any other artists single
before dropping your own single?
Brooke
Valentine- I
did one feature with a friend of mine Guerilla Black.
I was on his first single. I didn't do a lot of features
though, I was really in mode working on my album, writing
stuff like that. I have a lot of hot remixes coming
up and cameos on my album. I didn't do too much though.
How is your voice doing? I heard you have been dealing
with laryngitis?
Brooke
Valentine- Yes, I did.
I have been struggling a little bit with the weather
and my vocal chords and stuff. It's getting better.
It's not all the way where it was. It's definitely getting
there. I have a really good doctor. I'm in a different
state every day. I go from hot to cold. So my voice
was like, "errrr." put the brakes on.
I know the promotion schedule must be really grueling.
Is it hard?
Brooke
Valentine-It is hard. You don't get
any sleep. It is a grind and you have to keep it moving.
I don't regret any part of it and I still have a lot
of fun.
So does the album come out today? I've had the advance
for awhile.
Brooke
Valentine-Yes! The album comes out
today.
Ohmygoodness! Happy album release day!
Brooke
Valentine-Thank you. I'm really excited.
I don't know what to do right now. It's crazy. It's
a crazy feeling.
So what rounds are you making today?
Brooke
Valentine- Today I am going to be
on 106 and Park, and TRL, you know just
getting around spreading the word letting everyone know
that the album is out today.
In the "Girlfight" video you have the
Texas shirt on. So you are from Texas?
Brooke
Valentine-Right.
Are you from Dallas?
Brooke
Valentine-No,
I'm from Houston.
Oh, okay. I was just guessing. I interviewed Slim
Thug a couple of weeks ago, he is from Houston.
Brooke
Valentine-Yeah he is.
So how did you go about getting your record deal?
Brooke
Valentine-It was a lot of fun. It
was a lot of hard work too. I met Deja who is the CEO
of Subliminal Entertainment. I signed to Subliminal
first. That was back in 97/98. He signed me to his label
as part of a group. The group didn't work out so I ended
up going solo after the group broke up. I started to
do some solo songs in the studio. Deja took two of my
songs to Matt Serletic the president at Virgin. He heard
them and he liked them. He flew me to New York to meet
him. The meeting went well. He came to LA to see me
perform, he and Josh Stewart who is an AR ar at Virgin.
From there we did the deal and I started working on
my album.
What is your response to critics or parents who might
think that the song "Girlfight" sends the
wrong message to teens by inciting violence?
Brooke
Valentine- "Girlfight" is
more or less about fighting, but it's about a female
feeling tough, feeling sexy, feeling real good and expressing
her right to roll her eyes and be mad. We all get mad.
Nobody can tell us we can't get mad. That's what we
do. That's what the song is about. If you really listen
to the lyrics nobody ever hits anybody, it just talks
about it. It talks about the way you think and the way
you feel. I would just say to them it's okay to express
yourself and be angry and in every person what you do
beyond that is on you. I don't make anybody fight. I
don't go, "you should fight, you should do this,"
I'm not condoning fighting, I'm not saying, "everybody
fight! Fights all around." I'm just saying girls
do fight, that's something that happens. I'm just talking
about it. I didn't start this whole fighting situation.
We have professional women boxers who fight everyday.
This is just something that happens and I'm just talking
about it. I'm just that has the song talking about it.
The album is really great and you pretty much carry
the entire album by yourself. Was it important for you
to limit the cameos and guest artists on your album?
Brooke
Valentine- Yes it was. I didn't want
to go crazy with it. It could easily happen. You can
say I want this person, I want this person. You're a
fan of somebody else's and you'll want that chemistry
and I feel that's okay. But when I say "Go get
Chain Letter March 15th get to know me," I wanted
people to really be able to get to know me. I definitely
got a couple of features, Lil Jon, Big Boi, ODB, Jermaine
Dupri along with some new artists but there is a lot
of Brooke Valentine on the album. We are working on
a couple of remixes and there is more to come.
I know how technology is. Did you and Dirt McGirt
(also known as the late Old Dirty Bastard) get to actually
work together in the studio for "Blah, Blah, Blah"
before he passed?
Brooke
Valentine-Yes we did.
I know it was fun working with him.
Brooke
Valentine- It was a lot of fun. He's
really a sweet guy. We did a lot of positive things.
With the songs "Tell Me Why You Don't Love
Me," "I Want You Dead," and "Dying
From A Broken Heart," it seems like their are a
lot of a woman scorned or broken heart type of songs
on the album. A lot of can relate to those kind of songs
though.
Brooke
Valentine-"Tell Me Why You Don't
Love Me," the title says one thing but if you listen
to the song you really get into what it's saying. It's
about a female jumping to conclusions.
I did listen to the song. This is what I got from
the song. If I am wrong correct me. I got you cheated
on me, I forgave you, and you still left me. Did I get
it all wrong,
Brooke
Valentine- See yeah, it's like. It's
really funny. The girl she really wants to be in the
relationship and she is jumping to conclusions. She
is saying these things like, "I know you cheated,"
"I know you don't love me no more." "Why
are you out there with that girl?" You know how
we do. It's really not happening. Basically, I'm driving
him nuts. "Why you don't take me to the movies
anymore," "Why don't you love me?" With
me talking and forcing it, I might make him do it.
I like a lot of the songs. I like "As Long
As You Come Home," "Pass Me By," "Thrill
of the Chase," do you have any ideas about what
might be the second single?
Brooke
Valentine-I don't right now. Girl,
I can't even tell you. We are getting a lot of feedback
from different producers and everyone is going in a
different direction. Girl this is what it is, That is
what it is. I'm like, "What is it?" I wouldn't
be mad either way.
Do you have any advice for young women who might want
to get into the music industry? What would you tell
them.
Brooke
Valentine- I would say stay dedicated
to who you are. Be yourself. Don't let anyone change
you or sugarcoat you. You have to be yourself and do
what you want to do and have a lot of patience because
nothing happens when you want it to. This industry is
a lot of hurry up and wait. You just have to wait your
turn. Stay dedicated, be yourself and if you are going
to make changes to yourself make changes for the better.
Now that you are at the point where your album is out,
your video is out, is it everything you imagined it
to be?
Brooke
Valentine- In so many ways yes, in
a lot of ways no. You get a lot of surprises in this
industry. A lot of things happen that you aren't ready
for. You get a lot of fake friends sometimes and you
meet a lot of cool people who stay with you throughout
your career. It's the good and the bad. With
every situation some things will have you like "oh
no," and then you are like, "yes, I
love this." You never know, you have to take the
pretty with the ugly.
Do you ever get online and check out the fans on the
fan sites?
Brooke
Valentine-I definitely do. I go
to my website a lot I read the message board. I'm on
the road alot. I don't have time to sit there and do
it and explore. I check out the message board see what
everybody likes and what they are feeling, and I feel
close to them that way.
I think you are a very unique artist. I have seen
people try to compare you to other artists, and I'm
like, "Dude you got to listen to the album. I can't
even compare you to anybody.
Brooke
Valentine- People always ask,
"Brooke what makes you different than every other
artist," and I say it's hard for me to explain
that to you but in due time you will see. It's different
and I'm not trying to be different, that's just me.
It's easier for me to be me than someone else.
Well have fun today.
Brooke
Valentine- Thank you. I'll try.
I know it's going to be a lot of fun. Big Boi is going
to be chilling with me again today. We were hanging
out yesterday. It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm going
to go buy me a copy of the album so it's official. I'm
just going to have some fun.
Album Review
Review-Brooke Valentine-Chain Letter
Chain Letter is the debut CD from the
Virgin solo artist Brooke Valentine who seemingly came
from nowhere but Brooke has been on her grind for some
time. Her single, "Girlfight" has been getting a lot
of spin on radio and on video outlets, especially BET's
106 and Park. The song is catchy and features Big Boi
from Outkast and Lil Jon. There aren't too many ways
to describe Brooke or her style, she is unique and the
album has a sound different than most of the R&B albums
out today. Some songs like "Thrill of the Chase" have
a rock edge and then "Laugh Til I Cry" starts off sounding
acoustic. She has such a hard edge and a strong voice
that she really doesn't remind me of any other female
artists. Maybe Sunshine Anderson. "Long As You Come
Home," has real hit potential, using some of that Camp
Lo "Luchini" on the track. This would have been a great
first single but maybe the label felt that track had
been used one time too many, but the song is hot. The
song, "Blah, Blah, Blah," featuring the late Dirt McGirt
is so catchy and Dirty is at his best. "Tell Me Why
You Don't Love Me," is another song with crazy production.
This song would be a great second single and the lyrics
and Brooke's singing on this song make it quite catchy.
The songs 'Taste of Dis," "Ghetto Superstarz," and "Million
Bucks," are decent. The song "I Want You Dead," is sure
to be a favorite among broken hearted young women seeking
revenge. It's quite hilarious. The song "Pass Us By,"
is just really awesome. This song has an 80's funk/pop
sound too it like a song by Shalamar or Jody Watley.
If you want something different and enjoyable pick up
Brooke's album, it's a perfect album for warm weather
as there are many tracks you can dance too.
Brooke
Valentine Official Website
http://www.brookevalentine
 Interview
copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2005
Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is the author of Be
My Sorority Sister Under Pressure and the Unplanned
Pregnancy Book for Teens and College Students. She
is the founder of Thabiz.com
and Imissthe80s.com
and writes for the Rap,
Teen, and
1980s section
at Bellaonline.com. She is an ASCAP member as a writer
and a publisher. Please contact Dorrie for advertising
inquiries, lyric writing inquiries, reprint rights,
paying
entertainment jobs, or general comments.
Visit Dorrie on the web at www.sparkledoll.com
or e-mail her at webmaster@thabiz.com.
Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com
March 2005.
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