|
Introducing Bad Boy's R&B talent Cheri Dennis.
First single titled "I Love You." Cheri is the
first solo female artist to be released on Bad Boy since
Faith Evans. Album in stores June 13th.
Your single is doing really good now. Are you happy that
it's finally out?
Cheri Dennis-Yeah man
I'm excited. I'm excited for a long time I conditioned
myself to not get too excited about anything because it's
been such a long time coming. But I think I need to now
absorb it and be excited for myself because I put a lot
of work into it.
The first person I ever heard you name from was Ryan Leslie
and he had mentioned that you had a long climb in the
industry. So what was your grind like?
Cheri Dennis-Oh
man it was a lot of highs…a lot of lows. When it was really
good it was good and when it was bad it was bad. But it
taught me a lot. It gave me time to really observe what
I was dealing with. It prepared me for what's to come
and it made me much more mature. Everything is divine
time and maybe had it come a little bit too soon you might
be talking about me as an after thought. I think the time
and the lessons I learned prepared me for what's to come
for me.
My kids love your song and it's such a catchy song. How
important was it you choosing "I Love You" for the first
single?
Cheri Dennis-Well
I believed in Ryan's talent. I believed in the record.
I believed it was a universal and infectious record. That
was really how it came about just being my first choice.
It was a record I thought anybody and everybody could
relate to. I have guys coming up to me like "I love your
record Cheri. I don't really listen to R&B like that."
That for me..it was just a no brainer for me.
What's it like being one of the few female artists on
Bad Boy a label primarily known for its male artists?
Cheri Dennis-I mean
its cool for me. It's like I got my brothers and my friends
here. I don't even look at it like "Oh I'm the only female."
It only crosses my mind when someone else mentions it.
It doesn't affect me one way or another.
Where are you from?
Cheri Dennis-Cleveland,
Ohio. The Midwest.
Oh wow I'm from Illinois.
Cheri Dennis-Really?
You know we come to Chicago to party. In Cleveland we
drive to Detroit and come to Chicago we stomp all through
there.
What was it like for you growing up in Cleveland?
Cheri Dennis-Cleveland's
cool. It just wasn't a place…I was in a singing group
from 12-16 so I think I exhausted every outlet when it
comes to music. So I think that's why I left Cleveland
in addition to being a gypsy to my heart. I just think
I needed to go some place where a record deal was more
attainable and that's why I came to New York because it
was like I had exhausted every outlet that I could in
Cleveland and there was really nothing else I could do
there in regards to music.
When you first got to New York how did you go about getting
a record deal?
Cheri Dennis-My mothers
from New York so I was familiar with New York before but
I was …to make a long story short I was going to be in
a singing group that was going to be signed to Island.
I had come here for a bout a month and a half and I had
stayed in a hotel with these two other girls and that
didn't work out but in the process of that I met a few
other people who were doing music and they wanted to try
to do some things together so it wasn't kind of like just
coming here it was more of a gradual move. It was like
one day I just didn't come back home. I was like living
out of a bag and New York was home. It wasn't like one
day I was like "I'm moving to New York now." I came here
to work and I came here to work again and I kinda just
stayed. That's kinda how it happened.
I know you aren't a "new" new artist but this is the first
time that your project is actually scheduled to drop.
What's it like now, what's your schedule like now that
you are in motion for the project to drop?
Cheri Dennis-It's
crazy. Its definitely crazy. The scheduling is crazy.
Having to be makeup ready hair ready for everything. It's
a little hectic but it beats not having anything to do.
I'm not complaining I thank God that I'm busy and that
I have the outlet to do what I love to do now. So there
are no complaints on my part. I sleep on my feet if I
have to.
One of my readers wanted me to ask you where you were
at the first time you heard your song played on the radio?
Cheri Dennis-Well
you know "I Love You" wasn't the first time I heard my
music on the radio. Like you said I'm not really a "new"
new artist but the first time I ever heard myself on the
radio I think I was in Cleveland and it was a Mase record
and it was from his second album. Ya know I was kinda
half listening and then I was like "Wait a minute." It
took a second for me to process that it was really me.
I'm thinking "That song sounds familiar." Then I'm like
"Oh that's me!" So that's kinda the way it happened. It
was an excting feeling of course.
What about the video?
Cheri Dennis-The first
time saw the video I was actually getting ready for my
listening party. They premiered it on 106 and Park that
was just like…what do you say about that? I was excited
to say the least. It was like a sigh of relief. I know
I haven't arrived totally but it's a culmination of all
the things I put into it and now there was a visual for
it. It was a little overwhelming. A lot of emotions all
at one time. I can't really verbalize it.
What can you tell me about your debut album?
Cheri Dennis-Its about
love, its about relationships, its about love loss, its
about when he don't act right, its about when she don't
act right, its not so deep, we ain't making nobody jump
out the window, so ya know I just speak on relationships
from all angles. Sometimes the guy ain't acting right
and sometimes you know we ain't always right with the
fellas. Its just about relationships.
I know you are looking at promoting your album right now
but are you looking to do any endorsements or movies or
anything extra?
Cheri Dennis-I would
love to do some endorsements and also do some movies.
But I don't want to do a big budget movie just for the
sake of doing a movie because I'm in the public eye. I
would love to really do some independent film. Some dark
comedies something people wouldn't actually expect me
to do. Something that people wouldn't see in my personality
everyday. I want to act. I don't want to be Cheri Dennis
as Cheri Dennis in Cheri Dennis.
I know you are mad busy do you ever have a chance to look
at your myspace profile?
Cheri Dennis-I did
in the beginning but I have been so busy lately I haven't
had a chance to look at it. I actually just bought myself
a new laptop and I'm going to actually pull it out sometimes
and check it when I actually have some free time. But
the last month or so I haven't really had a chance to
because I have been so busy and I actually feed off of
that. I feed off the response from the people and people
telling me how they love my music and this song got them
through this or that but it inspires me and makes me be
a better artist so I definitely need to connect with that.
You know I get a lot of music around here and my kids
can pick a hit song. They love your song.
Cheri Dennis-That's
says a lot. That says a lot when the kids like your music.
Related Links-http://www.badboyonline.com/
http://www.cheridennisonline.com/
Cheri Dennis interview copyright Dorrie
Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2006
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 add her as a friend at MYSPACE.
Cheri Dennis interview
may not be reprinted, copied or distribute without permission.
You may link to this interview.Interview copyright Dorrie
Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com May 2006.
|
