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Interview with J Records recording artist
Emily King. Her debut album East Side Story is due in
2007. Visit her Myspace
page to check out her music.
Is the album finished?
Emily King-The album
is done.
Do you have a release date yet?
Emily King-Top of
the year.
I read you did a show recently with Floetry and a lot
of other acts how did that go?
Emily King-It was
dope. It was the day before yesterday. I opened for Raheem
Devaughn and Floetry and a lot of other talented artists
and I had a nice time. It was the Heineken Tour so the
crowd was getting free beers.
I read about you writing songs in the kitchen. What actually
happened first for you performing for people or were you
always a writer?
Emily King-I naturally
would get on the stage because my parents are performers.
So my brother and I would be hiding backstage and before
we knew it we were onstage doing a song for the audience.
I kind of always felt inside I had a potential to write
songs. I picked up the guitar when I was 15 and I started
writing.
Growing up bi-racial did you ever feel the need to identify
with one particular race?
Emily King-I think
when you are young you are just trying to figure it out
but I was raised in a family and an area-New York City
that was so diverse. I was blessed to be raised in that
way so I could be myself and just figure it out. I just
feel like I identify with so many people and I was fortunate
enough to be bi-racial and I think I can hang with both
sides I think.
I listened to your music and I also read you were twenty-one.
Does it bother you that your music might fit into an urban
adult contemporary format rather than a younger radio
format?
Emily King-It doesn't
bother me because what's great about performing is you
really see what type of people you affect and it's been
such a mixture of age and ethnicity and everything, gender.
It doesn't bother me. If people enjoy it I'm just thankful
for that.
Tell me about the process of working on the first album.
Emily King-This project
took about two and a half years. We did a lot of experimenting.
I did a lot of collaborating with different artists. It
was a good long process but I think it paid off.
Your songs sound great on they're own. What are your feelings
about having a featured rapper or something on one of your
songs?
Emily King-I'm honored
to have people want to come on the song and put their touch
on it. Especially, if it's the right person. I grew up listening
to hip-hop. I think it's great. Remix it…do all different
types of things with it.
I read some of the artists you were influenced by. Who are
some of the modern artists you are influenced by?
Emily King-Contemporary
artists. This question always gets me. I listen to Gnarls
Barkley. Lauryn Hill is big. Mariah Carey, she's influenced
me. Ne-Yo, I worked with him, he's wonderful. There are
a lot of people out right now.
I know you said both of your parents are performers but
did you always have aspirations to be a performer or did
you have other career plans?
Emily King-I always
kind of knew that was the main one. It just came naturally
but I used to play basketball and want to go to the WNBA
but that passed. I used to want to be a doctor at one point.
Yeah, chef, I like to cook. I have a lot of little hobbies
so those were always like options. Performing was always
my main passion.
Is it important to keep your image under wraps because in
all of the press photos I've only seen a picture of you
as a little girl?
Emily King-Either way
is great. Eventually, it's going to come out. We haven't
gotten pictures yet. I kinda like to keep a mystery about
it but being out there performing it doesn't make a difference
to me. I would like to get my face out there soon. I'm just
kind of working with the company and we are going to get
the hottest pictures possible and they will be up soon.
Have you had a chance to read some of the feedback from
your fans on your Myspace page?
Emily King-Yeah. I love
checking my Myspace. I've gotten a lot of beautiful messages
from people and it makes me want to get out there and perform
more and spread the word and get the music out there.
What was it about "Walk In My Shoes," that
made it the first single?
Emily King-It's more…I
think "Walk In My Shoes," is the most radio song
that we have. It also has a message that a lot of people
can identify with just trying to survive and do the best
you can. I think the message is what made it the first single.
And it has a crazy beat to it.
Have you already started thinking about what you would like
to do on your second album?
Emily King-Yes, and
I have a lot of material to sort through. I write all the
time so we'll see.
You really remind me of the Jill Scott's and the Erykah
Badu types and they have big huge gaps between albums. Do
you think it will be 4-5 years between albums or we might
see your second album sooner?
Emily King-I don't think
I could wait that long in between. I am trying to get songs
out anyway I can soundtracks, but I think it is going to
be sooner than that for sure.
Last comments?
Emily King-I put my
soul into . It's a collaboration between Chucky Thompson
and I. It's just really pure and from the heart and I hope
people enjoy it. Thank you for all of the positive feedback
I've gotten so far.
Related Links
http://www.myspace.com/emilykingmusic
E-Card http://www.jrecords.com/ecard/emilyking
Walk
In My Shoes audio wma format
Emily King-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.
Emily
King-interview may not
be reprinted, copied or distribute without permission. You
may link to this interview.Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler,
thabiz.com September 2006.
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