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Sammie's new album is in stores
now! Check out this interview from April!
Sammie was thirteen years old when his debut album
From The Bottom To The Top went platinum thanks in
part to the smash single “I Like it.” Sammie virtually
disappeared and a slew of teen singers soon followed.
As Lil Bow Wow, Lil Romeo, and B2K saw their star status
rise Sammie fans were left to wonder what happened. There
was no formal press conference or explanation. Sammie
was just gone. At 18 years old, Sammie is back with a
brand new record deal courtesy of Dallas Austin and Rowdy
Records.
I read in the press release that you put your music career
on hold to go to high school. Why was it so important
for you to attend a regular high school?
Sammie-I never went
to private school I always went to public school so I
thought it was only right for me to continue so. Even
when I was singing I was in middle school at the time
and I was like “I want to experience the whole atmosphere
to be on the basketball team and homecoming, football
games so education is very important to me. So I decided,
myself and my family to take a break and live like a normal
average student.
Okay. How was high school?
Sammie-It was
beautiful. Very fast. Those four years flew by but I got
to meet a lot of different people some that I still communicate
with to this very day. I built a lot of nice relationships
and went through experiences that a lot of artists my
age don’t really get to go through.
I remember when you first came out you were so young and
so cute. What was it like having all that success and
doing so many things at a young age?
Sammie-It was a blessing.
It was funny how fast things kinda took off for me. I
was 12/13 years old. It was just a lot of fun. I got to
see different parts of the world. Its real funny now to
think about how small I was and how crazy girls used to
be over me. I can’t complain. Not at all.
What made you decide to come back to music?
Sammie-That’s like
one of my biggest motivations in life. I love music so
much and it makes me feel better. I know it seems like
I left, like I just decided I’m not going to sing anymore.
I never thought for once that I wouldn’t be back. Its
just the way I left I could see why people would say that.
I always knew I was going to come back to the industry
it was just a matter of time. I just felt at 18 I’m a
little more mature and a little more business minded and
prepared to deal with the headaches that come with success.
I think this is a good season for me to come back.
When you were away doing your high school thing were
there ever times when you were watching BET or 106 and
Park and had that little ache like you wish you were still
out there?
Sammie-Everyday. Every
day of my life truthfully the last 4-5 years. Because
I feel like I started this whole young generation movement.
Before me you have to go way back to Stevie Wonder. I
actually had a platinum album at 13. Before 1999 there
was no other artist out before Sammie. So to see Chris
Brown, Omarion and B2K that era I just want to be a part
of it. I was happy to see though that other labels were
catching on to young talent and actually putting it out
there and consumers actually taking it serious. It took
me a little bit to want to be back out there.
Where are you from?
Sammie-Miami, Florida.
What can you tell me about your new album?
Sammie-It's my little
baby. I had a lot more input this album than my first
project. I co-wrote the majority of the songs on the album.
It's self-titled called Sammie. It was just a lot of fun.
I got to work with different producers, big name producers
Dallas Austin, Jazze Pha, B Cox, Adonis, Storm Johnson,
112, Q, it was just a lot of fun to get to really have
the experience to work with Dallas he sold a lot of records
and made a lot of hits.
Do you hang out on MYSPACE sometimes?
Sammie-I check it
out from time to time.
I just had to ask because you are on my friends list.
What do you think about this whole MYSPACE thing?
Sammie-It’s going
around like the flu. Everybody’s on this MYSPACE thing.
It’s like crazy. I need to think of something that is
going to take off like that. It’s a good way to communicate.
It’s fun you get to put your little pictures up and everything.
Everybody is on it. You are really a loser in a sense
if you are not on MYSPACE. Somebody told me I had to get
on there.
Plus if you don’t get on there someone will make a fake
one.
Sammie-There are already
2 or 3 fake ones out there. Yep. I don’t know whose doing
it. It’s cool as long as they don’t say anything negative.
Do you hang out on MYSPACE sometimes?
Sammie-I check it
out from time to time.
You have a couple of promo tour dates coming up?
Sammie-Yeah I am on
this Pantene Tour with BET, Tyrese and Letoya Luckett
from Destiny’s Child. Then we have Chicago coming up,
Atlanta, and this summer I am going to try to get on this
Scream tour with Bow Wow.
Now I know you have this new deal with Rowdy Records.
Since you were away from the industry for a minute did
you have to like sing for people or do anything like that
to get a new deal?
Sammie-No. It was
funny. I was blessed. Dallas hadn’t seen me in a few years
like everyone else. You know Hurricane Francis, I’m from
Florida and we had our little hurricanes back to back
to back and one of them I came to Atlanta. We didn’t want
to weather the storm in Florida. It was around Dallas’
birthday. I went to his birthday party and when he seen
me the first words that came out of his mouth were, “Your
birthday is March 1st. You turn 18, you gotta deal.” I
didn’t have to do anything else. He said he was going
to take care of me. I didn’t have to do anything else.
No words necessary.
While you were away were your fans still checking for
you and stuff?
Sammie-Yeah that’s
what made me know deep down that I had to come back. One
thing I regret, or wish I would have done differently
I should say is made some kind of statement or let people
know why I disappeared. A lot of people think I just left
and when you do that you give people reason to speculate
and make up their own scenarios. I got fans over the years
who hang with me every day of my life who were like “What
happened? Why did you leave? When are you coming back?”
So to hear that was a breath of fresh air.
“Sammie” IN STORES June 2006
Sammie
"You Should Be My Girl" video
Sammie 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.
Sammie interview
may not be reprinted, copied or distribute without permission.
You may link to this interview.Interview copyright Dorrie
Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com April 2006.
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