How long have you been with Disturbing
The Peace?
Shareefa-About
two years now.
So you are a singer. Where are you from?
Shareefa-I was
born and partly raised in Jersey. Left when I was
14 and went to Charlotte, North Carolina. You might
as well say I got two hopes representing New Jersey
and Charlotte.
What was it like growing up in North Carolina when
you were down there?
Shareefa-Cool.
It was alright.
I was just asking because I'm not too far away I am
in Virginia Beach.
Shareefa-Oh yeah?
I used to come out there and record with Teddy Riley.
He discovered me when I was sixteen. I worked with
him for a couple of years.
Oh okay. How did you end up hooking up with DTP?
Shareefa-Somebody
actually handed the demo over to Jeff Dixon who is
one of the co-owners of Disturbing The Peace. I got
a phone call the next day.
And the rest is history.
Shareefa-The
rest is history. They wanted to meet me so I flew
up to New York and I met Ludacris on the set of TRL
backstage cause everybody wanted to see what I looked
like. After that it was a go.
So when can we expect to hear your first single?
Shareefa-Well
my first look is actually on the Disturbing The Peace
compilation. It's called I'll be around. My album
doesn't come until the top of the year which is first
quarter.
Do you have a title for the album?
Shareefa-No but
I'm leaning toward Point of No Return cause I feel
like that is where I'm at in my life right now. I
feel like there is no turning back in my life. All
I can do is move forward I can't move back.
When did you decide that you wanted to pursue music
professionally?
Shareefa-When
I was little. I don't have no story like, "Since I
was two." I wasn't singing in church or nothing. I
was infatuated with videos and I would listen to people
sing and that would give me goose bumps. I would think,
"I want to do that, I want to give people that feeling."
I have an infatuation with cameras. I love the limelight
and drama. I would play out every movie scene in Color
Purple every video it was funny. They got me on tape
doing all type of stuff when I was seven. I always
knew that is what I wanted to do.
How was your Thanksgiving?
Shareefa-It was
cool. I had my family down. My sister came down, my
brothers, it was real nice. Real laid back, chill.
When you say down do you mean the Atlanta area?
Shareefa-Yeah.
How have you adjusted to living in the Atlanta area?
Shareefa-I love
Atlanta. Atlanta is like another home.
I love Atlanta. I have always come there on vacation
and had a nice time. Is it as fun to live there as
it is to visit?
Shareefa-It's
just like I cant even lie, it's nice. It's very nice.
I love it. I be chillin.
I like the stores.... everything.
Shareefa-Boutiques,
all that.
Did you do any writing on the new album?
Shareefa-I wrote
everything.
You did. Ohmygoodness
Shareefa-With
the exception of two songs I wrote everything.
Can you tell me about your song writing process?
I mean do you have an idea or do you have to hear
the music.
Shareefa-The beat
has to automatically catch me. The beat has to be
speaking to me. Like, "Whoa, I feel like talking about
something." It has to make me want to speak about
a situation a month ago or a week ago. That situation
might pop in my head and I just go in there.
What have you found to be the hardest thing about
being a new artist?
Shareefa-I don't
know. I mean shit, its what you make it. You have
to come in this industry with an open mind. You want
to hit the first time but that doesn't mean you are
going to hit the first time and I'm content with that.
I'm going to give it 150% but you have to have an
understanding. Don't come in thinking it's going to
be all gravy and your single is going to pop off.
It's a constant grind that comes with you and the
label. It's not easy. It's what you make it.
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Shareefa 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.
Shareefa interview may not be reprinted, copied or distributed.
You may link to this interview.
Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com
October 2005.
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