Teena Marie is an R&B legend. After an extended break between releases, in 2004 she released the Grammy nominated album La Dona. Now the only artist signed to Cash Money Classics is back with a new album Sapphire. The first single "Ooh Wee" is in heavy rotation on adult contemporary R&B stations nationwide. The album--which Teena produced herself features two collaborations with her musical mentor Smokey Robinson.

Who are your favorite poets and authors?
Teena Marie-Maya Angelou, Ntozake Shange, Nikki Giovanni is probably my favorite and then I like classics like Thorough, Elizabeth Barrett Browning people like that I was an English major.

At this point in your career do you still enjoy touring?
Teena Marie-Yeah I do. I love to get up on stage and perform for people.

You are getting ready to go on the Tom Joyner Cruise this weekend. Are you looking forward to that?
Teena Marie-Yeah. I leave Monday. I'm going to be on the cruise for about three days.

I looked at your website and I saw that you are going to be in New Orleans at the House of Blues in early June.
Teena Marie-That's right after the Tom Joyner cruise. We fly to New Orleans and I have two shows there.

Will this be your first time in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina?
Teena Marie-Yeah and I was on one of the last flights to get out too. I was there.

Oh you were there.
Teena Marie-I got out on Saturday night. Of course the hurricane was Sunday morning. I was down there looking for a property. It just didn't feel right. I told my daughter "Let's go to the airport now.." Our flight didn't leave until 7 but we left at 4. We were blessed but later that night they stopped flying out of there.

So is it bittersweet returning or do you look forward to returning?
Teena Marie-Well I have a lot of extended family down there and of course the Cash Money Millionaires are down there. Some of my family….it's sad. It's very very sad. The feeling and the atmosphere I am going to try to inspire at my shows and inspire the people that are still down there.

Listen to Teena Marie discuss New Orleans

What's it like working with Cash Money?
Teena Marie-Actually, we really don't work together. I kind of do my own stuff and then turn it in and then they put it out. I produce my own album and write my own songs. The last two that I did, well the first one was done before I got with them and this last one I finished it and turned it in.

What are your favorites songs from La Dona?
Teena Marie-"Still in Love" and "My Body's Hungry."

One of my favorite songs on the album was Makavelli Never Lied?
Teena Marie-Thank you. Because of the content.

Can you tell me the inspiration behind that song?
Teena Marie-I was just thinking back on all the great artists that have given so much to the world and I wanted to give back to them for that and I love Tupac of course he is the notorious Makavelli. He was the main character in the song and I placed everyone around him.

One of the first songs I ever heard of yours….well this is probably going to sound strange but I am just now getting into my 30's. The first Teena Marie song that I ever heard was "Lovergirl." It wasn't until later that I discovered your other songs. What was your career like and the feeling around the time "Lovergirl" was out?
Teena Marie-Oh those were really fun times. At that particular time I was a big big pop star so we were traveling all over the world and I really felt like a rock star. That was one of my very first videos that was played on MTV.

Listen to Teena discuss the "Lovergirl" years

I was reading in the press bio and I didn't realize this, that you were the first R&B singer to rap and sing on a song on "Square Biz." Was the concept hard for the record company to accept?
Teena Marie-No, no they loved it. Sugar Hill was out and a few other rap groups and I felt like that would be really cool.

What would you consider to be the highlight of your career?
Teena Marie-I have so many I don't think I could pick just one. I have so many wonderful memories. I love seeing the different ages of people, the young people to all the way up. I just did a show on my birthday and there was a 12-13 year old girl in the audience singing my songs. And there was a couple there they looked about 80 and they were over on the side dancing to the show.

I recently asked Mary J. Blige this same question. Is retirement every something you think about as a singer?
Teena Marie-Of course. Of course it is. All throughout my career. More so now. I'd like to work with other people.

Do you think you will every write a book?
Teena Marie-I've already written a play and a poetry book.

How involved are you with the whole Internet thing? Do you ever get a chance to get on your website and communicate with your fans?
Teena Marie-Right now the website was just down for awhile because there were some things on it I did not like but it's back up now and I have a page where they can talk to me. You have to be really careful because no matter how many people love you there is always someone who has that hateration going on. And you know that's just not cool.

When you finished the album did you always know "Oooh Wee" would be the first single?
Teena Marie-No. I had no idea. I told them I didn't want to pick it. I was too close to the project. I probably never would have picked that one first.

I love your album covers all the time and the inserts. How involved are you in the packaging and the inserts and the styling of the covers?
Teena Marie-Very involved. It was my concept and then we just found the stylist who played off of my idea.

What are your feelings about the whole hip-hop poetry movement?
Teena Marie-I think it's great. I love hip-hop. I love where hip-hop came from. I don't look at the gangsta stuff as hip-hop. True hip-hop in its purest form is uplifting. I like the Def Poetry show. I'm supposed to be going on there. They heard the piece I wrote for Rick at the BET Awards. They want me to come on there and do one of my pieces.

What was it like working with Smokey Robinson on the Sapphire project?
Teena Marie-That was awesome. I idolized him. I feel like he is the person that most influenced my musical writing skills. When I was young I used to study his music and I wanted to be that same kind of love poet that he was. I would study how he would write bars and cadences and really spent a lot of time…so be able to work with your idol it was a blessing. He was so gracious and wonderful and creative in the studio and when he heard the song he was really happy because he really saw the Smokey/Teena influence. He heard it one time and I was like you want me to play it a couple of times and sit down here with the guitar and he did. He got it one time and it was awesome.

Your daughter Alia Rose has a beautiful voice. Was she comfortable working in the recording studio?
Teena Marie-Yes, she was. Alia she's a Capricorn she wants to know how much she's getting paid. She's a sweety.

What do you like to do in your down time?
Teena Marie-I'm an archer. I like to do archery. I like to spend time with my daughter. I like to barbecue by the pool. Just relax. Have a good time.

Related Links-http://www.teenamarie.com

Teena Marie 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.
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Teena Marie 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.