Interview with Warner Bros recording
artist Tyra B. She hit the radio a few years ago with her
song "Country Boy," and she toured with Destiny's
Child on their "Destiny Fulfilled" Tour. Her album
"Past Due" will be released Spring 2008. Her
current single is titled "Givin' Me A Rush."
This deal with Warner is this a new record deal, because
I remember you had a few singles out?
Tyra B-Yeah, I was with
Universal when I first came out. I just got up with Warner
Bros. this year. This is my first single with them.
How did you go about getting a new record deal?
Tyra B-We shopped around
because Universal wasn't what I wanted. So I met up with
people like L.A. Reid, Usher, Ron Faire, and we met up with
Tom Wally and the guys from my label Sphinx Entertainment,
we were going around to different labels. We really connected
with Tom Wally and Kevin Black at Warner Brothers. It fit
perfect. They needed new R&B talent and I needed a new
deal.
Are you finished with your new album?
Tyra B-Yeah, it's in
the mixing and mastering stage now. It's pretty much done.
It's coming out Spring 2008 and it's called Past Due.
I read you are from Petersburg, Virginia. What was life
like growing up in Virginia for you?
Tyra B-Growing up
for me was nice. I started real young singing. Petersburg
has always been real supportive of me. I started when I
was ten. I started a group and I was in a group for six
years. People supported us and they wanted us to succeed.
They came out to all of our shows and when we broke up and
I went solo they still came out and supported me. Petersburg
always showed me love. I was always known for music and
everyone in Petersburg supported me. I love Petersburg.
I know you said you got started young, did you get
a chance to finish high school or did you have a tutor?
Tyra B-Oh no, when
I said I started young, I mean just locally and trying
to get a record deal. I finished school. If I didn't finish
school my mama would have killed me. I graduated from
high school in 2003.
I remember your first song "Country Boy."
What did it feel like to have your first single on BET
and on the radio and everything?
Tyra B-It felt great.
It's like hearing your song on the radio for the first
time and seeing the video. It's like you've been working
so hard for so long to get to where you want to be and
you finally get there it's unexplainable. It was good
to see my parents faces when I was watching it with them.
They were proud, I hope I still make them proud.
I've seen a lot of your videos. Do you enjoy dancing?
Does the choreography come natural to you?
Tyra B-Oh yeah, I
love to dance. That's been a part of it too since I was
little. I started on the stage so dancing comes naturally.
I've seen your new press pictures and you look really
pretty. Do you have a lot of input into your hair and
your styling?
Tyra B-Yeah, I do.
I really don't give them a hard time on that. If I like
it I like it, I don't, I don't. They know my style and
they know what I'm looking for and I just like to incorporate
that.
How demanding is it to have a new record deal? Do
you spend a lot of time doing promotion?
Tyra B-I've been gone
from home since July I think. I go back and forth. I went
home for Thanksgiving.
I read you were on the Destiny's Child tour. What
was that experience like for you?
Tyra B-It was cool.
There were a lot of young artists like myself. It was
an honor and a blessing to be a part of that tour and
me just having a few singles. I'm really happy that they
chose me. That is an experience I can pin down as one
of the most exciting experiences in my career. I got to
meet them and see the big crowds every night. That was
a long time dream of mine performing in front of thousands
of people and I got to do that every night for three months.
It was a blessing.
I know for this album your name is Tyra B. Did you
have to fight to keep your birth name or did anyone every
try to persuade you to change your name to avoid confusion?
Tyra B-No. I think
everyone always wanted Tyra B. I think Tyra Banks might
have had a few problems with it. My mama gave me that
name so I'm keeping that name. You can call me Tyra or
Tyra B. I've been Tyra B since I was back in VA. It's
whatever.
What kind of things do you like to do in your free time?
Tyra B-I like to sleep.
I like to go back home to Virginia and chill out. I like
to be with my family and friends. Go shopping, go out
to eat, hit the movies. Normal things that normal people
do.
I know you said you've been gone from home since July.
Are you going to try to get home for the holidays?
Tyra B-I've been in
and out. I came home for Thanksgiving and I had a couple
of days home after I left Cali. After Christmas I'll have
a few days off and probably won't go back out until January.
What producers did you work with on your new album?
Tyra B-Pretty Boy
and Red and the in house team. They did 95% of the album.
Pretty Boy produced "Still in Love" my second
single I had out and they both teamed up to produce "Given'
Me A Rush." I've been working with Pretty Boy since
I started and Red is actually another artist signed to
Sphinx Entertainment and Warner Brothers. He is coming
out after me and he is really talented. We got some outside
tracks as well. We got tracks from Cool & Dre, Kwame
and Sanchez. Other than that, that's it.
Do you ever get a chance to go out into the clubs
and do the whole nightlife thing?
Tyra B-That really
ain't me. I don't do clubs. I appear in clubs a lot because
of my job. I don't drink and I dance enough on stage.
I might hit up a club every once in awhile.
Have your friends been really supportive of your career?
Tyra B-Most definitely
yeah. I pretty much have the same friends I had when I
started.
If you weren't doing music what do you think you would
be doing?
Tyra B-If I weren't
doing music I would break into the song writing industry.
I wrote the majority of my album about 10 songs out of
15. If I couldn't break into that I would probably join
the military. I wouldn't know what to do.
Yeah, I know the military is really big in Virginia.
Tyra B-Yeah, it is.
Do you ever have a chance to get on Myspace and talk
to your fans?
Tyra B-I get on Myspace
every single day and talk to my fans. Most of the times
I'm on my Sidekick checking my mail. I try to get through
all of them. I try to get through at least 100 e-mails
a day. If they take the time to tell you they appreciate
your music I can at least try to take the time to thank
them.
I know your video just premiered on BET, did you get
a chance to check it out?
Tyra B-I saw it online.
I love the video. I think it came out nice. I think it
really shows who I am and I think it's really a lot better
than the other videos in terms of the visuals.
What are your long term goals as an artist?
Tyra B-I just want
to be successful. I want the album to be successful and
I want it to open new doors for me as a song writer, so
I'm hoping it will open new doors for me in that. I want
to get my name out there as an artist.
Related Links-http://www.myspace.com/tyrab
http://www.tyramusic.com
Tyra B-interview
copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2007
Visit Dorrie on the web at www.sparkledoll.com
or add her as a friend at MYSPACE.
Tyra
B-interview
may not be reprinted, copied or distribute without permission.
You may link to this interview.Interview copyright Dorrie
Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com December 2007.
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