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How did you get your nickname Yummy?
Yummy- The name Yummy
came from my grandfather. When I was growing up he branded
me his little Yum Yum. I cut out the last little Yum when
I turned 12. I thought I was too big for that. Just keep
it simple; its Yummy.
I know your first album hasn't been released yet but
I notice there are a lot of Yummy fan sites. How does
it feel to have such a huge fan base before your album
has come out?
Yummy-It's a blessing.
I tell people that all the time. I feel so blessed to
have a fan base already just up and running and trying
to get bigge, because I feel like no one really knows
me but I beg to differ when I find websites that have
my whole history from the time I came into this industry
at 12 until now so it's a privilege. It just helps me
to continue to be motivated. I know people are looking
forward to getting some of me and knowing what I am about.
I read that you where in a group called Tha Rayne.
I think I missed that group. Can you tell me all about
Tha Rayne?
Yummy-Yeah, Tha Rayne was ..awe man. Tha Rayne
was everything to me. It was what I thought was going
to become one of the biggest and best girl groups ever
because of what we were conceptually. Vocally we didn't
sound like anybody and individually we sounded like three
completely different people. Together we sounded wonderful.
Our image was two singers and a DJ. We had this strong
influence of the hip-hop foundation in our music and then
we were girls from New York and New Jersey so we can relate
to your regular around the way girls but we're just talented
and we're doing so much, we're songwriters and produce
and we just had so much in our package it just seemed
like it was destined to be a great thing, but when business
isn't straight, when you are still growing up and not
mature enough to understand everything that you are in
things aren't always going to go as planned. It was a
great experience and I still love the girls to this day
and they can say the same about me cause it was a peaceful
parting.
Your current project..do you have a release day yet?
Yummy-We had a release
date we changed it because of all of the events I am involved
in. I finished up a Burger King tour. I did a tour of
the high schools in the five boroughs of New York. I finished
up the Funkmaster Flex Car Show tour and I'm looking into
being on tour with Ne-Yo right now. We had a couple of
dates over Super Bowl Weekend through the storms and stuff
it like killed the shows and stuff. Me and him are about
to get busy again not just on the road but in the studio.
With that being said are you still recording for your
album?
Yummy-Oh no. When
I came to Motown my first album was done and the second
album was in the process of being finished.
Now I know you work hard, but I know a lot of people
might read your bio and say, "Oh she's Chaka Kahn's god
daughter and Aaron Hall's god daughter," can you let people
know that you still had to work?
Yummy-Yes, for those
who really don't know and for those who are misled I have
the truth for you. I work, work, work, work. Because my
god mother and god father are well established artists
and are well established in this game and legends that
did not make anything easy on me. I went through a lot
of things personally and with business. I called my god
father today. I call them for my support and mental strength
and stability because they have experienced all that I've
gone through already, if not one time but two times then
a thousand. So the only thing where they benefit the most
(regarding career) is by being informants but the
handy work, the foot work, the conditioning that I have
to do, the performances with my family, with my being
a CEO of a record label, that's all on me.
Now I didn't know about that. You are a CEO of a record
label? At twenty years old??
Yummy-Yes, Music Park
Records. I'm actually the youngest female record CEO.
How did you go about getting your own record label?
Yummy-That was a blessing
given to me by Rockwilder and Randy who are my partners.
Randy is my manager as well as Rockwilder. It's a team
effort, it's a family affair but we are so business minded.
Like we try to be so professional and corporate in so
many ways but it doesn't take away from our creative positions
as well. We don't want people to take us as just trying
to be corporate and executives and all about business,
business, business. That's the whole point of Music World
we are just as much about the music as we are the business.
I heard a song on-line that you did with Shayla
G named "Breathe." Can you tell me all about that?
Yummy-Yeah Shayla
G that's my homey.
What was it like working with her?
Yummy-She is like
cool as hell. Shayla.. I cant say anything other than
I admire her whole grind from when she was getting down
with Kanye in school to when she got out and she was rollin
with my best friend Lupe, Lupe Fiasco, he's like one of
my homie's always has been always will be, and he introduced
me to Shayla when I went out there one weekend to Chicago
to just chill-and I wind up getting on a record with her.
I was like "She's hot," because before I met her I was
just listening to her stuff in the car from like the moment
I got off the airplane I was like "I would love to work
with her," and come to find out she was a fan of mine
so it all worked out. She's cool, I love
Shayla .
I read on your website that last week you had some
guests at Rockstar Wednesdays?
Yummy-It was so much
fun. I got to host Rockstar Wednesdays which is a party
that they throw every Wednesday at this club called Neo
Geo and I got to host it with Snatch One. And he played…Snatch
just killed it with the whole list he had together but
he really showed me so much love with his record. The
energy and the vibe of the whole place is really hot and
Red Café was there. We got the chance to take a few pictures
together and vibe. It was really good I would love to
go back and host another one.
When can we expect your project? Second quarter?
Yummy-You can look
for me May-June. Me and words are best friends, me and
numbers no, only because of all the events I am being
a part of; the Ne-Yo
situation, Chris Brown
is looking forward to me being a part of some of his shows,
dates coming up so I'm just looking really forward to
stay on the road.
What was it like being a featured artist on The-N?
Yummy-It was really,
really, I don't know what to call it. It was a blessing.
It was a privilege to be the next Emerging
Artist for The-N Network only because I don't want
people to take my personality as one sided. People think
"Oh she's from Queens, she's ghetto, she's hood, that's
all she is." No, that's not true. I actually do have some
kind of class and my grandparents are straight from North
Carolina and Virginia. I have the most Southern mannerisms
that you will ever find in a New York girl. I tell people
I am the most country New York girl you will ever meet.
It's very true, its just a way of being the way I think
young women should behave. Just from the way I was brought
up even though I was a little bad and rebellious, I still
know how to be a lady when I need to.
I don't want to get into the rebellious stuff too much,
but I think you are such an inspiration to young women
and me being on MYSPACE and having this website Thabiz.com,
I hear from young girls in the hood everyday who want
to sing. What would you tell young girls who really want
to seriously want to get into the industry?
Yummy-Mainly for young
girls, especially young girls, the best advice I would
give them is to always expect your age and your gender
to be a number one intimidation when you are trying to
market yourself in this industry. Know that being a young
woman your position is way more demanding than anyone
elses as far as your image, as far as your look, your
sound and the kind of person people want you to be. Don't
give too much of you where there is none of you left.
Try to find that compromise, that balance in being a professional
and still being who you are at the end of the day and
its not taking away from being who you want to be and
who the label wants you to be. Just have your business
right. Just as passionate as you are about the music you
need someone who is just as passionate about your money.
Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is an author and the webmaster
For Thabiz.com.
Yummy Bingham 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.
Yummy Bingham interview may not be reprinted, copied or
distribute without permission. You may link to this interview.Interview
copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com February 2006.
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