Kandi | Interview (2006)

Aries (UBG): What has Kandi been up to since the last time we heard from you?
Kandi: Let me see, I've been writing and co-producing. As well as starting a family, I had a daughter, so I'm a Mom now. And basically just chillin.' I've been doing a lot of hooks for rappers lately which is so wired (laughs) because they usually don't have girls write the hooks to their songs so that's unusual but I've been doing a lot of that lately.

Aries (UBG): Tell us about the new album?
Kandi: Well right now, it's not finished so we're still working on it. I got some guests like Lil Scrappy, Jagged Edge wrote a song and they're on it with me., they also produced it. Daron from 112 produced a song for it, let's see. Jazze Pha, just a lot of different people so far, like Focus did something. Again with it not being done, I'm not sure what will make the final cut yet, but so far that's been the process of it.

Aries (UBG): What was your process when you starting working on your new album as far as writing and picking who you wanted to work with you?
Kandi: Well let's see, I just started writing tracks and then started getting different tracks for it. I had wrote a song and called Brandon from Jagged Edge and told them I would like them to be on the song. Brandon had a different idea for the track, so they ended up writing it and producing it. Which worked out great, I didn't want to make it like I needed to write all the songs on the album because I'm a songwriter you know. I liked what they did, so we went with it. The album is about me and my life, I wanted it to speak on what's been going on with me, basically my story.

Aries (UBG): What's the overall vibe of the album?
Kandi: Of course with me I'm known for women anthems, so I didn't really stray away from that this time around. I just think this time the beats are more harder than on my first solo album and it's more urban then my last album defiantly.

Aries (UBG): What's the first official single for the new album?
Kandi: It looks like it's going to be "I Need." What's funny is "I Need" was really released as a buzz single to just let people know Kandi is coming back you know? So we sent it to radio and now it's starting to really pick up and getting spins, so it's turned into the actual first single. We got some video treatments already for it, so it looks like that is going to be the first single.

Aries (UBG): When can we expect a video?
Kandi: I actually have no idea, not really sure. We have some treatments but we haven't decided on one yet or a shoot date or anything, so we're just seeing how many spins we're going to get and waiting for the single to pick up and once that happens, I'm sure we'll shoot the video.

Aries (UBG): You're a very established songwriter, who have you wrote for recently and who are you working with in the near future?
Kandi: I actually want to write for a lot of people. I was at the 3LW video shoot the other day and their album isn't done yet, so we talked about working together for that. Teairra Mari was also at the shoot and she's working on her new album, so me and her talked about working together. So with them both it was like let's just link up and try to make it happen. It's like with people I know and are cool with like them, I will just go into the studio and come up with something with them and record it, before all of the business stuff. Again I've been doing a lot of rap hooks, I helped Lil Scrappy write a hook, I did one recently for 8Ball and MJG. I have one out now with E-40 and T-Pain, I wrote my part and I have one coming out with Trillville, coming soon. It's just so wired for me as a girl to be writing hooks for male rappers (laughs).

Aries (UBG): Who are your influences?
Kandi: Wew, let's see. Well when I was younger I was influenced by a lot of women singers who sing in alto. Like Gladys Knight and Regina Bell, because my voice is so deep. When I was younger it was deep also, now I have more of a range. So I was always influenced by singers with a lower range. As for Producers, I got to say Jermaine Dupri. Just working with him and being around him always influenced me. How he would take street lingo and just turn it into a whole song was incredible. R. Kelly is another one, because of how he is always able to tell a story with his songwriting.

Aries (UBG): Who would you like to work with that you haven't already?
Kandi: Let me see, I have to say Janet Jackson. I mean I worked with her before but it didn't make her album because it didn't fit the overall vibe of the album. So I would love to work with her again. I'm a big Janet fan so I really want to make that happen. It's so funny because I have really been able to work with a lot of my favorite artists already, so there isn't many left, just hopefully working with them again.

Aries (UBG): If you could work with any black music artists, dead or alive who would it be and why?
Kandi: I would like to work with Marvin Gaye because he is a legend and yeah I have to say Prince! I would love to be around him and pick up some of his songwriting skills (laughs). Because every songwriter has a method when they write and I would love to see his process and learn some things from him about writing. As for women, I've worked with them before but Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. Also Mary J. Blige, I just love her.

Aries (UBG): What changes would you like to see in black music in the coming years?
Kandi: I would love for labels to go back to developing artists. Now a days, it's like who has a hot mixtape/underground single, let's sign them and make that the jump off! Make a album and throw it out there, only for that single to be the only good single on it and labels seem fine with that. They don't take the time to develop artists anymore. I mean back in the days Motown developed artists. They took the time with the artists they signed, they went to classes for speech, took time with their songs. It may have taken a few years for them to actually drop an album after they were signed, but they were developed artists. These days it's like let's just throw the album out and se what happens.

Aries (UBG): What's next for Kandi?
Kandi: To finish this album first and get it out. I also want to develop new artist. I mean that's something I really have a passion to do. I actually tried to do it with a girl group recently and it's real hard work, but I want to get more into that after I release this next album.

Aries (UBG): Any last words for your fans?
Kandi: Thanks for sticking with me while I took my little break (laughs). I mean I go online and read some of the things they say and it's a great feeling to know I have the support from them.