Khia - (May 2008) | Interview By: Big T
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SRN: Okay, what’s going with you Khia?
I’m grinding…getting ready for my new album Nasti Musik’s release.
SRN: I like that album title. Why that name and what can we expect from that?
Just nasty, not just the sexual, but just in the real raw bluntness of the lyrics, and the
delivery in the music. [Inaudible] It’s just some real nasty, fun, sexy album and it’s real
and its street so nasty represents all of that. And it’s music because I’m doing hip hop
and R&B on this album, so it’s hot.
SRN: Now you know I got to ask you. You’ve been going pretty hard on a lot of
female rappers and celebrities lately. What are they doing to get on your bad side
and how can they stay off your bad side?
Oh they not on my bad side. I’m blessed. They definitely not on my bad side. But I’m
just a realist, and I feel since being in the industry and having independent success, I’
m the voice for independent artist and just for all artist, female and male, industry or
not…you know music…or not of this industry period. It’s just a lot of fuckery going on
in the industry and you know a lot of people feel that I’m lashing out at a lot of
people, but they mixing the truth and beef. You know the truth and beef, they
confusing the two because I don’t feel that I’m bashing anybody. I think that I’m just
kicking the truth and some people can relate, and some people like to hear the truth,
and some people can’t handle the truth, but I’m just the truth.
SRN: Okay, that’s real, that’s real. Well since you put it that way…because I’ve been
checking it out and I see that you’re getting a lot of support for what you calling the
truth, but I also see that you’re getting a lot of backlash for it. What would you say
the biggest misconception about you as a result of you speaking on the truth?
I don’t know, I think it’s still balanced. You know you gonna have negative’s and
positives. You gonna have negative people and you gonna have positive people. You
gonna have nasty people and you’re gon have people that’s not nasty, and that’s real
and don’t like the fake and don’t like the mask, you know and just a lot of the
fakeness that the industry love to promote. So you know either way it’s balanced to
me and it’s all good. You know! It’s a love hate relationship. Either you love me or you
hate me, but either way they checking up on me, its promotion so I’m excited about it.
SRN: Well it’s good that you say that. That leads me to my next question. As we
know you recently did the Miss Rap Supreme (VH1 reality show) which I understand
that you say that you did for publicity, however a lot of others are saying why would
you take that route being that you are an established artist. What’s your take on
that?
Being an established artist, a lot of people get it confused, I’m an independent artist.
I’m the underdog. I’m a grinder. I’m still independent. I’m still in the streets. I’m still
in the hood. I’m not Hollywood, and I’m not an established artist that has signed a
contract. I’ve never signed a contract. Everything that I’ve accomplished, I
accomplished on my own, and I find it wonderful that up in the category with some of
the mainstream artist when I’ve never had the backing that they had. Being
independent made me eligible to go on the show, and I’ve used the show as a tool to
promote myself. Some people don’t understand it because they feel like she had her
chance, she had her shine, she had a hit, or she’s had success in the industry. But I’m
still grinding independently and I haven’t been able to have the machine behind me
that a lot of mainstream artist have had and I feel to be put in the category with
them….so either way whether they understand it or not it’s like a homerun for the
independent artist again, because to be able to work with mainstream artist like I’ve
had and to be put in the category with them and to still be an independent grinder it’s
like thank ya. And it’s letting other artist know that you can achieve your goals and
you can grind and achieve success and make your money…you know without the fame
and without the glitz and glamour if you want to be a boss and be in control of your
career and make your money and not be robbed by a lot of the mainstream labels and
the mainstream powers that be. So you know either way I’m still an independent
artist and I used this opportunity and it turned out great, because it was great
promotion. My name is in everybody’s mouth, good or bad, and I’m glad.
SRN: Ok, that’s real talk. That’s something that I’ve always like about you. I notice
that you always stress being independent, and as you know traditionally the rap
game has always been extra hard on female rappers. So for other female rappers
who trying to get into the game and basically have more longevity and not just have
to solely be famous for their sex appeal, what type of advice would you give them?
Definitely if it’s your gift…to go for it and to take control of your career and your fan
base, and to network and try to get your name and your product out there for
yourself. I feel like a lot of female artist out there aren’t making it, because when
people don’t want to write for them anymore, or don’t want to promote them or
market them anymore, they are blind [and] they are really humbled to the game
because they don’t know it. Because they have so many men and so many people in
control of everything to where when they drop you…you can’t put another album out.
You don’t know the connections. You don’t know anything about the business. You
know you just dress up and look pretty and they put you in front of a mic and you just
rap, and they pick the song for you and they pick the writers and they get somebody
to coach you and you just rap. They do that so they can make money off of you and
when their on to the next, you’re stuck in limbo. So I would definitely tell the ones
that’s coming to really not be like the other ones in the hip hop industry. It’s sad…it
sounds bad, but they wonder why you don’t see them, or they come around and they
don’t last for the fact it’s not a lot of real talent that’s out there. That’s why I feel like I’
m here to stay, because when I write my music, I can record it and put it out the next
day. I will always be able to put music out, because I am the creator of my music. So
you have to be the creator of your music and promote yourself and build a fan base,
and then after that it really don’t matter because your fans will always buy your
records if they like you and what you’re representing.
SRN: Now let me switch gears here. One thing, or as it’s perceived…we get to see
the fired up mean side of Khia, but as we know all females have a softer side. Tell us
about your softer side.
Oh my softer side is very soft. I’m a mother and I have two beautiful children and I
was married and I’m a family person. You know a lot of women…just what hip hop
portrays women of hip hop and music…just the black woman in the industry period. It’
s like we have to make ourselves look like whores to be respected. We’re like at the
bottom of the totem pole. Even the Spanish and the Asians are above us, and it’s so
sad. I represent love and respect and realness and family…and love really when it
comes to relationships and family. A lot of people when they see me they see as a
business woman and they see the woman that’s out there knocking down doors and
making more opportunities for myself and not putting up with the B.S. that’s goes on.
So you know my skin is tough on the outside because I am in the world, and I am at
the roundtable and negotiating deals and business for my company and myself. You
have to be on point and not take no B.S. when it comes time to handling business.
You know from nine to five its business, but when I clock off basically you know its
family.
SRN: So being that you are getting a whole lot of press these days good or bad, how
positive are you that your album is going to drop and do real well?
Oh I’m positive it’s going to do well. This is my third album, my third baby. You know
all of them were great…like the best. You know just being independent, if I sell a
thousand, it’s a check. It’s work for me. I’m just glad that a lot of people will be able
to see that its not just about “My Neck, My Back”, and those that thought that it was
just about “My Neck, My Back” will see the opportunity that…I’m still here and go and
get Gangstress and pick up Nasti Musik. So even for those who are just now catching
up to me, they’ll still go back and hear the music that was before this and still all love
and support. So I’m excited about the album and I know that it will do well.
I’m grinding…getting ready for my new album Nasti Musik’s release.
SRN: I like that album title. Why that name and what can we expect from that?
Just nasty, not just the sexual, but just in the real raw bluntness of the lyrics, and the
delivery in the music. [Inaudible] It’s just some real nasty, fun, sexy album and it’s real
and its street so nasty represents all of that. And it’s music because I’m doing hip hop
and R&B on this album, so it’s hot.
SRN: Now you know I got to ask you. You’ve been going pretty hard on a lot of
female rappers and celebrities lately. What are they doing to get on your bad side
and how can they stay off your bad side?
Oh they not on my bad side. I’m blessed. They definitely not on my bad side. But I’m
just a realist, and I feel since being in the industry and having independent success, I’
m the voice for independent artist and just for all artist, female and male, industry or
not…you know music…or not of this industry period. It’s just a lot of fuckery going on
in the industry and you know a lot of people feel that I’m lashing out at a lot of
people, but they mixing the truth and beef. You know the truth and beef, they
confusing the two because I don’t feel that I’m bashing anybody. I think that I’m just
kicking the truth and some people can relate, and some people like to hear the truth,
and some people can’t handle the truth, but I’m just the truth.
SRN: Okay, that’s real, that’s real. Well since you put it that way…because I’ve been
checking it out and I see that you’re getting a lot of support for what you calling the
truth, but I also see that you’re getting a lot of backlash for it. What would you say
the biggest misconception about you as a result of you speaking on the truth?
I don’t know, I think it’s still balanced. You know you gonna have negative’s and
positives. You gonna have negative people and you gonna have positive people. You
gonna have nasty people and you’re gon have people that’s not nasty, and that’s real
and don’t like the fake and don’t like the mask, you know and just a lot of the
fakeness that the industry love to promote. So you know either way it’s balanced to
me and it’s all good. You know! It’s a love hate relationship. Either you love me or you
hate me, but either way they checking up on me, its promotion so I’m excited about it.
SRN: Well it’s good that you say that. That leads me to my next question. As we
know you recently did the Miss Rap Supreme (VH1 reality show) which I understand
that you say that you did for publicity, however a lot of others are saying why would
you take that route being that you are an established artist. What’s your take on
that?
Being an established artist, a lot of people get it confused, I’m an independent artist.
I’m the underdog. I’m a grinder. I’m still independent. I’m still in the streets. I’m still
in the hood. I’m not Hollywood, and I’m not an established artist that has signed a
contract. I’ve never signed a contract. Everything that I’ve accomplished, I
accomplished on my own, and I find it wonderful that up in the category with some of
the mainstream artist when I’ve never had the backing that they had. Being
independent made me eligible to go on the show, and I’ve used the show as a tool to
promote myself. Some people don’t understand it because they feel like she had her
chance, she had her shine, she had a hit, or she’s had success in the industry. But I’m
still grinding independently and I haven’t been able to have the machine behind me
that a lot of mainstream artist have had and I feel to be put in the category with
them….so either way whether they understand it or not it’s like a homerun for the
independent artist again, because to be able to work with mainstream artist like I’ve
had and to be put in the category with them and to still be an independent grinder it’s
like thank ya. And it’s letting other artist know that you can achieve your goals and
you can grind and achieve success and make your money…you know without the fame
and without the glitz and glamour if you want to be a boss and be in control of your
career and make your money and not be robbed by a lot of the mainstream labels and
the mainstream powers that be. So you know either way I’m still an independent
artist and I used this opportunity and it turned out great, because it was great
promotion. My name is in everybody’s mouth, good or bad, and I’m glad.
SRN: Ok, that’s real talk. That’s something that I’ve always like about you. I notice
that you always stress being independent, and as you know traditionally the rap
game has always been extra hard on female rappers. So for other female rappers
who trying to get into the game and basically have more longevity and not just have
to solely be famous for their sex appeal, what type of advice would you give them?
Definitely if it’s your gift…to go for it and to take control of your career and your fan
base, and to network and try to get your name and your product out there for
yourself. I feel like a lot of female artist out there aren’t making it, because when
people don’t want to write for them anymore, or don’t want to promote them or
market them anymore, they are blind [and] they are really humbled to the game
because they don’t know it. Because they have so many men and so many people in
control of everything to where when they drop you…you can’t put another album out.
You don’t know the connections. You don’t know anything about the business. You
know you just dress up and look pretty and they put you in front of a mic and you just
rap, and they pick the song for you and they pick the writers and they get somebody
to coach you and you just rap. They do that so they can make money off of you and
when their on to the next, you’re stuck in limbo. So I would definitely tell the ones
that’s coming to really not be like the other ones in the hip hop industry. It’s sad…it
sounds bad, but they wonder why you don’t see them, or they come around and they
don’t last for the fact it’s not a lot of real talent that’s out there. That’s why I feel like I’
m here to stay, because when I write my music, I can record it and put it out the next
day. I will always be able to put music out, because I am the creator of my music. So
you have to be the creator of your music and promote yourself and build a fan base,
and then after that it really don’t matter because your fans will always buy your
records if they like you and what you’re representing.
SRN: Now let me switch gears here. One thing, or as it’s perceived…we get to see
the fired up mean side of Khia, but as we know all females have a softer side. Tell us
about your softer side.
Oh my softer side is very soft. I’m a mother and I have two beautiful children and I
was married and I’m a family person. You know a lot of women…just what hip hop
portrays women of hip hop and music…just the black woman in the industry period. It’
s like we have to make ourselves look like whores to be respected. We’re like at the
bottom of the totem pole. Even the Spanish and the Asians are above us, and it’s so
sad. I represent love and respect and realness and family…and love really when it
comes to relationships and family. A lot of people when they see me they see as a
business woman and they see the woman that’s out there knocking down doors and
making more opportunities for myself and not putting up with the B.S. that’s goes on.
So you know my skin is tough on the outside because I am in the world, and I am at
the roundtable and negotiating deals and business for my company and myself. You
have to be on point and not take no B.S. when it comes time to handling business.
You know from nine to five its business, but when I clock off basically you know its
family.
SRN: So being that you are getting a whole lot of press these days good or bad, how
positive are you that your album is going to drop and do real well?
Oh I’m positive it’s going to do well. This is my third album, my third baby. You know
all of them were great…like the best. You know just being independent, if I sell a
thousand, it’s a check. It’s work for me. I’m just glad that a lot of people will be able
to see that its not just about “My Neck, My Back”, and those that thought that it was
just about “My Neck, My Back” will see the opportunity that…I’m still here and go and
get Gangstress and pick up Nasti Musik. So even for those who are just now catching
up to me, they’ll still go back and hear the music that was before this and still all love
and support. So I’m excited about the album and I know that it will do well.
Khia is arguably the hottest female in hip hop
right now, and if she's not the hottest she's
definitely the most talked about.
She speaks on her upcoming album "Nasti
Musik", why she did the Miss Rap Supreme
show, she also drops a lot of a game about the
importance of being independent and handling
right now, and if she's not the hottest she's
definitely the most talked about.
She speaks on her upcoming album "Nasti
Musik", why she did the Miss Rap Supreme
show, she also drops a lot of a game about the
importance of being independent and handling
your business. She also speaks on why she's had harsh words for
so many females in the game.
so many females in the game.
