Post by MyMyMy♥KyKaiKye on Jul 10, 2009 13:43:47 GMT -5
I have a greater appreciation now for Dawn courage and "PT Swag" that she's spreading in the universe. She's definitely come off to me as a lovely woman. Fierceness aside, she's come a long way and I can't wait to see whats in store for her next... I got my ticket!
It's not just a cut. It's not just a new look. It's a new attitude. Dawn Richard goes from Making the Band to making the brand. Are you ready? Honey caught up with Dawn in Los Angeles during the BET Awards weekend for a full interview about the new direction of her career and a "Killer Bees" photoshoot.
Honey: First, let everyone know where we can find you on the internet? We know you're huge on Twitter.
I am the Twitter whore of America. I am not afraid or ashamed to say it. I am on twitter.com/DawnRichard. Hit me. I have a positive following. We all talk about positivity. It's about moving forward and keeping people motivated to fulfill their dreams, so that's kind of what my twit positive movement is. I hope you guys join the PT Swag movement. Hit me up at Twitter and check me out.
Honey: PT Swag!
Yes, PT swag all day. If you ain't positive, you ain't on the right train.
Honey: Now, we gotta talk about the fashion swag real quick.
Owww, and the hair that's giving you rockstar but past it. Like I'm a rockstar and more.
Honey: Ok, so let's talk about the hair. New look?
New look, new Dawn! You know I was with Danity Kane for awhile and it was great. I had the long joint and it was hot, but you know I'm moving on to a new chapter in my life. I wanted to start something different. I am working with Puff on the album Last Train To Paris, and we just wanted to separate me from what people are used to seeing from Making the Band and everything. I think it was time for a change. My spirit changed, my life changed, and I think I wanted to head into a more "me" direction. The more "Dawn when I was growing up," like Green Day was my first concert... so the rock Dawn, the one that I know. I got up with this amazing guy Larry, who does Victoria Beckham, Queen Latifah, like you name it. All the short joints, all the long joints, Laurie Ann Gibson. He hooked me up, cut me, and we loved it. And I am not even looking back, I am forever now a bald head girl (laughs), and I am okay with it.
Honey: So let's talk about the new situation. The new music, the new group, break that down for us.
Yeah, I started out writing with Puff with Last Train To Paris, with Cassie, and with Day26. I got songs on all three albums. Puff was like "I like your writing. I think you should keep writing." Then he was like "I think you should work on Last Train To Paris." So we got in the lab and came up with this amazing new sound. I will not give you guys anything, ya'll know how it works. This new movement has been giving room for the music to just be what it is. People tend to want to class things and stereotype them. You can't with this project. All I can say is you have a train to catch and you best be on it when it takes off because it's gonna go and it's an amazing movement. And I am really proud of Last Train To Paris, and the group I am in now Dirty Money, which consist of Puff, me, and Kaleena.
Honey: Kaleena is also a behind the scenes girl and a girl with a short chop.
Yeah she got the short chop. Yeah, we doing it chocolate with short chops.
Honey: Now she started off as a writer, so how did she get in the group?
Yeah, she had been writing for awhile. She was writing for Beyonce, she wrote Ciara's "Pucker Up," for Keri Hilson, Pussycat Dolls. I mean you name it, she has been on it. She is amazing with a pen, but people didn't even know she had a voice. To me she reminds me of a singing Missy Elliot. Her flow is past anything I have ever encountered and her thought process is crazy. Then Puff put us in the studio together, like " I think you should hear what she is doing, she was in the studio with Rodney Jerkins." I walked in the studio and they were working on this record, which I think is the best record I have ever heard. At the time we didn't know anything about Dirty Money, we'd just met each other. And I think Puff was trying to be smart about some stuff. We had this really great chemistry and we looked at each other like this is hot. And then a couple months later Puff was like "I think this is going to be you two." Then we said "oh that's what you were doing. You were trying to see if this would work." You know she's amazing and it's two chocolate bars — well three if you include Puff. I hope people are ready for the chocolate movement because dark skin is in baby, owww. Light skin need to move over.
Honey: All this PT Swag and the chocolate bar movement, we thought you were taken. You can't be giving all this sexy.
Awww sweetie, when you're taken is when you give it even further. When you're taken is when you're hotter, trust me. You can let it go a little further and dangle it out there. It doesn't stop just because you're taken. It's better for us the sexier I feel. You know I am happy and when you love yourself everything falls into place. When you really love yourself, everyone else will see the light in you. You gotta see it in yourself first, I had to learn that.
Honey: Speaking of that someone, we keep beating around the bush. Who is that someone?
Que! Everyone knows I date Que so it's whatever. That's my baby, he is amazing. And Day26 just won a group for Best Group at the BET Awards, so I am really excited about that. They worked really hard, I was blushing like a proud girlfriend.
Honey: Like "That's my baby!"
That's my baby! Just a ghetto moment, with a flag and blow horn.
Honey: Thoughts about the BET Awards, Michael Jackson, and all the tributes?
You know I was really excited about Maxwell and the O'Jays, that whole moment what they did. My favorite would have to be Tyrese, Trey Songz, and Johnny Gill, that was hot. I love how they had the suits and was doing the joint. And I did love New Edition's tribute to the Jackson 5, that was my favorite for Michael Jackson. And then of course Jamie Foxx and Ne-Yo at the end.
Honey: Technically, you're a seasoned artist now. What do you think about Keri Hilson snatching Best New Artist at the BET Awards?
She deserves it, I have always been a fan of Keri because I feel Keri has been in the game writing for a long time and she never got her due just for the pen game alone. You know she really isn't a new artist, but for us she is. The producers and writers they already knew she was hot. So I think it's just a long time coming for her and I am proud of that for her. I hope she can continue to create her own identity and move forward and make great music. We need women artist out there, we need fresh faces, new sounds to open our minds up to new music.
Honey: Your advice for folks trying to get into the industry right now?
It's hard. I tell everyone if you can sing that's fabulous, but for every note that you hit there are 100 other people that can sing it better than you. So the best thing that you can do is know your craft beyond your talent. Like study your music theory, study business accounting, study music management. Like really know your business because this is 90 percent business and 10 percent music. No matter how talented you are and how great you look this is not an easy business. Don't be naive and just think "I am talented, I know I am gonna make it." Really know what you are doing so when someone comes to you there is no reason for them to tell you your dream is not for you. You make it a point to know everything so when you step out and they tell you to play an instrument you're like "which one?" Owww... serving people! That's how you'll become great.
Honey: Now you also have a side hustle outside of the music game, Danity Kane Comics.
Yes, DanityKaneComics.com. Go get your copy. Right now, the first issue is out and the second issue will be out in December. I have a meeting today as we speak about going over the sketches. We have three new characters and the twists are better. Its crazy no one thought a black girl like me from New Orleans would ever come out withe a comic book. But hey we are trying to break barriers, so I am really excited about it. Tyrese actually has a comic book coming out called Mayhem and I want to really get with him and collab and maybe do something like Danity Kane meets Mayhem. I've been getting a lot of great feedback on the comic book. And at the top of the year we are doing a Manga version.
Honey: Just so people know, explain why the comic book is named Danity Kane and how the group was called Danity Kane because I don't think a lot of people know.
Well I actually created the character in high school. Then I went to college for art and I was drawing animations. My professor said draw an alter-ego and I came up with this character. Don't ask me where I came up with the name Danity Kane, I just thought it was a hot name. And believe it or not, D's are so easy to say, even babies can say it. I always thought Danity Kane was a easy flowing name. So I was like girls what do you think, and they loved it. That then became our group name. I kind of wanted to branch off and give the reason why I came up with the comic and that this is where the name originated from so that people had a back story to where this name for five powerful girls came from. This one girl created the five girls.
Honey: You're one of the new breed of Honey Girls. Alicia Keys told us last night she is a Honey Women.
Owww. Then I'm a Honey Diva.
Honey: Is there any other advice you want to give other Honey Girls? Spread a little of that PT Swag
The best thing a woman can do is love herself. Love yourself, ladies. No matter what skin you're in, no matter what eye color, nationality. Whatever you are love who you are. And it's okay to be different, its okay to be the same, whatever you are just be the best you can be. And if anyone else is hating it's because you're doing it right. So continue to love yourself. Once you love yourself, everyone else around you will love you. And those who don't, don't need to be on your train anyway.
Honey: Do you we have a train to catch?
Ya'll should have already had your ticket. I'm trying to tell ya'll, I can't give you everything but I'm just telling you Dirty Money has a train coming.
Honey: Is there anything you want to say to the boss man?
You know real talk I want to thank him because out of all the moments that I have hated him for everything I've had to go through, I can honestly say he's teaching me a lot. I am learning a lot about this business and what it takes to be great: It's to go beyond yourself. I respect it I can't even be mad at it. I respect the hustle. You get what you get from putting out, so if you want a great reward, you have to put the effort out. And to me the reward isn't the great part; it's the journey. I've had a hell of a journey and I have learned a lot, it's making me stronger. When the time comes for whatever God has to give me, I'll be ready. So I am grateful even with the bad stuff because I'll be ready.
{VIA Honey Magazine}