Having released all three of her albums to wide critical acclaim and, more recently, a greatest hits album, you would be forgiven for thinking that her future in the music business was more than secure. But it seems that behind the scenes all is not well. Recently there has been a lot of rumour and speculation that the First Lady of soul is considering ending her career as a recording artist. So, in true handbag style, we decided that it was time to separate fact from fiction and put an end to the gossip by seeking out the woman herself…
I've read on a few message boards that you've said you're not going to record any more albums - is that correct?
Well, I'm at the place where I'm kind of fed up with the industry, not the fans, but the industry; the business aspect of it. So, I'm in great deliberations now whether or not I want to continue, because I feel every artist needs 110% support. You shouldn't be an artist, especially one like myself who's put in so much time, and have to rely on your fan base to make things happen, because you're not getting the support of videos and all the things that you need to compete in the industry. For me, I could be spending valuable time with my family rather than work so hard alone. You need a support system, so I'm really thinking about bowing out gracefully.
How long have you been thinking about that, then?
Just recently. My last album was Stone Love - that was great, but we didn't really get the support of video, television or radio and I don't think it was because it was a bad album. It got great reviews, every one of my albums has had phenomenal reviews. I think the problem is that a lot of record companies don't know how to market and promote soul music. I look at some of the other artists: India Arie, Jill Scott, Tweet, some of the soul artists that are just not getting what they deserve. I feel like the people that are coming up on the heels of these great artists are borrowing so much of our legacy and because they're - quote-unquote - more marketable to the industry, they're feeding so much into that, and I really believe that the companies don't want to let you go, but they make it impossible for you to stay.
Will you still perform and do shows, even if you decide to stop recording?
Oh yeah. The nemesis here for me is that I've spent a lot of years away from my kids, feeding the public with what I know they want. In doing that, I just feel like now, it's important for me to pick and choose my battles and I choose to fight for my children at this point. And if I walk away with nothing, I've had a wonderful career, I've had adoring fans that love my music and if I can't continue to give them what it is I know that they want, then it is a waste of my time and their time.
So say you left it behind – what would you do instead?
Well, I'm a jack of all trades, but first of all I'd take some well-deserved time off with my children and try to figure out how I'm going to survive, because life is a game of survival. I'm writing; I was a writer before I was a singer. I act, I do a whole bunch of things, and if worst came to worst, I'd get a job. I would love to be in behind the scenes of a label, doing an A&R position, or running a marketing division, because I love being creative.
How old are your kids, by the way?
My son is eight and my daughter's 21.
Is she musical at all?
She's into music, she did a duet with me on Stone Love and she's one of the artists that's signed to my company.
I've read somewhere that you're going to be in a musical, is that right?
I'm in a play called When Good Girls Like Bad Boys, which is doing good.
Is acting something you'd like to invest more time in?
Yeah, I'd like to do that. I'm also looking into real estate, different things, you know. I have five rap groups that I'm really excited about that I'd like to focus on getting a deal for them and running my own label. Being my own boss.
