Love is about sacrifices. Love is about commitment. Love is about truth to ourselves. That’s what real life husband and wife Kenny Lattimore and Chante Moore share, and it shows throughout their careers, marriage, and music.
The love-stricken couple has always shared their love for one another with us through their harmonious R & B duos. However, with their new double album, Uncovered/Covered, the two step out of what we thought were boundaries into one the most comfortable areas of their lives and way of life. They focus not only on the heart of relationships and their personal efforts, challenges, and commitments, but their profound dedication to the Lord through praise and unyielding melodies.
The happy couple recently shared with us their secrets to a successful relationship, the importance of family, and the essence of their strong devotion to the Lord musically and as a lifestyle as a whole.
AllHipHop.com Alternatives: How do you work together daily and continue to have a successful relationship?
Chante Moore: I drug him daily. No, just kidding. It’s just meant to be. I think that we are just compatible. I thank God that we don’t have a lot of discrepancies from day to day. We are pretty easy going overall. It just was suppose to happen. We don’t have too many issues getting in each other’s way. But, when we do need space, we give each other that space; rather it’s just taking a walk or reading a book in the same room without having really to bombard each other with easy conversation. You can just be quiet sometimes. It’s about the balance and the respect, and knowing what you need and where you are and being clear with each other and respectful.
AHHA: What were your reasons behind doing a [Gospel love] album?
Kenny Lattimore: It became more revealing lyrically, and it Uncovered where we were in our relationship and things that people go through just in general. Later on, like a year later, we got into the Covered side, which is the Gospel side, and that happened through a request from Berry Records and Max Siegel that we do a Gospel album. It was the record company’s idea that we package them together. At first, we thought we didn’t know about it. We didn’t know if the marketplace was ready for something like this. But once we got into the songs more, it started to develop.
AHHA: Do you feel like you will lose any fans by going this route, or do you feel like your core fan base is already in the Christian music sector?
Chante: I think anybody that liked us before is still going to like us. We didn’t stop being ourselves. Anybody who really knows us, follows our music, and any interviews have always known that we loved the Lord from the very beginning. I don’t think anybody is going to be detoured by knowing even more of how much we love the Lord. We have always had a song on every album, and anytime you have seen us live in concert, you have seen how much we do love the Lord. He is the reason why we did R&B. He opened the door. He was the reason why we did the kind of R&B music that we did because we wanted to keep it a level of integrity. We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t anything that would disgrace or conflict with our commitment to Him. It’s always been who we were so I don’t think anybody who truly has known us as artists separately would be offended at all.
AHHA: What are the top three things you would say keeps romance alive?
Chante: Staying sexy. Feeling sexy is an important thing. Feeling desirable and worthy of being desired makes you even more sexy. Being open. Appreciate what that other person appreciates in you because its not always going to be what you think. I know I thought I had certain powers and they don’t work on him. He is not like another guy. I can’t compare him to anybody else because he’s who he is. He appreciates me in a whole lot of different ways, and not just what I think I’m use to being appreciated in. So you have to let other people express their love for you.
Kenny: It’s about being creative, spontaneous and taking other people’s advice. You might not be able to come up with all the ideas yourself in terms of romance. You might need a book or a good friend.
AHHA: Do you feel pressure to keep your relationship solid and up to a certain standard since both of you are in the public eye?
Chante: It has nothing to do with the public eye, but has a lot to do with us because if we break up, we will be the ones suffering. It would be us and our children. It would be us missing out on our future. We made a commitment to one another and it really isn’t about anybody but us. I am way too independent to worry about what people think of us, but I do think about the ministry of sticking together. Representing people who do make it through this thing called life.
Being in the public eye definitely can be a hindrance, not having privacy when you need it or when you have to have it. Sometimes you don’t get it, but certainly we have to battle certain things. It’s been more of a battle to keep out the outside people and to think about those we would encourage or discourage by doing something one way or another. It’s about the ministry of staying together because people seem to be breaking up every two seconds and we don’t want to be one of those people.
AHHA: What has been your hardest challenge between marriage and music?
Chante: Just growing individually is what I think is the main thing. There are not very many challenges between the marriage and the music, because we just have to be authentic – and we are those people, so there’s really nothing to put on or take off. The challenge is being strong individually to bring something to one another, and to challenge ourselves to be committed to growth individually – so that you can really have something to give someone, and not be critical of the other person and self-examine. Those are really the challenges more than anything. Within the music, it’s just about being honest.
AHHA: What is your favorite song on the album and why?
Chante: Too many to pick just one! “Make Me Like the Moon” is definitely a wonderful song, because it encompasses the sentiments of our heart where we really choose to let the Lord in everything we do. You can see him in our lives everyday. “Figure It Out” is a good song because it talks about issues of everyday people and everyday life. I like “I Got You Babe” because it talks about having each other’s back no matter what happens, whether from the music industry, personal life, or whatever it is, I am on your side and we all want somebody who can be there for us. On the <i<Covered side, “Clap Your Hands” is a really great song. It’s fun and light, but it still has some meat in there where you can really learn about who God is in the midst of having a really great time and rejoicing in Him. You learn who He is to us.
AHHA: Which new singers are you guys feeling?
Chante: Tye Tribbett.
Kenny: G.A. on the Gospel end.
Chante: That’s what I listen to most. I am little disconnected on the R&B level.
AHHA: So both of you are really big Gospel fans?
Chante: It’s really a lifestyle. It’s about lifting myself up on a day to day basis. I know it sounds cliché, but you have to feed yourself those things that make you strong in the way you want to be strong. But if I always listen to pop-that-thang music, I can’t do it. I usually have my kids in the car and if they start singing that back to me, I might hit them. I like Beyonce’s song until by daughter starts singing Beyonce’s song – then I can’t have it. She’s not checking up on no one, and no one is checking up on her! But, I am a fan of Beyonce. She is just awesome and excellent in her work though. She’s a little hot right now, but she can be hot. That’s her thing and I get it, and she does it very well. I am a fan of Mary J. Blige.
Kenny: I like that Ne-Yo is doing his thing in terms of the writing and all that. But, just in terms of the R&B stuff, I really cant think of who’s out. I like underground soul like Eric Roberson. He’s not a new artist though.
AHHA: What do you all have planned for the holidays?
Chante: Well, the album just dropped. It’s all about promoting that and we hope to go out on a tour before the holidays. But, for Christmas, it’s about slowing down and having family time. I am just really kind of square. I don’t sound like a hip chick who’s running to Rome. I will be home decorating the house, the tree, and preparing for dinner.
AHHA: How old are the kids?
Chante: Ten and three. It seems like all our interviews end up being about them. It’s all about my babies.
AHHA: Is there anyone else you all would like to work with musically?
Chante: I love Lalah Hathaway. We just finished the album with people we love. Fred Hammond worked on our new album, and we were excited.
Kenny: I wanted to work with Kirk Franklin.
Chante: We will though.
