Khia has never been afraid to let loose her speech. Whether it was demanding where men could put their tongues on her “My Neck, My Back” smash, extensively berating her female rap rivals Trina and Jacki-O or brashly declaring her business independence, Khia always speaks freely. Sure she proudly pontificates on the preparation for her third album, Nasti Girl, set to drop in the summer of ’08. But, Khia’s voice takes a turn from cool, collected excitement to passionate vitriol when a thorny topic arises. In this case it was the Florida girl’s feelings of being slighted by Michael Jackson’s sister after appearing on Ms. Jackson’s 2006 album 20 Y.O. Read for yourself…AllHipHop.com: You’re now signed to Big Cat Records, what made you decide to roll with them?Khia: It’s just respecting the independent grind. Me being an independent artist I felt that us as a team, we can make something happen, so it’s a perfect marriage. AllHipHop.com: Definitely. Did Big Cat approach you or did you approach them?Khia: They approached me. I’ve been knowing Cat for like five years. So the partnership was easy. [It’s a] joint venture; Thug Misses Entertainment/ Big Cat Records.AllHipHop.com: How hard has the indie grind been? Khia: I love it, I love it. You know if you want your money independent is the way. If you want fame and want to be on TV and fool the public you want a major. Really, independently if you do your promotions and have your set fan base…700,000…50,000…10,000 you’re making your money.AllHipHop.com: Since you had such a big hit off the bat a lot of people artists jumped on the major label and basically got stuck. Did somebody pull your coat the benefits of independence?Khia: Well I went independent the first time out with Artemis with the distribution but they were an independent label too and it was more with less people at the round table. With the majors you have a lot of people to pay, they have big budgets you know they give the deals with a lot of the major producers, major writers whoever’s hot at the time that’s who they use. You really don’t have control. With me being a writer and a producer and an artist I like to have artistic control. When you sign with the majors you lose a lot of that and then you have a lot of money that you have to pay back that sometimes you don’t even sell the records to recoup the cost. So for me dealing with Artemis, an independent label it was more and better for me so I decided to stay that route.AllHipHop.com: Now on the new album Nasti Muzik, how have you developed?Khia: Oh I’m so excited because I’m singing on this album. I did all of the production on this album. I did produce the other ones as well, but on this one I’m doing a little singing and I want to be respected. I don’t even want to be in the same category as the female rappers anymore because I’m not just a rapper; I’m an artist, I’m a producer, I’m a music composer, a song creator. People [will] begin to see that. It’s a fun album. It’s not just rap and just hard and street. It’s artistic and it’s playful and it’s fun and it’s concept driven. It’s still nasty and I’m still going off now…but it’s fun.AllHipHop.com: Is there a certain aspect you enjoy more between songwriting or production?Khia: Ohhh I love it all. I just love music so I don’t know, I love it all. I love to sing, I love to rap, I love to write, I love to produce and you know I’m hands on with everything. Every part of my project from the writing to the production to the mixing—I love it all. A lot of artists they just go in the booth and leave it for somebody else to do and to make it their own. And for me every song is my own.AllHipHop.com: Ok, what equipment do you prefer to use?Khia: I’m Pro Tools. And I’m not a Pro Tools genius but I work with different engineers and different producers that can go in and get what I need to be done. So Pro Tools is the way; I love my MPC I love my beat machine. I love just being able to come up with beats and then working with people that can just bring them to life. If there’s a specific sound that I want I can find people to come in and play it live.
AllHipHop.com: Now we’ve all seen the video [see above] with you explaining the Janet Jackson situation.Khia: Oh f**k Janet. F**k Janet. F**k Janet, she’s a hater. All the fans wanted to know what was up with the TV incident. Why wasn’t I on the TV you know and I just felt like Janet hated, you know? I felt like that was an opportunity for me to shine. You called me to save the day; I went in, I wrote on the song it wasn’t no problem. Much love to J.D. But my song was the hottest song on the album everyone know that. “talk dirty did ya hungry.” [Ed. Note: lyrics from Janet Jacksons “So Excited” from 20 Y.O.] And they were expecting me on TV and it was like she hated. I feel like I didn’t need Janet, Janet needed me. Janet Jackson is a star it’s no question but we’re a little tired of those “Thriller” dancing routines. And all that other stuff she got going on there’s a new generation out here and she only did a handful of features with her brother, Busta, me. I mean she doesn’t really do ’em, but she’s getting old so it’s now it’s…you ain’t in competition with me—give back. I mean that was an opportunity where she could of introduced me, she was on Tyra she was on all those other shows. I didn’t really need that and I don’t do features so I’m not going to say, “Janet I needed you.” But, you called me to do the song, you know I’m an independent female you know I’m a black woman. You already know how much they give us hell, you aint even recovered from the t-shirt malfunction, you’ll never be where Mariah is at right now because you’re Janet—that’s the same thing I go through. So she was in a position of power to reach back and say, “You know what Khia’s doing her thing, listen Khia come perform, I want them to see her, I wanted her to be on the song.” F*ck Janet. B***h your album ain’t gonna sell this time around ’cause you hated.AllHipHop.com: Was this a specific show where you were like, “What’s up can I get down”?Khia: Well no. I can’t really say that cuz I don’t really do features so I can’t say that she totally turned her back on me. But a lot of people was callin’ saying show for show; she did the Oprah show, she did the Tyra show and they heard my song, my hook in the background because of course it made the song. So the fans was like, “Khia why you weren’t on the show?” I was like well she hated, she got intimidated, she hated. She ain’t want to share her shine but I feel like you’re Janet Jackson girl and you need to stop. You’re a hater you ain’t exempt and f**k you, I hope your album flops this time around too. And I meant that.AllHipHop.com: Alright, this is regarding Trina. Did you see her original “Beef” coming?Khia: No I didn’t see it. And you know what? Trina is so last year but it’s everybody wanna be like, “Khia why you be going off on Trina?” The b***h put a diss record out on me. Of course I’m going to respond back for my fans point blank period. She came out with “Beef” I came out with “Hit Her Up,” it’s as simple as that. After that I didn’t have to hear no more and she little. So it’s like, No I wasn’t a fan of hers. Of course people are going to try to compare us but you know don’t go to crying like Khia got this to say and Khia got that to say like you didn’t put no diss record out.AllHipHop.com: What needs to be done for more women artists to get the proper shine?Khia: I don’t know ‘cuz I get my shine and I’m gon’ get my shine. You know if you’re waiting for someone to tell you you’re hot then you’ll never be hot and as far as I’m concerned all of my albums was platinum. This one was platinum just like the first one and second because I’m proud of it, I enjoyed making it, I love what I do and I’m not in it for the money and I love it. I love what I do. I don’t know what it’s going to take for them to get it, but for me I’ve been having a good time. I respect and love all my fans. I’m able to travel the world doing what I love so that’s what it is for me. That’s why I’m not even in the category of female rappers, what’s it’s going to take this and that. For me it’s about being creative and artistically delivering good music and I’m going to do that.AllHipHop.com: And what are your immediate plans? Khia: I’m doing some touring, doing some promotional tours promoting the new album and the album drops this summer and it’s just hot. Hate if someone drops one at the same time ‘cuz it’s going to be hot.AllHipHop.com: How did “What They Do” come together?Khia: Me and Gucci. Gucci is cool. You know he was with Cat so I’ve been dealing with both of them for a minute and he’s great. He’s like a brother.[Khia f/ Gucci Mane “What They Do”]
AllHipHop.com: Are there any other of your peers that you really feel and roll with?K: Not really. I’m a big Lil Wayne fan, much respect for him. I love everything that he’s doing, he inspired my second single and he’s just the number one. I’m a big Cee-Lo fan, Dungeon Family, Oukast all of them cats and Andre and Gipp and them so just most of my guys. They motivate and help me so it’s the guys.AllHipHop.com: What made you decide to want to sing on this album?Khia: Umm well I always sung. I sing before I rap. I just rap because I can. So for this album I wanted to mix it up a bit because sometimes we steppin’ our game up it’s time to take it to the next level because Hip-Hop is almost over.AllHipHop.com: [Laughs] Damn you think it’s that bad?Khia: It’s almost over. For me it is. For me it’s like I’m ready to do music it’s not about rapping because I love music.
