Remember that hot-headed girl from the Funkdafied
video with the baggy jeans on and the tomboy style?
That girl has transformed over the years into
a formidable MC and now a very sexy woman who now makes the men all pause.
Coming up on So So Def with Jermaine Dupri, Da
Brat has consistently maintained her well-known persona but now adjusts the
format with her new album.
Limelite, Luv, and Nightclubz demonstrates
a confidence that promise, “I am going straight to the top.” Recently
AllHipHop got a chance to chat with Da Brat.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s just touch on what
you have been doing the past three years since Unrestricted came out? A lot
of your fans have followed your evolution from wearing baggy clothing and Timbs
to who you are today.
Brat: Yeah, I think I have definitely grown,
I’ve matured. I’ve been through a lot and not just in three years,
but through the course of my entire career. From Funkdafied the baggy clothes
is still my thing, everyday I’m in 38 Girbauds all the time. But when its
a photo shoot or a video I wanna give them something special, ya know, instead
of the average thing that I started out with because as time goes on people
change. I’m grown on now, and I’m not afraid to show a little cleavage
or a little bit of skin. I’m cool with that now because back then I was
like ooh no I’m not doing that. And all my fans have been loyal with me
with this since 2000 when I dropped Unrestricted, my last album, I just kinda
been chilling. JD has been working on different projects that I’ll jump
on sometimes. I have been enjoying my life, spending more time with my family.
I wanted a little down time ya know like every artist wants. I took vacations
in St. Barts and St. Martin, and stayed over there for a few months and enjoyed
the serenity of life. And when JD came over and said ‘you ready to do this
album’ I was like ‘hell yah.’
AllHipHop.com: So what is the situation with
JD right now, where are you two heading with the label?
Brat: Well with he is the Senior VP of Arista
so there is nothing but great things happening with So So Def too, him being
the CEO of that company. Whatever JD does I have his backing and support, I’m
supporting him 110%, he’s always been very supportive and caring, he has
never pushed people to the side or whatever. I’m really happy with the
JD situation, wherever he grow to, is where I’m going to grow to. LIke
he already told me that later, once my record comes out, he is gonna give me
my own label so instead of me trying to shop for it I’ll be in the position
to do whatever I want to do.
AllHipHop.com: Talk about the new album “Limelite,
Luv, and Nightclubz” and what that will bring to the table that is new?
Brat: The new album is just a more mature album. I wanted to choose different
things to focus on and that’s where the album title came from. I didn’t
want to choose one thing like my average things, I wanted to do something different.
I’m always in the limelite since I became Da Brat and I became a part of
the limelite. You give up your privacy, you give up everything if you have a
passion for this. I automatically became a part of it. The luv songs focus on
relationships and the first single “In luv with you.” Nightclubz,
that’s where it go down in the nightclubz. After the show its the after party.
I’m performing all the time and doing concerts and there’s always an after
party. And that’s almost every weekend, three or four days a week ya know. Most
of my life takes place in the nightclub. That’s where we kick it at. That’s
where the title came from.
AllHipHop.com: Some of the cuts on this album
were produced by L.T. Hutton, who for a number of years was a producer over
at Death Row Records (now Tha Row), can you explain how you two got down?
Brat: I grew up with LT in Chicago, we used to
dance together when we were like 16 or 17. We had like a dance group. And once
the thing folded with Death Row he was just chilling and doing his thing I ran
into him again, and I think everything happens for a reason. So I considered
that to be a blessing and I was like you know what lets get into the studio
and start making songs. The chemistry was just really good. And we started coming
up with hits, and when JD was like “you ready to the an album” I was
like “oh God I got like 100 songs already.” So I played him a lot
of songs and we picked the best ones out of those and went with those and about
half of what JD was doing. My album is definitely gonna be half JD because that’s
my family. Like half from JD, half from LT. Because he couldn’t deny him.
AllHipHop.com: Now one of the cuts on your album
is a dedication to MC Lyte, can you explain why you chose her and why you have
so much respect for Lyte?
Brat: Yah, I got a song called “I Might
As Well Tell You Who I Am” and it uses a sample from an MC Lyte song. I
love MC Lyte. I grew up in high school and watched Yo! MTV Raps and MC Lyte
was on there, Queen Latifah and Monie Love on there too. I love Monie Love and
Queen Latifah, but Latifah was kinda on the African thing, and Lyte was on the
tomboy style. She was a tomboy she had on those lil’ pinstripe suits. She
really reminded me of myself. So she was always my main inspiration. So I wanted
to do something to give back to her. So people know that she’s a very good friend
and honest and loyal about everything. She gives me advice and she is still
putting in work. She’s a part of my life and I salute her.
AllHipHop.com: Why should someone check out your
new album as opposed to buying a copy of Funkdafied?
Brat: They should check out because if I’m
the same girl they fell in love with with Funkdafied with before they will really
love this album ya know. This project I’m a lot more comfortable, the lyrics
just are fun. There’s war going on out there and I didn’t want to talk
about all that here. I didn’t want to talk all negative, I went with the
fun more. Its all on the advice giving. They kind of have messages moreso for
the love relationship songs. The party records are just party records like any
of my any records. I just want anybody to enjoy it.
AllHipHop.com: With all the rappers talking about
the war that just went down and everything, what position did you take on Bush
Vs the Iraq?
Brat: Ya know like I feel right now in this world
that we all play a very small part. We can say what we want to and pray, but
I can’t got to the president’s house and say like “yo you need
to stop this situation.” He’s not gonna listen to me anyways. He’s
gonna do what he wants to do anyways. So really I just pray everyday and live
in this world and be praying that we don’t have any nuclear weapons used
or come over here. I was worried about it, but I can’t do anything about
it to change it, so all I can do is keep living my life and doing my songs.
That was my stress reliever and my way out as it came to this war stuff. That
kept me focused.