S. Samuel
R&B singer Kelis recently talked about working with her label boss Will.i.am on the upcoming Flesh Bone album.
According to the New York-based crooner, Will knows her genre from front to back.
“Will and I worked on my last album together, and I love the fact that — a lot of producers don’t know music. They might know the genre that they’re doing, but he’s great because he has a really vast knowledge of music,” Kelis told MTV News about her new boss. “There’s not a song you can mention or an era of music that you can mention that he doesn’t know about or doesn’t understand what made it that [successful]. I think that’s the key in trying to do something fresh.” (MTV)
Earlier this month, Will talked about signing Kelis to his imprint.
“Kelis has always been a best kept secret,” Will said in an interview. “The cool people know Kelis. But the majority of people just know ‘Milkshake.’…I would like Kelis to show she’s an international sensation. She can be big. A lot of people think big is being on the radio or that being big is having a show in London, France and sometimes Japan. But that ain’t international…that’s just three countries. The Black Eyed Peas are big; the Black Eyed Peas are international. I think Kelis can be that big. As big as the Peas. A lot of time rappers have these labels and they don’t let their artist become bigger than them. I’ve proven that’s not me. Fergie is huge. When Fergie blew up she was bigger than me! I believe Kelis can do the same.” (VIBE)
Last December, Kelis expressed the advantage she had joining Interscope Records.
“There were definitely people that were interested in signing me before [choosing will.i.am’s label],” she revealed in an interview. “I played it for a few of the key labels that I liked that I thought would understand a record like this…I’ve worked with will before and I love him. I love [Interscope chairman] Jimmy [Iovine]. It was a good marriage…As far as this generation goes, there’s not a single song that you can bring up to [will.i.am] or a reference or an artist or an era of music that he is not privy to or that he doesn’t understand.” (Rap-Up)
The move marked her official departure from former record company, Jive Records.
Kelis’ last label deal was with Jive Records, and she reportedly was dropped in late 2007. Her as-yet-untitled album features production from the Black Eyed Peas’ Will.i.am as well as Free School, Boyz Noize, Burnz, DJ Ammo and David Guetta, who produced the above-mentioned retro-dance track. (Reuters)
Check out a past Kelis SOHH interview down below:
