S. Samuel
This week, former Disturbin' Tha Peace rapper Shawnna spoke on her relationships with Ludacris and T-Pain, her feelings towa making a hip-hop comeback and more on Power 105.1's "The Breakfast Club."
While mum on details involving her bond with Luda, Shawnna explained to the Breakfast Club hosts why an official T-Pain record never came about.
“Well you know, all good things come to an end,” Shawnna told co-host Charlamagne Tha God when explaining her official departure from Ludacris and DTP. When asked about making music with Pain, she went on to say “T-Pain is my boy. It wasn’t really like a signing situation. We were going to put out a project together and everyone just kind-of ran off with that. … He at the time was going through some things with Konvict [Music] Records. I think it was Atlantic, he was going to do some shifting. And then about a year or so later, you heard the announcement about him going to Young Money Cash Money.” (“The Breakfast Club”)
Pressed about her past label situations, Shawnna stood by her unwillingness to give up on her artistic freedom as an artist. She also explained to co-host Angela Yee what stopped her from attaining more success.
“That’s because I [didn’t] bend over, so to speak. You know, I’m not just a puppet,” she told them in response to her setbacks in the industry. “I’m not just going to go where you want me to go. When it comes to women having their voice and speaking up for themselves, they always try to shut you [down] like.. ‘Oh you can’t work with her.” (“The Breakfast Club”)
Comparing her comeback to the recent resurgence of former labelmate 2 Chainz, the female emcee explained to Charlamagne she’s confident there is a side of her people have yet to hear.
“I definitely feel like I didn’t have a chance to really get out there and show people the full extent of my talent. That’s why I’m really trying to come back.. If I stop now, I’ll feel like I gave up. So I’m going! …Right now, I just want to continue to put music out. I got a lot of artists that are willing to work with me, I don’t really need a label to contact artists… So it’s like, I’m just going to use all the network I’ve collected. And once I get a buzz going.. I’lll sit down and say “Ok this is where I want to go with things. But I’ve been gone so long.. My main focus is to flood the industry with Shawna Music.” (“The Breakfast Club”)
When asked by Envy about her feelings towards Nicki Minaj, she further opened up on the current wave of female rappers and their impact in the industry.
“Um, I think it’s dope. I think after Nicki came out and just like, freight-trained the whole game, it’s wide open. Everybody wants to know “Ok, what the girls gonna do now? Where the rest of the girls? Where they at” and I’m like “we right here” I think we need to stick togetgher and help each other out and help create outlets and opportunities for each other so we can remain this way. I remember a couple of years ago they were saying female rappers are extinct. Yea?” (“The Breakfast Club”)
Check out Shawnna’s interview below:
