UB ReVisit: Faith Evans Talks 90s Music, Catalog and R&B Divas

Staying with our R&B Divas theme, in preparation for our new R&B Divas interview tomorrow, Tuesday March 24th. We ReVisit our Faith Evans 2011 interview, as apart of our favorite interviews for our 15 Year Anniversary.

Faith Evans discovered her voice at just three-years-old, but a lack of confidence as a child almost derailed her destiny. Influenced by her mother, Helene Evans, a professional singer and “trailblazing renegade,” and inspired by the harmonies of the Clark Sisters, Faith honed her gift in the Baptist church.

Her formative years were spent in Newark, New Jersey, where she began to rebel as a teenager. She would sneak out of her grandmother’s home and trek to New York for studio time, where she eventually matured as an artist, and developed her skills as a vocal arranger, producer and songwriter.

While attending Fordham University on a full scholarship, the unexpected happened – Evans discovered she was pregnant. Evans fled back to New Jersey.

Nicknamed “the Doctor,” Faith ultimately found her confidence in the booth, providing background vocals and pinning hits for Christopher Williams and Al B. Sure! In need of a female voice for a track, a chance encounter with Sean “Puffy” Combs would forever change her life. Slipping into the vocal booth, Evans rearranged melodies, captivating the room with her smooth, gospel-infused soprano. Combs was mesmerized and offered Evans the opportunity to write for Mary J. Blige and Usher, as well as a recording contract with his pioneering label, Bad Boy Entertainment – making her the first female artist to sign.

As they say, the rest is history! This ReVisit takes quotes from our 2011 Interview with Faith, for our Love for The 90s Interview Series.

Faith talks to Aries about the 90s vibe compared to now, the development of R&B Divas, plus she tells us her favorites from her catalog and explains why she wrote her memoir “Keep The Faith.”

———–

UrbanBridgez.com: What was it like being an artist in the 90’s compared to now, what obstacles have you faced being an artist from then to now?
Faith Evans: In comparison to the 90’s to now, but I’m so glad…and not to say I’m up to a bunch of BS or anything. I appreciate that it wasn’t the speedy real time media and social networks like it is now. I’m like thank God back then none of this stuff was around (all laugh). It was definitely different that it wasn’t such an outlet for unsigned artists, which is a good thing now that people are able to get their music and talents out there. As far as obstacles, there’s many, there are still obstacles to be honest with you. Due to the technology advances and huge outlets for new talent, it seems like there is a new sensation every other day, every other week. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I don’t look at it as a bad thing. I think it just makes you have to work that much harder to satisfy your audience and make sure you keep your audience! Again, I’m not complaining about it, but it’s clearly very different.

UrbanBridgez.com: How do you think we can get that 90’s vibe back in the music of R&B, oppose to now where it’s like labels are looking for just a hit and back then artists like yourself seemed to be making memorable music?
Faith Evans: I don’t know, we definitely can’t get back to the 90’s (laughs). I mean I know with me personally I try to just stick with my program and I think that’s what my fans appreciate about me. Not that I’m giving you the same song I made back in 95, but at the same time I don’t try and stray away from what I think feels good to me. It’s never like, oh I need to do this because this is what’s current or I hear this sound the most on the radio. Someone told me recently and I was very happy to hear it, someone who I really respect like a huge artist. They said you do such a good job at staying the same, but keeping it updated! I’m like oh really, okay (laughs). I don’t necessarily do it on purpose but it is 2011 and I’m still me so let me just do what I do (laughs)!

UrbanBridgez.com: Well you do it well and you do great with incorporating current R&B with what you’ve been doing from the start, so yeah you do it well!
Faith Evans: Thank You!

UrbanBridgez.com: What is like one of the best memories you have from the 90’s from being out on the road, I always hear these crazy tour stories from artists from back then?
Faith Evans: I would have to say, when I was on the road with my first album. Not the big Bad Boy Family tour, but I was out on the road doing my little weekend shows. And I was with my manager at the time Cheryl (Flowers), Chyna and one of my homegirls from Jersey. We were at this club in like North Carolina and the promoter was saying he didn’t have the money. My homegirl and Cheryl walked him around that whole club and made him go to every single cash register he had and get whatever cash that was in it and they were like you’re gonna give us something, we don’t work for free! So you’re gonna give us that money (laughs)! It wasn’t fun but looking back it’s like you know what, we been through it! I was out there like I’m not going on this ish for free, I’m going to make my money and we got our money!

UrbanBridgez.com: Speaking of Divas, can you tell us about Diary of A Diva (R&B Divas), that has so many people excited!
Faith Evans: Diary of A Diva is a reality docu-series that myself and my friend Nicci Gilbert are co-executive producing. We’re actually shopping the show, so it’s not in production yet. I think someone kind of jumped the gun and made an announcement about it, but it’s not like we’re in production now. We’re still keeping our fingers crossed and trying to shop the show. To be honest I don’t think it would fair to whatever network decides to pick it up to discuss alot about it, because I’m sure they would want to make their own announcement about it. But it’s basically something that myself and Nicci are working on with a few more R&B divas! I got a chance to tell my story, I did my memoir and it was very well received. There are other “divas” who have have stories of their own, because people don’t really know their stories because of whatever reason. They might not be as commercial & on your radar as the next person, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to help them tell their stories by way of my platform.

UrbanBridgez.com: What made you want to write your memoir, “Keep The Faith” at this point in your career?
Faith Evans: To be honest I didn’t think I was ready. This book agent had been pursuing me for like three years. I was like I don’t think now is the time, my career ain’t over or I’m not about to hang it up & hang up the microphone. But he was like that’s not the case, people really want to hear your story. To be quite honest the thing that really made me decide to go ahead and do it and entertain this offer was the fact that A. I was pregnant with my last child who’s going to be 4 and B. I knew I wasn’t going to be in the studio recording because I knew I wasn’t moving forward with my Capitol deal. So I was like I got some time on my hands what else could I be doing, let me think, let me think. Well okay maybe I should call this dude back that keeps telling me I should write this book (laughs). That was really what made it come together and to be honest God works in mysterious and wonderful ways because I’m so glad I did, it was well received. I’ve had offers to do Lifetime specials and movies about the book. Which I didn’t entertain those at the time, but I’m definitely going to look into some of that now. I won an African American Literary Award, so I’m really proud of it. And I didn’t even heavenly promote it, I didn’t go on a big book tour or anything like that. The reason being is the movie NOTORIOUS came about and the time it was ready to come out, that’s when they wanted to release the book. They were two totally unrelated things, I didn’t realize the movie was going to be coming out around the same time as the book. So I was really nervous and didn’t want people to think I was trying to piggyback off the movie. So I was like I don’t want it to come out right now, but the publishers wasn’t trying to change their date because they felt like one thing had nothing to do with the other. But thankfully people were able to receive the book and I’m still getting alot of great feedback about it.

UrbanBridgez.com: I for one am happy you wrote it, it’s a great read and cleared up alot.
Faith Evans: I still pick it up and read it when I’m on the plane and I just be gagging out loud (laughs). I be like I am stupid (laughs)!

UrbanBridgez.com: You mentioned Chyna and recently she started college, how does it feel to have such a talented and beautiful daughter following in the footsteps of her mother?
Faith Evans: Oh my god I’m so proud of her! I hardly hear from her and that’s a good thing in this case, because she’s doing well. I’m hearing so much about her from other people, like yeah Chyna Doll up here doing her thing. She’s definitely got her own thing, her own swag, her own talent like she’s my child for sure, but this girl is amazing! She’s way beyond where I was at that age, she’s like a producer, a writer, a engineer, she can do it all. She just played me this Lady Gaga song that she remade for a project at school for Halloween. She did a remix of “Bad Romance” and made it a ballad. I’m like girl I want to tweet it so bad (laughs). And I’m not even the one that be putting stuff on Twitter like that, but it’ so incredible I’m like wow. She has her own dopeness and I’m just really proud of her. I miss her, but the fact that I know she’s doing so well it kind of over takes the sadness, you know what I mean. I kind of expected to be crying and everything but I know she’s doing her thing and she’s enjoying it which is a plus. She’s up there and making her mark and I know that she’s going to be successful. People are going to be like that’s Chyna Doll, that’s Faith’s daughter. Matter of fact, she’s just going to be just Chyna, Faith’s daughter is going to be so far in the background (laughs).

UrbanBridgez.com: How are the other kids doing and can we expect CJ in any more roles anytime soon?
Faith Evans: They’re all doing good! We all actually thought that Josh would be the first one to be an actor in our family. But because of NOTORIOUS CJ was kind of able to jump into it sooner. They’ve both been going on auditions here and there, it’s nothing that we heavenly pursue because I’m more about y’all have to get it together in school. So if they’re doing alright in school and an opportunity comes then we’ll let them do auditions and what have you. And if they’re lucky enough to get a call back and their grades are right then we’ll let them do it. Other than that, we’re trying to keep them focused and finishing school and getting into a good college and all those other talents are cool but I don’t really play that! Let’s get a degree…let’s get a diploma honey (laughs)!

UrbanBridgez.com: (laughs) Off the top of your head from your catalog, what are your favorite top 5 songs?
Faith Evans: Out of my catalog, ummm. One would be “Where We Stand (Faithfully),” that’s one of my favorites. Oh wow, umm “Tears Away” (Hav Plenty SDTK), “Soulful Christmas” (A Faithful Christmas), hmmm oh “Come Over” (Faith) and “Get Over You” on The First Lady I was just listening to that yesterday, that’s one of my favorites!

UrbanBridgez.com: Anything else you wanna share with your fans before we go?
Faith Evans: I’m getting ready to work on my next book, I’ve been starting to work on it for the last couple of years, but I finally think I’m going to move forward with doing a deal for it. A handbook of tidbits and jewels and experiences that I’ve learned as a writer, a producer and a artist and business woman. To sort of understand this whole new industry so to speak. There was a similar book back in the day that Kashif did called “Everything You’d Better Know about the Record Industry.” But he left off where we are right now. It was the future coming and the more technology side that it is now. So it’s going to pick up where he left off, is fair to say. Not that I’m re-doing his book, but if I had to compare it to anything that would be it.

As always I’m so grateful to everybody whether if I get to come in contact with them or not. It’s such a sincere thing when I say that I appreciate the people that support my music. You never know what it is about you that touches people, so you know I’m just grateful that God has put me in a position to touch people whether it’s by my music, whether it’s by the life that I have lived and continue to live. I’m definitely going to keep trying to do my thing, whether it be by way of recording or the TV things I’m doing. Just trying to be a good person, that’s really what it’s all about. And if I ever get the chance to come in contact with them, then I’m sure they will know, yeah that was real because I’m definitely sincere! I appreciate the love and your support Aries because you’ve always been in my corner. And as long as there are people out there who want to hear Faith Evans music, I’m going to keep on doing it & hopefully y’all will be satisfied!