UB Interview: Shanice Speaks on New Music, New Reality Show & More

Shanice has been in the music business since she was 11 years old, Shanice started her career by taking the top prize on the world-renowned show Star Search. She also has appeared on the popular Kids Incorporated, recorded 5 albums, was nominated for a Grammy and starred on Broadway in Les Miserables as well as making countless guest appearances on television.

Shanice has won the admiration of many of the music industry’s most respected names by performing many notable duets including “Love Will Follow” with Kenny Loggins on his “Live In The Redwoods” CD, “Breathe Again” on Babyface’s MTV Unplugged CD, and “If I Never Knew You”, the hit single with Jon Secada from Disney’s “Pocahontas”. Shanice’s voice has been included on soundtracks from the movies, “Boomerang”, “The Meteor Man” and she sang a cover of Gladys Knight and the Pips’ “If I Were Your Woman” in the movie “Panther.” Shanice has also opened up for the pop group N’ Sync she graced the stage with pop icon Justin Timberlake at Atlanta’s Lakeview Amphitheatre, when he joined her in a duet performance of her memorable ballad “Yesterday”.

Shanice has performed with major recording artist Josh Groban in heart melting renditions of The Prayer in both English and Italian live at the Bellagio in Las Vegas for a fundraiser given by philanthropist Michael Milken and hotel impresario Steve Wynn.

Shanice has remained widely visible, receiving close to six million hits from her YouTube followers, prompting an article in Huffington Post wherein she was called a marketing genius.

Recently Aries from UrbanBridgez.com spoke to Shanice about her upcoming album, new reality show with her family, R&B Divas, her up-coming show at Yoshi’s in San Francisco and much more!

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UrbanBridgez.com: You seem to have so much going on right now, tell fans what they can expect from the Shanice brand in the coming months?
Shanice: I’m really excited because I’ve been wanting Flex and I to do a show together for the last 6 or 7 years. He wasn’t ready and didn’t want to. Now he’s excited because we shot a sizzle real for a reality show for us. We have a network that’s interested, but I can’t really speak on that as of yet. Until we sign on the dotted line (laughs). So it’s too soon to say the network, but it’s looking really good and we have a good network that’s going to back us up. We’re excited!

UrbanBridgez.com: The album has us all excited, when will we get something, a single, a date, a teaser?
Shanice: Definitely before the year is out. I’ve been working with B Slade aka Tonex. You know Tonex right?

UrbanBridgez.com: Oh yeah, no doubt! Still bumping his current release.
Shanice: Real good, not only is he an amazing singer, he’s an amazing producer and songwriter. He’s been a friend of mine for years, we actually did the One on One theme song together. I love working with him. He had told me that his dad was a pastor and he wasn’t allowed to listen to R&B music. My first CD Discovery was the first R&B CD he was allowed to listen to. He told me that he studied that CD and every time he tells me that, because he’s so amazing vocally I’m like blown away! So we’re like fans of each other, so the whole time he’s complimenting me and I’m complimenting him (laughs). But I love working with him because he just knows where to take me vocally because he’s studied my music for so long. He’s so amazing and knows me better than anybody as far as the producers I’ve worked with. He’ll give me ideas that I wouldn’t of thought of. I’m so excited about the music. Oh my god, it’s exciting! I know I’ve been talking about coming back for the longest. Like every year I’ve been like okay it’s going to be this year. This is the first time that I’ve really felt like it because the TV show is coming as well and I can market myself on my show. That’s going to be great because being an independent artist is not easy. It’s cool to have a show to help out as well. I haven’t been this excited in years!

UrbanBridgez.com: Being you’re so excited about the music, as of right now, tell me about one song that you’re pretty sure will make the final cut that you can’t wait for the fans to hear?
Shanice: Let me see, there is a couple. Gotta Blame Me, that song I can’t wait for people to hear. I believe it’s such a big record that everybody can enjoy it. It’s for Urban/AC it’s for Pop radio, it’s for everybody. That’s actually one of my favorite songs on there. Lyrically.

UrbanBridgez.com: I love the title.
Shanice: Yeah. Gotta Blame Me, it’s like my favorite I think, out of all of them.

UrbanBridgez.com: Will you be putting out the new release with a distribution deal, at this time do you know what route you’re going to go?
Shanice: Yes, we will have major distribution releasing it independent. So you will be able to buy it in Target and all the retail stores but it will be put out on my label.

UrbanBridgez.com: What type of reality show do you guys plan to do, family oriented?
Shanice: I don’t want to give up too much information, but it is a family show. So you’ll see my kids, me working on my stuff as well as Flex working on his stuff. Different projects and television shows he’s been creating. You’ll see the family as a whole. There’s a lot I want to share but I don’t because I want people to be surprised when they see it. It’s pretty funny, because we’re not sugar coating anything. It’s going to make you tear up and it’s going to make you laugh. My house is funny, like everybody in my house keeps me laughing.

UrbanBridgez.com: Were you asked to be apart of R&B Divas L.A.?
Shanice: Yeah I was. I sat down with the producers, one is a good friend of mine Phil Thorton. I’ve known him since Arista when I was on LaFace Records. He mentioned that he wanted me to be apart of the show, but there are other people involved. There’s a network, other producers, etc. I don’t know, but I didn’t make the cut. It’s actually a blessing because now I have my own show on the table. I still support it, I TiVo it so I watch every week. It’s no hard feelings or anything, everything happened the way it was suppose to. I’m actually more excited about my situation I’m in now.

UrbanBridgez.com: Being a reality show buff, what do you think about R&B Divas Atlanta and L.A.? I know you’re going to be nice because you’re Shanice (both laugh). But I still wanted to get your feedback on everything, like the drama.
Shanice: Well I think it’s an amazing show. I know all of the women on both cast, except Claudette, I’ve never met her. I think the shows are very good and entertaining. It definitely makes you want to see what’s going to happen on the next episode (laughs). There is a lot of drama, more than I expected. That’s why I’m kind of glad I’m not on the show because I am very, very nice. But I’m not going to let anybody bully me! So I would hate for the world to see that other side that I do have balled up inside of me. I wouldn’t want that other side to come out.

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s your favorite reality show?
Shanice: Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta with Stevie J. I will not miss an episode! I would pop me some popcorn and sit in front of the TV and have a LAHH night very week. I love the Kardashians. Kim and I use to be really good friends. We were golf buddies and took golf lessons together. And I love Basketball Wives and the other day I was watching this show on TLC called the Little People. Me and my daughter were watching that show. I love extreme home edition shows also, where they give your home a make-over. So me and my husband and kids watch those shows at least once a week. I like my kids to watch those shows, so they can appreciate what they have.

UrbanBridgez.com: I know you have many industry friends, but I know you and Coko from SWV are really tight. I for one have always wanted you guys to collaborate on something.
Shanice: I would love that too, oh my god. I am such a fan of hers. It’s funny because her husband Big Mike travels with me sometime, he’s my musical director when I’m on the east coast. I was in DC recently and he said Coko is coming, I was so nervous to sing in front of Coko (laughs). She’s my friend, but I’m such a fan. She’s so dope, so yeah I would love to do a song with her. I’ll mention that to her, see how we can make that happen. She’s so amazing.

UrbanBridgez.com: She is! You’re in San Francisco at Yoshi’s September 21st, a lot of fans are looking forward to it. What can they expect when they come out to see you live?
Shanice: Oh wow! I’m really taking you back. Like usually I don’t do like the old stuff. Like This Time, Saving Forever For You, those type of songs. So I’m adding those to the show! I’m taking you all the way back to (Baby Tell Me) Can You Dance to Every Woman Dreams. And then I like to honor some of the legends that we’ve lost. I honor Whitney, Teena Marie, Michael Jackson and Vesta Williams. I have a tribute to them.

UrbanBridgez.com: Anything else you want to say before we wrap-up?
Shanice: Everything I’m discussing is going to be this year. So soon as I get the release date and when I can tell you what network we’ll be on, you’ll be the first one to know. I’ll make sure you’re the first!