UB Anniversary ReVisit: Kelly Price Talks ’90s R&B + The Queen Project

Over the next year, we’ll be spotlighting features from our e-zines from the last 25 years. T M H Entertainment, T M Hxone and Urban Bridgez.

As the longest running website for R&B online, since 1999 – We’ve been able to conduct some amazing interviews with R&B Royalty, as well Hip Hop Legends.

For Black Music Month, UB is celebrating Women In R&B.

Kelly Price has been showing people and making them believers since she first came on the scene. The Queens, NY native (she and her family now reside in Atlanta) was raised in the church and received her musical foundation there.

Kelly Price, is the Daughter of the late Rev. Joseph Price and Evangelist Claudia Price is the 2nd of three children. Under the watchful eye of her mother and the pastorate of her grandparents Bishop Jerome and Evangelist Joni Norman Kelly was nurtured and developed spiritually by being taught the word of God and the importance of a sustained prayer life through the special prayer services her grandfather held weekly in addition to Sunday services and bible study.

It was there at an early age in Full Gospel Mission COGIC that the many gifts deeply rooted inside of her were watered and began to grow. It was there that her inner senses were awakened to the very real existence of God as more than just a higher power or an answer to the question “how did we all get here?”

At an early age Kelly‘s musical talents began to dominate her life. While most babies have to be taken from the crib and calmed from crying in the middle of the night, Ms Price‘s mother has been noted telling of the times when the entire house would be awakened at the sound of a young Kelly singing out in her crib while the rest of the family tried to sleep. As a young child Kelly knew that music was more than just something that happened on the radio, in church, or even during the commercials on TV. For her it was a part of life that quickly became a necessity for life. She became emotionally dependent on the music inside of her and quickly learned how to use the music as an outlet to express what she was feeling even when she couldn’t speak about it. One day after experiencing deep sadness from a book she read for a black history project in school, Kelly wrote a song to express her un-explainable emotions. This was her first song. She was 7 years old.

Kelly sang on her first recording before the age of 10 and by the time she was 18 Kelly was recording and touring the world with multi-platinum pop diva Mariah Carey. Always a quick study, Kelly watched and learned the intricacies of studio and production work and soon after began to expand into areas other than just background singing. It is these early years of her professional career that Kelly refers to as her formal education. While her classmates attended college to prepare for their careers she went to work everyday and studied with the entertainment industry’s best to prepare for what would soon be her own amazing career.

Kelly has shared her multiple musical gifts with many artists and reached the number #1 spot on Billboard several times before anyone even knew what the girl behind the voice and the pen looked like.

Kelly’s versatility, along with her sterling reputation and spectacular, full throttled voice made her one of R&B’s best kept secret, that is until she was signed to Island Black Music in 1997.

Ronald Isley sponsored Kelly‘s first album, “Soul of A Woman.” Kelly is credited with helping to “usher in the rebirth of the Gospel sound in mainstream and R&B music.” One of her own songs that she wrote on this album, Friend of Mine, was extremely popular. Out of the box she broke chart records by reaching Billboards top spot twice with the same song all done without the benefit of a music video.

Living up to its title, “Soul of A Woman” delved deep into the collective heart, soul and mindset of the female gender, while leaving much of the feminine mystique intact. Of course, as the album’s dominant composer and co-producer, each song reflected Kelly‘s insights, philosophies and life experiences.

Price‘s pure soul voice is an emotional cauldron, boiling over with innovative power and primal passion. The pain, promised and anticipated pleasure of real and fantasy male/female relationships is the universal theme at the heart of her stellar debut album.

In addition to the hit-bound “Friend Of Mine” (produced by Stevie J and J Dub), other outstanding cuts included: “Don’t Say Goodbye,” a powerful ballad of extreme emotion “Your Love,” a substantive uptempo track (produced by Kelly and Sean Smith); “You Complete Me,” featuring guest vocals from it’s co-writer/producer— 112‘s Darren Jones; “HER,” another mind-blowing Kelly Price showstopper; and “Just One More Time,” a sizzling duet with R. Kelly.

The assistance of a Higher Power can’t be denied, but getting to where she is today also took a lot of personal hard work. Not surprisingly Kelly was ready for the challenge. In 1992, five years before embarking on the Soul of A Woman project, Kelly began building an impressive reputation as one of the industry’s best and most in demand back up singers, songwriters and vocal arrangers.

Without exaggeration Kelly‘s industry credentials are extremely impressive. For four years she worked in the studio and on stage singing for Mariah Carey. Among Kelly‘s long list of accomplishments include backup vocals, live performances and/or writing songs for Puff Daddy, The Isley Brothers, Notorious B.I.G., Brandy, SWV, Mona Lisa, 112, Dymon, Brian McKnight, Jesse Powell, Tasha Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, Ronald Isley & Angela Winbush, the Clark Sisters, Karen Clark-Sheard, Mase, Lil’ Kim and many more. Kelly also sang at President Clinton’s Inaugural Ball in 1996

In 1999 Kelly was hand picked by friend Whitney Houston to sing on Whitney’s single “Heartbreak Hotel.” 26 years ago in February, the single hit #1 on Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was the second single from her “My Love Is Your Love” album and Faith Evans and Kelly were prominently featured on the choruses and bridge. The song also was a hit in many countries worldwide and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. It received two Grammy nominations and a nomination for Best R&B Video at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards.

Every woman’s life is a story. From first step to first kiss to first love to that first heartbreak, to the first labor pain, to the first night alone to the last face you see, as women grow and gain experiences, their story becomes infused with deeper emotions, more intricate scenarios and shadings and layers of well earned wisdom.

In the time off between “Soul Of A Woman” and “Mirror Mirror,” that faith was tested repeatedly. Kelly had to deal with numerous career and personal issues. The pressures grew so intense that by the end of 1999, Kelly, who should have been basking in the glow of her success, found herself in turmoil. “Singing is what I love and songwriting is what I love and when it gets to a point when doing what you love makes you cry then I feel like you shouldn’t have to do it anymore. And I had gotten to that point.”

To add to Kelly’s pain, both her mother and mother in-law were diagnosed with breast cancer. Kelly’s mother in law passed away and “Mirror Mirror” is dedicated to her memory. Having the diseases touch her family so tragically prompted Kelly to action. She recorded the single “Love Sets You Free” and donated the proceeds to breast cancer research. She also took time to reevaluate her career and her motivation. Having gone through the fire Kelly found herself, in the new year, recharged and ready to record once again and in fact recorded “Mirror Mirror” in a scant one month’s time. “This album just feels so right and I was so ready to do this record and it shows,” Kelly stated at the time of release.

“Mirror Mirror” is Kelly Price’s story. Released in 2000, it was also her sophomore release. A collection that solidified her status as a major force in R&B. Purposeful, strong, meaningful, melodic, heartfelt and soulful “Mirror Mirror” was the story that Kelly Price had been writing her whole life. Filled with love and laced with truth, “Mirror Mirror” is the story that Kelly Price was waiting to sing.

Written and co executive produced by Kelly, with help from Warryn Campbell, R. Kelly and Shep Crawford, “Mirror Mirror” is unfettered and real, drawing its inspiration from life itself. Since the 1998 release of her platinum plus debut “Soul of a Woman,” Kelly has faced adversity on both a professional and personal front and has emerged from her trials tough and more determined.

The first single from “Mirror Mirror” was “As We Lay,” a song originally performed by Shirley Murdock (produced by the late Roger Troutman) in 1984.

That story commences with “The Interlude,” a peek into the place where Kelly’s personal and professional lives meet. From that introduction the story continues leading into “You Should Have Told Me,” written by Paul Allen and J Moss. With its quiet, heartrending majesty “You Should Have Told Me” chronicles miscommunications and misgivings between a couple. From those doubts and fears Kelly then drives into the mid tempo and pointedly direct “She Wants You.” Kelly refers to this song as the flip side of her 1998 hit “Friend Of Mine” and like that song “She Wants You” takes you deep into the inner world of love and regret. “Mirror Mirror” covers a wide breadth of emotions. To the reflective title track, to the wistful “The Lullaby,” (featuring Kelly’s two children Jeffrey Jr. and Jonia singing to her) to the powerful “All I Want is You” (with K-Ci and Gerald LeVert). And as she did with “Soul Of A Woman,” Kelly closes her book by returning to her gospel roots with the hymn “Many Things About Tomorrow.”

In the time off between Soul Of A Woman and Mirror Mirror, that faith was tested repeatedly. Kelly had to deal with numerous career and personal issues. Both her mother and mother in-law were diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately her mother is in remission but in the fall of 1999 Kelly’s mother in law passed away and Mirror Mirror is dedicated to her memory. Having the diseases touch her family so tragically prompted Kelly to action. She recorded the single “Love Sets You Free” and donated the proceeds to breast cancer research. She also took time to reevaluate her career and her motivation. Having gone through the fire Kelly found herself, in the new year, recharged and ready to record once again and in fact recorded “Mirror Mirror” in a scant one month’s time.

“Mirror Mirror” was followed up with the gold-selling holiday collection, One Family: A Christmas album in 2001. She released her last project for Def Soul this month in 2003, entitled “Priceless.” She’s also expanded her reach as a model for Lane Bryant and Ashley Stewart and taken her talents to the screen and stage with roles in Soul Food, the series, Bringing Down the House and the stage plays Why Did I Get Married? and The Bible Experience. In 2005, she added the title of ‘self-published author’ to her resume with the release of the inspirational tome, Inscriptions of My Heart.

Kelly returned to her roots for “This Is Who I Am,” a live gospel album recorded at her church home in Long Island. The album included the uplifting single, “Healing,” which not only reached the top of the gospel charts, but was also credited and awarded at the 2007 ASCAP Awards as one of the top five songs played across both R&B and Gospel genres during 2006.

In 2009 The Queen Project was announced, an album Kelly worked on with Deborah Cox & Tamia. That album would later be shelved. In our ReVisit Kelly shares with UB, why it never saw the light of day.

For her next musical offering “Kelly,” she departed from the “machine” of the major labels where artists and their visions can often be sacrificed or lost. Instead Ms. Price chose to do it her way and forged a musical partnership with Producer Warryn Campbell whose start up label My Block Records was just forming. A conversation led to a joint venture and the joint venture led to “Kelly”, a body of work that Ms. Price called her best yet.

Kelly and Warren began testing the waters with the lead single “Tired,” the anthemic ballad that opens “Kelly.” At the time of its release, they hadn’t yet secured distribution.

The album proved to be a huge success as Kelly was nominated for three Grammy awards in 2012, including “Best R&B Performance” (Kelly Price and Stokley Williams), “Best R&B Song” (Not My Daddy) and “Best R&B Album” (Kelly). Kelly was also nominated for one Grammy in 2011, for the albums lead single “Tired.”

Early 2013 Kelly Price started filming R&B Divas LA ,the spin off of TV One‘s R&B Divas. Kelly shot one season with the show and ultimately decided not to return. Kelly‘s “Sing Pray Love Vol:1 Sing” was released in 2014. The album included her chart topping inspirational single “Its My Time.” Unfortunately in 2014 Kelly loss her sister Sakina Grace Price.

2015 saw the re-launching of For The Love of R&B, a music performance and education initiative conceptualized by Price to help provide additional platforms for R&B artist and educating unsigned and Indie artist with much needed information and “on the stage” training for the careers they desire to have in music and entertainment.

Kelly released her gospel EP “Grace” in 2021 and appeared in season one of the series “À La Carte” in 2022.

In an industry where sometimes image reigns over talent, Kelly’s Price’s success is worth noting. By sticking to her guns, by staying true to herself and by creating a body of work that is unquestionable, this remarkably down to earth and gifted woman has emerged as a significant entertainment force.

As a songwriter, producer, actress and a singer, Kelly Price’s star burns bright.

Aries from UB has spoken with Kelly Price many times over the years, a true friend of the site. In this ReVisit, Kelly Price talks about her first gospel album “Who I Am,” and shares what inspires her to write.

Plus she breaks down the recording process for the “Kelly” album and tells us her influences.

Kelly also shows love to Faith Evans, Fantasia & Brandy and gushes about being apart of the glory days of R&B in the ‘90s.

(2005 Interview)

UrbanBridgez.com: Tell me about This is Who I Am?
Kelly Price: This is who I am (sings), is my God, let’s see. My first fill length gospel album. It’s somewhat a tribute and me paying homage, and I’m using this album as that outlet. It’s everything I am musically and personally. I want people to know it’s not so much about me, but about Christians especially. I grew up a Church kid, people have a perception of who I am. I wanted to make the album enjoyable. There are so many rules with Christians and people condemning people. This is a great project, I wanted to record songs that touch people, happy songs. I didn’t try to attempt to go in a certain direction while recording the album. I wrote what my heart said. It’s been so great because people seem to be in love with “Healing” and that’s the only song from the album that’s been released so far. The album is what people need to hear, no matter if they’re going through something. I want them to know they can come out of it. Recording is instrumental to me to help people see things. Like when I was younger, there was a lot of things in Church that I didn’t agree with, now that I’m older, I see why I didn’t agree with them. A lot of the stuff was inaccurate and without turning into the angry preacher, I’m just showing people how to live.

UrbanBridgez.com: Why a gospel album now?
Kelly Price: (Takes deep breath), It was time. Time for me, on every R&B; album I recorded I had a gospel song. After my split with Def Soul, I took a lot of time to think about if I wanted to record a gospel album next. I actually took a lot of time and thought about it. So I finally decided before I record my next R&B; album I would take the time now to do so. Some may think, oh she’s not going to do R&B; anymore. But really I’m just showing another side of me right now with this gospel album. I’ve shared this side with me on the previous albums, but never been able till now to do a full-length gospel album. Since the first album, people have been asking me when I was going to record a gospel album? So now I get to share that, it’s just another side of Kelly Price. The great thing for me is the feedback has been so great!

UrbanBridgez.com: What was your inspiration while recording the new album?
Kelly Price: Oh God, I did it all in one night live! My inspiration was life. I have a song called “Heaven’s Best” which is really a remake of Al Green’s “Love & Happiness” I just change some of the words around, but it’s the same song. There are so many songs that are saying something for everyone. Like stop being so judgmental, be careful what you say and do, stop pointing the finger, just something really for everyone to get something from. If it deals with life & Christians, I wanted to speak about it on this album, even those living a double life. From victories to tragedies, songs that will make people wanna groove in the Church pews. The beats are R&B; to Rock, with traditional gospel that reminds me of the Aretha Franklin album she recorded. It’s just amazing, I have some amazing guest apart of it. Like Donnie McClurkin, who I’ve known my whole life. I’m just really excited about it and I’ve received so many blessings from the Church as well as my fanbase.

UrbanBridgez.com: What inspires you to write a song, does something have to happen?
Kelly Price: Interesting enough, nothing has to happen. If something does happen and I write from that, I think it makes the lyrics even more powerful. I’m a writer by nature, it’s a gift from God. I remember a time I just tested myself to see if I could just write at the drop of a dime. My inspiration can really come from anything, to watching TV to a Dog peeing (laughs), anything. I do respect what I do as a writer, with it being a gift I always want to make sure I’m giving it time and detail. At times, I am inspired by actual things that happen.

UrbanBridgez.com: What do you think of the current state of R&B;?
Kelly Price: Oh God, is there still some R&B;? I’m not sure we have any R&B; anymore (laughs). Thank God for John Legend & the fact Mary J. Blige is still around. I think Marvin Gaye is turning over in his grave. You know what I miss? I miss songs that said somethin, I miss songs with a substance, I miss songs that take you back to a person, to the point where you could smell their aroma just by hearing a song you two shared. Music has always been very important to me, important to all of us. We need songs like What’s Goin On? I think now people are really looking for more than just a hot beat, but want the lyrics to say something. It has to turn back around. I’m always searching for new songs I can put in my iPod or play in my truck, that speak to the heart. But I think those songs will come back. The truth is if we didn’t go through this period, we wouldn’t be able to really appreciate good R&B; music when it comes back to the forefront.

UrbanBridgez.com: You already answered this earlier, but to make it clear, will we ever get another Kelly Price R&B; album?
Kelly Price: Stop playing (laughs), of course you will. Look for it after I come off the road and promoting this album. While I’m on the road I’m going to be working on it, then once I come off I plan to record it, so I’ll say it will be ready sometime before the end of 2007. I’m always in write mode, so once I get focused on it, I will start writing for it.

UrbanBridgez.com: What are your top three favorite songs, you’ve recorded throughout your career?
Kelly Price: Alright let’s see, God that’s hard (laughs). I have never thought about that before, wow. Okay, Friend of Mine, I love that song and it’s how people first heard of me. Wow, this is really hard. You Should of Told Me, umm (laughs). I’m not going to include the Christmas album, so I’ll say Healing.

UrbanBridgez.com: You’ve worked with a wide range of artists throughout your career, who was the most memorable?
Kelly Price: Wow, I would really have to say all of them, for all different reasons.
R. Kelly, he’s just amazing. Like a Vampire, sleeps in the day and is up all night.
Diddy, his drive is incredible, man me and him would fight like crazy, but it was always love.
Mariah Carey, her work ethic is incredible and really hasn’t been seen by many, she taught me discipline.
Ron Isley, he’s a veteran. I don’t know what to say about him. It’s like anything I ever wanted to know about the business, all I had to do was go to him. I learned a lot from him.
There are so many gospel artists as well. And I have to say Wyonna Judge blew me away! She is such an amazing person and so laid back in reality. Which makes it crazy that so many new jacks, act so dumb in the industry and like they are so above everyone else. Oh and I can not forget B.I.G., he was an amazing person.

UrbanBridgez.com: I spoke with Dave Hollister recently and he mentioned an upcoming tour with you, as well as Coko and Faith Evans, is that still going to happen and how did it come about?
Kelly Price: That’s a good question. Wow, we’ve been talking about something, I would love it if that happened. This is the first I’m hearing about that bill. Just think, all of our styles and versatility’s, it would work if it happens. God I would want to sit in the audience and watch (laughs). That’s news to me, so let me find out on that. If it happens, I’m gonna call you back and say Aries, it’s on!

UrbanBridgez.com: Who are your influences?
Kelly Price: My Grandmother, she is phenomenal! I did a concert for a DVD recently. She was sitting in the audience, I blew her a kiss from the stage, then I had to go get her. I gave her the mic and she wore the people out! My other influences are Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Karen Clark, all of the Clark sisters, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Gladys Knight. Just any R&B;/Gospel female artists who made it always look so easy. I grew up in a Church house as a Preachers kid, so we couldn’t listen to R&B;, but I would sneak it in (laughs).

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s next for you?
Kelly Price: Well finish this project, with touring and promoting. I have a book coming out early next year called “I Just Want To Sing.” It’s how to get started in the music business, steps A to Z. It’s all the steps from A to Z, each chapter. I’m excited about that. Also, I’m looking at some scripts, some other offers possibly. I want to develop stuff behind the scenes and discover some creative talent out there. I want to bring some of that to the front. Just to really help open some doors to people.

UrbanBridgez.com: Any last words for your fans?
Kelly Price: Yes, Kelly Price, This is Who I Am, in stores on October 24th. Go pick it up! I’m going through a growth development. I’m still the same Kelly Price, don’t let this fool you (laughs). I’m gonna be back with those songs letting you know if your man is cheatin on you (laughs). I’m going to be writing for the R&B; album soon. I just made a stop real fast, to really give credit where credit is due, to God and to my grandmother, who doesn’t listen to my R&B; music. So this is for them. I’m very excited and I thank you for your support, there is much more to come!

(2010 Interview)

UrbanBridgez.com: ‘So Tired’ is one of my favorite songs right now, really loving that record.
Kelly Price: Thank you!

UrbanBridgez.com: No problem, when can fans expect a video for it soon?
Kelly Price: We’re going to shoot a video for it. We have received different video treatments from video directors. Alot of new guys are actually sending me stuff. I’m also suppose to get together with Bille Woodruff who I’ve worked with in the past and absolutely love & he loves the song. So if we go that direction it will be a no brainier. I also created a treatment for the video myself. Which would not be the first time that I’ve done so, but this time if we go with mine I would like to participate in the co-directing or assistant directing of the video as well. You know I’m just trying to grow up (laughs)!

UrbanBridgez.com: Exactly, nothing wrong with that. Tell me about the new album what direction did you go in this time around?
Kelly Price: Oh God, you know what. I think the best way to describe this album is everything that everyone loved about ‘Soul of A Woman.’ I think this record is going to be a classic, I think that it’s so grown! And when I say grown, to the people that loved me when they first heard me. There is an apparent journey that has been made between the first album and this album. It’s been 12 years and it almost seems impossible that it’s been that long since ‘Soul of A Woman’ has come out. So with this album there has been some incredible growth, with the writing, the style of the writing, even the way the songs are song. I think when you sing & you’re really a singer. The songs are translated I think from your soul first and then your voice! And I hear things in the way I sing today, that I didn’t hear 12 years ago, interesting enough. I’m very proud of this album and I’m so hard on myself. I can be very hard on myself and just anal, for a lack of a better word (laughs). But I listen to this album and I know that I put my best foot forward. I’m also proud I let down some of my own guards and decided that even with some of the stories I’ve told before, I’m going to be more candid and raw with just some of the things I’m saying. I think after 12 years, the best thing was to make the decision that it’s okay to be Kelly even if it ain’t the cute stuff! Even if it’s not the right stuff or the she reminds me of my sister, cousin stuff. Interesting enough when I just let it all down and out, I become more of that sister (laughs). That was a plus!

UrbanBridgez.com: Let’s talk about the music this time around.
Kelly Price: This album is just incredible to me. The song titles are very revealing I think that they engage you and make you want to hear what the song is about. Like you’ve heard ‘So Tired,’ there’s a song called ‘I’m Sorry,’ the other title for it is ‘My Apology.’ Pretty much the song talks about being sorry, but not for being sorry for what you’ve done to anybody else. Because we do that all of our life, we’re taught as children to say please and thank you and I’m sorry, that’s good manners. We’re very often not taught, the way we’re taught to be kind to other people, to be kind to yourself. Most of the time when you look too much into what you can do for yourself it’s looked upon as being vain or conceited. What usually happens is we take that and decide that it’s more important when it comes to things like that, than we learn how to forgive other people. Even if it’s hard, what I’ve found with even different people that I feel like I don’t want to be bothered with anymore. If just for the sake of wanting to cleanse my own soul, that it’s necessary to forgive other people even if I don’t want to be bothered with them anymore. What’s been harder for me is to learn to forgive myself for the things that I’ve done. But I’ve learned that as long as somebody else does something wrong to me, I can always blame them for whatever happened. If I did something, I myself made the wrong decision, if I pick the wrong person to be with, if I do it, Kelly does it…there’s nobody to blame but me! So when forgiveness has to be had, it’s so much harder when I gotta say I’m sorry to me, we usually don’t do that anyway. And then say, ok I forgive me. We really don’t realize the same grace that we would give another person just a simple apology and I forgive you. So that’s what the song is about, at the end of the song I actually say. “I wrote this song to forgive me, I wrote this song to say that I love me!” And I deserve that, because I would give it to somebody else!

UrbanBridgez.com: Sounds like a winner!
Kelly Price: Lots of songs, lots of great songs! We got fun songs, there’s one called ‘And You Don’t Stop!’ Straight up party record, which I love. I have another mid-tempo called ‘Feels So Good,’ very infectious. It’s just really a great, great album, there is another song called ‘Himoholic’ which compares a toxic relationship to an addiction. And literally walks you through the steps of a 12 step program. With words that the substance is replaced with him. There’s a song called ‘Get Right or Get Lost,’ I love it! Written on the order from an old Gladys Knight song. I can literally hear her singing this song. When I spoke to Warren (Campbell) he said you gotta do something old school. The way music is going in the next few years it’s going to get back to that old school feel and we want people to hear you do what they did in the 60’s. So we did it and that song takes you straight to a ‘Natural Woman’ or a ‘Midnight Train to Georgia.’ So of course we couldn’t let that be the only song on the album with that feel, it needed a partner so we did ‘Lil Somethin’ Somethin’ it talks about being in a relationship and being hurt in a relationship by not leaving the relationship. Like I’m gonna give you your space to do what you doing, but while you’re doing what you’re doing but until you ready to do what you have to do and be inside this relationship, I’m gonna keep me a lil somethin somethin on the side (laughs). So when you’re ready, I’ll be ready but for now you do you and I’m gonna do me!

UrbanBridgez.com: (laughs) Definitely looking forward to that one, who are some of the people you worked with?
Kelly Price: I have a duet with Stokley from Mint Condition. He actually produced the song and I wanted that very strong band feel and I was gonna do it from the studio. Warren said well you have Stokley, why don’t you just ask him for the whole band? I did and he said yes so we sent him the music & he ended up producing the song and put the band on it and it’s incredible. The song is called ‘Not My Daddy,’ and it’s an incredible, incredible duet. I also worked with Warren Campbell of course who we partnered to do this. We’re friends who really love what the other has to offer. Creatively, when I decided what it was I wanted to do for the next album we were talking and this was when he was just producing for the record. And he asked me, would you consider doing it with me with My Block? And I looked at him and said I think that could work! So we made the decision to partner and I took my production company Sang It Girl Productions and teamed with My Block. So we’ve established a home where we can make the kind of music we’ve always wanted to make! Where we have the final say-so and that’s interesting because as a producer he’s subject to what the labels hire him for. As an artist I’ve had alot of creative freedom, but I was always still subjected to the suits. The suits who sit behind the desks although most of them are not music inclined what so ever (laughs). This is an incredible experience to build with someone even if we didn’t agree on something. He could meet me at a piano and we could either figure it out who’s right or whether we need to just find something that works better. I actually like that process, so it was great! I also worked with Shep Crawford who produced ‘So Tired.’ We’ve worked together several times in the past so here I am again with someone who I love very much as a friend. Who I’m compatible with in music and we’ve had the opportunity to write the kind of music that we want. And then Jack Nickson who is a dear friend who I’ve not worked with on a project before. But I have worked with before and have known for many years through Shep Crawford. So yeah I think that’s it, we have around 12 songs and the name of the album is called ‘Kelly!’

UrbanBridgez.com: When can we expect to see it on shelves?
Kelly Price: I hope we can have it in stores in the 4th quarter. I literally do not have a date, we’re waiting & of course we haven’t shot the video yet, everything is timing. I’m sticking with we have a 4th quarter release coming (laughs)!

During this time Kelly was also working on The Queen Project, with Tamia and Deborah Cox. The album was later shelved, here Kelly tells UB why?

The latest on that is it’s not happening! It was very disappointing for everybody involved, Shep Crawford had this vision after working many years with me, Deborah Cox & Tamia. We’ve actually all done concerts together, I guess one night he had this light bulb over his head when we were all in concert and he was playing for each of us as the band conductor. He made up in his mind that he wanted to do something that included the three of us. The first idea was for us to all participate on a song, then that grew into an entire project. Last year he came to each of us and asked if we would be interested in doing it. He had mentioned it to me like 5 years ago and the timing was just off because I was getting ready to tour for the gospel album. So when he came to me last year I was almost finished with the new project, but knowing that the other two ladies were willing to get on board and having some freedom, me along with my business partner. We decided to do it and to put my project on hold, which at that point it was about 85% done. So we went in and started recording for The Queen Project and we actually got all of the music done! Inside of like a two week visit, we got together in September & our schedules were so crazy it didn’t allow for us to all get back together until the top of this year. So we recorded the rest of the music and finished the album. if you break it down into days, maybe in like 9 days we completed an entire album. The music was so incredible and we were all so excited for people to hear what had came from those recording sessions.

People who love us individually wanted to hear it and you have people who believe when you take three very noted voices, not just voices but careers and put them together, that it would be a possibility that one voice would over power the others. That there wouldn’t be enough discipline to blend them together and to make it work. One of the other ladies actually brought up the song ‘True Colors’ by Cyndi Lauper & I came up with an arrangement for the song and produced it with Shep and it was incredible! The arrangement, the way we sang it, our voices together, just the way we did it, it sounds like you’re listening to a Wilson Phillips tune oppose to a track where Deborah Cox was singing with Tamia and Kelly Price. I’m hoping that one day that version of ‘True Colors’ has the opportunity to be released.

So the music was great but we lost time. Lots of that had to do with not being able to get our three business camps together. We were able to come together creatively, but looking back we jumped the gun. We got together, got with Shep, went in and recorded the music which that part was lovely. Where we kind of fell off is when it was time for camp 1, camp 2 and camp 3 to come together for a meeting of the minds. With the business folks, managers and things. So it went from a four person party to a party of maybe about 10. Because we all have a couple of people representing us individually. Unfortunately we were not able to get the project off the ground in the time we had. If we had time like that, it would of worked itself out. We would of been able to put out the record and I believe we would of broke records and swept every award category available to us. So we just didn’t have the time to get the business camps together in the time we had.

Deborah had a contract on Broadway right before we started on the project, so she knew she could devote her time to it until she had to pull back and go into rehearsals. With a signed contract, Broadway waits for no man. And with my business partner who was all down for me doing it, but when it started to take too long we had to make a hardcore decision with me being out of the market place for awhile. Even though I had a #1 gospel album on Billboard in 2006, but mainstream music doesn’t consider that as a mainstream release. They almost consider it like my Christmas album, like a novelty thing. So with that in mind, it’s been 7 years since I’ve had a release, so we had to do something. So we had to go and get my project done when we found out the Queen Project wasn’t gonna be released or delayed. So it was a hard decision when you think of all the time we all put into it, the emotions, songs that were written, the project was just incredible. Fortunately I have all of the music so if I ever just want to ride in my car and listen to some great music, that nobody else has I’m able to do that. Hopefully one day down the road, the music will see the light of day!

As far as talent goes that’s the one thing I did appreciate about being with the other women. And this is not about insulting anybody out there, I have an appreciation for everybody who is doing what they do. If it works for you, if it’s talent or a machine that you’ve convinced the rest of the world that what you do is something they can’t live without, who can hate on that! But to work with those ladies and to know they can stand flat footed, microphone or not, and open their mouth and make it silent in a room. Is incredible, I love that!

(2014 Kelly’s Faith Evans and 90s R&B Interview)

UrbanBridgez.com: Describe your friendship with the woman of the hour, Faith Evans.
Kelly Price: If we go back to when I met her, that would be late ’80s. We kind of crisscrossed each other in church as young girls. But as a professional, I got an opportunity to meet her for the first time after she released her very first album and I was a writer over at Bad Boy. From that, we’ve had a mutual respect and love for each other that grew into a really, really tight bond. I love her for real. It’s not about lights or cameras or whatever. She is the girl that I can pick up the phone and call and say. “I need to vent.” And I can come to the house and do just that. And vice versa.

UrbanBridgez.com: Tell us about the side of Faith that the public doesn’t get to see.
Kelly Price: Faith is a very private person, but I think when you see Faith, it is, what it is. She’s very loving; she’s very caring; she’s very much so the even-tempered one. She’s always going to be that. But she has a lot of wisdom. She’ll sit and she’ll listen and she’ll let you get it all out. And she’ll say, “OK, but you know, this is what this is. You know that is what that is. And you need to do this and make sure that…” So she is motherly and nurturing. When you look at her, you’re like, “Whaaat?” because she is a hottie! But she’s all of those things. And an incredible cook.

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s your favorite dish of hers?
Kelly Price: Salmon! She makes an incredible salmon.

UrbanBridgez.com: What do you love about Faith’s voice?
Kelly Price: Everything! Outside of the generation of Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Patti Labelle and that generation of singers, when I first heard Faith’s music when she dropped that first album – “You Used to Love Me,” “Won’t You Come Over,” “Soon As I Get Home” – all of those songs resonated with me because they put me in the mind of the kind of singers that I grew up listening to…The Clark Sisters, Karen Clark, in particular. When you talk about Faith, she very much reminds me of her in terms of her intonation. But she brought a marriage of the power of gospel with the sexiness of R&B, if that makes any sense. And that’s what I loved about it. I love R&B music, but she was sonically familiar to me, so I loved her.

UrbanBridgez.com: What is your favorite song from Faith?
Kelly Price: There are too many! I’m probably the closest friend that she has that’s actually a real groupie.

UrbanBridgez.com: You were a part of the glory days of R&B in the ’90s. What would you say is missing in that genre today?
Kelly Price: I feel like live instrumentation is missing, and just the ability to get up and sing. I’m not talking about somebody who can’t sing. But every voice when heard in its natural state, has some flaws to it – for some of us, it’s raspiness. But our voices are instruments. So for guitarists, they’ll pick a certain guitar if they want a more raspy, airy sound or they’ll tune the strings a certain way. And then if they’re looking for something different, they’ll go for a different kind of guitar. Voices are the same way. I feel like that with all of the technology, we’re losing the nature of music in its most authentic state. But coming up in the ’90s era of R&B music and even in the early 2000s – the early millennial releases – you still had that. I would love to be able to see that live more, not that I don’t like what’s happening now, it’s an evolution of what was there before, but I don’t feel that it’s necessary to eliminate what was for what is.

UrbanBridgez.com: What do you remember about that period – being around legends, like yourself, who were newbies at the time?
Kelly Price: I can look at it better now. I was caught up in the middle of it and I was overwhelmed and I was excited. As much of a gospel person that I am, the R&B chick and the hip-hop girl, I just now in recent years really, really look back and understand that I played a real role in that era. When I was in it, it was kind of surreal. I was in the middle of it and I couldn’t really see how big things were. They were bigger than anything I had ever been a part of. But looking back now, I was a part of some of the biggest records to ever come out of hip-hop and that’s pretty amazing. And maybe it was best that I didn’t really realize how big it was at that time because my head might have turned into a water balloon. But I look back, and I’m so grateful to have worked in that era of music and worked with a lot of the people that I worked with. It’s just an amazing body of work to look back over now. Because whether or not the newbies acknowledge it, they listen to all that stuff and they took from it.

UrbanBridgez.com: Which artists catch your ear today?
Kelly Price: As far as singers are concerned, I really, really like Bridget Kelly. I really, really like Candice Glover. I really, really like Melanie Amaro. Fantasia is not as new, but I love Tasia. She’s a few years younger than I am, but I love her. I’m a voice girl. John Legend, he’s not super new, but I love him. He’s both voice and live music. As far as hip-hop is concerned, I like Kendrick Lamar. Jay is still doing his thing. Beyonce gets a mention because she literally will go from being hip hop to pop, but when she decides to, she’ll stand flat-footed and sing, too. And I love that. She’s all of those things bundled into one package. And then she gives you Tina Turner.

UrbanBridgez.com: Then there are singers like Brandy and Monica who came out of the ’90s and are still making records. What do you think of them?
Kelly Price: Oh my God! How can I forget? Brandy and Monica, whom I’ve both worked with. And I must say, Brandy is a voice that, to me, gets enough recognition. I think people recognize her songs in a higher capacity than they recognize her. I would put her in the Top 5 Vocalists on my list. We don’t often get the chance to hear the magnitude of her vocal ability because her songs a lot of the times are sing-songy – the ones that people have caught on to and the ones that have gone to radio – but if she was just to stand flat-footed and sing, she’d take a whole lot of people out.

UrbanBridgez.com: What is your favorite Brandy song?
Kelly Price: Oh, God! *sings* It used to be that you couldn’t live without me, but now you think… “Love Wouldn’t Count Me Out.” And it wasn’t a single, but she sang the hell out of it.

UrbanBridgez.com: What are you working on next?
Kelly Price: Volume 2. Sing, Pray, Love, Vol. 1: Sing is out. It’s available. It’s in stores. It’s online. “It’s My Time,” the first single, is still riding high on the Urban/AC Billboard Charts sitting at No. 4, we’ve been there for a while. I’m so excited! But Volume 2, which is Pray, and Volume 3, which is Love – kind of working on those simultaneously. I’m reading for a lot of stuff in Hollywood right now, which is the reason why I moved out here. I’m really, really hoping to land something that ends up on television on a regular basis. That would be an amazing thing! Music, I’ll always do. I feel like I’ve been blessed to be able to do it and get it done well and even quickly, so making a record is very, very easy. I’m writing scripts and I’m shopping those. I’ve taken a lot of meetings to get my scripts sold. I’m just excited to still be here and still making music that’s being played and aired and all that good stuff.

Take A Trip Down Memory Lane With Kelly Price!