Let’s talk about new music! I hear you have an album and mixtape in the works.
I’m actually starting to delve into the writing and really trust my writing… I’m going to put some stuff out …I’m not messing with my album project because I’m very protective over that material because it’s really my testimony. I don’t want to just willy-nilly put anything out from that project because I really know that it’s from the heart. I want to make sure that it is set up properly, so people can get the best of it for it to make sense…so it can sell and people can hear it.
So, I’m doing a mixtape…doing a few covers and some originals. It’s just new music. It’s still Monifah. For me, in my mind, the material is separated because the album that I started doing is part of my journey. It’s been with me since the rebirth of my spirit, my mind and my body.
KD: Can you reveal any collaborations for your mixtape or album?
There’s a lot of people that I have a wish list of producers. The people that I am working with aren’t known to anyone and I actually love that because there’s an organic-ness to it. They’re incredibly talented. It’s a few of them: Anthony Giles, he’s a young gentleman I met about almost three years [ago]. He’s an incredibly talented producer and writer who I actually met through Jack Knight. He’s been the main person I’ve been working with for my album…there’s a few people I worked with before Chef Crawford will probably be working on the album project with me..
On the mixtape, it is a gentleman out of Atlanta – his name is Exile. He’s an incredible producer…My home girl Shonica, great writer. We’re working together on the mixtape stuff. I’m just doing what feels good…I’m not thinking about it too hard…
KD: I can dig it. So I want to track back for a moment. You mentioned that you are writing more. What’s your process of writing a song?
I don’t really have a process (laughs). But I do write – I am an incredible writer. I can assert myself very well with words. I love words. I’m an avid reader – always have been since I was a kid. I like to read and I love to write. So sometimes I’ll write my thoughts out…if I’m feeling something — a feeling, emotion or a description of one of those things, I’ll just jot it down and go back to it when I get some new music. I have a few books around the house that are just hanging around. I’ll go back if the track evokes some kind of subject or feeling, I kind of [look] through my books to see what kind of fits and maybe I can start it off or got a hook. Sometimes I can just sit down and the track will just hit something …I’ll just start writing that story, either creating it or pulling it from my own experience.
KD: Speaking of songs, I heard you have a song called “Sweat” coming out. Is that true?
Well that’s out. I haven’t put it on iTunes or anything. It was produced by Anthony Giles…I mean who knows, I might put that on iTunes so I can have something out there for Monifah fans…It’s fun. It’s sexy. It’s reminds me of where “Touch It” left off but less campy. It’s definitely a dance track.
