 Down-South:
How you doing?
Trina: I'm fine. And yourself?
Down-South: I'm doing alright. I'm
having a hard time in Atlanta.
Trina: I know how that is.
Down-South: Ok. Tell me about the new
album and when does it hit stores?
Trina: The new album Diamond Princess
will be in stores Aug. 27. It's a very exciting album
for me actually. I put a lot of hard work into it. Four
months in the studio. I could've been done quicker but I
was on the road so much so I had to record when I could.
It's different from the first album. I had all the
creative control to work on this project which I didn't
have on the first one. Because I was a new artist
everything was practically done for me. It was like go
into the studio, here's the beat, here's the title of
the record and we want you to write to whatever we
decide the name should be.
Down-South: Right.
Trina: So I was like ok because as a
new artist you go along with anything cause you're
trying to be a superstar and whatever. But this time
around I made my name, and I worked very hard so when I
went in I was like I'm not gonna worry about the
sophomore jinx. I'm not gonna worry about this or that
I'm gonna go in and just make good music the best I can.
From the collaboration to the production to whatever I
wanted to talk about to the title of the songs it was
all about me. It's all about me saying whatever I want
to say. It's so different than before when it was just
like "This is what we want you to say."
Down-South: Do you feel good about the
new album?
Trina: I love the new album. It's so
much more of a relief than the first album for me. I'm
very very excited about it.
Down-South: Who are some of the
producers on the album?
Trina: I have Kane and Able, Just
Blaze, Signature, Neptunes, Cool and Dre. The first
single is "No Panties" which features Tweet and was
produced by Missy Elliot. Also Nissan.
Down-South: Did you all shoot a video
yet?
Trina: Yeah, actually we shot the video
in LA a week after the BET Awards and it just got added
to MTV and BET so I'm excited about it. It's very fun.
Down-South: Is there anymore featured
artist on the album. I know you mentioned Tweet and
Missy.
Trina: I have Tweet. I have Missy
Elliot. I have Eve on there. Ludacris. Jagged Edge.
Fabolus, Bathgate, Cash Money. Baby and TQ are on there.
It's a very good album.
Down-South: Between the two albums
you've been doing a lot of touring. How do you keep
yourself out on the road like that, when the down time
would've killed a lot of other artists?
 Trina:
You know I stay working and that's the fulfillment for
me. I'm not a studio person and I actually hate the
studio. But once it's done that's the excitement for me.
I like to go on stage. I like to perform. I like to give
back to the people who're buying my music so they can
get a chance to see and feel who I am. On a CD you can't
tell that. You don't know the artist. You've never seen
them before. You only see what a picture looks like. You
don't know if they're gonna say thank you after the show
or that they love you after the performance or whatever
the case may be. That's like the most exciting part for
me.
Down-South: Right.
Trina: Every time I turned around it
was always another show another this. I was always doing
so much. That was so good for me because I didn't have
any music out. I was featured on a lot of different
other artist music such as Eve, Missy and Ludacris and a
lot of other people. But just me being able to keep
working kept me focused and determined to complete my
sophomore album. It kept me creative and thinking of
different ideas and different things like how to put my
project together.
Down-South: Do you feel you've grown as
an artist?
Trina: Most definitely. I've matured a
lot and I've grown. I've become wiser. I've become a
artist/businesswoman. It made me have a different view
on a lot of things. As far as doing my own record label
and my own clothing line. Getting into acting - doing
all those things. I also have a foundation for kids that
have menagitis.
Down-South: What's the name of the
foundation?
Trina: It's the Ronnie Harris
foundation and it's for kids that have the condition. I
know there are adults with it but the reason it's for
kids is because I'm close friends with someone who's kid
got it. It's so sad. He's 9 years old. It's something
where the bones are attacked. He lost all his finger
tips and both of his legs. So I did the foundation for
him and any other kid that has menagitis. It's myself
along with some athletes out of Miami like Alonzo
Mourning and Tim Hardaway. They sponsor and help give to
the kids and go out and talk to them. So to be in the
industry and see more than just what goes on with the
music that's a blessing.
Down-South: How are you received in
your home town of Miami?
Trina: I think it's good. I have a lot
of support from Miami. I sell a lot of records just in
Miami and the Florida base alone. When I do performances
people are very excited about seeing me come out.
They're just overwhelmed. You still have some places or
people that still may not approve of you or may not like
you but if you don't like me or you don't like my music
then don't buy it. It's not gonna stop anything and it's
not gonna stop the people who support it and like it. I
think I get a good reception in my hometown.
Down-South:
When you're touring on the road how do you maintain mentally, physically, and spiritually?
Trina: Being a female on the road it's really hard. I think it's harder
than for a guy because females tend to go through so much emotion. As for myself I'm not a
mannequin or a robot and people don't understand that. Like if they see me not smiling
they're like wow she's frowning up. But I'm human, you know, if I get upset I'll be mad. I
can cry. I can go through so many different emotions because you can't hold the weight of
trying to run your whole career by yourself. Physically, I have some of my friends on the
road with me and we go to the gym. We do different things like sit in the room, talk and
have open-minded discussions. It could be something emotional, sarcastic, whatever. We be
real open about it. I may ask my friend to tell me five things you don't like about me and
tell me five things you do like about me. That helps me become a better person because if
I'm thinking I'm one way and someone else says "no I see you like this or like
that" I may want to improve on that. Mentally I try to keep myself focused and keep
myself stable and know where I want to be at in life for the longevity of my career
whether its music or whatever I'm doing. I want to know that I'm stable. I don't want to
be hot today and end up broke five years from now. I want to make sure I'm keeping my
grounds covered. I keep positive people around me so all the negative stuff that's trying
to invade my circle they are there to help keep it out. That's good for me. Plus I talk a
lot to my friends. I open up and tell them the things I do wrong, things that I don't like
about myself, things that I do that other people may not like. Spiritually I just stay
praying. I'm hardly ever at home so Sunday you'll never catch me in church. The time I'm
probably at home on a Sunday I'm with my family. My mom, my sister, and my brother- my
whole family. To me I feel like the closest thing spiritually to me and my belief in GOD
is myself. I can't go by what a preacher says or what nobody else says or what somebody
should tell me. I know when I close my eyes day and night or periodically through the day
and I'm praying to GOD that's me talking to him directly. Whatever I'm doing wrong I'm
asking him to forgive me. I'm asking him to kick me back over from that crooked line and
make me go straight. I'm asking GOD to do all these things because he's the person I
believe in. At the end of the day he's the person I gotta answer to. That's how I keep
myself grounded and I pray every day when I get, before a show, after a show. I try to
stay focused because it's so easy to get side tracked with all the temptations and the bad
vibes and the negativity. The rumors and the whole 9 yards. I just try to stay focused and
stay up.
Down-South:
Where are some of your favorite cities to shop?
Trina: Shopping? My favorite cities are Miami, LA, Atlanta, and New York.
Those are the biggest cities to shop in, except like Japan and Paris cause they have
designer stuff that I buy all the time and they have such a variety. Like it's so much.
But if I'm in the States I love New York shopping. I love to go to LA and shop. And I love
to shop in Atlanta. Those are the best shopping cities.
Down-South: Are you well received over seas?
Trina: Yeah, you know that's funny cause before I even went overseas like
some of my celebrity friends like Eve will call me and be like "Yo I performed
tonight and I did the record with me and you on it and everybody was going crazy and
people were like why didn't you bring that Trina girl". And that was before I got
over there. So you know it's funny when you hear them talking and they know the songs but
they don't know the same language as you. And when I go anywhere, whether it's Bahamas,
Jamaica, Japan or anywhere over seas people just love me. They treat you so good cause
they're not use to seeing that. It's definitely good, you just have to give them a long
show cause they don't like to see you get on stage for 30 minutes. They want to see an
entertaining show. You gotta be on stage for an hour and a half or something to really get
them crunked and popping. It's like party city. In Amsterdam everybody's partying all
night. I think they loving me and my music has yet to cross over bigger to do more stuff
over there.
Down-South: How is the clothing line coming along?
Trina: The clothing line is coming along great. It's suppose to launch
next fall. I have some stylist I'm working with based out of New York and I have some
people trying to endorse me on it. I have a lot of say so on the clothing that we're
picking. The gear is looking sexy and some is like regular. It's like something you can
wear to movies to something you may wear to a night club. I'm trying to keep it simple but
sexy and nice. Plus glamorous at the same time. The whole geared up Trina kinda thing.
It's really hot. I can't wait to start rocking it to the Magic Show in Las Vegas and show
it off. I'm really looking forward to it.
Down-South: When can we expect something from the label? You're first
artist is Lil Bree?
Trina: Lil Bri. Lil Brianna. She just actually went on Rap City with me
which airs August 2nd. I don't even want to see it cause I got in the booth and was like
froze up. I forgot what I was gonna say. She got in the booth and just killed it. They
shouldn't even air me and Tigga cause after her it's like a wrap. So I was really happy to
bring her on there. I have an R&B singer I'm working with and a couple of other people
I'm looking at that I'm interested in signing. I'm really excited about that. It's a lot
of work try ing to be a business woman trying to hold down a whole label. You
know I'm just excited and Lil Brianna is so dope. She's 10 years old and she's very
positive and she has a good vibe and she's very fun. It's a pleasure working with her.
Down-South: Are you single?
Trina: Yes. I'm happy you know. I date but I have to be single to be able
to stay focused.
Down-South: So my next question is what qualities do you find appealing
in a man and what does it take to get Trina down the aisle?
Trina: Well qualities I find appealing in a man is somebody who's smart,
respectable, dependable. Have goals, charming, know what they want out of life. I need
somebody that's gonna meet up to my standard. Somebody that's gonna be business minded. I
don't need somebody that's gonna leech or lean on Trina for a name or whatever. Or you'll
talk to me because she's Trina and now you a big person. I need somebody that wanna lay
back and do their own thing and have their own life. Don't wanna do the same thing I'm
doing basically and just be able to live comfortably and happy and know I got somebody
that got my back. Spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, the whole nine yards. As
far as the down the aisle and marriage thing, I consider myself getting married one day. I
consider myself having a kid. I wanna have two kids actually. Maybe adopt one. But those
are the things that will come later in my life when I'm very very stable and set. When I
don't have to worry about being on the road so much. When my career is at a point that
I've achieved a lot. I like regular guys. I like guys that treat their moms with respect.
I like to look at you and like you and I like to be the one that turn you on.
Down-South: You're usally portrayed as a sex symbol. We see you in
bikinis. Everyone wants you to show some skin. Do you ever consider flipping the script
and doing a cover in a business suit?
Trina: Well actually I just did a photo shoot for Black Men Magazine
which caters to men. It's like a sex magazine or whatever. But the whole object of it its
to be sexy but I have on clothes. Like more clothes than you'll probably imagine because
it's a sex magazine or whatever. As for myself I like to wear clothes. On my album cover I
have on a mink bathing suit and I had the cover of the Source with the swimsuit because it
was a swimsuit issue and the issue was all about body, and skin and sex - the whole nine
yards. That doesn't fascinate me. There's so much more to my life than my body. I've been
living with my body for like twenty something years. I'm use to it. It's other people that
have to come grips with it. Body doesn't make me beautiful. Beautiful comes from the
inside of me. That's what make me beautiful not the outside. So I have a lot of stuff that
I've done where I was trying to tell photographers like don't focus on my body. I don't
want the topic to be about my body or my butt. I want you to talk about the talents that I
have. My creativity. The whole business woman side of me. The whole intell ectual
side of me. I'm like let the body thing go. Everybody's stuck on wow I can't believe her
body's like this. I want them to get away from that. It's like Halle Berry in the movies
everybody stuck on her being beautiful and you kinda take away from her being a good
actress
Down-South: If I was doing a magazine cover I would try to come totally
different like " Let's put her in a NUN outfit". Something totally different.
Trina: Something to shock the whole world
Down-South: Right. Like people should get away from it sometimes. Like a
sweat suit.
Trina: People don't understand. People don't think like that. But I have
to tell them like look. I tell the stylist, I tell the magazine look I'm not wearing a
lingerie. I did a swimsuit issue for the Source and that's the only swimsuit issue I'm
gonna do. I'm not a swimsuit model. I'm not a Victoria Secret model. I don't model
lingerie or panties or anything like that. If you see me in a club or when I perform if
I'm not wearing shorts I'm wearing long pants. I'm not wearing a bathing suit, I'm not
wearing anything where you could see my body. Maybe my stomach or my legs or shoulder. I
don't have to wear a bathing suit to get attention. That's not the focus for me. I know
magazines are thinking of what's going to sell their magazines but for myself I have to
let them know that I can be sexy but I'm not gonna do swimsuits cause I did a swimsuit for
the Source. It's too much. They go at the whole thing all wrong.
Down-South: Ok. Again the album comes out Aug 27?
Trina: Aug 27
Down-South: Is that on a Tuesday.
Trina: Yes it is.
Down-South: First video and single is No Panties?
Trina: Featuring Tweet.
Down-South: Do you have a website?
Trina: Yes it's www.dabaddestchick.com
Down-South: As always it's a pleasure talking to you.
Trina: Thank you. |
