Newsflash! For some of you newcomers, Syleena Johnson is more than a face on reality TV. She’s a Grammy award nominated songstress and R&B superstar with years in the game. Her powerful vocals and her heartfelt written songs on her “Chapters” albums have gotten many ladies through some trying times and has won her acclaim throughout the music industry.
Recently, she has taken her talents to the small screen. She’s joined the case of the hit TV show “R&B Divas.” Her time on the show has put her directly into the faces of potential new fans, while re-introducing her to her original fan base. If you thought that she was going to retire to TV and leave R&B to the new jacks, done then your wrong. Syleena has two new projects coming soon one domestic and one on the international scene. It’s safe to say that there’s a lot more life in those vocal cords.
This past weekend, Syleena was a special guest at the 1 year Anniversary party for the Gocha salon in Atlanta. Hip Hop Enquirer had the chance to speak with Syleena about her reality show, her new music and how she likes social networking.
Hip Hop Enquirer: What has out and about in Atlanta today?
Syleena Johnson: I’m here for Gocha’s 1-year anniversary. I came out here to support the cause. It’s a beautiful salon and I’m really excited for her that she’s lasted one year.
Hip Hop Enquirer: How do you like the salon?
Syleena Johnson: She did do my hair yesterday. It was nice and quiet. Very clean facility, very, very good at what she does.
Hip Hop Enquirer: Congratulations on the success of “R&B Diva’s.” What’s it like being on TV?
Syleena Johnson: Well, I’ve been on TV since I was 21. So it’s the same as when it was then. I guess its weird to see your self on television. It’s like stepping outside of your self.
Hip Hop Enquirer: Did you see yourself doing reality TV before the show?
Syleena Johnson: Back then there was no reality TV. It’s like another form of branding and marketing for entertainers. I think it’s a great way to get our music out there more. Music is changing so you have to find different avenues to get your music out there.
Hip Hop Enquirer: Would you see yourself doing your own reality show?
Syleena Johnson: Absolutely. I’m open to all things. Right now, R&B Divas is the thing that I want to do, it’s the place that I want to be. I’m really excited about it being a hit television show and I really like all of my cast members.
Hip Hop Enquirer: What are you working on musically now?
Syleena Johnson: I’m working on “Chapter 6.” This will be my seventh studio album, and the 6th in the chapter. I just finished a record called “Re-birth of Soul,” that will be released next year overseas. And “Acoustic Soul Sessions” is out now. And I’m working on my own group, a 3-person group called Lakeshore, which consists of 2 guys and 1 girl.
Hip Hop Enquirer: So you’re stepping behind the scenes some now too?
Syleena Johnson: Yes. I’m their mentor. I’m their creative director. I put them together. I founded them. I’m going to help executive produce their project. They sing background for me, and they’re so amazing background wise. I figured why not try to capitalize on that now and take this further. And they’re already on the road with me, so it would be a no-brainer to showcase you within my shows.
Hip Hop Enquirer: What’s your opinion of the state of r&b right now?
Syleena Johnson: I don’t think anything is wrong with it, I don’t think that it’s dead or anything like that. I just think that there is an un-balance in music right now. There is more hip-hop, more pop music than there is R&B. I just feel like we need to bring back the balance. We need to balance out the music.
Hip Hop Enquirer: Social networks weren’t around when you came into the game, but now they’re almost necessary for any artist. How do you feel about social networks and the Internet being so important nowadays?
Syleena Johnson: Twitter and Facebook are really unique. It’s hard for me to keep up, so I do have administrators. The one thing that I do stay on are my twitter account and my official Facebook account. Back then, I was still on the computer because I was still in college. My first time being introduced to computers was my freshman year in college. I’ve been computer literate since then. The way it’s evolved has been amazing. I’m so excited for what it does for musicians. It allows us to brand ourselves and get our selves out to the masses. When Napster came along, it took away a very important part of industry, which is record buying. We used to be excited about buying records. The Napster era took that away, so having everybody started to bootleg and stuff like that. Having social networks is a plus. Another site is Sound exchange. Which is a company that pays you on the dime for the spins that goes on the Internet. I’m just really proud how its evolved and grown for the better.
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