Interview With Yo Majesty's Shunda K

AE: What did you mean when you said you felt "less pressure"?
SK: Well, keeping it real, there's some tension between the Majesties. So, sometimes I have to cut myself short because of just trying to keep the peace. I'm dealing with a situation where — I don't know how deep I should get because your ass is probably going to write up everything I tell you. [laughs] Just know that there's tension. And all the team is trying to do what they can to save Yo Majesty as we all know it. And I hope that happens.

What I am looking for is Domino renegotiating this contract that Yo Majesty signed and releasing me as solo artist to do what the hell I want to do. And then, not only that, but giving me an imprint so that I can release albums next year. I'm more than just an artist. I'm more than just a black chick from the 'hood. I have an education. The most important thing is I'm on a mission and I have a heart. And what I'm trying to do is the best for the whole wide land.

AE: So, if you had your way, would you see yourself in the near future just doing solo work, or would you like it to be some solo work, working with new artists, and also working with Yo Majesty?
SK: Yeah, I'm going to be doing all of that, everything you just mentioned. I'm already doing it. I'm already working with my own artists, getting their albums recorded, featuring on their albums, and doing all kinds of collaborations all over the world. … When I'm home, I'm working. When I'm on the road, I'm working. All around the clock, never stop.

I'm doing it all. I've got a production company and a management company. The way my attorney explained it to me, a production company is the same as a record company, just without the distribution. So I'm just seeking physical distribution, because I can release the albums worldwide digitally. I just need physical distribution and a booking agent and I will be unstoppable. For real, for real. [laughs]

But I feel good. I just had to get proactive on their ass. I did this song with Rosetta Stoned called "Stand" and I say: "I had to get proactive on their ass. Now they're glad to do anything I ask. Me letting the motherf---ers try me is in the past. And last not least, I wanna encourage everybody in the streets to stand. Rosetta Stoned, Shunda K got you, man."

Straight up. Don't let the bully beat you up no more. Take a stand for what you know is right, what you deserve. I'm gonna get everything I deserve and I'm having to take it by force. I'm just taking what's rightfully mine.

AE: Do you do most of the songwriting or do you guys collaborate?
SK: We go back and forth. We have a song called "Blame It on the Change" and we both wrote the hook for that. And Jwl wrote the hook on "Kryptonite" and "Monkey." I'm not trying to say she's not serious, but I concentrate on more serious stuff, like "Never Be Afraid" and "Break Bread."

AE: Are you pretty political?
SK: Oh, hell yeah. But all the way around; I can party too. But everyone can do that. That's what Yo Majesty do. … But I want to use my solo career as a platform to speak out on behalf of people.

And then I have another artist name that I go by, DAT GIRL. It's an acronym for "divinely attributed to God in real life." With that, it's just me and God, whatever He put in my spirit to say.

Right now I'm engaged, and I just revamped a song that I did a few years ago that's called "First Encounter." So, this is the first time that Dat Girl is gonna get off on love stuff. It's dealing with love and my relationship, and even talking about the problems, but just in a different way. I guess, in a way of what would Jesus do?

AE: Do you feel any kind of conflict between being gay and being religious?
SK: I'm not religious. No, I don't feel a conflict with being gay and loving the Lord. What fueled that is I was doing a celibacy thing, and I prayed and asked God to bless me with my wife. And I was so nervous and couldn't believe I was talking to God. … And I had some different requests as far as what I wanted this woman to possess, and by January she was in my life and we've been together ever since. God answered my prayer. …

I don't have time to worry about what I've been taught — all the scary stuff, that you're gonna burn and all that. I don't want to burn! That's why I got married [to a man, from 2003 to 2005], 'cause I didn't want to go to hell. And that didn't even work. I tried to do what I was supposed to do according to tradition and religion, and it still didn't work. So don't stress me out about that s---! [laughs]

For more on Shunda K, visit her MySpace page or Yo Majesty's MySpace page.