Features Hip Hop Artists Lyfe Jennings: Sooner or Later
| Lyfe Jennings: Sooner or Later |
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| Monday, 21 September 2009 01:23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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After spending several years in prison being known by the digits 268-192, it is no wonder that since the inception of his career Lyfe Jennings has consistently worked to make a name for himself. He’s worked with everyone from Fantasia, Fabolous, Jim Jones to former G-Unit artist Young Buck to name a few. While his personal life has in now way been perfect, his music has inspired a generation of people who were on the verge of giving up hope. Lyfe’s music is about truth, change and how the two help to reconcile each other. Now, working toward the release of his fourth and final album, Lyfe wanted to leave his past behind him and focus on making the best music possible. His new album Sooner or Later, takes the singer away from the soulful sermons we are accustomed to and shifts to a more carefree, lessons learned approach to life. His latest single “Haters” produced by the Trackboys, is a friendly confrontation letting all the haters know, he’s tired of the foolishness. Known as a community activist, a loving and devoted father and a musical conjure man, Lyfe Jennings may be putting down the mic, but his story does not end here. OneStopHipHop: From your first album until now, what has changed with you musically. How was making the first album different from making this last album? And why? Lyfe: Well, um it’s a whole process coming up to your first album you’re developing your style and stuff like that. I think, from now, people want to see something new and growth in your style so it doesn’t become old in sense, but you have to keep reinventing some aspect of it. OneStopHipHop: Your first album was primarily featuring yourself. I’m noticing on your new project you have several features. What was the reason for going in that direction? Lyfe: Again, the reinventing. I wanted to make it better music quality-wise. Although I’m a musician, I know people that do that for a living; specifically for that. I kind of just wanted the best. If I do a track and its best for that then that’s what I want. If somebody else does a track and it’s the best for that, then, you know. Cuz this is my last album so I want it to be the best it possibly can. OneStopHipHop: Why is this your last album? Lyfe: Well I have two boys who are at the age right now where they need me. You know, I just can’t be on the road 7 or 8 months out of the year anymore. So, you know. OneStopHipHop: In your biography, you credit your stay in prison with really motivating you to do music, but where did you get your start and your training in music? Who helped you with that? Lyfe: My first appearance was on Showtime at the Apollo. I did that and won a couple of times. That lead to different record deals. At the beginning it was just trial and error. In prison, I kind of taught myself. OneStopHipHop: A lot of your songs seems to be very critical of women. Where does that come from and what is the message you’re trying to send? Lyfe: Hold on, you say very critical of women. Wow! Why would you say that? (He laughs). Most of my fans are women, so why would you say that? OneStopHipHop: Well I didn’t mean critical in a negative way, I meant that you seem to have a message you want to deliver to women; something you want them to learn, change or discover. For example, in your catalog you have songs like “S.E.X”, “She’s Got Kids”, “Greedy” and others. So, it just seems to me that your music is geared toward women in a very critical way. Lyfe: No ma’am. When you look at songs like “S.E.X” it’s actually celebrating women. You know, its telling the women the pitfalls to look for when dealing with a dude. You know, protect your S.E.X. basically letting them know somebody else understands what you’re going through. Even if you listen to the end of the song it says “he’ll tell you everything to get in your pants” just explaining to these young girls the games guys are playing. When you look at “Greedy” its definitely talking about those kinds of women, you know. But then you look at a song like (hmm what’s a another song on there), like “Let’s stay together” its saying you made some mistakes and really it was your fault. So, you know, I’m definitely not critical of women. I love women. OneStopHipHop: Okay, well thank you for clarifying. Um, awhile back I saw you on the Judge Hatchett Show and you were mentoring a troubled young man. Ia lso know that your very involved in HIV/AIDS prevention through the RapItUp campaign. What other community projects are you involved in and what inspires you to get involved with them? Lyfe: I’m definitely involved in AIDS prevention and other organizations involving youth, definitely going to prisons. Really, anything I’m called on to get involved with. Cuz I’m like the street level guy. It’s difficult to get a cat that really industry but to get a cat in there that’s actually still on that level to communicate with these kids on their level. I feel like I’m an important figure and I feel like I got something to tell them. So that’s why I do it. OneStopHipHop: Are you ever concerned that your reputation or your honesty about your reputation would hinder your involvement in any of those projects you just mentioned or even your career? Lyfe: Nah. I don’t think that. I think that people can appreciate realness so to speak. Plus, I don’t know how to do it any other way. OneStopHipHop: Okay, so we know this will be your last album. After your kids grow up, do you plan on returning to music at any point? Lyfe: I love music. I’m not never saying never. Just for the moment, you know. I’m still planning on writing for certain artists. My label is up and running and we have some artists we’re working with. I know you’ll be hearing my artists and hearing songs I sang and wrote hooks on. You just won’t be getting an actual album from me. OneStopHipHop: Those are all my questions. Anything else you’d like people to know? Lyfe: I just want to add that even though this is my last album we still have one more round coming up. It’ll be released later on this year. I want to say thank you for all the support I’ve bee given throughout my career. I mean because it could’ve been different. It could’ve been really different actually. The fans really support and allow us to take care of our families so thank you. Thank you. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites                  
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