“We act surprised and shit/ when our kids are f--king at 10/ when they grew up on 50 Cent and those Pussycat chicks/ the Flavor Flav I grew up wit’/ wouldn’t do no shit like this.” – Chela Simone on “Samantha Jones”

Chela Simone and Rage at MOI JR’s 30th Birthday Bash at the Cellspace April 5. Rage, recently arrived from New York City, is deputy minister of culture for the Prisoners of Conscience Committee and the Bay View’s new webmaster.

Beyond our conversation, which is printed here, I ask everybody to tune into Myspace and sample a little bit of Chela’s music. I’m bumpin’ “Samantha Jones” as I write this. Check out Miss Chela Simone in her own words ...

MOI JR: How long have you been singing?

Chela: I started singing when I was a kid, maybe 5 or 6. Younger than that really; all my life I remember singing or banging on something to make music. My professional career began when I was 13. I studied opera and classical music composition and arrangement at the Young Musicians Program at UC Berkeley. I went there with artists like Ledisi and Kevin Choice.

I started rapping in ’92. At that time you had to either rap or sing. There was no Lauryn Hill. So I chose hip-hop as that method of expression. It was born from a beat and some poetry I wrote. When I got a little older, I figured out how to combine the two, and now I have a formula that works.

I bounced around the U.S. and the Caribbean making music, then came back to the Bay and joined a 15-piece world music band and toured as lead female vocalist with them for four years. We went all over. It was a blessing; taught me how to hold the attention of 20,000 people for an hour and 45 minutes, which is not easy, especially when you are dancing and singing the whole time.

MOI JR: And when did you discover that you wanted to be a musician?

Chela: I remember getting a whooping for sitting with my ear pressed to the speaker. I may have been 4 years old at the time. But I didn’t know how all those sounds came from one place and why they were layered like that. That sparked my audio engineering/ beatmaking bug. I have been Protools Certified since 2000.

But I always knew. I have always done this. It’s always been a part of me, and I walk to the store singing. I freestyle in the shower. I was always around music. If I could recall the one defining moment, it would be last year when I was ready to quit for the millionth time. I said, “This is my last show. I am tired of doing this. And I am ready to retire?”

I got on stage for a crowd of 50 people and rocked the spot like it was my last kiss. I could feel something I never felt before. Freedom! It wasn’t something I had to do; I was doing what I loved. I was open, I did songs I forgot and just stayed on stage for an hour, instead of my 30-minute set. I had all 50 of the folks dancing, and I know somebody was getting pregnant that night. I woke up the next morning and had bookings for five more – well paid – gigs. So I guess the Creator isn’t done with my voice yet.

MOI JR: Looking at vocalists today, what is missing?

Chela: Originality, thought, substance and a backbone. And I hate to say it, but in most cases they are missing talent. They look good – and sound terrible. Nowadays all you need is a mic, a beat and a YouTube video to be a vocalist. And for the most part, even if they are decent, then they have no content. No one feels anything any more, like a bunch of robots. The live shows lack focus; it’s just costume and ass shaking and a hell of a lot of vocal filters.

The videos are all the same: club shot, car shot, ass shot, jewelry shot, rap rap rap and repeat. Rappers don’t talk about anything except this club and what they are driving, what they drink or smoke and how fine the chick that they don’t love is and the ruler of them all: money.

I wish I could hear more of the story, because there is more. All men are not thugs; all women don’t just want your money, nor are we all strip club chicks that just want to “work it for a dub.” I know I don’t. I personally don’t need you to make it rain. It’s ridiculous to think that is the only thing happening in the “urban” community.

I live here! We actually do other things besides get high and kill each other. Emceeing was an art, not just making words rhyme. The days of witty wordplay are over. Just make it rhyme with rims and club and you got a hit. Talk about a woman’s butt or having sex in a club in the bathroom: certified platinum.

I blame the artists who “just want to get paid.” How can you let money define something that was free? I also blame big business A&R – with no vision – and the marketing departments full of white boys with MBAs who “have black friends” that are trying to market my culture to me and everyone else, which in turn creates this false image that makes people clutch their purses when I walk by.

MOI JR: Are there any modern-day Chaka Khans and Arethas today?

Chela: I have two answers for that: yes and no. Yes, they are out there, but the record labels don’t sign them, because they are not conducive with the garbage formula they are trying to sell you. They will say that they can’t market you. They will change your name and your sound and repackage you as MYA, Rihanna, Beyonce, J. Lo, Alicia.

I feel like Jill, Eyrkah, Ledisi and Joi, Esthero and countless others have made their mark. E. Badu’s new album bent some rules, which is great, ‘cause now someone else can come along and it wont be something crazy for them to do a concept album. Some people hate on it, but I say good – chip away at some of the barriers. And at least she didn’t go to the “Write me a hit factory,” which would have been the easy thing to do.

Everything sounds the same now. It’s nice to put on something that has a defined sound. And no, because it’s a very different time, people don’t really have the same perceived pressures as they did back then. I think certain music is born of struggle, and a lot of the new generation music is about pretending to have excess, balling, popping bottles of champagne, driving cars you can’t afford. About hiding behind some fake strength or fake chain or your boys and their guns.

It’s crazy. Back when those women were at their best; they had something to fight for and a whole community of people behind them wanting the same thing. Even when singing about love, they were speaking about the struggles of people and women in our music. Now it’s more product placement than anything else. Even rappers that don’t agree with the standard have to do one “commercial” song.

Chaka Khan and Aretha are not dead – but they ain’t selling records either. If 50 Cent got on the track and lied about selling crack, it might. And therein lies the drama.

MOI JR: How do you look at today’s music in comparison to vocalists like Marvin, Chaka, Gil, Billie and Roberta Flack?

Chela: I don’t. They were people of a movement; there is a common thread with the forementioned, color and oppression. Now these young folks feel like ‘cause they have so-called equal rights, you know, ‘cause we can drink out of the fountains and enter in the “white only” clubs, that we don’t have work to do in our community.

Just to be clear, I am of a mixed race background, but to deny that we in America still have a long way to get before we are healed in the race department is foolish. It’s abundantly clear when we look at recent events in our country and the current statement being made with mainstream hip-hop.

MOI JR: Can you tell us what you have been up to?

Chela: I been busy! Whoa, I was on Azeem’s record “Show Business” – on the song “FUW” – released in 2004. I was touring with Colossus (OM Records) in ‘06-‘07. I released “The Ineffable – Leak” in May ‘07, which was just a whole bunch of unmixed songs that would never be released, and did some touring on that.

I am currently working on my new recording project: There are 14 songs. “It’s Just a Ride” will be out sometime this summer. I am touring with DJ Bella of Vishvamusic and Riddims Couture. You can check myspace/chelasimone for dates. I have recorded some new stuff with Azeem (Om Records) for his forthcoming album in ‘09. We are toying with the idea of doing a full album together, which is just a matter of us both having time to do it.

I was on Azeem and DJ Child’s “Rise Up” mixtape for Project Groundation Massive and on the Rise Up (OM) release. I engineered some sessions, we recorded some of it in my studio, and I did backups on a song or two. I am getting ready to go on a short tour with the “Ladies on Wax” (Shania D and DJ Bella). We will be in Los Angeles in May, Vancouver in July, overseas late August for Hip Hop Kemp, in Berlin and in Amsterdam and surrounding areas through September.

Chela performed at the 30th Birthday Bash for Minister of Information JR at Cellspace on April 5.

MOI JR: What kinds of projects are available from you?

Chela: If you go to www. myspace. com/chelasimone, you can download a full version of “Ineffable” for free. And a few songs from my forthcoming album called “It’s Just a Ride.”

MOI JR: Who are some of your musical inspirations?

Chela: Bjork, Esthero, Sade, Jill Scott, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson, Chaka, Rufus, EPMD, Pharaoh Monch, Common, Mos Def, Azeem, Aretha, Patti Labelle, Ruth Brown, Sam Cooke, Donnie Hathaway, Sara Vaughan, Sade, MC Lyte …
MOI JR: I don’t want to put you in the category as just an R&B singer. How do you define your music?

Chela: I am not just an R&B singer. I am an emcee and a poet that can sing her ass off. I make beats and can engineer my own sessions, and I can cook – a Jill of all trades: Hip Hop, Lounge, Glam, Punk, Love, Music.

MOI JR: What’s next for you?

Chela: World domination!

MOI JR: How do the people keep in touch wit’ you? Website? Myspace?

Chela: For now, www. myspace.com/chelasimone.

Email POCC Minister of Information JR at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and visit www.blockreportradio.com, hiphopwarreport.com and myspace.com/blockreportfilm.

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