Metal Lungies

We mentioned her before, but we got the opportunity to talk to her and find out who Emily King is. Growing up with parents who were both jazz singers definitely molded her to become a musican. One of her first major experiences was writing for Nas, where she penned Reason off Street Disciple. Now the time comes for her to do her own thing with her debut album. Her great sound and voice combined with the backings of industry veterans who have helped modern legends like Lauryn Hill, Nas, Biggie, amongst others in her corner all signs point to major success. Be sure to check the bonus at the end.

ML: Hi, Emily.

EK: Hey, what’s up ML?

ML: Hey, how are you.

EK: I’m doing great, how are you doing?

ML: Pretty good. Having a busy day doing all these interviews?

EK: Good. Oh, you have a lot lined up?

ML: No, I’m saying are you having a busy day. You’re my only one today.

EK: *Laughs* Oh, I thought hey, you’re a busy guy. Yeah, It’s cool, I’m here with OP, he’s always good company.

ML: He’s keeping you sane.

EK: Exactly, that’s the word. *Laughs*

ML: I wanted to ask you – I was looking up stuff about you, and I saw that there was a version of Walk In My Shoes with a Biggie verse on it. Have you heard that?

EK: Yeah, I did.

ML: Do you think that type, I don’t know if you want to call it a remix, but it kind of shows what your sound is like, if you can put a Biggie verse and it still sounds hot.

EK: I think that’s definitely like a cool thing about it. You know, I grew up listening to Biggie and my producer, Chucky Thompson, he worked with Biggie, and produced a lot of his hits. That was actually Chucky’s doing; he had some scraps of Biggie talking and rhyming and he hooked it up with Walk In My Shoes, and I was like, wow, that’s incredible, and it kind of became like an underground thing.

ML: Any chance of that seeing any sort of release on anything?

EK: We’re still working it out, but I would be happy, I would definitely be honored to have that.

ML: And it probably could reach a whole different audience with that alone.

EK: It kind of tears all the rules down.

ML: The other thing I wanted to ask you, I was reading both your parents were musicians. Could you tell me what artists you picked up from them, while growing up? What music were they listening to where you were like ‘Oh, I like that too, I’m going to listen to that’?

EK: They listened to a lot of vocalists. Eddie Jefferson, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross was a vocal group that was incredible – I always try to shout them out – just a lot of songs. Duke Ellington, all those jazz standards. Ella Fitzgerald, classic styles of singing. Really, it’s like a vocal exercise when you sing those songs.

ML: Louis Armstrong type stuff?

EK: Yeah, all that old stuff.

ML: Kind of jumping ahead, I saw on the sampler that you have Ain’t No Sunshine and that’s a Bill Withers original. Were they listening to Bill Withers?

EK: Yeah, they mixed it up for sure, but most of the time they were working on their repertoire so we listened to all that older stuff. As I got into junior high school I started listening to Al Green and Bill Withers, all that stuff is really in the same family. It kind of came naturally. But I just love that tune Ain’t No Sunshine; it’s one of my favorites.

ML: What was the reason you decided to cover that song? You cover it, but you then put your own touch on it, changing a few lyrics around. And before you answer that, I just want to say, the strings! who produced that track, because the strings on that track are incredible!

EK: Oh, that’s all Chucky Thompson.

ML: All Chucky Thompson, all right.

EK: Thank you, though.

ML: I was like, wow…

EK: The idea of a cover came up, we talked about a lot of different things, I did some Beatles’ stuff; all different types of stuff. Ain’t No Sunshine was one of the first ones that we recorded and toward the end of the process it came up again. Everyone was feeling it, it was just kind of like a natural progression. And then those strings came, and then more production came and I was feeling it even more, and I was like, let’s do that, let’s keep it in.

ML: So it kind of grew from a little thing to a big production.

EK: Exactly. It grew, it definitely grew on me.

ML: It grew on me too.

EK: Cool.*Laughs*

ML: Have you heard the DMX song that samples that track?

EK: No, I haven’t.

ML: He had the song on the Exit Wounds soundtrack that sampled the same exact song. I’m kind of ashamed to say that’s the first time I’d heard this song, because of the DMX.

EK: Yeah, that happens a lot of the time with me; I’ll be like, oh, that came from that?

ML: That happens to me all the time too. Also, I wanted to know what is your plan with you and your record label to get your name out there? How do you want people to find out about Emily King?

EK: Right now, I’m really focused on the shows and on live performance. I think that’s always a great way to do it, it’s really like *the* way to do it. Just going back in the day, they didn’t have MTV, videos, internet, all that stuff; you get to know the artist through their performance. Getting ready to go on tour soon I’m very excited about that.

ML: Can you talk about that? Where are you going to be?

EK: I would talk about that but I don’t have all the details, we’re in the works right now. Definitely be on the lookout for that, possibly an international tour.

ML: Uh oh, doing it big

EK: I’m so excited! *Laughs* Get some traveling miles in.

ML: But all that info will probably be on your MySpace site.

EK: Yes, that’ll be on the MySpace site EmilyKingMusic.

ML: You said at your start you wanted to work on perfecting your shows. Talk about the first show that you did once you had a record deal. How was that?

EK: Oh my god.*Laughs*

ML: Talk about that. A little pressure?

EK: You know, I was thinking of that on the subway ride over here, all the little shows I’ve done, I’ve done so many open mic’s, and things like that. Most of the album was recorded in Maryland.

ML: That’s where I’m from actually, Maryland.

EK: Oh, really? What part of Maryland?

ML: Montgomery County.

EK: Is that near White Plains?

ML: That’s about an hour away from me.

EK: Yes, yes, that’s where I was at.

ML: That’s cool.

EK: We would venture into DC and I would do open mic’s. But I don’t know if I can tell you the first show. There have been so many coffeehouse shows, and just anonymous private events. This year, well, 2006 actually, I had the opportunity to open for a lot of people. And that was a great experience for me I went on tour with Lyfe Jennings, and opened for Gnarls Barkley and Floetry, and Musiq Soulchild.

ML: Common?

EK: Common, yes, Even Sean Paul.

ML: You opened up for everybody.

EK: Everybody I know. *Laughs* That was a growing experience. Big audiences. That was an acoustic show, I didn’t have a band yet. Learning myself, and learning performances, and learning the craft of performing.

ML: So you’re on your own?

EK: Well, I have a band now. It’s been great. I think that’s one of the best parts of it is performing.

ML: Being on tour, do you have a favorite story – I always like to ask artists that – from the tour recently that you can think of?

EK: Umm..

ML: Any marriage proposals, random stuff like that

EK: Random stuff, ooh, I wish. *Laughs* We were in Vegas recently and went crazy…I won’t go into that. I do want to tell you €“

ML: Stays in Vegas.

EK: Exactly. *Laughs* I would tell you, but it’s just the law, you can’t tell.

ML: I believe you.

EK: When I opened for Common, I always go back to that. Right when I got offstage – like 20 minutes later – he was about to go on, we were all downstairs. My manager was talking to him ‘Oh, just have Emily sing a song for you, just one song’ and I ended up singing ‘You and I’ for him before he went onstage. Which is kind of crazy, cause I felt bad cause he’s supposed to go onstage. *Laughs* ‘I hope I didn’t distract you before your show.’ Anyway, he ends up going on, and I’m chillin backstage, you know, vibing to the music, whatever – and all of a sudden this dude comes up from his crew and says ‘Common wants you onstage’. I was like ‘What? I have my sandals on!’ *Laughs* I was dressed down. But I ran on that stage and it was outdoors, it felt like Woodstock, you know like a college thing, one of the best experiences. It was like a dream and he totally didn’t have to do that.

ML: He showed you love.

EK: Yeah, he showed me love and then after that it was like he endorsed me.

ML: That’s really dope. Since you don’t have the final album out yet, but you have the sampler, I’d like to go through the track listings and you give me one or two sentences or even more if you’d like, maybe a little tidbit about each track. Is that cool with you?

EK: Yeah, yeah, definitely.

ML: Walk In My Shoes, how about that? We’ll start off with that.

EK: Walk in my Shoes. Ah, therapeutic, just the stress of New York, growing up. Just trying to find your way.

ML: Did that song come to you quick, real quick?

EK: It came so quick. It was the fastest song written on the album and just it came out like it was supposed to.

ML: Color Blind?

EK: Color Blind. Another release; it’s a little more intimate, it talks about my upbringing, an issue being multiracial that I wanted to touch on, finding your place in the world.

ML: You and I?

EK: You and I. A love story. The best part of love, the height of being in love. *Laughs*

ML: The epitome?

EK: The epitome of love, right when you meet that person, you’re waiting for them to call, you’re checking your messages ‘Did they call me?’

ML: Checking your MySpace account…

EK: Yes, checking your MySpace and you see the new message thing and you’re like ‘Yeah!’ That’s You and I. All the way.

ML: Hold Me?

EK: Hold Me. Another love story, but more universal, but not to necessarily a partner. Whether it’s God, or your family, or somebody that you really care about, an animal. It applies to all parts of love.

ML: Ain’t No Sunshine?

EK: Ain’t No Sunshine. My first breakup.

ML: Oh, your first breakup.

EK: Yeah. It came at the right time for that.

ML: Helped you get over it?

EK: Yeah, I definitely cry a lot singing that.

ML: When were most of these tracks done? Did you do them within the last year or within the last few months?

EK: I think it’s been about a year now.

ML: About a year now. What else is going to be on the album? What else can we look for on the album?

EK: In terms of song titles?

ML: Not necessarily song titles, but just what kinds of songs are you trying to go for? Are you going to maybe have a concept song? What other type of songs can we look for?

EK: Wake up in the morning and feel good songs. Go to sleep at night and feel shitty songs. And then wake up in the morning again. *Laughs*

ML: And go back to feeling good.

EK: Right. Then take a trip to DC and picket the war, whatever. I dunno, political songs, just everyday type of songs. Women, what we go through as women.

ML: Is the album all ready to go, or are you still working on it?

EK: The album is done.

ML: Looking back on the album that you’ve completed, how big do you think a part of it, where you come from, New York, play on your album?

EK: It’s a huge part. When you’re in it you don’t realize how unique it is here. It’s a world in itself, so diverse. I learned so much young. I mean, I went to elementary school on Christopher Street, the height of diversity, freedom, free love, free everything. That concept alone, was something that was just natural to me, he’s himself, she’s being herself, that’s fine. It wasn’t until I ventured out into different states, different places where you saw that people didn’t always agree with how other people lived or had problems with it. It formed my belief system, being in New York, and I definitely display that in my songs.

ML: Something to look out for. Do you have a concrete date for the album?

EK: Yes, it’s kind of concrete, June 12 right now.

ML: Has the whole process been stressful for you, because I know the album was originally supposed to drop a little bit earlier and now it’s June. Has it been stressful for you, or how are you dealing with that?

EK: I think it could be stressful if you allow it to get that far, to go that far. I try not to think corporate.. I try just to focus on what I am doing and just get better at what I’m doing. I think it was definitely a blow to me that things take time, *laughs* that’s just nature. Things take time, it doesn’t always come like American Idol, you got a deal, that’s it, you know what I’m saying. It’s grassroots, and I’ve just been working, and I’m really grateful to have the time to work on myself because I think it’s happening when it’s supposed to happen.

ML: Yeah, that’s really true. Did anyone else other than Chucky Thompson work with you on the album?

EK: Yeah, and I’d just like to shout out everybody, cause I went through a process of experimenting who I wrote with, from John Garrett to Angie Stone to Raphael Saadiq and Ne-Yo; there’s Harold Lilly, Marsha from Floetry, the list goes on. Those songs are wonderful, and it ended up to be a collaboration between Chucky Thompson and myself.

ML: So it’s just you and Chucky Thompson on there?

EK: It’s me, Chucky and there were two other producers appearances: Vada Nobles who worked on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and Salaam Remi who’s done a lot.

ML: Yeah, everybody.

EK: So that was definitely cool and then there is some songwriting collaborations: Big Drawz, this writing team that’s amazingly talented, Rasheem Kilo Pugh, who also worked on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

ML: A lot of people, the whole process.

EK: It was, I learned a lot from it, and it really helped me to define exactly what I want to do *laughs* and what I don’t want to do.

ML: With this whole process of putting out your first album through J Records, do you see the road as different, or do you think is it more the same for a female artist as for a male artist? In the whole process of getting your music out there.

EK: I think it depends on what style of music you’re doing, that has a lot to do with it. It depends on who you are, and what you’re representing, whether you’re male or female. Obviously, guys get away with not having makeup on, *laughs* or being a little overweight. That’s definitely accepted a lot for males. When you’re with a major label, they definitely want you to look pretty at all times, which is nice, it’s nice to look pretty. But when I came in I definitely wasn’t really focused on the pretty – I mean I came into a Clive Davis meeting with torn up jeans, no makeup – which is still the essence of who I am, but it’s nice to also grow as a woman, and it’s something to play with. I’m just kind of learning myself as a woman right now.

ML: I was talking to my girlfriend about you and she wanted me to ask you how you would describe your style, cause she really liked your style?

EK: My style…it’s funky, it’s playful, and it’s definitely downtown Manhattan.

ML: Do you have some favorite brands?

EK: Do I have..I like Red Engine jeans…I like expensive shoes. *Laughs*

ML: You don’t discriminate.

EK: No, I’m used to hand-me-downs, which I still love, but it’s nice to get nice things too.

ML: I feel you. The last few things I wanted to ask you, are there any albums you have currently in rotation that you are really feeling, any album like that?

EK: I haven’t really had a full album in rotation for a while.

ML: All right, what are some songs?

EK: I’ve been listening to Amy Winehouse, I really like her voice. Who else…Feng Shui, a song on Gnarls Barkley’s album. I have my iPod right here, let me see…Jill Scott, Golden, Willow Weep For Me, Nina Simone…this isn’t recent stuff; you asked about recent stuff, right?

ML: It could be recent; just what you’re currently listening to.

EK: The Shins, James Brown, I’ve been heavy, heavy into James Brown.

ML: The other thing I always ask everyone I talk to: are you a sports fan, do you watch any sports at all?

EK: You know, I never got into watching sports.

ML: Not a sports fan.

EK: I used to play basketball, and I was really into basketball, but I didn’t even like to watch it on TV. I’m an action person.

ML: The other thing I always ask is what was the last thing you bought? It could be minor, major…

EK: I bought thirty-cent Double-mint gum on my way over here. *Laughs* Which used to be twenty-five cents but now is thirty cents.

ML: You’ve gotta protest that cost.

EK: You know what I’m saying? What the hell?

ML: You could always just have one coin, now you gotta have two coins jingling in your pocket.

EK: *Laughs* Weird.

ML: Not cool, not cool.

EK: So that’s the last thing. What else did I buy?

ML: Newspaper? No newspaper reading?

EK: What’s that?

ML: No newspaper for you? On the train?

EK: Newspaper, I listen to the news in the morning. On 1010 WIN. *laughs*

ML: That’s the way to do it.

EK: I’m a hustler. *Laughs* I get people to buy things for me.

ML: That’s the way to do it.

EK: That’s the way to go. I’m about to go have a free lunch right now.

ML: I wish I was getting a free lunch. I’m jealous.

EK: Come on down! We’ll hook you up. *Laughs*

ML: Alright, well, that about wraps it up. Do you think you’ll be in DC soon for a show?

EK: I would love to. I’m sure I’ll be back down there soon

ML: I’ll definitely cover that.

EK: Oh, thank you.

ML: Have a really great time, good luck with the album. Can’t wait to hear all of it.

EK: Thanks ML, I appreciate it!

Much Gracias to Emily, check out the album when it drops in June and hit up her myspace for all the latest info on Ms. King. Shoutout to cornernstone!

…and do some reading up on Chucky Thompson his resume is thorough.

BONUS ML EXCLUSIVE: Emily King Ft. Notorious BIG- Walk In My Shoes which features an unreleased biggie verse.

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