Being a 20-something woman these days is no easy feat—much less in the music industry. Some girls go looking for help from a man. But when you don’t need a “sponsor” you really have nothing to worry about—just ask Teairra Mari.
You probably remember this sweet-faced songstress letting the gents know how to make a girl feel good a few years back, but these days Teairra Mari is more about taking control of her career, her destiny, and making sure that she makes that money so that she can always sponsor herself.
Teairra Mari let SoulSummer.com into her world, her connection with God, music, her debut as an actress, and how she wants the chance to have all of the cake in the world and eat it too.
Soul Summer: Tell us who Teairra Mari is—what are all of the facets that make you… you?
Teairra Mari: Well yes, she is an actress, a singer, she’s outspoken, sassy, and intelligent [laughs]. She’s also very hands-on with her career, which she wasn’t before and now she is. She’s very in tune with God and the Earth period. I’m a very earthy kind of girl. If I’m stressed out I can look at a tree and smile—it’ll make me feel better.
SS: When did you really start getting hands-on with your career? Was it something that came with age, maturity, and seeing how the business really works?
TM: Yeah, it came with growing up in the business, and like you said seeing how things work and how people are. It’s about taking it all in and realizing what I have to do to make my ship float.
SS: Now, as far as God and being spiritual has that always been a part of you, or is that something that with time became more and more a part of your character?
TM: It’s always been a part of my life. I grew up in a very religious home with my grandmother, and she’s a Christian woman. For me being more spiritual has come with me maturing and learning things about the world, myself, and people. It helps so much to be in tune with my spirit.
TM: Yes, my mother’s mother was. My father’s mother raised me, but my mother’s mother was definitely.
SS: Has music always been a part of your life and your escape where you put all of your creative energy?
TM: Yes, all my life. Since I can remember I have loved music. It’s always been a part of my family and upbringing.
SS: Let’s start from the beginning of your career… how did you initially hook up with Roc-A-Fella Records? Did you know someone who knew someone? Did you know someone who knew Jay?
TM: I was signed to this production company in Detroit named KISS Productions and we got flown out to Atlanta by this man named D.L. Simmons who was really good friends with L.A. Reid. L.A. Reid was just getting his position over at Def Jam and he met with me, liked me, and signed me right then. It was a done deal and I didn’t meet Jay-Z until I was halfway through with the album. I met him, he heard the first single, then he took the first single and put his little intro on it, stamped it, and from there it was on. But, I was never directly signed to Roc-A-Fella, I was always signed to Def Jam and Jay-Z just stamped me with Roc-A-Fella.
SS: Okay, got it, got it. Since switching labels have you kept in touch with Jay or L.A. Reid?
TM: No, no. I’ve seen L.A. Reid out and he’s been very nice.
SS: What was the split with Def Jam about?
TM: It was a business decision and it was time for them to clean up shop. They dropped me and a plethora of other artists, so I was just unfortunately one of those artists that got released at that time.
SS: You’ve been with Warner Brothers since and it seems like you’ve found a new home. How have you felt since signing with them?
TM: I’ve been feeling great because I feel like I know what not to do, and that’s always great because we don’t always have the answers to everything. But, if you know what not to do it leaves room for less mistakes, so I feel great that I know what not to do because now I can move forward and if I make any other mistakes I can learn and that’s great. I’m happy here and I’m happy that everything happened the way that it did because it’s made me into a strong person, a more business savvy-person that’s on her ish.
SS: Your album is due out next month?
TM: Yes. Well actually it’s a digital EP, it’s not an album. It’s a digital EP that’ll be released on iTunes and it’s titled, Sincerely Yours. It’ll be out August 17th. Now, we were working on an album and most of the songs got leaked, so we decided to go back to the drawing board on doing an actual album. But, most of the songs that weren’t leaked at that point we decided to put on the EP to give the fans something, because my fans have been waiting for a long time for something to come out. I just didn’t feel right making them wait another three or four months.
SS: Is Sincerely Yours going to be like a mixtape introduction to what the album will be?
TM: No, I wouldn’t say that because it’s music from me, and my album will be music from me, so if you put it that way, then no. I wouldn’t say it’s a mixtape introduction, but I’m actually releasing a mixtape next month with DJ Drama, The Point Of No Return, so that’s the mixtape introduction from me. The EP is the EP, just 7 unreleased songs… that’s all that is.
[SINCERELY YOURS OFFICIAL TRACKLIST: #01. Sponsor (feat. Soulja Boy x Gucci Mane) #02. Uneasy #03. Body #04. Emergency #05. Hunt 4 U (feat. Pleasure P) #06. Lucky #07. Operator #08. Stranger (Bonus track)]
SS: Do you think that R&B artists doing mixtapes is the new wave of just keeping your name out there, being able to do music any time you want to, and just giving your fans more?
TM: Yeah, definitely, I’d have to agree with that. I think it’s a great thing because you can do a mixtape, but you don’t have to do all remixes, you can do original songs, put them out for free, and call it a mixtape.
SS: “Sponsor” is a song that I’ve been listening to with one of my best friends for months. What was the inspiration behind that song?
TM: You know, I didn’t write “Sponsor” and I had nothing to do with creating it, and when I heard it I was like ‘I don’t want to record that.’ [laughs] Then after listening to a couple of times, I thought it was so catchy, so shit—whoever records it has one on their hands. So after listening to it I decided to make that song my song. I made it very sarcastic because I don’t have a male sponsor supporting my lifestyle, I work my butt off to earn my own piece, but let’s make it fun and something that the girls can dance to on the way to the club, just to have fun with. If you have a job, you have a sponsor as well. Whoever is distributing your coins is your sponsor.
SS: How did you hook up with Soulja Boy on this track? I’ve also heard Gucci Mane on a version, so how did that happen?
TM: Gucci Mane is a labelmate, so he came… that was a given. As far as Soulja Boy, I was in the studio in The Record Plant, here in Los Angeles, and he was there too, so I was like ‘I have this song that I want you to hear, tell me what you think.’ So, he listened to the song and he loved it and wanted to get on it, so he did it that night. That’s how it happened, it was just a casual encounter that ended up turning into a song.
SS: How do you feel about BET banning the video? For years they’ve had videos on that are degrading to women and it seems like the moment that a woman feels empowered, the video gets yanked.
TM: When I first heard it, I was like ‘what?’ I thought the same thing, like as many videos that they’ve played that have sent this message, or that message, but they won’t play my video, wow… I was hurt. I ended up talking to the people over there and they told me that BET never banned your video or said that they wouldn’t play your video, that’s a rumor, that’s a lie. So, I guess it was just a rumor, and I ended up seeing it on BET myself and that showed me right there that it was just a rumor.
SS: Around the same time that the rumor of BET banning “Sponsor” came out, they had banned Ciara’s song “Ride.” Do you think there is a double-standard in the industry?
TM: I thought that I heard recently that that was a rumor too. I mean whatever it is, I don’t see what’s wrong with her video either. She’s not doing anything in that video that she wasn’t doing in the “Promise” video, or the “Goodies” video. When I heard that I was really, really shocked because she murders the video and I thought that it was perfection. I know that she worked her ass off in that video and it’s a kick in the face if that was true. I don’t know if it’s a double standard, and if it’s about keep men up higher. I just know that we work so hard at what we do, so that kind of stuff is just a kick in the face and that’s all I can really say.
SS: You appear in the movie Lottery Ticket coming out next month with Loretta Devine, Bow Wow, and all of these great actors. How was that experience for you?
TM: It was amazing, Loretta Devine is a veteran, Ice Cube is a vet, Mike Epps, and Charlie Murphy are all people that we all watched growing up, so to be on the set with them is a blessing. To come together with the younger generation was also a blessing. I think it’s going to be one of those movies that will go down in the Black history books because it’s a strong cast, a great storyline, it’s very funny, and it’s family friendly.
SS: Who do you play in the movie?
TM: I play Nikki Swayze, and I’m like the hot chick in the projects that they live in and I’m interested in rich guys… older rich guys. We’re supposed to be 17 in the movie and the guys I’m interested in are between 25 and 30. I never paid Bow Wow’s character any mind, but as soon as he wins the lottery, her sponsoriffic side comes out. [laughs]
SS: Have you been working on any other movie projects lately? Anything else coming your way?
TM: Yes, there have been a lot of things coming my way. My friend Naturi [Naughton] kept telling me, ‘Girl, after this movie, watch how many scripts you get.’ She was definitely right about that. I’ve been getting so many calls and it’s just a great thing. I can’t really speak on what I’m going to do, but I have options so that’s a great, great, great thing.
SS: After this digital EP drops and the movie comes out what do you think the next steps are in your career? Do you want to sing, act, write, produce, or do it all?
TM: Do it all honey! Why not? [laughs] It’s the movie, mixtape, and EP—of course I’m still working on the album, so hopefully that’ll be out later this year. More movies—I’m getting into that. From there we’ll see how the wind blows, but I’m going to keep working hard and doing the things that I love and making money while doing it, so I can’t complain at all.
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