Chrisette Michelle Is Almost Ready for Success

Section: Talent

Tonya Pendleton

risette Michelle already knows she’s special. If you call her voice mail, she’ll let you know that you are one of the few people that have her number and are therefore privileged, to get a return call. But you can’t blame the girl for keeping her number exclusive. One of Def Jam’s few recent R&B signings, on June 19, Michelle’s debut CD, I Am, hits stores. Her throwback vocal stylings have already graced hits like Jay-Z's "Lost Ones," and Nas' "Can't Forget About You." With that kind of introduction, Michelle seems to be assured of success. But like any 24-year-old on the verge of leaving anonymity behind forever, she admits she’s more than a little nervous. We caught up with the songstress recently to talk about what her inspirations are in life and music.

BET.com: Your debut album drops next week. How are you feeling?

CM: I’m very nervous and I’m never, ever nervous. I was looking forward to it before it was eight days and counting! Now I’m like the world is about to hear me sing. I should have thought about that before. I’m excited though. It’s going to be fun. I’ve got a lot of support. At the same thing this is the world’s first time hearing me do my own thing all by myself. I had a wonderful time recording and creating the songs that you’re about to be exposed to. That’s what’s really important to me. I love it that at the end of the day I did what I felt.

BET.com: You’re a new artist so people don’t yet know a lot about you. Tell us how you got to where you are now.

CM: I was raised in Long Island, NY and I was around a lot of music growing up. My mother was the choir director at the church and she was a soloist. So I got to see my her perform a lot at churches and around the city. We didn’t have a lot of TV’s in the house but we definitely did have a lot of instruments. At age 8, I was in jazz ensembles playing the saxophone. In Long Island schools, there’s a lot of music [instruction.]. I auditioned for a lot of choirs and bands as well and I got into most of what I auditioned for. My father played keyboards in the church and everywhere else so he introduced me to the keyboard which you’ll see me perform with in my live show. Astrid Gilberto and Dan Getz did a song called “The Girl from Ipanema” that helped me fall in love with jazz. I became a jazz major at 5 Towns College in Long Island. In college, we did a lot of shows around the city. I began to network with a lot of people and recorded a demo with a friend of mine. I took it to every record label in the city. Toya from Def Jam found our demo and then came out to see a show at the Village Underground. So yes, I was signed by a demo. [Def Jam head L.A. Reid ultimately heard her sing in his office and signed her immediately.]

BET.com: You’re just getting started yet I hear there’s already controversy. Apparently there’s an issue between you and Toya?

CM: I thought that was very interesting myself, but at the end of the day it’s not really my responsibility to credit people for discovering me. I don’t know if there’s a finder’s fee or maybe they just didn’t give her the financial compensation she wanted. She’s getting credit - as much as I can give to her. Everybody who knows me knows that Toya was a part of my making it into the industry. I appreciate her.

BET.com: You recorded sixty songs for your album and scaled it down to the thirteen that appear on “I Am.” Is there one that is particularly personal to you?

CM: I’m a mama’s girl and a daddy’s girl, but I spent a lot of time with my father coming up. ”You’re My Joy” is about holding his hand and wanting to walk and talk like him. “Golden” is about my mother and father’s relationship.Tthey’ve been together 25 years. I could give you a story for every song. Some people tell me it’s like having children and it’s hard to pick between them. I guess my father’s song is the most sentimental.

BET.com: You’ve already worked with both Jay-Z and Nas. Was it intimidating for you as a new artist to go in the studio with these icons?

CM: With Jay-Z, I was very very, very scared because I knew that he had such great experience under his belt. I didn’t know if I would be as up to par as he was.
He was very kind. When I came in, he played me his song and asked me to draw from the verses that he had. I wrote two hooks and then he said ‘let’s do another one.’
So at the end of the day, there were about three hooks that I did. When I actually heard myself on the radio I was surprised that one of my hooks actually made it. It was very exciting to be a part of his career. I had to think real hard – ‘What is the hook that Jay-Z is going to want me to sing? I thought “champion,” that’s something that he’d want to hear. He heard it and liked it.

BET.com: How was it with Nas?

CM: The lyrics behind Nas are just ridiculous. He’s an icon. Working with Nas is very easy. They had me go in and do ‘Can’t Forget About You,’ and he loved it. Then they had me go in again and they had me freestyle on a song. I ended up on “Still Dreamin,’ a song with Kanye West and Nas. I still can’t believe it. [And she wrote the hook Kelis sang on “Not Going Back.”)

BET.com: What contemporary artists inspire you or that you’d want to emulate in your own career?

CM: I love Beyonce’s drive and how all the hard work pays off. She’s the kindest person I’ve ever met. We’ve eaten together and rehearsed together and we’ve been a lot of places together. She makes you feel very welcome in her presence. I love Jay-Z as well. I love how he invested his money in positive things - building wells in Africa and building a stadium in Brooklyn.

I love Jon Mayer and Dave Matthews. I really want to venture out. I think my music career will be one where you never get bored because I’m going to do different things. The most exciting thing about music is the ability to be creative. I don’t think you’ll ever hear the same thing from me twice.