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Brooke Valentine
Gold Chain
by Abraham Kuranga
Copyright ©2005 PopEntertainment.com. All
rights reserved.
Posted:
February 7, 2005.
It’s almost every little
girl’s dream to become a shining star. For Houston,
Texas native Brooke Valentine, that fantasy is coming true. With her
soon-to-be-released debut, Chain Letter, Valentine has made her way
to the stage and has no immediate plans of getting off. “To me, everyday is
Valentine’s Day,” she says. “I’m just trying to spread the love.”
Whether it’s love, lust, or hate, Valentine has set out to share her brand
of edgy-yet-soulful R&B.
Growing up in
the late 80s and early 90s, she had her pick
of influences. “I admire Alanis Morissette for her freedom,” explains
Valentine. “I respect Dr. Dre and Eminem for their energy, Janet Jackson
for always reinventing herself and Mary [J. Blige]
for her longevity.”
With a wide spectrum of
role models, Valentine looked closer for inspiration. “The women in my
family were the most influential,” says Valentine. “I saw them fall apart
and put it all back together.” It is that hard-nosed, never-give-up
mentality that has accompanied Valentine throughout her young career. From
an early age, Valentine was singing in church every Sunday and
dropping beats on the
playground at school. Upon discovering her God-given talent, her family
pushed her to display this gift.
“Right from the start,
this is who I’ve been,” says Valentine. Her career started as a member of
the now-defunct girl group Best Kept Secret (BKS). When
that group
dismantled, Valentine thought that her dreams had also. It was her producer, Deja, who convinced her to proceed as a solo artist,
a style of working which Valentine says
she now prefers. “I feel the freedom now,” explains Valentine. “When you
are in a group, the chemistry has to work. Everyone has to agree. Now I
can fly and be my own person.”
Having written and
recorded well over 200 songs, Valentine entered the studio again to record
her debut, Chain Letter. “I feel like I’ve been recording my album
all my life,” Valentine says. “100 percent of my album is
autobiographical. If I haven’t actually done some of the stuff, I’ve
thought about it.”
Catapulting Chain
Letter is the party single and sure club classic, “Girl Fight.” The
single is produced by “crunk” aficionado, Lil Jon. The single also boasts a
guest appearance by Outkast’s Big Boi. “Working with Lil Jon was very ‘crunk’,”
said Valentine. “He created the beat in the middle of a party at his house
in Miami. Here he is in the middle of his living room on his keyboard.
He was so professional and quick.”
Along with Lil Jon, the
album Valentine shared the studio with numerous R&B hitmakers, including
Bloodshy (Britney Spears, Christina Milian) and Tricky (TLC, Mya).
With all this talent on one album, Valentine was able to absorb valuable
tips. “I had a good experience with all of the producers,” says
Valentine. She is quick to credit Deja as the biggest influence and motivator
behind Chain Letter. “He knows me so well,” she says. “He is such a perfectionist. He never let me half-step
and taught me that once you start something, you finish it.”
With the
album finished and ready to ship to iPod,
Valentine wants listeners to feel and experience who she is. “When people
listen to my album, they are going to understand me,” says Valentine. With
major tours on the horizon, fans will get to know Valentine more
intimately. “I am so excited to tour,” says Valentine. “Anyone can get
into a studio but live performing is pure. That’s what builds careers.”
With the instant
comparisons to R&B counterparts – Ciara and Ashanti to be exact
– Valentine is
poised to set herself apart. “I feel like I’m just naturally different,”
says Valentine. “ I don’t have to try. Once you put on the headphones and
listen to me, you will feel my energy. You will see why I’m different.”
Also, she is tougher to pin down into a genre. “You can’t
put a title on me,” she explains. “I don’t listen to radio or watch
TV.
Because of that, I am always left of what’s going on.”
Whether its left or right,
Valentine knows where she wants her career to go.
“As corny as it sounds, I want people to remember me as real,” reveals
Valentine. “I would love people to know that this is who I am.
So many people are a show. When the curtains go up, they are a
different person. I don’t want to be like that. This is me.”
Lights, Camera, Action!!!
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