Media Outrage

Solange recently did an interview with BET and here are a few excerpts:

BET.com: What inspired the title for your new album?

Solange: Sol Angel and The Hadley Street Dreams was actually inspired by many things. Hadley Street is a street in Houston that my father’s label and management company is on, but it has a more significant reason behind it. One day, he brought my mother and me to this street, which is a big city block in downtown Houston, and he told us ‘this is where I’m going to build my company. All we could see was an empty lot in a very rough part of town and this old plantation house, but he had a vision. And even though we couldn’t see the vision, with inspiration, he was able to make it happen. A year later, this compound that he built is now one of the most well worth city blocks in Houston and I started recording my album there. So the title is a tribute to his dream and the fact that he had this vision, the same vision I have with my project which inspired the title.

You’ve taken up a new hobby, and have a passion for art. What inspired you to get involved?

My mother actually is an avid art collector and our entire lives she has collected wonderful art; a lot of African art. At a young age, she tried to get us interested in it, but being that young, it was very hard to see the beauty and the message within these pieces, especially contemporary art. But three years ago, I went to an opening at “The Museum of Fine Arts” which was Basquiat and just seeing art that really touched me, inspired me, moved me and had messages that I could relate to really opened up doors for me in the art world. Since then, I go to the museum once a month, if not twice and bring my son because I’ve really acquired a taste for it. It has inspired me musically. I’ve actually pulled out a couple of Canvas’s myself and started to express myself through art. It just holds so much power that the artist’s message can be timeless and there is some art that I’m influenced by from the 20’s and it still feels so current that their message is everlasting.
How has your 3-year old son, Juelz, changed and influenced your perception on life?

Smiling] My son Juelz has totally turned my life upside down and around. Everyday being able to wake up to a sponge and seeing the role I have in this sponge has been incredible. He’s learning everyday to the point I can now have a full on conversation with him. Definitely before him, being 17 your life really isn’t about that much substance. But having him in my life has given me the bravery, especially as an artist, to just go to new heights because children are so fearless and that has definitely impacted me. Before my son, I would really let people’s opinions get to me, but after him whatever he feels of me as a person is what really counts which has made me completely oblivious to other outside opinions.

Can you tell us about the children’s album that you’re putting together?

I thought it would be cool to do a children’s toy line that had really simple hip-hop background and melodies which could turn traditional songs into hip hop music. I started experimenting and it was really easy because it was a passion project that I was doing inspired by him [her son Juelz]. After awhile, it evolved into a toyline. We pitched the idea to Walmart and they loved it. We’ve been on the market for a year and three months and it’s doing really well. It was definitely one of those projects where I wanted to get some cool points from my son.

What can we expect from you in 2008?

2008, you can expect my record. Secondly, as a writer, I’ve really grown over the past few years. I co-wrote a lot of records on my sister’s last album and on Kelly’s last album and I actually wrote Michelle’s first single, “We Break The Dawn” which is coming out real soon. I’m also writing on the Musiq Soulchild project, so I’m really growing as a writer as well as an artist. Hopefully, you will see a lot of me in 2008.

Solange and LaLa Vaszquez leaving a bar in Hollywood. Solange is looking mighty hot in this pic don’t you think so?

Mediaoutrage- She seems focused which is cool. We hope she’s successful in trying to carve out her own little identity apart from being Beyonce’s little irresponsible sis.