In an interview with Ebony, the award-winning singer-songwriter, whose new release, Rich Girl, is due out Sept. 25, opened up about her identity, the parts of her work that are most misunderstood by the public and her determination to "regroup" and be herself in an industry that hasn't always treated her well. Read a few highlights here:
On the sense that she was "losing" herself while working on her new album:
I stood back and saw there was a small percentage of Angie in what was supposed to be the Angie Stone album. I had to regroup and get back to knowing who I was.
On her view that she's been "left swinging on her own" in the music industry:
I think a lot of it has to do with the whole neo-soul movement and the closeness and breaking up of myself and [former boyfriend] D'Angelo. It's like if you're my friend, you can't be his friend and my friend.
On the work she does in addition to singing:
A lot of people don't know what I do … People think that's how I eat because I make records but I make far more money as songwriter than from being a singer.
On her relationship with D'Angelo:
I think it is important people know I learned an immense amount of things from D'Angelo. They say he got it from me but we worked very well together. Together we were a threat because they know two heads are better than one. At the end of the day I would keep it 100 and he trusted me with that.
On rumors that she was "financially exploited" by Sugar Hill Records:
It's so sad to talk about it now but I am going to because I never had a voice to say it before … Dre cut the song "Keep Their Heads Ringin' " and when I looked up we all had was 6%. Sylvia had sold the licensing and rights to the song over to Dr. Dre. Right now to the day Dr. Dre is collecting publishing on a song we wrote. I never had a publishing deal because I was underage. By the time I went to deal with it legally the building had burned down and there were no records or files of anything. So [The Sequence is] still being cheated. It hurts because this was our first song ever by the first female rap group worldwide. It is our legacy and we have Dr. Dre collecting publishing on our song. It is a sin.
Read more at Ebony.com.