Vibe.com, February 10th, 2005
Her new single "It's Like That," co-produced by beat master Jermaine Dupri, provides an instant soundtrack for any night of decadence and debauchery. Armed with her usual brand, wispily hypnotic vocals and a hook that would make Da Brat jealous (it features Da Brat's signature line), Mariah's new sound should easily place her back on top of the rock star heap. Vibe.com's contributor Patrick Taliaferro recently spoke with Mariah about her changes over the years and why exactly Mimi needs to be emancipated.
Where are you right now and what's outside of your window?
I haven't even looked. It's New York. It's a little grey cubicle like room, but it's a satellite studio.
Most of our readers want to know what you have on right now. Actually, I want to know.
You're actually asking me fun questions or I couldn't even tolerate this moment right now. Everybody else has been boring except you, just kidding. I think these are Manolo Blahnik grey flannel boots. I have on Joe jeans and a Ralph Lauren tank top which is now a little worn out from this day that I've had, and a grey sweatshirt that says "New York" on it. I don't know whose it is. It just matches the boots.
Your new project is titled The Emancipation of Mimi, now why exactly does Mimi need Emancipating?
How do I say this in a concise way, so that it doesn't take twenty hours? Basically Mimi is just a nickname, it's not that deep. It's something that a handful of people call me, because nobody calls me Mariah - only people who don't know me call me that. Everybody has their own little names for me, but the people who call me that, it's a really loving, enduring type thing and they really know me, the person, instead of the public perception of me.
So when I was talking to L.A. Reid and sequencing the album, we were trying to come up with different titles, I came up with that title. He said that it's perfect, because when he listens to the record he hears my spirit, the human being singing to me as opposed to being overwhelmed by production or whatever else- it feels real. And I was like 'Alright.'
You've changed a lot from the Vision of Love Mariah.
In some ways, but you have to remember that was right out of high school. I was really only allowed to speak very little. It was a situation where I was told what to do and how to do it.
The good thing with this record, what makes me happy, is that vocally it's a return to where I was before I started making real records, when I was doing demos. Because I went on tour, and I would rest for two days and I would sing for a day. So it got me in a really good place vocally and I've never been on tour for that long. Then I was like I really want to get back in the studio, and I was in the studio for a year and a half working on this record. I really got a chance to stretch vocally and go different places. I think that people, who feel like, 'Why doesn't she belt anymore?' are going to be happy when they hear this record. But not every song, I don't feel like I should have to do that on every song, sometimes I feel like being mellow.
If you weren't Mariah Carey the uber diva, where would you be in life?
I don't know. I went to beauty school for 500 hours. This really impressed everybody that I was with yesterday because we were doing this hair and make-up test thing, and I was the only one in the room who had been to beauty school.
So you're more qualified than your staff?
Yeah, I went in 11th grade because you could go half a day to regular school, then half a day to vocational school. I knew I wanted to be a singer and I was making demos, but I was like 'let me just have something to do in the interim.' I always believed I would succeed but I was like 'let me get out of school half a day anyway' because I liked doing hair. So who knows? Maybe I would be doing your hair.
You have a million hit songs, it seems. Are there any songs you hate performing?
You know what? When I have a good crowd, I am just like 'whatever.' Sometimes I just change up the songs and do whatever I feel like doing. That's how I grew as a performer, from going on tour this last time around, because it was all about ad-libbing and connecting with the audience. I feel like that freedom that I had on stage really helped me to be a better performer and a better writer, because I was more centered as a person when I went into the studio.
On the flipside of that, what's your favorite song to perform live?
The thing that's going to be difficult for me is that this new record has so many songs that I recorded with a live band, in addition to working with The Neptunes, Kanye West, Jermaine Dupri, and collabo's with Snoop, Nelly, Twista and those types of records. It's a lot of live instruments and it's all about the vocals and the background vocals. I feel like it's so many songs I have to do live, but I have to figure out how to do the old stuff. But out of my existing songs, probably "Vision of Love."
If you could go back in time, what would today's Mariah tell the Vision of Love Mariah?
Here's the thing. I really believe that everything we go through is God's plan. So I can't look back and go, 'Oh I shouldn't have done that.' Because everything I have gone through has contributed to making me the person that I am or going to eventually be. If I could go back and tell that girl anything, it would be don't worry about listening to all of the elders that surround you, just do what you want.
Whose sound are you feeling now?
I love The Clarke sisters, and I really love Karen Clarke. And her daughter Kiki put out a record this year and it's so hot. I've been waiting for her to put out her album since I first heard her sing on Karen Clarke's album and I saw a live tape of her when she was twelve, so I love her. She's a gospel artist.
I know she would be excited to know you're checking for her.
Well, I'm sure she knows how good she isÂ…
So, why should people leave their warm houses to go out and purchase Mimi?
It's hot tamalesÂ…
So it's certified hotness?
You know what? I don't say that to be bold or whatever. Trust me, I've been humbled enough in my life to know it's really just best to always stay grounded and centered, but I'm really proud of this project. If people are fans of mine, or they really like R&B;, or they want to hear the next phase of where I am going, then they should just get the record.
Tell me what comes to mind when you hear these wordsÂ…
Oh my goodness, word associationÂ…
Anguilla
The Blue Water
Star Jones and Al Reynolds
They're very nice
Simon Cowell
American Idol
Melania Knauss (Donald Trump's wife)
I don't know, I think I met her once.
Whitney Houston
Great singer
Listen to Mariah Carey- It's Like That:
Listen to Jadakiss- U Make Me Wanna feat Mariah Carey:
