October 22, 2024 • 58 mins
Remember the joy of 90s R&B and the golden era of music with the sensational group Allure. Join us on a nostalgic journey as we celebrate the host's birthday surrounded by the fabulous sounds of a time when music truly moved us. Allure shares the incredible narrative of their rise from high school harmonies at LaGuardia to signing with Mariah Carey’s label and collaborating with legends like LL Cool J and Nas. Through their stories, we uncover the passion and perseverance that defined their journey, and the supportive families that cheered them on every step of the way.
In a heartfelt discussion, Allure opens up about their early influences, drawing inspiration from iconic groups like En Vogue and Ex-Girlfriend, and the role church singing played in their development. As young women navigating the complex music industry, they candidly reveal the pressures of image, branding, and the struggle to stay true to themselves. Tales of excitement, mistakes, and the emotional highs and lows of touring provide an honest depiction of their experiences. Despite facing challenges and feeling sidelined at times, Allure's resilience and determination to remain authentic shine through.
Looking to the future, Allure talks about their ongoing performances, their exciting new mentorship program, and an upcoming podcast, "Grown Ass Girls Gag." They share their dedication to empowering the next generation and fostering the cyclical nature of musical trends. Through laughter and nostalgia, we celebrate the power of music to connect across generations and inspire new possibilities. With personal anecdotes and a fun game, this episode promises to be a delightful reflection on the past and a hopeful look towards what lies ahead.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sanya (00:07):
This is not me on here.
What is the purpose?
What am I trying to do?
People are giving you keys,giving you gems, creating
pipelines to access, talking toinfluential people, icons about
how they've done it and sharingthe tips so that you can enter
(00:30):
into that space.
One thing that I do know aboutmarginalized communities is that
the Pipelines to Access isoften not there.
Now, if you're cleaned up onSaturday mornings and your
parents played old school music,then this show is for you.
Welcome everyone.
(00:58):
You are now tuned into anotheramazing edition of Sanya On Air.
I'm your host, sanyaHudson-Payne, and thank you for
tuning in where I unpackcelebrity pivotal moments and
their milestones.
But before I tell you abouttoday's guest, as you can see
from the banner, please makesure that you subscribe to Sanya
On Air.
Sanya On Air streams acrossevery major streaming platform.
(01:21):
If you're watching this episodeon YouTube, not only subscribe,
but make sure you hit thenotification button.
That way, every time I uploadan all new Sonia O'Neal
celebrity interview unpackingtheir pivotal moments and
milestones, you'll be the firstones to know.
You'll be the first ones to know.
Now, the second thing I want tosay is happy birthday to myself
(01:41):
.
Yesterday was my birthday andlet me tell you something I am
just so grateful.
I'm so grateful that God hasallowed me another opportunity
to pour greatness into the worldand to leave an impact, to
leave my footprint.
So this is something specialfor me.
(02:03):
I don't take it for granted.
So I just want to also give aspecial shout out to all of the
amazing and fabulous Leos of theworld.
I know everyone heard you roar,because Leos roar all the time.
We can't even help it when Itry to turn off this switch,
this internal fabulosity switch,I can't do it.
(02:24):
I can't do it, I can't do it.
So, talking about fabulosity andfabulous women, especially
women of color, today's guest,let me tell you how I stumbled
across today's guest.
So I was just in my carlistening to 94 the Block.
Shout out to Miss Jones.
I'm so glad that she's back onthe radio.
(02:44):
She's doing amazing things.
So make sure that you tune inevery single morning, if you're
in new york city, to 94.7 theblock.
Okay, so, like I was saying, Iwas listening, listening to miss
jones in the morning and um,this song came on, this song
that, uh, definitely defined anera, defined a moment in my life
, by the fabulous R&B 90s groupAllure.
(03:10):
So when I heard this song NeverQuestion, they did this song
with LL Cool J I said, wait aminute, wait a minute.
Whatever happened to Allure?
What happened to that r&b group?
They did collaborations with llcool j, like I just said, with
(03:32):
naz two major, major, majorartists.
And did you know that they wereeven signed to mariah carey's
label?
I don't even know that she hada record label.
So make sure that you staytuned into this conversation
with r&b group allure, becausewe're going to talk about how
they got started, how theynavigated the music industry,
(03:54):
getting signed to mariah carey'slabel, and what happened a lot
happened and where they are now.
So if you remember the R&Bgroup Allure and you just want
something nostalgic to remindyou of the greatness of R&B
music in the late 90s and the2000s, this is a conversation
(04:18):
that you definitely need to betuned into.
So we're going to take a quickcommercial break and we'll be
right back with Sanya on Air andAllure.
Stay tuned and make sure yousubscribe too.
I'll be right back EatingT-shirts and more LLC is a proud
Sanya on Air sponsor.
Get your customized tumblers,mugs, t-shirts, hoodies and
(04:41):
passport holders for all of myfabulous Sonia On Air
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But let's talk about thesepassport holders for a moment.
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(05:05):
Now back to Sonia on Air.
Yes, okay, well, welcome toSonia on Air.
We have the amazing R&B groupAllure first.
I want to start off by havingeach of you introduce yourself,
so tell my audience who you arehey, what's up.
Allure (05:21):
I'm Lala.
Hey y'all, I'm Aaliyah.
Hey, what's up.
Sanya (05:23):
I'm Akisa and we're a lot nice, nice.
So you know I'm gonna go backto high school days because I
was doing my research and someof you went to LaGuardia High
School but one of you went toJulia Richmond, who went to
julia richmond?
Allure (05:39):
so wait a minute.
So you three went to.
You three went to la guardia.
Sanya (05:42):
Yes, okay, so I have a lot of friends who went to la
guardia.
So I'm assuming you went to laguardia for voice, right?
Yes, so you know?
Um, well, I'm not going to callhis government name yet G-Fly,
(06:05):
he went to Minivision.
Oh yeah, we know, george.
Yeah, george, I'm George fromGeorgia.
Let me tell you, we've beenchildhood friends since we were
seven years old Nice, that's athousand One of my best best
friends.
So you know now that we'retalking about the 90s and high
school and all of that.
When did you first realize thatyou wanted to be singers?
Allure (06:30):
and anyone can answer the question um, for us, like we
said, we played around a lot, alot, a lot, just because we
could do it, so it wasn't reallysomething that we took
seriously until, like, ourfamily started saying you know,
you guys really should starttrying to do this, and like make
this a career because you guyssound great.
And then we were like, okay,might as well, let's do it that
(06:52):
reminds me of you know everychild.
Sanya (06:54):
They're performing for their family at the barbecue and
the mom is like but this timeyour family was honest and they
were truthful.
You ladies can really reallysing thank you so how did you
hone your craft?
I know LaGuardia amazing schooland I know that perfected your
(07:17):
craft formally, but what otherthings did you do to perfect
your voices?
Allure (07:22):
um, we eventually, as when we did get our record deal,
we did a couple well, not acouple, but we have vocal
lessons and, um, to be honest,like, as far as technique, as
far as singing in the studio, wecredit mariah for a lot of that
, because she obviously had thechops and you know, right, yeah,
to guide us, right, yeah niceand we're going to talk about
(07:45):
your um relationship with MariahCarey a little bit later on,
but I'm glad that you touched onthe vocal lessons.
Sanya (07:51):
I'm glad that you talked, uh touched base, about going to
LaGuardia for voice time's.
A little bit different now, Ibelieve, but I'm not in the
music industry.
When it comes to these newartists, do you think that they
are securing contracts a lotdifferently than when you first
started off in the late 90s?
Allure (08:10):
oh, definitely.
I even believe they might beeven a little smarter, because
they've had so many people tosee what they went through
throughout years of thisindustry right, I think they
kind of got it a little betterthan even we did.
Sanya (08:22):
Right, we were like first getting started, yeah that's
refreshing to hear, becausethere's a lot of artists that I
talk to and sometimes they havea little bit of animosity at the
end without we never said Imean, look, we never said there
wasn't a little bit of animosity, but they did have it better
because they learned from us allthe mistakes that we made,
(08:45):
right.
Mm-hmm, nice, nice.
So the 90s it ushered in somany amazing R&B groups.
You have like 702.
You have Aaliyah, mary J Bligeand Total.
Was there any competitionbetween your group Allure and
other female R&B artists?
Allure (09:06):
Not that we know of, not with us, but yeah, there was
there was a point in time wherethere was like this big
comparison, not even comparison.
There was just this big, um, uh, imperative feeling for people
to create drama between groups,you know.
I mean like we wouldn't haveeven met anybody, and right away
it's there's like some secretbeef and oh well, did you hear
(09:28):
about this?
And people created stuff.
But as far as we were concerned, we just wanted to sing and we
just wanted to, you know, paytribute to everybody else and
welcome everybody who was cominginto the industry after us, and
it was always all love with us.
Yeah, we never had.
Yeah, well, we always paidhomage to anyone who came before
us.
Sanya (09:43):
So where does?
Allure (09:44):
that come, we still have no problem doing it so where
does that come from?
Sanya (09:47):
because you know, a lot of times they say female groups
can't get along or women ingeneral just can't get along.
How did you navigate throughwhen toxicity presents itself to
you that you say that's not forme?
How did you navigate throughthat?
Allure (10:02):
well, that's one of the reasons why we're a trio right,
and also because a big part ofit like a lot of groups not all,
but a lot of groups were likeput together, so you have to
learn personalities.
We grew up together.
Plus, we have family membersthat make us take accountability
, like something is being donewrong or whatever is happening.
We have people in our circlethat's going to let me know,
like that's not it, we need tocut it out.
(10:25):
We respect those people, so wetake love from them and we're
also naturally just not cattywomen.
You know, women are known to.
That's a little stigma we'recatty, we can't get along.
Sanya (10:37):
there's always beef in between, and we're just not like
that.
Allure (10:39):
We're girls', girls, if that makes any sense.
We're literally sisters.
Like don't get us wrong, likeit's not hunky-dory all the time
like we argue but it's never tothe point with fist and cup
right I love that gem.
Sanya (10:53):
I love that gem because I always encourage people to be
mindful of who you allow in yourvillage, who you allow around
you, because accountability isso, so important.
So I'm glad that you havepeople in your camp that were
able to say don't do it that way, don't get involved in that,
and that you have the humilityand the foundation to know
(11:13):
better and do better yeah, youbriefly talked about some of the
influences that you had growingup in this industry.
Who your early musicalinfluences?
Allure (11:36):
That I can speak it right for everybody but and
Vogue and ex-girlfriend, whetherit girls for us, like when we,
when we finally sat down andsaid Maybe we should give this a
chance and maybe we can do thisbecause they know we can sing
we just they were like theblueprints to everything.
I mean we just can't dance likeex-girlfriends.
Right, we weren't doing likecartwheels and flips and stuff,
(11:57):
but just the energy behind them,the vocal ability behind them.
Everyone was unique, but stillit was cohesive.
Exactly.
There was that individual swagbetween each girl and then
collectively, when they gottogether, it was just something
serious.
And then in Vogue it was justlike you know all vocal, but
also the classiness.
Right, you know, and that'ssomething that we always wanted,
to make sure that we kept inthe forefront and classiness for
(12:20):
them, girl.
I'm still trying to learn it,don't worry about it, she's very
you know, you know Lolly's very, you know, very you know around
the waist, so like if we take apicture, that's the cost
Exactly.
If we take a picture, I meanreally I'm like Lolly's, more
Lolly's, I get it, I'm aBrooklyn girl.
Sanya (12:39):
They're all from New York , so I understand the attitude.
I get it.
There we go, yay.
Allure (12:47):
That New York swag is definitely there, wow.
Sanya (12:51):
But you know you mentioned En Vogue and that is
such an influential group.
I had Dawn from En Vogue on myshow, so I'm glad that you were
able to pay homage to that,because a lot of times people
don't pay homage to people whocame before them.
If you could name, let's say,another group that was
influential, who would that be?
(13:12):
Or another individual singer,who would that be?
Allure (13:15):
we can hold on for days, but if you still want to stay
in groups, escape.
We sang this song to get one ofour deals, swv.
We can go on and on and on.
When Missing is in the room,supreme, we go back a lot of our
(13:35):
inspiration really just is verydiverse we can even go as far
as people that sing lead in ourchurches.
As we were kids, we would behere all day Like littlest.
Sanya (13:49):
But you just dropped another gem.
I really lean in and I listenChurch.
You find a lot of the amazingsingers.
Their voices have just beenordained and blessed by God.
So I'm glad that you droppedthat, that you have a church
foundation, and this is whatdemonstrates your blessings.
And I tell you, never question.
(14:10):
I've been blessing that in mycar for a while.
Allure (14:15):
That's my least favorite song.
That's my favorite song.
Wow, we appreciate it, thankyou.
Sanya (14:24):
My most favorite song.
My daughter is 28 years old,she knows the Lord, she's
singing the music.
She's begging me to turn it offand I'm like uh-uh, but you
said that's your least favoritesong, why?
Allure (14:37):
To perform, to perform, why it's like the chorus to us
happens 25 times it's a.
The chorus to us happens 25times it's a bop.
Wait, wait, it's a bop, but wedrop it.
You know what it is.
Trackmasters play the hook somany times.
At the end we were like I don'thave any more ad-libs.
Sanya (15:00):
It's like we got PTSD.
It's a bop.
That whole song is the vibe.
Yes, how did you manage to getLL Cool J to do a collaboration
with you?
How did that work out?
Allure (15:13):
Oh well, we have to thank Trackmaster.
They were very much big hip-hopproducers at the time, so they
were doing work with people likeLL and Nas.
Sanya (15:21):
Right Ray Vaughn.
Allure (15:22):
So they had a lot of relationships and we just felt
great that all these peoplewanted to co-sign our first
project.
We just were honored.
We appreciate all of them.
We thank them.
Sanya (15:32):
LL Cool J.
You had Nas.
I said what the hell?
I mean, it was just amazing.
So you mentioned Trackmasters,but specifically it was what
Polk right.
Polk and Tone Polk and.
Allure (15:47):
Tone, but yeah.
Sanya (15:48):
Polk and Tone.
Allure (15:49):
The ones that produced us Right, so they were friends
of yours.
Sanya (15:53):
No.
Allure (15:53):
We actually I love it, I love it, I love it.
We were rehearsing in acommunity center, love you.
Sanya (16:01):
Will Will Adams so Love.
Allure (16:02):
You Will.
We would do rehearsals everyweek in a community center and
he knew somebody, that knewsomebody, that knew somebody,
and they introduced us to Polk.
And Polk came to the communitycenter and we looked crazy, we
looked hella crazy, you know andjust you know, always eating,
we were always eating.
Sanya (16:18):
We were always eating, but you know, we were eating and
he came, we sang acapella forhim.
And that's how everythingstarted.
So if I recall, I think a fewminutes ago you said that you
sang an escape song.
Is that correct?
Allure (16:30):
Yes, which escape song was that.
It was tonight.
We were singing that for everyintroduction to anybody I ever
met.
That was one of our favoritesongs at the time.
When she said, when Bo showedup, that's what we sang for him
and that's kind of what got came, you know, like when she said
when Bo showed up, that's whenwe sang for him and that's kind
of what got, what you knowbrought the interest and got us
our deal.
Sanya (16:48):
Wow, so singing like?
Did you really say I want arecord deal, I want to be on
somebody's radio?
Was that the goal?
Or did you just say I just wantto sing?
Allure (16:59):
We just wanted to sing.
Actually, we really didn't knowwhat it entailed.
Sanya (17:03):
Like everything.
Allure (17:04):
Like the music industry With the music business, so we
would just like give us a micand let us go, that's just how
we were so we had to learn a lotof things the hard way, but you
know, it is what it is here weare, so talk about signing your
first record contract.
Sanya (17:25):
Where were you, how were you feeling and what did you do
to celebrate?
Allure (17:31):
Oh my gosh, wow.
It's funny because we wereexcited, we were happy about it,
because we're young, so youknow, we're just happy to do it.
My mom always says that was theworst birthday of her life,
because it was signed in October, because they had to wait for
me to become 18 and I didn'tturn 18 until September and they
were signing contracts inOctober.
(17:52):
Yeah, my mom always says thatwas the worst birthday of her
life.
That says a lot for you.
Sanya (17:58):
So again, and here, we are Right, right so looking back
on your first contract.
Do you feel as if you signed agood contract or you could have
done better?
Allure (18:09):
Way better.
She said it was the worstbirthday of my life.
What was wrong with thecontract?
We always looked at things likeyou know what?
It's an opportunity right.
Once we just do the music right, it's gonna be fine,
everything's gonna work out.
And we're like then we're gonnaget up right and try.
Shows are coming, like wealways was trying to be positive
with let's just get in the door, right?
Sanya (18:29):
you know what?
Allure (18:30):
I mean like, let's just and you know, sometimes that
wasn't the best decision, butyou know yeah I mean yeah I've
learned that the kind of hardway too.
Sanya (18:38):
It's just not enough to say I just want to get in the
room and just kind of figure itout later you have to have
everything lined up so that youcan step into the room the right
way.
So I'm glad that you mentionedthat because you know sometimes
people will dangle a few coupleof dollars in front of people
and people will be like, well,you know, that's the most amount
of money that I've ever seen,and sign basically their lives
(19:01):
away.
So you know, another gem thatyou drop so now you're entering
into the music industry Was oversexualization of your brand
ever a conversation.
Allure (19:13):
Oh gosh, yes, it was.
I know there was a time.
If you look at our album coverBaby, that album cover got us in
so much trouble.
Sanya (19:22):
I did not know you could see through the net.
Allure (19:24):
You would think and mind you, fast forward to years down
the line.
We ended up doing Pink Magazineand Move Magazine.
It's not Blacktail or, but it'snot black tail or.
You know it's not.
You know it's very provocative,it's sexy and you know it's
revealing, but still kind ofdressed up, considering you know
(19:46):
the comparisons.
But that album cover we worelike these outfits and you know
you could kind of see, but youdidn't see everything, but just
the fact that you could see alittle bit of a hip bone baby.
The families were not happy.
They were like, right, and youguys are supposed to be classy,
but we are it.
Honestly, that day it didn'tfeel like that because, but when
(20:07):
the lights hit, crochet, it'svery see-through and again we
didn't really have like what ourlook was gonna be.
And then we were like in themiddle of people, like track
masters had a certain way theywanted to be.
Mariah had a certain way and wedidn't really have a say and we
just yeah, okay.
Sanya (20:34):
So I know everyone wants to be heard and I remember when
I was a teen like damn it,you're going to hear everything
that I have to say.
How did you feel being so youngand not really having a voice
over how you looked to the musicindustry?
Allure (20:48):
We thought that they were experts at the time because
we came in very green, like,yeah, we came from church and
you know the block right.
So we didn't know the businessof it and it's like, had we done
more research, we would haveknown that other artists even
before us took control of theiridentities.
You know what I mean?
(21:09):
Um it, it was just a learningexperience.
We trusted that they were theexperts and they knew how to
make us blow up, and we alsounderstood that, in a very small
way, that sex sells.
But we didn't want to be sex,not sex, but we knew that there
was supposed to be some type ofsensuality to it and some type
(21:30):
of allure.
That's how we got our name.
That was Polk's whole idea.
We want something that peoplecrave and that's exciting and
for me personally I can't speakfor everybody else.
She said we were from the blockand church and whatever.
So we were used to being, acertain way, I'm a tomboy
through and through.
Sanya (21:45):
So for me, I was like oh, we get to dress up and wear
makeup and they told me how todo my hair, so I.
Allure (21:49):
But then you never know how it's going to affect your
family and you know, and peoplelooking, especially when the
whole role model thing fallsinto place, and that's something
that we never wanted to be.
But we honestly didn't feelnaked.
I think it was just the albumcover, because at the time they
called us nuns, like sometimesyou would be really covered up.
Covered up, it would be fitted,but we would be covered up,
(22:10):
yeah.
Sanya (22:10):
Wow, I'm kind of surprised by that because for me
everything did look very um,classy, you know, um, but I
don't know.
I got my, my jacket buttoneddown, so I don't know my
definition of classy, I don'tknow, but it didn't seem as if
you were being over sexualized.
(22:31):
So to know that you did feelthat way or that you did
encounter that, you know, that'svery surprising for me to hear
and learn.
What about, let's say, the R&Bgroups at that time, the escapes
of it all, the 702, the Total,were there other R&B groups that
you really built a strongconnection with during those
(22:51):
times?
Allure (22:53):
It's funny, really built a strong connection with during
those times.
It's funny, um, for us wealways say this like even though
we came up in the 90s, we didlike spot dates with people,
like we never like had like atour with the person.
We've always like kind of didtours on our own, like it was
always us, and then, like I said, we meet up somewhere like we
might have a show in philly with702 and total and something
like that, but we never had had,like we were traveling
(23:15):
consistently.
You know how they have themillennial tour and it's like a
set, it's a set roster.
We were never on a set roster.
We were always promoting doingour own tour overseas.
Or, when we came back, radiodates, like they had Jingle Ball
, then we were on withChumbawamba, like it's things
like that, like we were alwaysmesh.
It was never like road city tocity city.
Because when people even ask us, like when there's kind of like
(23:38):
these 90s toys that come outnow, like how come you guys are
not on there, and we have tohonestly say like we really
didn't have those relationshipslike that with those people for
people to even say, oh yeah,sometimes it just takes a person
that might say out of somethingand be like oh yeah, them and
them, and then we'll do theother part, but we were never in
a circle, it was always us.
We just had us all the time Ithink the closest that we ever
(24:00):
came to, really kind of like Idon't want to say it before, I
hate this word forming acamaraderie.
But we were always at the label.
Sanya (24:09):
We were like label kids.
Allure (24:10):
We were always there getting CDs and you know,
hanging out just for no reason,and black was always there as
well, and I think we kind offormed a nice little
relationship with like Brandyand the girls, um, because we
saw them a lot, you know, quite,quite often.
Once we were in Columbia right,but it just wasn't the type of
situation I think, and I thinkit also stems from a lot of
times, like a lot of these girlgroups, they're like from the
(24:31):
same area, like you know, yougot a lot of atlanta girls and
whatever.
So that's kind of just basicallywhat it is like we would like
she said we were our own clique,you know.
But it didn't mean that wedidn't want to have a connection
with anybody.
It just never worked out thatway, right?
Sanya (24:44):
so do you think that the record labels were in part to
blame for that, for notconnecting you to other groups
so that you can be on tour andbuild these relationships?
Allure (24:53):
because the move, the music, it speaks for itself, you
know but it's so weird oursituation, like when we think
back about it.
Certain things.
Maybe now we can say, yeah,that should have been done
differently or this should havebeen.
But hindsight is 2020 and Ihate that saying, but you know,
(25:13):
but when you look back, we werekind of like how your parents
kind of shelter you?
Sanya (25:19):
They sheltered us yeah.
Allure (25:21):
When it came to those kind of things, Like everybody
kind of had their own agenda ofwhat they wanted, Like they
didn't make sure of these things, Like we were going to make
sure that they're a part of thisRight.
And then by the time like thingsreally started building up,
like when people were reallystarting to know who we were,
that's kind of when thingsstarted falling apart with the
label and the whole fire andTommy Mottola and all that.
(25:41):
So we were kind of like alwaysin the middle of them right
there.
And then something happens andit kind of puts us a step back.
Put it back now y'all.
That's a perfect segue becauseyou mentioned.
Sanya (26:04):
You mentioned Tommy Mottola, and as I was preparing
for this conversation with you,beautiful ladies, I didn't even
know that Mariah Carey had arecord label and that Allure was
the first group signed to therecord label and that Allure was
the first group signed to therecord label.
So my first question is howmany labels did you go through
before you were signed to MariahCarey's record label?
Allure (26:23):
well, okay, so what it was?
We were signed to a productiondeal with Trackmasters from,
like I said, when I turned 18,right, we signed a production
deal with Trackmasters Right andthey had a situation with LA
Reid, right.
So, laface, we were firstsigned to LaFace Right, we met
LA Reid, we sang for him and,yeah, we were signed to him for
like five seconds Right, and westarted working on the album and
(26:57):
that's how the whole situationcame.
And then we were over to herfounding right, yeah, as the
first group signed okay.
Sanya (27:05):
So this screams success to me, but I know success is
defined differently by the yes,so you get accepted to la
guardia, huge, huge, huge,because I'm a performing arts
kid so I know that that's a hugething.
Yeah, um, you are, let's say,supported by track masters,
signed into a production deal.
Um, now you meet mariah carey.
(27:27):
Throughout all of that, whendid you say, mama, I made it?
Allure (27:32):
um, I guess, when she said she loved us, yeah, because
that's a huge yeah I mean, shewas one of our idols, like she
was being younger us right shewas in love with me yeah, like.
So she fell under the line oflike.
Oh, that's a voice, so, but tobe um, to have the approval from
a voice yeah, we were.
(27:54):
Oh, it's on now, right.
Sanya (27:56):
Yeah, and that's what I'm talking about.
It speaks volumes to yourtalent.
So I'm just like what the F didthe music industry do, where
you know your name just isn'tbigger than what it is.
Not that it's not big.
Allure (28:10):
Well, we just didn't what you said.
We didn't what the F Girl is,not that it's not big.
Well, we just didn't what yousaid.
We didn't what the f?
Sanya (28:22):
high five.
I'm glad you agree, okay, sothen.
Okay, so now you're signed tomariah carey's label and then
you know, I don't want to seemlike I'm tainted by these men
out here, but just like a manrelationship over and then the
record label gets dissolved andyou ladies are dropped.
Allure (28:40):
Talk about that well, it was a sad day a sad day in the
world we had just started, likeyou know, getting our feet wet
with traveling.
We were in Japan at the time.
That was our first big touraway from home and leaving our
families for the first time.
Like I said, we had just leftthe label.
(29:02):
We went to go visit everybody.
The walls were dressed up withall our pictures and all the
other artists and, whatever thecase was, they wished us well.
We go on tour.
We got phone calls from Mariah,everybody's checking on us,
whatever the case may be, and weget back.
No, no, we were still overthere.
Sanya (29:18):
We were still there.
Allure (29:19):
The only thing we did.
The publicists you know howthey always have the person
Right.
And they told us okay, so guys,Mariah and Tommy are going to
be speak of it, don't speakabout it Right, and we're like
okay, but even that didn't makeus think like, oh, that means
the label was right, right,right.
But okay, right, we still gotto do what we have to do, right.
Sanya (29:42):
We do our tour.
Allure (29:44):
Singing everywhere Yay, yay, yay, not singing.
And then to visit gone.
It was like a ghost town.
Yeah, it literally.
It literally looked like theoffice was gutted out, like if
it was never, like if it neverexisted, like it never existed.
Yeah wait.
Sanya (30:01):
So that's how you found out you just showed up to an
empty office.
We always always did.
Allure (30:05):
That was that was like the playground for us.
Yeah, people knew that we weregonna show up just randomly like
bring the bell hey, it's us andthey would let us up we just
spent all day there eating orwhatever.
So we, you know, we came backto like tell everybody about the
trip and you know, and tellthem about the tour and how it
went, and it literally fell.
It fell like the twilight zone.
Sanya (30:22):
Yeah, we're like what the hell's going?
Allure (30:23):
on.
We didn't know to that extentthat it was that like, yeah,
about the divorce, but we didn'tknow that, yeah, this was gonna
happen.
Yeah, like if we were music itwould have been Halloween
straight through.
Like I'm like what in theMichael Myers is going on?
We were just in shock.
Sanya (30:35):
And then we just got the call from track masters a little
later.
That, okay, yeah, now y'all thesigns of Columbia and we're like
but once again, that speaksvolumes to your talent, because
as I was looking through yourhistory, I said, okay, they were
signed to this label, dropped,signed again, dropped, like you
(30:57):
were never, in my opinion, justleft to kind of for the
tumbleweeds to just kind of comeand just say you know where are
they, you've always been there.
And once again I'm looking atthe, the music industry, the
record labels, to say come on,they could have done a much
better job.
Allure (31:13):
But then when it comes back, go ahead appreciate you
for saying that, because a lotof times, because of what we
went through, and when peoplesee the oh, they were signed to
La Fesa and they got.
When they see that, they alwayslook at it like, oh, it must
have been them right and notrealizing what we were going
through, like we didn't, weweren't able to say anything,
like we weren't able to makechoices, to say, well, how about
this label?
(31:33):
Why don't we see what so-and-so?
They might want to work harderfor us, they might want to do
more, but we will just alwayskind of like told this is what
you're gonna do.
Sanya (31:40):
This is what you're gonna do.
This is how it's going right,and it never was about the
talent because obviously theyhad no problem moving us right.
Allure (31:47):
But um, yeah, when you become businesswoman, then right
, there's a problem.
And then for us being signed toTrackmaster's production.
Then they became higher-ups inSony and they're running parts
of the label.
Sanya (32:01):
So now they're focused on everybody, not just us.
Allure (32:03):
So even like that, we really felt like you left us on
the side of the step Like yeah,that's what I'm on.
Sanya (32:10):
Really, we were left with Miss Hannigan, no we were Wow,
no, no, we were left with misshannigan.
Wow, but you just saidsomething, and it reminded me of
something that someone said tome most recently, something that
I didn't even want to accept oradmit that we are now in a
space and it's been this way fora while that people don't
(32:30):
really give a damn about yourtalent.
It's all about who likes you.
Yeah, and that is so unfortunatebecause, like I said, you
ladies are so, so talented.
There's not an auto-tuneanywhere, you know.
Allure (32:44):
So I appreciate it as it comes.
Yeah, we don't have perfectpitch, but thank you, even when
you're like or you're likable.
Some people don't like that andthat's a threat as well.
So I mean, it is what it is.
All we can be is ourselves.
(33:04):
Oh, I like that.
Sanya (33:05):
I have my classy moments.
I told you so wait a minute.
But then okay, so the recordlabel, my character's record
label, gets dissolved.
But then she writes a memoirand she doesn't even mention
that allure was the first groupthat she signed and that left a
(33:27):
really bad taste in your mouth.
Allure (33:28):
Talk about that unfortunately for us, we just
are the type of people we didn'tknow the whole story.
Sanya (33:33):
We didn't know that the memoir was basically about her
and her men like we didn't knowthat that was like a big part of
like her first it was likeeverything so right.
Allure (33:43):
We just got sent a snippet and, being as though she
had never, ever other thanother than when we first started
at Craven, we did our EPKs andshe was doing interviews.
This is is my new group RightAfter that, after the label was
off.
Sanya (33:55):
There was no conversation .
It was like the label didn'texist and we didn't either.
Allure (33:59):
You know she famous for the.
I don't know her.
We were fine with that.
We were okay with that, yeah,but when we got the snippet,
when whoever sent the snippet-we're thinking like oh, this
time in your life with the labeland you have the nerve to say
so, and so was your, was yourfirst, but tired of it, because
we always felt like, with all ofthem from track masters, her,
(34:21):
anybody it was like they alwayswould skip over our era and it's
like, yeah, we get it.
Y'all had other people thatbecame bigger and all these
things, but we were all ofy'all's first.
Yeah, track masters you like,and the first r&b group and I
was like we were feeling likewhat's the problem?
and our thing was, this is notour doing, we didn't choose for
(34:41):
these things to happen.
Right, things were going upbefore all these things like
started happening with thedivorce and the label and all
this stuff.
Sanya (34:47):
So it's not like we weren't selling records.
Allure (34:49):
It was just in the midst of our climb all these things
started happening.
But then if you say that it'slike, oh they're bitter, oh
they're this, you know how comey'all didn't and we just kind of
got tired of it.
And I think that day we werehaving a moment, we were having
a moment, maybe thinking aboutall the stuff we went through
and when we got sent that clipwe just got mad.
We're like this is ridiculous.
(35:09):
But then once we realized like,oh it, our dudes.
Oh yeah, we weren't with ourdudes.
Well, we weren't that.
So, yeah, all right, but still,they weren't your first.
They weren't your first, right?
If you're going to mention,just give us our part of the
history.
Or just don't say that, right,my group.
Social media is so big.
(35:30):
You know, social media likes toflip everything, but if you
really look at it, that's likeanybody.
I don't care who you are orwhat you do Once you put in hard
work and you're discredited andyou're not acknowledged at all
all your life.
Just tell the truth, no no, no.
(35:51):
It's also acknowledgement too,because when you've been in this
industry for 27 years, like wehave, and we put in the work,
people, people always think, oh,whatever, no, it worked.
So for you to work as hard aswe did and then for no one to
ever talk, you know, you knowwhat that feels like to watch tv
and see you know award shows orthings like that where people
are talking about like bigproduction groups, like how bad
boy was always a click.
You mention everybody you workwith, but every time they
mention somebody who worked withtrack master, somebody else,
(36:12):
they'll mention Mary J.
Oh, all these people.
A law is never to be mentionedand it's like, yeah, did I read
the wrong?
Sanya (36:19):
production.
Allure (36:26):
So for people to flip that around and say, oh, they're
bitter, they're whatever, noboo, because if it was you yeah,
that hard work and somebodythat's you, you how would you
feel?
But we live in a world of youknow what's good for the goos
and good for the.
You know what I mean.
I get it.
I had already been about a good15 years into therapy, so for
me it was the wording thatbothered me the most, that
(36:50):
triggered me the most For her tosay that a group was her first
and that was not the truth.
I'm big on the truth andtechnically the major key in my
life, like, yeah, especiallywhen you experience it, you
experience that first love, thatfirst everything.
And that was one of our biggestissues also that we thought
that, like how it started, theway you know we were being
(37:11):
treated and how it felt like afamily union, whatever.
We're big on family, so we'rebig on.
Sanya (37:15):
Okay, if you know, nothing else impresses us but
loyalty money doesn't impress us, all these little, you know,
material things, I mean that'sthe business part, that's right.
But even, but, even, like whenwe first got signed.
Allure (37:26):
The money wasn't the aspect, it was the.
We get to go and travel andreally sing and let people feel
you know us doing what we love,right?
That's what was important to usright.
So when you do little, stufflike that, like not even mention
, like oh right this group thathad this number one record.
It had this it's like I'm sorry, are we alone here?
Right?
and it's almost like now, how inrelationships, when you speak
(37:47):
up and you say how you feel, andpeople want to gaslight you and
say well, it, it's not aboutthat, this was triggering, this
was very about to go away.
She's not going to ask you thatquestion, I'm just saying I
love it because people need tohear these things.
Sanya (38:03):
I've looked at Allure and all that you've done and I
realize I'm smart.
I was like it wasn't even them.
Allure (38:09):
It wasn't even them.
Sanya (38:11):
It's just this music industry.
People really have tounderstand what they're about to
get into If they haveaspirations of joining the music
industry.
Have you all even ever had aconversation with Mariah Carey
about what happened?
Allure (38:25):
No, we haven't spoken to her ever since.
Sanya (38:27):
So if she was in front of you right now, what would you
say to her?
Allure (38:32):
Hi Mariah, hi Mariah, hey girl, hey, hey, keep it cute
.
Look, I told you we're healedlike this.
Yeah, I'm, I just told you Idid about 40, 19 years of
therapy, so I'm good like itjust depends at this point it
just depends on your energy,whatever you boomerang or give
out to us we're boomerang to you.
(38:53):
There's no hard feelings at onepoint you would have heard me
say, oh, I'm a such a, but no,that's not me anymore.
We're past that.
We're grown like we.
We saw her one time in betweenthis whole you know, all these,
all these years and she gallopedaway like somebody was gonna,
you know, rob up, take a purse.
And then it learned about her,like you heard that she happened
(39:14):
to as well, because I do, butso it's like it just depends on
where she's at.
We can meet there.
Sanya (39:20):
And she's not okay.
Allure (39:21):
Don't want to say we're good, we're good.
Sanya (39:23):
Wow, wow, we should make that Right.
Allure (39:27):
We're part of the R&B.
Sanya (39:29):
National R&B Music Society.
Shout out to Vanessa Jordan.
Allure (39:32):
We appreciate them, we go where we're wanted and
welcome and not tolerated.
As long as we're on stage,we're good, we're happy, that's
our happy place, and as long asno one Takes that from us,
there's nothing to talk about,there's no bitterness, there's
no anger, it's just you know,and they love experience as a
teacher.
Sanya (39:51):
Yes, it is, yes, it is so .
That brings me To so what didyou learn?
Because you said experience asa teacher, what did you learn
from that experience?
Allure (40:00):
you learn not to sign contracts.
Follow the story, we learn howto write.
We learn, we learn so muchthrough experience like there's
no book, there's no 101 bookabout the music industry that we
could have read.
That would have prepared us for.
Sanya (40:26):
Especially.
Allure (40:27):
God being our foundation ?
We would not.
We, yeah, thank God give alittle credit Girl.
Sanya (40:30):
you should have seen me an hour ago.
Yesterday was my birthday andI'm just trying to hold it.
Hey, leo, leo, leo, my suchbody and I think, one of you.
You said your birthday is inSeptember.
Allure (40:44):
Yeah, lolly's just passed, I'm coming up in.
September.
Wait, whose birthday Somebodyelse's in?
Sanya (40:49):
Leo and go ahead, twin, where have you been?
Yes, I'm not going to talkabout you, virgos.
Allure (40:58):
Virgos, stop Virgos, it never ends, no, no no, leo,
energy never ends.
Sanya (41:04):
But I'm traumatized by you, virgos, because I grew up
in a household full of Virgos.
I was the only Leo and I'm likeyou.
I've been in therapy for about20 something years.
So continue blessing, but waita minute.
So let's get back to thisconversation and the music
industry and these new artists.
(41:25):
What new artists do you listento today?
Allure (41:30):
Oh, it's so pretty One of my favorites is the Sacred
Souls.
I love them so much, oh, my God.
They're amazing.
I think they are so amazing.
They're so dope.
Josh, their lead singer, I lovehim, I love him.
He's so dope.
Right now that's who I'mlistening to consistently like
full time.
I don't know them For me, no,for me.
(41:51):
I love Jasmine Sullivan.
I love there's this new girl,alicia Creedia, I think her name
is.
She's mad soulful.
I love Friday.
Friday is one of my that's mylittle fake boyfriend in my head
.
Hey, hey, hey.
You get up on Wednesdays andMondays.
I get them every other day ofthe week and, truth be told,
(42:13):
what's?
Contrary to what everybody elsebelieves, I love Chris Brown.
I actually went to go see himrecently and the show was great.
Sanya (42:19):
I'm not saying y'all.
Allure (42:19):
I'm just saying contrary to Chris Brown.
I love me some Chris Brown, butthere's a lot of artists out
there right now that are reallydope and I think they don't get
enough credit.
I'm going to remember right nowthat are really dope and I
think they don't get enoughcredit.
They don't get as much creditas some other people.
I love Lola Brooks.
Shout out to Brooklyn.
Love Lola.
Yes, I don't know, there's alot that I don't really, we're
(42:41):
very much old school.
Our playlist consists of thesesacred souls and Motown stuff
and Face First album and stuff.
Oh, kendrick stuff, yeah, ohKendrick, yes, kendrick yes,
they definitely not like us wefeel the eyes.
The laser beams are going tocome from the side of the room.
Sanya (43:01):
Yes, you know I'm glad that you mentioned some artists
that people may not have heardof or you know they're still
emerging to get the the creditthat they deserve, because I
never thought that I would getto this space where I look at
music and I'm just like I'm notreally feeling it 110 percent,
(43:23):
like I rely on music of the 90s,the early 2000s.
Like I said, I've been blastinga lure for a few months, to the
point where my 28 year olddaughter is like over me, but
she needs to hear good, goodmusic.
How do you feel about thedirection that music has taken
from the time that you weresigned up until now, um?
Allure (43:45):
it's been up and down.
I believe it's coming back,because every 20 years history
repeats itself.
Sanya (43:49):
So I believe it's coming back to a good place.
Allure (43:51):
Now, this Caucasian guy, he's a big guy.
He has a song with Joyner Lucas.
Sanya (44:01):
Oh.
Allure (44:01):
Joyner Lucas.
I love him too.
It's coming back, but there's alot of gimmicky stuff as well,
and there's a lot Good music iscoming back.
There's a lot of gimmicky stuffas well and there's a lot like
but I mean.
But I always keep in mind Talonis not twerking and bending
over and patting you.
I always keep in mind thatevery era said my music was
better, right, even our 90smusic.
(44:23):
Our parents were like, yeah, Idon't know what's happening here
.
Sanya (44:27):
I don't know what's happening here.
Allure (44:28):
But okay, you know, in certain things I think every era
goes through that thing wherethey feel like their time of the
time.
So I can appreciate what thesekids are doing, even though I
can't really relate.
But when I see my daughter andmy niece and my nephew relating
to it.
I'm like, okay, that's theirthing, this is their time and
they're loving it.
So God bless, god bless thoseartists, yeah, but then also our
(44:48):
kids are very much like us aswell, like they're not.
Sanya (44:51):
I don't think, I don't know.
Allure (44:53):
I trust what they do Right their time I'm like okay,
I trust it because they havegood taste.
Right, right, and they put uson to a lot of the stuff that's
out now that we haven't seen yet.
Sanya (45:13):
I mean crazy that we were really born in the 1900s.
Okay, so we were introduced toa law in the 1900s and now you
know we're talking to a law, allgrown up and your mothers.
So I see that two of you havechildren.
Do all three of you have kids?
Allure (45:24):
yes, yes, we all have kids and I have two grandbabies
girl, you look good, you got thegood black.
Sanya (45:30):
You got the good black.
That may bend, but it don'tcrack none, it's old.
Allure (45:38):
I know somebody that like it.
Sanya (45:42):
What about the rest of you?
Kids, grandkids, like what'sgoing on?
Allure (45:47):
Kids, grandkids, let's see Five more weeks.
Bird wants to come in.
Stop playing with us, ohbrother, like what's going on,
kids grandkids.
Sanya (45:56):
Wow so, okay.
So, based upon your experienceand all that you've navigated
through the music industry, haveyou ever thought about signing
your own group?
Allure (46:07):
why not?
No, I mean because we want todo it the right way, Like we've
seen it done the wrong way somany times.
So we wouldn't want somebody'sdestiny to be in our hands
unless it's done the right way.
If we ever said we had a grouptrust, and believe me,
everything.
All our ducks are in a row andthey're about to go.
Quack, quack, quack.
Yeah, but honestly I don'tthink we have the patience.
I don't have any patienceeither.
(46:30):
That's the biggest thing.
We don't have the patience.
We just said we're mothers andI'm a grandma.
Patience is a virtue.
I don't have too much virtueleft in me.
We put somebody in the rightdirection.
Yeah, we're being on mentoringand supporting organizations
that have choirs and stuff likethat, and we'll come and we'll
(46:50):
talk to the kids.
I think that's as far as we'llgo.
We're actually mentoringwithout because we're vendors
for the Board of Education, sowe're licensed to do the core as
well as the big sisters, like abig sister mentor program.
Yeah, and we're going to keepit as honest and authentic as we
possibly can.
Sanya (47:08):
as you can see, I'm definitely going to keep it as
honest and authentic as wepossibly can.
As you can see, yeah, Idefinitely want to stay
connected to you.
I'm a director of a high schooloh, that's nice, yeah and I'm
always bringing in individualsbecause I believe that not every
child is college bound and Ijust want to have them explore
other career options, becauseI'm a firm believer that
(47:28):
children can't be what theydon't see Right, and I want to
bring excellence in front ofthem.
But I have a question regardingyour children, though.
Do your children even know thattheir mamas are the shit?
Do they know?
Allure (47:41):
They know they don't admit it and they don't care,
they're not impressed.
I mean, they hardly even wantto come to our shows.
They'll be like, yeah, yeah,yeah, sometimes they'll show up
and they're like, all right,right oh my gosh, well wait how
old are your kids?
(48:02):
oh, like that type of yeah, shegets it when there was a tiktok
but they were like oh, you wereraised by so-and-so, but I was
raised by this person and shedid it and she posted, like you,
like you know, posted ourpictures and this is my auntie's
.
I was like, oh, you love us,but yeah they're very much,
they're used to us.
Sanya (48:16):
It's like they're like our little sidekicks, I know, I
know For the first time.
Yesterday I went to mydaughter's TikTok birthday and
she called me the funniestperson that she knows and I said
you know when?
Allure (48:32):
you get that moment.
You gotta hold on to it.
Yes, I said.
Oh, my baby, I said what youwant, mama to buy you because
it's something they hit you with, with the mom.
Sanya (48:50):
Yes, I love it, I love it , I love it.
So let's talk about whereAllure is today.
You have your own record label,correct?
No?
Allure (49:00):
No, that was years ago.
We're not trying to have alabel we don't have no label.
Sanya (49:09):
I hear you, I hear you, I hear you, I hear you, but
you're still performing correct.
Yes, yes, definitely.
Allure (49:16):
That's the main thing.
We're still on the stage.
That's doing what we love Yep,performing for audiences Like
that's our thing.
Yeah, and we have.
We always say we know thatpeople, anyone, that's a true
fan of us knows that we take along time with stuff.
I think people just like us.
Sanya (49:32):
Yeah, right, when you do it, you do it.
Allure (49:35):
But we have our podcast coming called Grown Ass Girls
Gag.
But it's more than just apodcast.
It's a lot more intricate thanjust a podcast.
Soon come.
Maybe not soon come, but come.
Sanya (49:52):
So where are?
Allure (49:52):
you going to be performing at next?
This Saturday we have a show at.
Is it Saturday?
No, that's next Saturday.
This Saturday we got practicefor the other show.
Yeah, she makes it up.
August 10th is our nextperformance.
Sanya (50:06):
In Co-op.
Allure (50:07):
City Jones is hosting along with the Aquarius Boys.
Shout out to Jones.
In Co-op City.
In Co-op, city Jones is hostingalong with the Aquarius Boys.
Oh, shout out to First JohnBooking.
Shout out to Jones.
Shout out to me.
Yeah, shout out to Julie ToJulie.
First John Booking.
Yes, but I'm saying thatbecause I'm sorry.
I went back to the 90s, the 90sHer show.
She's going to be doing somemore of that domestic violence,
right, yeah, and that's tosupport domestic violence.
(50:29):
But, guys, if you follow us onour yes, yeah, because we saw
the agent show Wednesday, theywere like, ah, yeah, yeah, when
did y'all know?
Sanya (50:39):
You see, I just thought we had a show.
Allure (50:40):
This time I was getting ready to get dressed, right.
Sanya (50:51):
So official wasn't up to date.
Yes, yes, keep it up.
And I'm glad that you mentionedmiss jones, because that's who
I was listening to.
I already recorded the um, theopener of the show, and I spoke
about miss jones.
I was listening to 94.7 theblock and that's when I heard
that you were performing on some90s tour and she played your
song and I said, god damn it,I'm gonna have a conversation
with them because I am in lovewith you, ladies, and you really
(51:13):
define an era of relationshipsfor me when I was out in the
streets.
Thank you for that.
I'm about to let you go, but Ihave a quick game that I want to
play.
The game is called who is MostLikely To?
Oh Lord Me, you go, but I havea quick game that I want to play
.
The game is called who is mostlikely to?
oh, lord, me the first one realquick.
(51:36):
Who is most likely to go fromzero to 100 real quick, really?
Oh, okay, I was wrong.
I yeah, I thought it was you me.
Allure (51:49):
Yeah, well, in the past couple of weeks maybe okay who
is most likely to be late?
Accountability, accountability.
I'm kind of better, but putyour feet up.
(52:11):
I'm working on me.
Put your feet up both feet,okay.
Sanya (52:16):
Who's most likely to send you straight to voicemail?
Me too, girl.
Me too.
Don't call me, just text me.
Don't feel bad about it, girl,me too.
(52:37):
I should just sit like itwasn't her, okay.
Who is most likely to cookevery single night of the week?
Allure (52:46):
Cook every single night of the week.
Oh, both of them.
Yeah, it ain't her.
I'm doing it week cook everysingle night?
Sanya (52:54):
oh, both of them, yeah, wow.
Well, you know what, ladies?
Thank you so much for thisconversation.
Continued blessings when Ileave here.
No lie, I'm telling the truth.
I'm still going to turn on.
Never question, because that'smy move that I'm in right now.
Never Question what I do.
Allure (53:16):
You need me and I need you yes yes, yes, yes.
Sanya (53:22):
So, thank you, ladies, continue blessings and I'm going
to be back in New York becauseI'm leaving for DC tomorrow
night and I'm going to try tohit up your performance in Co-op
City because, like I said, I'mjust in Brooklyn and I would
love to see you, ladies, inperson.
So, thank you so much.
Allure (53:38):
Thank you, we appreciate you.
Sanya (53:40):
Take care Bye-bye.
So there you have it.
Another amazing conversation,this time with 90s R&B group
Allure.
I had a great time talking tothem.
They're nice, they're so nice.
There's a lot of lessons that Ilearned in that conversation
and I hope that all of youtuning in you picked up on it
(54:02):
too.
And it's the first thing that Ilearned.
I'm sad to say I don't even wantto say you see, I'm getting all
choked up.
I don't like hearing thatsometimes talent just isn't
enough.
It's not enough to move thedial forward.
Business is really big.
How about the curse?
That's how angry I am.
Business is really big businessand you know it's a numbers
(54:25):
game and sometimes it's reallyabout who likes you and the
bottom line of it all.
And the mere fact that Allureis still performing today, it
really speaks volumes to theirtalent.
The mere fact that the VoiceMiss Mariah Carey signed them as
(54:47):
her first group on her recordlabel once again it confirms
their talent.
It is so unfortunate that thepersonal got in the way of the
business.
Allure is signed to MariahCarey's record label.
Mariah Carey is married toTommy Mottola Mariah Carey's
(55:12):
record label.
Mariah Carey is married toTommy Mottola.
Relationship is over.
They get divorced.
A lawyer gets thrown out thewindow.
How messed up is that that yourcareer is contingent upon a
relationship with someone.
It's just sad.
(55:32):
It's just sad.
And the foundation Make sureyou have the right people around
you, the right people in yourcorner.
That's going to hold youaccountable.
That is not going to allow youto get into the toxicity of it
all.
There are so many stories aboutgirl groups breaking up.
Too bad.
(55:53):
My high school mate from TalentUnlimited that was inside Julie
Richmond High School that'swhere I went to Talent Unlimited
.
Too bad that she's no longer inthe group Didn't even want to
go there.
What happened?
She just ain't there, no more.
What their energy excuse me,what their energy confirmed for
me.
There's a sisterhood amongstthose three and you can tell
(56:14):
when you're around women longenough.
You start to complete eachother's sentences.
You kind of lean in when you'retalking and they did just that.
It let me know they are really,really friends.
So if you decide to go into anytype of venture and you want to
(56:35):
have partners in this whether ornot it is, you know, let's say,
a corporate business, somethingin entertainment, whatever it
is that you have multiple peopleon the leadership.
Make sure you all get along.
Please make sure that you allget along.
Make sure that you find a wayto kind of work it out and if
(56:56):
people decide to leave, makesure that that doesn't stop what
it is that you're trying to doand the direction that you're
headed towards.
So I'm so serious too, like I'vebeen playing Never Question by
Lou for the past couple ofmonths, I just can't get that
song out my head.
And, darling, don't let me getinto a room where, uh, the
acoustics is good.
You can't tell me I'm not thefourth member of alura.
(57:18):
You can't tell me that I can'thit a note.
Never question.
So I'm just gonna end on that.
Make sure that you subscribe tosonja on air streaming across
every major platform, and I'mgonna go on a little.
Um, I ain't gonna say nothing.
(57:39):
Keep my business to myself, butmake sure you stay tuned to
sonja on air for more amazinginterviews.
I'm just trying to findsomething right here, just a
little quick, and I can't findit.
Here we go.
Here we go.
Here we go.
There we go.
Subscribe like share, leave acomment.
(58:01):
Yeah, okay, and make sure youstay tuned to sign your on there
.
This is not me on here.
What is the purpose?
What am I trying to do?
People are giving you keys,giving you gems, creating
pipelines to access, talking toinfluential people, icons about
how they've done it and sharingthe tips so that you can enter
(00:30):
into that space.
One thing that I do know aboutmarginalized communities is that
the Pipelines to Access isoften not there.
Now, if you're cleaned up onSaturday mornings and your
parents played old school music,then this show is for you.
Welcome everyone.
(00:58):
You are now tuned into anotheramazing edition of Sanya On Air.
I'm your host, sanyaHudson-Payne, and thank you for
tuning in where I unpackcelebrity pivotal moments and
their milestones.
But before I tell you abouttoday's guest, as you can see
from the banner, please makesure that you subscribe to Sanya
On Air.
Sanya On Air streams acrossevery major streaming platform.
(01:21):
If you're watching this episodeon YouTube, not only subscribe,
but make sure you hit thenotification button.
That way, every time I uploadan all new Sonia O'Neal
celebrity interview unpackingtheir pivotal moments and
milestones, you'll be the firstones to know.
You'll be the first ones to know.
Now, the second thing I want tosay is happy birthday to myself
(01:41):
.
Yesterday was my birthday andlet me tell you something I am
just so grateful.
I'm so grateful that God hasallowed me another opportunity
to pour greatness into the worldand to leave an impact, to
leave my footprint.
So this is something specialfor me.
(02:03):
I don't take it for granted.
So I just want to also give aspecial shout out to all of the
amazing and fabulous Leos of theworld.
I know everyone heard you roar,because Leos roar all the time.
We can't even help it when Itry to turn off this switch,
this internal fabulosity switch,I can't do it.
(02:24):
I can't do it, I can't do it.
So, talking about fabulosity andfabulous women, especially
women of color, today's guest,let me tell you how I stumbled
across today's guest.
So I was just in my carlistening to 94 the Block.
Shout out to Miss Jones.
I'm so glad that she's back onthe radio.
(02:44):
She's doing amazing things.
So make sure that you tune inevery single morning, if you're
in new york city, to 94.7 theblock.
Okay, so, like I was saying, Iwas listening, listening to miss
jones in the morning and um,this song came on, this song
that, uh, definitely defined anera, defined a moment in my life
, by the fabulous R&B 90s groupAllure.
(03:10):
So when I heard this song NeverQuestion, they did this song
with LL Cool J I said, wait aminute, wait a minute.
Whatever happened to Allure?
What happened to that r&b group?
They did collaborations with llcool j, like I just said, with
(03:32):
naz two major, major, majorartists.
And did you know that they wereeven signed to mariah carey's
label?
I don't even know that she hada record label.
So make sure that you staytuned into this conversation
with r&b group allure, becausewe're going to talk about how
they got started, how theynavigated the music industry,
(03:54):
getting signed to mariah carey'slabel, and what happened a lot
happened and where they are now.
So if you remember the R&Bgroup Allure and you just want
something nostalgic to remindyou of the greatness of R&B
music in the late 90s and the2000s, this is a conversation
(04:18):
that you definitely need to betuned into.
So we're going to take a quickcommercial break and we'll be
right back with Sanya on Air andAllure.
Stay tuned and make sure yousubscribe too.
I'll be right back EatingT-shirts and more LLC is a proud
Sanya on Air sponsor.
Get your customized tumblers,mugs, t-shirts, hoodies and
(04:41):
passport holders for all of myfabulous Sonia On Air
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(05:05):
Now back to Sonia on Air.
Yes, okay, well, welcome toSonia on Air.
We have the amazing R&B groupAllure first.
I want to start off by havingeach of you introduce yourself,
so tell my audience who you arehey, what's up.
Allure (05:21):
I'm Lala.
Hey y'all, I'm Aaliyah.
Hey, what's up.
Sanya (05:23):
I'm Akisa and we're a lot nice, nice.
So you know I'm gonna go backto high school days because I
was doing my research and someof you went to LaGuardia High
School but one of you went toJulia Richmond, who went to
julia richmond?
Allure (05:39):
so wait a minute.
So you three went to.
You three went to la guardia.
Sanya (05:42):
Yes, okay, so I have a lot of friends who went to la
guardia.
So I'm assuming you went to laguardia for voice, right?
Yes, so you know?
Um, well, I'm not going to callhis government name yet G-Fly,
(06:05):
he went to Minivision.
Oh yeah, we know, george.
Yeah, george, I'm George fromGeorgia.
Let me tell you, we've beenchildhood friends since we were
seven years old Nice, that's athousand One of my best best
friends.
So you know now that we'retalking about the 90s and high
school and all of that.
When did you first realize thatyou wanted to be singers?
Allure (06:30):
and anyone can answer the question um, for us, like we
said, we played around a lot, alot, a lot, just because we
could do it, so it wasn't reallysomething that we took
seriously until, like, ourfamily started saying you know,
you guys really should starttrying to do this, and like make
this a career because you guyssound great.
And then we were like, okay,might as well, let's do it that
(06:52):
reminds me of you know everychild.
Sanya (06:54):
They're performing for their family at the barbecue and
the mom is like but this timeyour family was honest and they
were truthful.
You ladies can really reallysing thank you so how did you
hone your craft?
I know LaGuardia amazing schooland I know that perfected your
(07:17):
craft formally, but what otherthings did you do to perfect
your voices?
Allure (07:22):
um, we eventually, as when we did get our record deal,
we did a couple well, not acouple, but we have vocal
lessons and, um, to be honest,like, as far as technique, as
far as singing in the studio, wecredit mariah for a lot of that
, because she obviously had thechops and you know, right, yeah,
to guide us, right, yeah niceand we're going to talk about
(07:45):
your um relationship with MariahCarey a little bit later on,
but I'm glad that you touched onthe vocal lessons.
Sanya (07:51):
I'm glad that you talked, uh touched base, about going to
LaGuardia for voice time's.
A little bit different now, Ibelieve, but I'm not in the
music industry.
When it comes to these newartists, do you think that they
are securing contracts a lotdifferently than when you first
started off in the late 90s?
Allure (08:10):
oh, definitely.
I even believe they might beeven a little smarter, because
they've had so many people tosee what they went through
throughout years of thisindustry right, I think they
kind of got it a little betterthan even we did.
Sanya (08:22):
Right, we were like first getting started, yeah that's
refreshing to hear, becausethere's a lot of artists that I
talk to and sometimes they havea little bit of animosity at the
end without we never said Imean, look, we never said there
wasn't a little bit of animosity, but they did have it better
because they learned from us allthe mistakes that we made,
(08:45):
right.
Mm-hmm, nice, nice.
So the 90s it ushered in somany amazing R&B groups.
You have like 702.
You have Aaliyah, mary J Bligeand Total.
Was there any competitionbetween your group Allure and
other female R&B artists?
Allure (09:06):
Not that we know of, not with us, but yeah, there was
there was a point in time wherethere was like this big
comparison, not even comparison.
There was just this big, um, uh, imperative feeling for people
to create drama between groups,you know.
I mean like we wouldn't haveeven met anybody, and right away
it's there's like some secretbeef and oh well, did you hear
(09:28):
about this?
And people created stuff.
But as far as we were concerned, we just wanted to sing and we
just wanted to, you know, paytribute to everybody else and
welcome everybody who was cominginto the industry after us, and
it was always all love with us.
Yeah, we never had.
Yeah, well, we always paidhomage to anyone who came before
us.
Sanya (09:43):
So where does?
Allure (09:44):
that come, we still have no problem doing it so where
does that come from?
Sanya (09:47):
because you know, a lot of times they say female groups
can't get along or women ingeneral just can't get along.
How did you navigate throughwhen toxicity presents itself to
you that you say that's not forme?
How did you navigate throughthat?
Allure (10:02):
well, that's one of the reasons why we're a trio right,
and also because a big part ofit like a lot of groups not all,
but a lot of groups were likeput together, so you have to
learn personalities.
We grew up together.
Plus, we have family membersthat make us take accountability
, like something is being donewrong or whatever is happening.
We have people in our circlethat's going to let me know,
like that's not it, we need tocut it out.
(10:25):
We respect those people, so wetake love from them and we're
also naturally just not cattywomen.
You know, women are known to.
That's a little stigma we'recatty, we can't get along.
Sanya (10:37):
there's always beef in between, and we're just not like
that.
Allure (10:39):
We're girls', girls, if that makes any sense.
We're literally sisters.
Like don't get us wrong, likeit's not hunky-dory all the time
like we argue but it's never tothe point with fist and cup
right I love that gem.
Sanya (10:53):
I love that gem because I always encourage people to be
mindful of who you allow in yourvillage, who you allow around
you, because accountability isso, so important.
So I'm glad that you havepeople in your camp that were
able to say don't do it that way, don't get involved in that,
and that you have the humilityand the foundation to know
(11:13):
better and do better yeah, youbriefly talked about some of the
influences that you had growingup in this industry.
Who your early musicalinfluences?
Allure (11:36):
That I can speak it right for everybody but and
Vogue and ex-girlfriend, whetherit girls for us, like when we,
when we finally sat down andsaid Maybe we should give this a
chance and maybe we can do thisbecause they know we can sing
we just they were like theblueprints to everything.
I mean we just can't dance likeex-girlfriends.
Right, we weren't doing likecartwheels and flips and stuff,
(11:57):
but just the energy behind them,the vocal ability behind them.
Everyone was unique, but stillit was cohesive.
Exactly.
There was that individual swagbetween each girl and then
collectively, when they gottogether, it was just something
serious.
And then in Vogue it was justlike you know all vocal, but
also the classiness.
Right, you know, and that'ssomething that we always wanted,
to make sure that we kept inthe forefront and classiness for
(12:20):
them, girl.
I'm still trying to learn it,don't worry about it, she's very
you know, you know Lolly's very, you know, very you know around
the waist, so like if we take apicture, that's the cost
Exactly.
If we take a picture, I meanreally I'm like Lolly's, more
Lolly's, I get it, I'm aBrooklyn girl.
Sanya (12:39):
They're all from New York , so I understand the attitude.
I get it.
There we go, yay.
Allure (12:47):
That New York swag is definitely there, wow.
Sanya (12:51):
But you know you mentioned En Vogue and that is
such an influential group.
I had Dawn from En Vogue on myshow, so I'm glad that you were
able to pay homage to that,because a lot of times people
don't pay homage to people whocame before them.
If you could name, let's say,another group that was
influential, who would that be?
(13:12):
Or another individual singer,who would that be?
Allure (13:15):
we can hold on for days, but if you still want to stay
in groups, escape.
We sang this song to get one ofour deals, swv.
We can go on and on and on.
When Missing is in the room,supreme, we go back a lot of our
(13:35):
inspiration really just is verydiverse we can even go as far
as people that sing lead in ourchurches.
As we were kids, we would behere all day Like littlest.
Sanya (13:49):
But you just dropped another gem.
I really lean in and I listenChurch.
You find a lot of the amazingsingers.
Their voices have just beenordained and blessed by God.
So I'm glad that you droppedthat, that you have a church
foundation, and this is whatdemonstrates your blessings.
And I tell you, never question.
(14:10):
I've been blessing that in mycar for a while.
Allure (14:15):
That's my least favorite song.
That's my favorite song.
Wow, we appreciate it, thankyou.
Sanya (14:24):
My most favorite song.
My daughter is 28 years old,she knows the Lord, she's
singing the music.
She's begging me to turn it offand I'm like uh-uh, but you
said that's your least favoritesong, why?
Allure (14:37):
To perform, to perform, why it's like the chorus to us
happens 25 times it's a.
The chorus to us happens 25times it's a bop.
Wait, wait, it's a bop, but wedrop it.
You know what it is.
Trackmasters play the hook somany times.
At the end we were like I don'thave any more ad-libs.
Sanya (15:00):
It's like we got PTSD.
It's a bop.
That whole song is the vibe.
Yes, how did you manage to getLL Cool J to do a collaboration
with you?
How did that work out?
Allure (15:13):
Oh well, we have to thank Trackmaster.
They were very much big hip-hopproducers at the time, so they
were doing work with people likeLL and Nas.
Sanya (15:21):
Right Ray Vaughn.
Allure (15:22):
So they had a lot of relationships and we just felt
great that all these peoplewanted to co-sign our first
project.
We just were honored.
We appreciate all of them.
We thank them.
Sanya (15:32):
LL Cool J.
You had Nas.
I said what the hell?
I mean, it was just amazing.
So you mentioned Trackmasters,but specifically it was what
Polk right.
Polk and Tone Polk and.
Allure (15:47):
Tone, but yeah.
Sanya (15:48):
Polk and Tone.
Allure (15:49):
The ones that produced us Right, so they were friends
of yours.
Sanya (15:53):
No.
Allure (15:53):
We actually I love it, I love it, I love it.
We were rehearsing in acommunity center, love you.
Sanya (16:01):
Will Will Adams so Love.
Allure (16:02):
You Will.
We would do rehearsals everyweek in a community center and
he knew somebody, that knewsomebody, that knew somebody,
and they introduced us to Polk.
And Polk came to the communitycenter and we looked crazy, we
looked hella crazy, you know andjust you know, always eating,
we were always eating.
Sanya (16:18):
We were always eating, but you know, we were eating and
he came, we sang acapella forhim.
And that's how everythingstarted.
So if I recall, I think a fewminutes ago you said that you
sang an escape song.
Is that correct?
Allure (16:30):
Yes, which escape song was that.
It was tonight.
We were singing that for everyintroduction to anybody I ever
met.
That was one of our favoritesongs at the time.
When she said, when Bo showedup, that's what we sang for him
and that's kind of what got came, you know, like when she said
when Bo showed up, that's whenwe sang for him and that's kind
of what got, what you knowbrought the interest and got us
our deal.
Sanya (16:48):
Wow, so singing like?
Did you really say I want arecord deal, I want to be on
somebody's radio?
Was that the goal?
Or did you just say I just wantto sing?
Allure (16:59):
We just wanted to sing.
Actually, we really didn't knowwhat it entailed.
Sanya (17:03):
Like everything.
Allure (17:04):
Like the music industry With the music business, so we
would just like give us a micand let us go, that's just how
we were so we had to learn a lotof things the hard way, but you
know, it is what it is here weare, so talk about signing your
first record contract.
Sanya (17:25):
Where were you, how were you feeling and what did you do
to celebrate?
Allure (17:31):
Oh my gosh, wow.
It's funny because we wereexcited, we were happy about it,
because we're young, so youknow, we're just happy to do it.
My mom always says that was theworst birthday of her life,
because it was signed in October, because they had to wait for
me to become 18 and I didn'tturn 18 until September and they
were signing contracts inOctober.
(17:52):
Yeah, my mom always says thatwas the worst birthday of her
life.
That says a lot for you.
Sanya (17:58):
So again, and here, we are Right, right so looking back
on your first contract.
Do you feel as if you signed agood contract or you could have
done better?
Allure (18:09):
Way better.
She said it was the worstbirthday of my life.
What was wrong with thecontract?
We always looked at things likeyou know what?
It's an opportunity right.
Once we just do the music right, it's gonna be fine,
everything's gonna work out.
And we're like then we're gonnaget up right and try.
Shows are coming, like wealways was trying to be positive
with let's just get in the door, right?
Sanya (18:29):
you know what?
Allure (18:30):
I mean like, let's just and you know, sometimes that
wasn't the best decision, butyou know yeah I mean yeah I've
learned that the kind of hardway too.
Sanya (18:38):
It's just not enough to say I just want to get in the
room and just kind of figure itout later you have to have
everything lined up so that youcan step into the room the right
way.
So I'm glad that you mentionedthat because you know sometimes
people will dangle a few coupleof dollars in front of people
and people will be like, well,you know, that's the most amount
of money that I've ever seen,and sign basically their lives
(19:01):
away.
So you know, another gem thatyou drop so now you're entering
into the music industry Was oversexualization of your brand
ever a conversation.
Allure (19:13):
Oh gosh, yes, it was.
I know there was a time.
If you look at our album coverBaby, that album cover got us in
so much trouble.
Sanya (19:22):
I did not know you could see through the net.
Allure (19:24):
You would think and mind you, fast forward to years down
the line.
We ended up doing Pink Magazineand Move Magazine.
It's not Blacktail or, but it'snot black tail or.
You know it's not.
You know it's very provocative,it's sexy and you know it's
revealing, but still kind ofdressed up, considering you know
(19:46):
the comparisons.
But that album cover we worelike these outfits and you know
you could kind of see, but youdidn't see everything, but just
the fact that you could see alittle bit of a hip bone baby.
The families were not happy.
They were like, right, and youguys are supposed to be classy,
but we are it.
Honestly, that day it didn'tfeel like that because, but when
(20:07):
the lights hit, crochet, it'svery see-through and again we
didn't really have like what ourlook was gonna be.
And then we were like in themiddle of people, like track
masters had a certain way theywanted to be.
Mariah had a certain way and wedidn't really have a say and we
just yeah, okay.
Sanya (20:34):
So I know everyone wants to be heard and I remember when
I was a teen like damn it,you're going to hear everything
that I have to say.
How did you feel being so youngand not really having a voice
over how you looked to the musicindustry?
Allure (20:48):
We thought that they were experts at the time because
we came in very green, like,yeah, we came from church and
you know the block right.
So we didn't know the businessof it and it's like, had we done
more research, we would haveknown that other artists even
before us took control of theiridentities.
You know what I mean?
(21:09):
Um it, it was just a learningexperience.
We trusted that they were theexperts and they knew how to
make us blow up, and we alsounderstood that, in a very small
way, that sex sells.
But we didn't want to be sex,not sex, but we knew that there
was supposed to be some type ofsensuality to it and some type
(21:30):
of allure.
That's how we got our name.
That was Polk's whole idea.
We want something that peoplecrave and that's exciting and
for me personally I can't speakfor everybody else.
She said we were from the blockand church and whatever.
So we were used to being, acertain way, I'm a tomboy
through and through.
Sanya (21:45):
So for me, I was like oh, we get to dress up and wear
makeup and they told me how todo my hair, so I.
Allure (21:49):
But then you never know how it's going to affect your
family and you know, and peoplelooking, especially when the
whole role model thing fallsinto place, and that's something
that we never wanted to be.
But we honestly didn't feelnaked.
I think it was just the albumcover, because at the time they
called us nuns, like sometimesyou would be really covered up.
Covered up, it would be fitted,but we would be covered up,
(22:10):
yeah.
Sanya (22:10):
Wow, I'm kind of surprised by that because for me
everything did look very um,classy, you know, um, but I
don't know.
I got my, my jacket buttoneddown, so I don't know my
definition of classy, I don'tknow, but it didn't seem as if
you were being over sexualized.
(22:31):
So to know that you did feelthat way or that you did
encounter that, you know, that'svery surprising for me to hear
and learn.
What about, let's say, the R&Bgroups at that time, the escapes
of it all, the 702, the Total,were there other R&B groups that
you really built a strongconnection with during those
(22:51):
times?
Allure (22:53):
It's funny, really built a strong connection with during
those times.
It's funny, um, for us wealways say this like even though
we came up in the 90s, we didlike spot dates with people,
like we never like had like atour with the person.
We've always like kind of didtours on our own, like it was
always us, and then, like I said, we meet up somewhere like we
might have a show in philly with702 and total and something
like that, but we never had had,like we were traveling
(23:15):
consistently.
You know how they have themillennial tour and it's like a
set, it's a set roster.
We were never on a set roster.
We were always promoting doingour own tour overseas.
Or, when we came back, radiodates, like they had Jingle Ball
, then we were on withChumbawamba, like it's things
like that, like we were alwaysmesh.
It was never like road city tocity city.
Because when people even ask us, like when there's kind of like
(23:38):
these 90s toys that come outnow, like how come you guys are
not on there, and we have tohonestly say like we really
didn't have those relationshipslike that with those people for
people to even say, oh yeah,sometimes it just takes a person
that might say out of somethingand be like oh yeah, them and
them, and then we'll do theother part, but we were never in
a circle, it was always us.
We just had us all the time Ithink the closest that we ever
(24:00):
came to, really kind of like Idon't want to say it before, I
hate this word forming acamaraderie.
But we were always at the label.
Sanya (24:09):
We were like label kids.
Allure (24:10):
We were always there getting CDs and you know,
hanging out just for no reason,and black was always there as
well, and I think we kind offormed a nice little
relationship with like Brandyand the girls, um, because we
saw them a lot, you know, quite,quite often.
Once we were in Columbia right,but it just wasn't the type of
situation I think, and I thinkit also stems from a lot of
times, like a lot of these girlgroups, they're like from the
(24:31):
same area, like you know, yougot a lot of atlanta girls and
whatever.
So that's kind of just basicallywhat it is like we would like
she said we were our own clique,you know.
But it didn't mean that wedidn't want to have a connection
with anybody.
It just never worked out thatway, right?
Sanya (24:44):
so do you think that the record labels were in part to
blame for that, for notconnecting you to other groups
so that you can be on tour andbuild these relationships?
Allure (24:53):
because the move, the music, it speaks for itself, you
know but it's so weird oursituation, like when we think
back about it.
Certain things.
Maybe now we can say, yeah,that should have been done
differently or this should havebeen.
But hindsight is 2020 and Ihate that saying, but you know,
(25:13):
but when you look back, we werekind of like how your parents
kind of shelter you?
Sanya (25:19):
They sheltered us yeah.
Allure (25:21):
When it came to those kind of things, Like everybody
kind of had their own agenda ofwhat they wanted, Like they
didn't make sure of these things, Like we were going to make
sure that they're a part of thisRight.
And then by the time like thingsreally started building up,
like when people were reallystarting to know who we were,
that's kind of when thingsstarted falling apart with the
label and the whole fire andTommy Mottola and all that.
(25:41):
So we were kind of like alwaysin the middle of them right
there.
And then something happens andit kind of puts us a step back.
Put it back now y'all.
That's a perfect segue becauseyou mentioned.
Sanya (26:04):
You mentioned Tommy Mottola, and as I was preparing
for this conversation with you,beautiful ladies, I didn't even
know that Mariah Carey had arecord label and that Allure was
the first group signed to therecord label and that Allure was
the first group signed to therecord label.
So my first question is howmany labels did you go through
before you were signed to MariahCarey's record label?
Allure (26:23):
well, okay, so what it was?
We were signed to a productiondeal with Trackmasters from,
like I said, when I turned 18,right, we signed a production
deal with Trackmasters Right andthey had a situation with LA
Reid, right.
So, laface, we were firstsigned to LaFace Right, we met
LA Reid, we sang for him and,yeah, we were signed to him for
like five seconds Right, and westarted working on the album and
(26:57):
that's how the whole situationcame.
And then we were over to herfounding right, yeah, as the
first group signed okay.
Sanya (27:05):
So this screams success to me, but I know success is
defined differently by the yes,so you get accepted to la
guardia, huge, huge, huge,because I'm a performing arts
kid so I know that that's a hugething.
Yeah, um, you are, let's say,supported by track masters,
signed into a production deal.
Um, now you meet mariah carey.
(27:27):
Throughout all of that, whendid you say, mama, I made it?
Allure (27:32):
um, I guess, when she said she loved us, yeah, because
that's a huge yeah I mean, shewas one of our idols, like she
was being younger us right shewas in love with me yeah, like.
So she fell under the line oflike.
Oh, that's a voice, so, but tobe um, to have the approval from
a voice yeah, we were.
(27:54):
Oh, it's on now, right.
Sanya (27:56):
Yeah, and that's what I'm talking about.
It speaks volumes to yourtalent.
So I'm just like what the F didthe music industry do, where
you know your name just isn'tbigger than what it is.
Not that it's not big.
Allure (28:10):
Well, we just didn't what you said.
We didn't what the F Girl is,not that it's not big.
Well, we just didn't what yousaid.
We didn't what the f?
Sanya (28:22):
high five.
I'm glad you agree, okay, sothen.
Okay, so now you're signed tomariah carey's label and then
you know, I don't want to seemlike I'm tainted by these men
out here, but just like a manrelationship over and then the
record label gets dissolved andyou ladies are dropped.
Allure (28:40):
Talk about that well, it was a sad day a sad day in the
world we had just started, likeyou know, getting our feet wet
with traveling.
We were in Japan at the time.
That was our first big touraway from home and leaving our
families for the first time.
Like I said, we had just leftthe label.
(29:02):
We went to go visit everybody.
The walls were dressed up withall our pictures and all the
other artists and, whatever thecase was, they wished us well.
We go on tour.
We got phone calls from Mariah,everybody's checking on us,
whatever the case may be, and weget back.
No, no, we were still overthere.
Sanya (29:18):
We were still there.
Allure (29:19):
The only thing we did.
The publicists you know howthey always have the person
Right.
And they told us okay, so guys,Mariah and Tommy are going to
be speak of it, don't speakabout it Right, and we're like
okay, but even that didn't makeus think like, oh, that means
the label was right, right,right.
But okay, right, we still gotto do what we have to do, right.
Sanya (29:42):
We do our tour.
Allure (29:44):
Singing everywhere Yay, yay, yay, not singing.
And then to visit gone.
It was like a ghost town.
Yeah, it literally.
It literally looked like theoffice was gutted out, like if
it was never, like if it neverexisted, like it never existed.
Yeah wait.
Sanya (30:01):
So that's how you found out you just showed up to an
empty office.
We always always did.
Allure (30:05):
That was that was like the playground for us.
Yeah, people knew that we weregonna show up just randomly like
bring the bell hey, it's us andthey would let us up we just
spent all day there eating orwhatever.
So we, you know, we came backto like tell everybody about the
trip and you know, and tellthem about the tour and how it
went, and it literally fell.
It fell like the twilight zone.
Sanya (30:22):
Yeah, we're like what the hell's going?
Allure (30:23):
on.
We didn't know to that extentthat it was that like, yeah,
about the divorce, but we didn'tknow that, yeah, this was gonna
happen.
Yeah, like if we were music itwould have been Halloween
straight through.
Like I'm like what in theMichael Myers is going on?
We were just in shock.
Sanya (30:35):
And then we just got the call from track masters a little
later.
That, okay, yeah, now y'all thesigns of Columbia and we're like
but once again, that speaksvolumes to your talent, because
as I was looking through yourhistory, I said, okay, they were
signed to this label, dropped,signed again, dropped, like you
(30:57):
were never, in my opinion, justleft to kind of for the
tumbleweeds to just kind of comeand just say you know where are
they, you've always been there.
And once again I'm looking atthe, the music industry, the
record labels, to say come on,they could have done a much
better job.
Allure (31:13):
But then when it comes back, go ahead appreciate you
for saying that, because a lotof times, because of what we
went through, and when peoplesee the oh, they were signed to
La Fesa and they got.
When they see that, they alwayslook at it like, oh, it must
have been them right and notrealizing what we were going
through, like we didn't, weweren't able to say anything,
like we weren't able to makechoices, to say, well, how about
this label?
(31:33):
Why don't we see what so-and-so?
They might want to work harderfor us, they might want to do
more, but we will just alwayskind of like told this is what
you're gonna do.
Sanya (31:40):
This is what you're gonna do.
This is how it's going right,and it never was about the
talent because obviously theyhad no problem moving us right.
Allure (31:47):
But um, yeah, when you become businesswoman, then right
, there's a problem.
And then for us being signed toTrackmaster's production.
Then they became higher-ups inSony and they're running parts
of the label.
Sanya (32:01):
So now they're focused on everybody, not just us.
Allure (32:03):
So even like that, we really felt like you left us on
the side of the step Like yeah,that's what I'm on.
Sanya (32:10):
Really, we were left with Miss Hannigan, no we were Wow,
no, no, we were left with misshannigan.
Wow, but you just saidsomething, and it reminded me of
something that someone said tome most recently, something that
I didn't even want to accept oradmit that we are now in a
space and it's been this way fora while that people don't
(32:30):
really give a damn about yourtalent.
It's all about who likes you.
Yeah, and that is so unfortunatebecause, like I said, you
ladies are so, so talented.
There's not an auto-tuneanywhere, you know.
Allure (32:44):
So I appreciate it as it comes.
Yeah, we don't have perfectpitch, but thank you, even when
you're like or you're likable.
Some people don't like that andthat's a threat as well.
So I mean, it is what it is.
All we can be is ourselves.
(33:04):
Oh, I like that.
Sanya (33:05):
I have my classy moments.
I told you so wait a minute.
But then okay, so the recordlabel, my character's record
label, gets dissolved.
But then she writes a memoirand she doesn't even mention
that allure was the first groupthat she signed and that left a
(33:27):
really bad taste in your mouth.
Allure (33:28):
Talk about that unfortunately for us, we just
are the type of people we didn'tknow the whole story.
Sanya (33:33):
We didn't know that the memoir was basically about her
and her men like we didn't knowthat that was like a big part of
like her first it was likeeverything so right.
Allure (33:43):
We just got sent a snippet and, being as though she
had never, ever other thanother than when we first started
at Craven, we did our EPKs andshe was doing interviews.
This is is my new group RightAfter that, after the label was
off.
Sanya (33:55):
There was no conversation .
It was like the label didn'texist and we didn't either.
Allure (33:59):
You know she famous for the.
I don't know her.
We were fine with that.
We were okay with that, yeah,but when we got the snippet,
when whoever sent the snippet-we're thinking like oh, this
time in your life with the labeland you have the nerve to say
so, and so was your, was yourfirst, but tired of it, because
we always felt like, with all ofthem from track masters, her,
(34:21):
anybody it was like they alwayswould skip over our era and it's
like, yeah, we get it.
Y'all had other people thatbecame bigger and all these
things, but we were all ofy'all's first.
Yeah, track masters you like,and the first r&b group and I
was like we were feeling likewhat's the problem?
and our thing was, this is notour doing, we didn't choose for
(34:41):
these things to happen.
Right, things were going upbefore all these things like
started happening with thedivorce and the label and all
this stuff.
Sanya (34:47):
So it's not like we weren't selling records.
Allure (34:49):
It was just in the midst of our climb all these things
started happening.
But then if you say that it'slike, oh they're bitter, oh
they're this, you know how comey'all didn't and we just kind of
got tired of it.
And I think that day we werehaving a moment, we were having
a moment, maybe thinking aboutall the stuff we went through
and when we got sent that clipwe just got mad.
We're like this is ridiculous.
(35:09):
But then once we realized like,oh it, our dudes.
Oh yeah, we weren't with ourdudes.
Well, we weren't that.
So, yeah, all right, but still,they weren't your first.
They weren't your first, right?
If you're going to mention,just give us our part of the
history.
Or just don't say that, right,my group.
Social media is so big.
(35:30):
You know, social media likes toflip everything, but if you
really look at it, that's likeanybody.
I don't care who you are orwhat you do Once you put in hard
work and you're discredited andyou're not acknowledged at all
all your life.
Just tell the truth, no no, no.
(35:51):
It's also acknowledgement too,because when you've been in this
industry for 27 years, like wehave, and we put in the work,
people, people always think, oh,whatever, no, it worked.
So for you to work as hard aswe did and then for no one to
ever talk, you know, you knowwhat that feels like to watch tv
and see you know award shows orthings like that where people
are talking about like bigproduction groups, like how bad
boy was always a click.
You mention everybody you workwith, but every time they
mention somebody who worked withtrack master, somebody else,
(36:12):
they'll mention Mary J.
Oh, all these people.
A law is never to be mentionedand it's like, yeah, did I read
the wrong?
Sanya (36:19):
production.
Allure (36:26):
So for people to flip that around and say, oh, they're
bitter, they're whatever, noboo, because if it was you yeah,
that hard work and somebodythat's you, you how would you
feel?
But we live in a world of youknow what's good for the goos
and good for the.
You know what I mean.
I get it.
I had already been about a good15 years into therapy, so for
me it was the wording thatbothered me the most, that
(36:50):
triggered me the most For her tosay that a group was her first
and that was not the truth.
I'm big on the truth andtechnically the major key in my
life, like, yeah, especiallywhen you experience it, you
experience that first love, thatfirst everything.
And that was one of our biggestissues also that we thought
that, like how it started, theway you know we were being
(37:11):
treated and how it felt like afamily union, whatever.
We're big on family, so we'rebig on.
Sanya (37:15):
Okay, if you know, nothing else impresses us but
loyalty money doesn't impress us, all these little, you know,
material things, I mean that'sthe business part, that's right.
But even, but, even, like whenwe first got signed.
Allure (37:26):
The money wasn't the aspect, it was the.
We get to go and travel andreally sing and let people feel
you know us doing what we love,right?
That's what was important to usright.
So when you do little, stufflike that, like not even mention
, like oh right this group thathad this number one record.
It had this it's like I'm sorry, are we alone here?
Right?
and it's almost like now, how inrelationships, when you speak
(37:47):
up and you say how you feel, andpeople want to gaslight you and
say well, it, it's not aboutthat, this was triggering, this
was very about to go away.
She's not going to ask you thatquestion, I'm just saying I
love it because people need tohear these things.
Sanya (38:03):
I've looked at Allure and all that you've done and I
realize I'm smart.
I was like it wasn't even them.
Allure (38:09):
It wasn't even them.
Sanya (38:11):
It's just this music industry.
People really have tounderstand what they're about to
get into If they haveaspirations of joining the music
industry.
Have you all even ever had aconversation with Mariah Carey
about what happened?
Allure (38:25):
No, we haven't spoken to her ever since.
Sanya (38:27):
So if she was in front of you right now, what would you
say to her?
Allure (38:32):
Hi Mariah, hi Mariah, hey girl, hey, hey, keep it cute
.
Look, I told you we're healedlike this.
Yeah, I'm, I just told you Idid about 40, 19 years of
therapy, so I'm good like itjust depends at this point it
just depends on your energy,whatever you boomerang or give
out to us we're boomerang to you.
(38:53):
There's no hard feelings at onepoint you would have heard me
say, oh, I'm a such a, but no,that's not me anymore.
We're past that.
We're grown like we.
We saw her one time in betweenthis whole you know, all these,
all these years and she gallopedaway like somebody was gonna,
you know, rob up, take a purse.
And then it learned about her,like you heard that she happened
(39:14):
to as well, because I do, butso it's like it just depends on
where she's at.
We can meet there.
Sanya (39:20):
And she's not okay.
Allure (39:21):
Don't want to say we're good, we're good.
Sanya (39:23):
Wow, wow, we should make that Right.
Allure (39:27):
We're part of the R&B.
Sanya (39:29):
National R&B Music Society.
Shout out to Vanessa Jordan.
Allure (39:32):
We appreciate them, we go where we're wanted and
welcome and not tolerated.
As long as we're on stage,we're good, we're happy, that's
our happy place, and as long asno one Takes that from us,
there's nothing to talk about,there's no bitterness, there's
no anger, it's just you know,and they love experience as a
teacher.
Sanya (39:51):
Yes, it is, yes, it is so .
That brings me To so what didyou learn?
Because you said experience asa teacher, what did you learn
from that experience?
Allure (40:00):
you learn not to sign contracts.
Follow the story, we learn howto write.
We learn, we learn so muchthrough experience like there's
no book, there's no 101 bookabout the music industry that we
could have read.
That would have prepared us for.
Sanya (40:26):
Especially.
Allure (40:27):
God being our foundation ?
We would not.
We, yeah, thank God give alittle credit Girl.
Sanya (40:30):
you should have seen me an hour ago.
Yesterday was my birthday andI'm just trying to hold it.
Hey, leo, leo, leo, my suchbody and I think, one of you.
You said your birthday is inSeptember.
Allure (40:44):
Yeah, lolly's just passed, I'm coming up in.
September.
Wait, whose birthday Somebodyelse's in?
Sanya (40:49):
Leo and go ahead, twin, where have you been?
Yes, I'm not going to talkabout you, virgos.
Allure (40:58):
Virgos, stop Virgos, it never ends, no, no no, leo,
energy never ends.
Sanya (41:04):
But I'm traumatized by you, virgos, because I grew up
in a household full of Virgos.
I was the only Leo and I'm likeyou.
I've been in therapy for about20 something years.
So continue blessing, but waita minute.
So let's get back to thisconversation and the music
industry and these new artists.
(41:25):
What new artists do you listento today?
Allure (41:30):
Oh, it's so pretty One of my favorites is the Sacred
Souls.
I love them so much, oh, my God.
They're amazing.
I think they are so amazing.
They're so dope.
Josh, their lead singer, I lovehim, I love him.
He's so dope.
Right now that's who I'mlistening to consistently like
full time.
I don't know them For me, no,for me.
(41:51):
I love Jasmine Sullivan.
I love there's this new girl,alicia Creedia, I think her name
is.
She's mad soulful.
I love Friday.
Friday is one of my that's mylittle fake boyfriend in my head
.
Hey, hey, hey.
You get up on Wednesdays andMondays.
I get them every other day ofthe week and, truth be told,
(42:13):
what's?
Contrary to what everybody elsebelieves, I love Chris Brown.
I actually went to go see himrecently and the show was great.
Sanya (42:19):
I'm not saying y'all.
Allure (42:19):
I'm just saying contrary to Chris Brown.
I love me some Chris Brown, butthere's a lot of artists out
there right now that are reallydope and I think they don't get
enough credit.
I'm going to remember right nowthat are really dope and I
think they don't get enoughcredit.
They don't get as much creditas some other people.
I love Lola Brooks.
Shout out to Brooklyn.
Love Lola.
Yes, I don't know, there's alot that I don't really, we're
(42:41):
very much old school.
Our playlist consists of thesesacred souls and Motown stuff
and Face First album and stuff.
Oh, kendrick stuff, yeah, ohKendrick, yes, kendrick yes,
they definitely not like us wefeel the eyes.
The laser beams are going tocome from the side of the room.
Sanya (43:01):
Yes, you know I'm glad that you mentioned some artists
that people may not have heardof or you know they're still
emerging to get the the creditthat they deserve, because I
never thought that I would getto this space where I look at
music and I'm just like I'm notreally feeling it 110 percent,
(43:23):
like I rely on music of the 90s,the early 2000s.
Like I said, I've been blastinga lure for a few months, to the
point where my 28 year olddaughter is like over me, but
she needs to hear good, goodmusic.
How do you feel about thedirection that music has taken
from the time that you weresigned up until now, um?
Allure (43:45):
it's been up and down.
I believe it's coming back,because every 20 years history
repeats itself.
Sanya (43:49):
So I believe it's coming back to a good place.
Allure (43:51):
Now, this Caucasian guy, he's a big guy.
He has a song with Joyner Lucas.
Sanya (44:01):
Oh.
Allure (44:01):
Joyner Lucas.
I love him too.
It's coming back, but there's alot of gimmicky stuff as well,
and there's a lot Good music iscoming back.
There's a lot of gimmicky stuffas well and there's a lot like
but I mean.
But I always keep in mind Talonis not twerking and bending
over and patting you.
I always keep in mind thatevery era said my music was
better, right, even our 90smusic.
(44:23):
Our parents were like, yeah, Idon't know what's happening here
.
Sanya (44:27):
I don't know what's happening here.
Allure (44:28):
But okay, you know, in certain things I think every era
goes through that thing wherethey feel like their time of the
time.
So I can appreciate what thesekids are doing, even though I
can't really relate.
But when I see my daughter andmy niece and my nephew relating
to it.
I'm like, okay, that's theirthing, this is their time and
they're loving it.
So God bless, god bless thoseartists, yeah, but then also our
(44:48):
kids are very much like us aswell, like they're not.
Sanya (44:51):
I don't think, I don't know.
Allure (44:53):
I trust what they do Right their time I'm like okay,
I trust it because they havegood taste.
Right, right, and they put uson to a lot of the stuff that's
out now that we haven't seen yet.
Sanya (45:13):
I mean crazy that we were really born in the 1900s.
Okay, so we were introduced toa law in the 1900s and now you
know we're talking to a law, allgrown up and your mothers.
So I see that two of you havechildren.
Do all three of you have kids?
Allure (45:24):
yes, yes, we all have kids and I have two grandbabies
girl, you look good, you got thegood black.
Sanya (45:30):
You got the good black.
That may bend, but it don'tcrack none, it's old.
Allure (45:38):
I know somebody that like it.
Sanya (45:42):
What about the rest of you?
Kids, grandkids, like what'sgoing on?
Allure (45:47):
Kids, grandkids, let's see Five more weeks.
Bird wants to come in.
Stop playing with us, ohbrother, like what's going on,
kids grandkids.
Sanya (45:56):
Wow so, okay.
So, based upon your experienceand all that you've navigated
through the music industry, haveyou ever thought about signing
your own group?
Allure (46:07):
why not?
No, I mean because we want todo it the right way, Like we've
seen it done the wrong way somany times.
So we wouldn't want somebody'sdestiny to be in our hands
unless it's done the right way.
If we ever said we had a grouptrust, and believe me,
everything.
All our ducks are in a row andthey're about to go.
Quack, quack, quack.
Yeah, but honestly I don'tthink we have the patience.
I don't have any patienceeither.
(46:30):
That's the biggest thing.
We don't have the patience.
We just said we're mothers andI'm a grandma.
Patience is a virtue.
I don't have too much virtueleft in me.
We put somebody in the rightdirection.
Yeah, we're being on mentoringand supporting organizations
that have choirs and stuff likethat, and we'll come and we'll
(46:50):
talk to the kids.
I think that's as far as we'llgo.
We're actually mentoringwithout because we're vendors
for the Board of Education, sowe're licensed to do the core as
well as the big sisters, like abig sister mentor program.
Yeah, and we're going to keepit as honest and authentic as we
possibly can.
Sanya (47:08):
as you can see, I'm definitely going to keep it as
honest and authentic as wepossibly can.
As you can see, yeah, Idefinitely want to stay
connected to you.
I'm a director of a high schooloh, that's nice, yeah and I'm
always bringing in individualsbecause I believe that not every
child is college bound and Ijust want to have them explore
other career options, becauseI'm a firm believer that
(47:28):
children can't be what theydon't see Right, and I want to
bring excellence in front ofthem.
But I have a question regardingyour children, though.
Do your children even know thattheir mamas are the shit?
Do they know?
Allure (47:41):
They know they don't admit it and they don't care,
they're not impressed.
I mean, they hardly even wantto come to our shows.
They'll be like, yeah, yeah,yeah, sometimes they'll show up
and they're like, all right,right oh my gosh, well wait how
old are your kids?
(48:02):
oh, like that type of yeah, shegets it when there was a tiktok
but they were like oh, you wereraised by so-and-so, but I was
raised by this person and shedid it and she posted, like you,
like you know, posted ourpictures and this is my auntie's
.
I was like, oh, you love us,but yeah they're very much,
they're used to us.
Sanya (48:16):
It's like they're like our little sidekicks, I know, I
know For the first time.
Yesterday I went to mydaughter's TikTok birthday and
she called me the funniestperson that she knows and I said
you know when?
Allure (48:32):
you get that moment.
You gotta hold on to it.
Yes, I said.
Oh, my baby, I said what youwant, mama to buy you because
it's something they hit you with, with the mom.
Sanya (48:50):
Yes, I love it, I love it , I love it.
So let's talk about whereAllure is today.
You have your own record label,correct?
No?
Allure (49:00):
No, that was years ago.
We're not trying to have alabel we don't have no label.
Sanya (49:09):
I hear you, I hear you, I hear you, I hear you, but
you're still performing correct.
Yes, yes, definitely.
Allure (49:16):
That's the main thing.
We're still on the stage.
That's doing what we love Yep,performing for audiences Like
that's our thing.
Yeah, and we have.
We always say we know thatpeople, anyone, that's a true
fan of us knows that we take along time with stuff.
I think people just like us.
Sanya (49:32):
Yeah, right, when you do it, you do it.
Allure (49:35):
But we have our podcast coming called Grown Ass Girls
Gag.
But it's more than just apodcast.
It's a lot more intricate thanjust a podcast.
Soon come.
Maybe not soon come, but come.
Sanya (49:52):
So where are?
Allure (49:52):
you going to be performing at next?
This Saturday we have a show at.
Is it Saturday?
No, that's next Saturday.
This Saturday we got practicefor the other show.
Yeah, she makes it up.
August 10th is our nextperformance.
Sanya (50:06):
In Co-op.
Allure (50:07):
City Jones is hosting along with the Aquarius Boys.
Shout out to Jones.
In Co-op City.
In Co-op, city Jones is hostingalong with the Aquarius Boys.
Oh, shout out to First JohnBooking.
Shout out to Jones.
Shout out to me.
Yeah, shout out to Julie ToJulie.
First John Booking.
Yes, but I'm saying thatbecause I'm sorry.
I went back to the 90s, the 90sHer show.
She's going to be doing somemore of that domestic violence,
right, yeah, and that's tosupport domestic violence.
(50:29):
But, guys, if you follow us onour yes, yeah, because we saw
the agent show Wednesday, theywere like, ah, yeah, yeah, when
did y'all know?
Sanya (50:39):
You see, I just thought we had a show.
Allure (50:40):
This time I was getting ready to get dressed, right.
Sanya (50:51):
So official wasn't up to date.
Yes, yes, keep it up.
And I'm glad that you mentionedmiss jones, because that's who
I was listening to.
I already recorded the um, theopener of the show, and I spoke
about miss jones.
I was listening to 94.7 theblock and that's when I heard
that you were performing on some90s tour and she played your
song and I said, god damn it,I'm gonna have a conversation
with them because I am in lovewith you, ladies, and you really
(51:13):
define an era of relationshipsfor me when I was out in the
streets.
Thank you for that.
I'm about to let you go, but Ihave a quick game that I want to
play.
The game is called who is MostLikely To?
Oh Lord Me, you go, but I havea quick game that I want to play
.
The game is called who is mostlikely to?
oh, lord, me the first one realquick.
(51:36):
Who is most likely to go fromzero to 100 real quick, really?
Oh, okay, I was wrong.
I yeah, I thought it was you me.
Allure (51:49):
Yeah, well, in the past couple of weeks maybe okay who
is most likely to be late?
Accountability, accountability.
I'm kind of better, but putyour feet up.
(52:11):
I'm working on me.
Put your feet up both feet,okay.
Sanya (52:16):
Who's most likely to send you straight to voicemail?
Me too, girl.
Me too.
Don't call me, just text me.
Don't feel bad about it, girl,me too.
(52:37):
I should just sit like itwasn't her, okay.
Who is most likely to cookevery single night of the week?
Allure (52:46):
Cook every single night of the week.
Oh, both of them.
Yeah, it ain't her.
I'm doing it week cook everysingle night?
Sanya (52:54):
oh, both of them, yeah, wow.
Well, you know what, ladies?
Thank you so much for thisconversation.
Continued blessings when Ileave here.
No lie, I'm telling the truth.
I'm still going to turn on.
Never question, because that'smy move that I'm in right now.
Never Question what I do.
Allure (53:16):
You need me and I need you yes yes, yes, yes.
Sanya (53:22):
So, thank you, ladies, continue blessings and I'm going
to be back in New York becauseI'm leaving for DC tomorrow
night and I'm going to try tohit up your performance in Co-op
City because, like I said, I'mjust in Brooklyn and I would
love to see you, ladies, inperson.
So, thank you so much.
Allure (53:38):
Thank you, we appreciate you.
Sanya (53:40):
Take care Bye-bye.
So there you have it.
Another amazing conversation,this time with 90s R&B group
Allure.
I had a great time talking tothem.
They're nice, they're so nice.
There's a lot of lessons that Ilearned in that conversation
and I hope that all of youtuning in you picked up on it
(54:02):
too.
And it's the first thing that Ilearned.
I'm sad to say I don't even wantto say you see, I'm getting all
choked up.
I don't like hearing thatsometimes talent just isn't
enough.
It's not enough to move thedial forward.
Business is really big.
How about the curse?
That's how angry I am.
Business is really big businessand you know it's a numbers
(54:25):
game and sometimes it's reallyabout who likes you and the
bottom line of it all.
And the mere fact that Allureis still performing today, it
really speaks volumes to theirtalent.
The mere fact that the VoiceMiss Mariah Carey signed them as
(54:47):
her first group on her recordlabel once again it confirms
their talent.
It is so unfortunate that thepersonal got in the way of the
business.
Allure is signed to MariahCarey's record label.
Mariah Carey is married toTommy Mottola Mariah Carey's
(55:12):
record label.
Mariah Carey is married toTommy Mottola.
Relationship is over.
They get divorced.
A lawyer gets thrown out thewindow.
How messed up is that that yourcareer is contingent upon a
relationship with someone.
It's just sad.
(55:32):
It's just sad.
And the foundation Make sureyou have the right people around
you, the right people in yourcorner.
That's going to hold youaccountable.
That is not going to allow youto get into the toxicity of it
all.
There are so many stories aboutgirl groups breaking up.
Too bad.
(55:53):
My high school mate from TalentUnlimited that was inside Julie
Richmond High School that'swhere I went to Talent Unlimited
.
Too bad that she's no longer inthe group Didn't even want to
go there.
What happened?
She just ain't there, no more.
What their energy excuse me,what their energy confirmed for
me.
There's a sisterhood amongstthose three and you can tell
(56:14):
when you're around women longenough.
You start to complete eachother's sentences.
You kind of lean in when you'retalking and they did just that.
It let me know they are really,really friends.
So if you decide to go into anytype of venture and you want to
(56:35):
have partners in this whether ornot it is, you know, let's say,
a corporate business, somethingin entertainment, whatever it
is that you have multiple peopleon the leadership.
Make sure you all get along.
Please make sure that you allget along.
Make sure that you find a wayto kind of work it out and if
(56:56):
people decide to leave, makesure that that doesn't stop what
it is that you're trying to doand the direction that you're
headed towards.
So I'm so serious too, like I'vebeen playing Never Question by
Lou for the past couple ofmonths, I just can't get that
song out my head.
And, darling, don't let me getinto a room where, uh, the
acoustics is good.
You can't tell me I'm not thefourth member of alura.
(57:18):
You can't tell me that I can'thit a note.
Never question.
So I'm just gonna end on that.
Make sure that you subscribe tosonja on air streaming across
every major platform, and I'mgonna go on a little.
Um, I ain't gonna say nothing.
(57:39):
Keep my business to myself, butmake sure you stay tuned to
sonja on air for more amazinginterviews.
I'm just trying to findsomething right here, just a
little quick, and I can't findit.
Here we go.
Here we go.
Here we go.
There we go.
Subscribe like share, leave acomment.
(58:01):
Yeah, okay, and make sure youstay tuned to sign your on there
.
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