Stephanie Mills On Playing Hermes In Hadestown, Racism In Broadway, Manly Mondays + More
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
What's up its way up at Angela yee, and you
see I'm happy and smiling because Stephanie Mills is here,
Brooklyn's own.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Let's never forget.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
It's Brooklyn Bedstide, Do or Die.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Right, because I live in Best Die right now.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
I love when we can celebrate the tremendous talent from Brooklyn,
like yourself, who's been doing this forever forever. Yeah, literally
since you were young, like ten eleven mm hm.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
And you know what, I'm so excited that you are
back home.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Like I said when I saw you, welcome home, and
welcome home, it's not just welcome back to New York,
but welcome back to Broadway.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
No after. I mean, it'd be fifty years next year
that I haven't been on Broadway and to come back
and do Hadestown and in a show that's won eight,
you know Tony's you know, The Wiz won seven. So
it's nice to be back in a Tony Award winning
show and the and playing Miss Hermes is such a
(00:57):
delicious role.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
They should give you some amez bad too, just to
go there.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Harry, can we make that happen? And yeah, Kendall'll call
them up.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Now, I do notice that with this play, as you
were getting ready, you have to be on stage the
entire time.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
The entire time. Once I hit that stage, I don't
leave until intermission and the second act too. Once I
come on stage, I'm there because I'm narrating the whole play.
And it's an opera. I never did an opera before,
and that's what really attracted me to it because it
was so different, and I wanted to come back to
Broadway and something totally different that people would not expect
(01:38):
me to come and do.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
So talk to me about behind the scenes when they
first came to you with this opportunity for a role
went through ahead. What was the process like for you
to figure out, you know, as you read the script,
Let me know what you thought.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
I was shocked because you know, sometimes people say, oh,
your approach to things are are different, you know, and
you know, you know, my my social media is very
pro us. So they were always like, well, you know,
I don't think you'll be able to go back to
Broadway or whatever. So when my agent told me that
they were very interested, I was like, really, I was shocked.
(02:14):
So then they flew me to New York and I
saw the play and I was like, Oh, I can
do this. I think I can do this. And then
when I got in rehearsal, I was like, oh, wait
a minute, because it's hard. It's a lot. But I
was up for the challenge. But it's a lot. It's
a beast.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
That's interesting, you say, because when you look at your
social media you are definitely very outspoken, yes, very pro black, yes,
and proudly so. And Broadway definitely, in the past has
not been that, you know, the Great White Way.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Great White Way, yeah, is what they would.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Call it when you were starring in The Wiz.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yes. Yes.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
So do you feel like now that you're back here
and back on Broadway and I'm sure you've seen a
few different plays during that time, you feel like things
have changed much?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Kendle, She's like she might be politically correct her.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Could I be politically corrected? No? I think I think
not much has changed.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Really.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
I mean, you know what, my cast is wonderful. And
you know why I say much has some changes because
Hinton battle passed away. He's won three Tonys. They had
to go and fight for him to have the lights
dimmed when he's a three time Tony Wow winner, you know,
what I'm saying. So I but you know, I don't
(03:29):
concentrate on that, right, I concentrate on what I want
to do and how I'm going to do it. And
I respect them and they have to respect.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Me, you know.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
I will say though, I definitely if everybody who listens
to this show, they know I love going to a
Broadway play.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yes, and I love taking my friends who have never been.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
So for a lot of people, I pop there cherry
going to Broadway and be like, this is my first
time going to a play. And so there have been
some things like I went to go see Ja Ja's
African hair braiding, which I thought was amazing. I did,
of course, go see MJ the musical.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Oh that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I took my mom to see Tina Turner like stuff
like that. I love, you know, the Temptations.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
You know I am.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
I'm actually planning a whole thing around it. Oh okay,
so we're gonna write dan are we having the dinner
and we're planning something.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, we're hoping.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
So they know up here because I went to go
see Home and before that, I had some of our
listeners come and go eat and do something before and
then we all went to go see the play, right,
you know, because it does matter to me a lot,
because I think just the talent that you have to
have to be on Broadways a whole different beast.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
It's a whole different beast you have to be on
your job because it's nothing to play with. It's very,
very serious. And I've always said that if you can
do Broadway New York, you can do anything.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Yeah it's a beast. Yeah, it's a beast.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
And you can't play around. You can't like, oh, well,
I guess I'll show up today. No. No, you got
to be full, to be ready and ready.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
And I think there's no way that people cannot Sometimes
forget a line or oh I do want to rhyme.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Wait is impossible.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
I have so many lines to remember. But sometimes I'll
be in and I'm like, and then they'll just go
to the next scene and they'll say, you find no
way back?
Speaker 1 (05:17):
And I do, and people can't tell. Maybe you can tell, but.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I don't stop people, so they don't. Yeah, because I
have a lot of stuff to say, you know. So
I really I still have my script in my in
my dressing room because I still look at it before
the show to make sure you know I'm on it
and I'm in tune and all that. But I think
the key to that, the secret to that is me
not watching and enjoying my other castmates because they're so good.
(05:45):
I have to stay into it but not involved in it.
I have to keep saying that I'm narrating this.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
So yeah, man, I want to tell you just even
and you brought up your social media earlier. I appreciate
the positivity that you put on air so much.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
I want to be positive. I think we are beautiful people.
I think everything about us is beautiful, and I just
like to express that, and I'm not afraid to. I
think all people are beautiful. But I'm black, so I
only know about being black, right, you know, and being
a black woman. So I just like to portray the
beauty that we have and we come in all ways
(06:23):
of color and our hair. I just love it. I
love being a black woman.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Because some people are going to shy away from certain topics, yes,
but not you, no, And I love that for you.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
For us, I don't shy away from it. I'm sixty
something years old. Why should i?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Right? You know, what is there left for you to have?
Speaker 3 (06:43):
To prove.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
I mean in the history books.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
People know your resume, and I think your talent has
always been undeniable.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
I think I have more respect because I don't shy
away from right. I was told a long time ago,
Buddy Howe, when I went first went to ICM, and
he told me, always be who you are. People don't
respect people that are not true to who they are.
And I never forgot that. I never forgot that, So
I've always tried to do that. I'm more about that
(07:14):
now than I've ever been now.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Another thing that I feel like you've really led the
charge on is your son.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
You know, I love him.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
For Rod Honey. He thinks everything is about him. He's
an author, he's an author. He has his girlfriend's coming
to the show tomorrow, so he'll be at the show.
He comes to the show at least twice a week
or three times a week. But he really thinks that
it's about him. Yeah, and then he'll say, Mom, I
don't want to be famous no more. I'm like, kid,
it's a little it's too late.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
We all know you.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
But you had Taman hoolunteers, you know, on the show
with your son, and even during the pandemic. You did
the whole never Knew Love like this before challenge and
I love that too.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
During the pandemic, you were spreading a lot of.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Love because that's that's what I love to love. Even
though I'm not in a relationship right now, but I
love to love you know, because I would text you
and say, girl, keep on going.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
We did the whole vision board when I Yes, we
did a party, yes, and it was on Zoom and
it was like that, I've never done a vision board before,
so that was my first one and I legit went
and got like the big card.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yes, I take it very seriously.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Yes, And I had still have my vision board from
that time because I think you should look like what
do you want to do? How I want to put
it out in the universe. I think if you put
things out in the universe, they come to you.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Yeah, And so what is something that would be on
your vision board now? Because it feels like you've done
so much, You've been with the legends, you know, And
but people also don't know the whole Stephanie Mils story.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
I don't know that we ever will, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
I don't think people will ever know, right, I think
some things that will go to my grave. I do
plan on writing a book, but I plan on writing
a book on how to survive in the business and
certain things that you shouldn't do that I've learned over
the years that I would love to leave for other people.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Like, give me an example of something you shouldn't do
to survive in the business.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
I don't think you should do anything and everything that
people want you to do. I don't think you should
be willing to sell your soul to be in the business.
You know what I'm saying. I don't think that you
should change who you are to be in the business.
Let them accept you how you are.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
How old were you when you learned that lesson?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
I was like forty.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Oh wow.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
When I turned forty, I began to be like, cause
you got to remember, I had been in the business
since I was ten eleven, so I'd seen a lot,
and I knew the pitfalls, and I saw things, and
I just I got to a point where I was like,
I don't care what people think about man, I'm just
going to do what I want to do if things come.
Because I was always told I was going to be
(09:52):
blacklisted and I was going to be this, and I
was not.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Going to do this.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
I'd be like, okay, whatever, but I always kept going.
I never looked back. Never look back.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
That's another lesson, Yes, never look back.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
So you feel like earlier you were doing things that
you necessarily didn't want to do.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Yes, sang songs that I necessarily didn't want to record.
But when you're young like that and people say, oh,
this is going to be a hit, And most of
the time there were songs that were not a hit, right,
songs that I really felt good about. Like when I
re recorded Home, people told me not to do it.
It wouldn't sell. It wouldn't but I wanted to do
it more urban but my audience. So that's why I
(10:29):
wrote the first part of it of when I think
of home, I think of a resting place because so
many of my friends had passed away in the Wiz
and the people were like, don't re record that song
that I did.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Oh, I saw you also said you did go see
the Whiz because it's back on for our way as well.
A black woman directing it, and she's also directing the Notebook, Yes,
which is unheard of doing both of those at the
same time and has a black woman as one of
the lead in the Notebook during the transitional time, so
people had an issue with that, like how does she
go from white to black? But what did you think
(11:02):
when you saw the newer Wiz?
Speaker 3 (11:05):
I thought they did their version of the Wiz. It
was nothing like what we did on Broadway flew years ago.
I think that they did their interpretation of what the Wiz.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Was and it shouldn't be like what it was, right
do you think fifty years ago? It has to be
a different because it is hard to recreate something that
Why would.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
You take a classic and destroy it?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
They do, Hello dollars, I haven't seen it yet.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
They do main Anti Maine. They do when they bring
certain shows back, they do.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
It the same way. They just updated. The Whiz is
a classic, Okay, why change it? Well, and that's something
that's near and dear to your heart too. Yeah, And
for some kids now they are you know, this is
their obviously their first time seeing it, so they have
no idea what it would have been like, right.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Right, And that's that's fine. But I just think they
had a jewel a you know, like if you if
they brought back dream Girls, They're not going to change
I don't think they'll change. When they did dream Girls movie,
they didn't change it. It was very much like what
the what what it was.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
And I love when you post some of your throwbacks
of yourself on that stage back then, to see you
as like a young Yeah, and you know what, you
look exactly the same.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
No, I don't you do your face. I feel like
you do. I do when you look at that that's
you have a very.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Distinct face and facial features, and I think you don't
look like you don't mess with your face or anything.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
You know, I haven't. I don't have no book. The
only thing I got a long long time ago was my.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Nose, okay, but other than that, No, I don't know
how you maintain this. I mean it's amazing to see
because well, I don't drink.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Or smoke like like like a lot, or I don't
smoke at all, but I just I sleep a lot,
and I stay away from stressful situations.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
You're like, that's why I'm not doating anybody right now?
You wantn't do this, Madly Mondays, I don't know. I
love you, love my Manly Mondays looking girl. I don't
know any of those men.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
I don't know any of them.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
So how do you recruit them? How do you pick them?
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Well, I'll pick I'll pick some pictures and then I'll
send it to the person that does my mind social media,
and then we'll pick it together, and then she'll put
it together and put it out there. But I just
thought we need some manly men, you know. Yeah, just
so that's why we started calling it Manly Monday.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
You know, because if you get in a relationship, that's over.
I don't know if you can you still do manly.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
We'll still do what I want to do. I don't
think you if you get in a relationship, you should
change yourself. Of course, you want to be respectful, right,
But some.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Guy and he was doing like you know, women creush Wednesdays.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
No, it would bother me, No, okay, would it bother you?
Speaker 2 (13:49):
It depends?
Speaker 3 (13:50):
I don't know. I mean why would you? I mean
because if they were doing it. See that's the thing though,
if you would if you like somebody and you were
dating them and they doing that, and then all of
a sudden YO got into a relationship, why would you
want to stop their creativity of what they were doing it?
Because he met you? It didn't change anything. So I
(14:10):
don't believe in trying to change somebody.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, I hear you on that, But I do think
when you do get into a relationship, certain things are
gonna you know, right, yes, you do have to because
you have to respect like how other people might feel
not saying that. They would tell you don't do that anymore,
but you might be like, you know what I mean,
I like, Manly mondays, I don't want you to stop it, right.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
I like, well, well, I'm not in a relationship, so
if I do get in a relationship, I'll see how
he can deal with it.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
And I saw like so many different things Montgomery, Alabama.
We just had the anniversary for that too, and you
definitely posted that at that time.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
You were like, I ain't about violence, but.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I just thought that was so wrong. There's just certain
things that are just so wrong. Like that lady getting
shot by the police. What were they doing in her
house anyway? Right? Why were they even around it? And
she was definitely saying I need help, Yes, Sonia Master,
she was like, I need help, So you're gonna shoot her?
She needs help?
Speaker 1 (15:06):
And the fact that did you watch the Donald Trump
because I know you talk about you know, I see
you posting for Kamala Harris.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Ye, of course, and I'm doing something it's for her tonight.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
But as you're looking at Donald Trump doing things like
the NABJ interview that he did at the conference, right,
people had a lot of issues with him coming into
that space and then how disrespectful he was.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Well, I think that if you invite Donald Trump, first
of all, I don't even think he should have been invited, right,
I don't think he should have been there, and then
to come and be disrespectful. Everybody should have got up
and left and left him in there by yourself. Right.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
They tried to keep the interview going, but it was
kind of like, dude, you are wiling right now.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
No, they should have. They should have left him in there.
Everybody should have just got up and left, right, Because
it's one thing to be political and you're on a
on a journey to get votes. But he's so.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Disrespectful and lies.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
That's also as crazy. All of the lies that he tells.
He'll say things is factually not so he.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Didn't even know that he was president of Puerto Rico.
Let's start there.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Come on, It is kind of embarrassing that he isn't
even allowed to run, just be the fact that he's
a convicted, you know, criminal, and we talk about in
this country, I think it's so hard for people who
have a criminal record to do so many different things.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
But the fact that you can run for president, you.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Can run prisoners can't even vote when they come out
of prison. Right, But he can organize a coup and
destruction on January sixth and have innocent people killed and
still run for president. That doesn't make any sense to me, right,
so I pay it. I don't pay attention to things
that don't make sense. It doesn't make sense. It's not
(16:57):
meant to make sense. It's just meant to for them
to have their own agenda.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I am excited that we could potentially have and you know,
willing it into existence on our vision board at first
ever black women president.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Oh man, I just think that men are so penny,
and I mean not all of them, but you know
it's penny penny.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
It's just like.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Come on, the women were so strong, women are so
much stronger than men nowadays. I don't get it.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
So, you know, Kamla, it's not something we thought we
were seeing. This lifetime though, And I wish my mother
was alive. I'm happy about it, but she would be.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
So thrilled, you know. But I think it's going to be.
I think she is going to be president because I
think what Trump did was made a mistake, saying get
Biden not his way. Sometimes you have to be careful
what you child is for. And so he got his wish.
She said, what does she say, Trump, you have anything
to say about me, say it through my face. She
said that that.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Vibe already, She's gonna tear him up. And you see
her rallies. I mean, they're like a whole party out
of control, I know, and.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Then they start hackling. She was like, I'm speaking, I'm talking.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
And if you want to go support Trump, go do it.
Just say go handle your business. You ain't got to
be here, exactly.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
You don't have to be here. When they come on
my page and they're like I'm for Trump, I just delete.
I don't get into. I don't get into I love
that for you, and I don't get into that's silly.
I'm not going to waste my time argue with somebody. Now.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
I want to go back to Hadestown. I'm talking about
the place because clearly that's what we're here for. And
I'm definitely going We're going to figure out what special
thing I'm going to do, because what I'm really wanting
to do is, you know, on Restaurant Road, which is
right by Broadway, it's all these different restaurants. There are
a couple of black owned restaurants. It's actually one couple
that owns both of them on the same block on
(18:57):
forty sixth Street. They own Jasmine's and they own some
Are which is a Ino Caribbean restaurants. Okay, is it good,
really good food amazing Okay, And I'm going to send
you there. You have to at some point go because
their food is so good. And it's a black woman
that owns Jazzmine. Her and her husband Lloyd, they own that,
and they own somewhere they just open it the only
black restaurants and restaurant row okay, and you're gonna love it. Okay,
(19:18):
But anyway the address because I'll definitely go.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
I'm trying to see about and of course Brooklyn chop House, Oh.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I love the chop House is there too, So those
are places I love.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
The Chopes you know that we love to frequent, So
I'm trying to figure out some things that we can
do when I have my theater nights, when we go
see Hadestown.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Okay, but do you guys coming?
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Do we know Dan?
Speaker 1 (19:39):
They haven't have they given us. I think they're trying
to coordinate everything. Okay, this is what I like to
do up here. Like, part of what they know about
me is that when it comes to these Broadway plays,
ask Angela, because she'll try to put together a whole
situation for everybody to go. But when I found out
you were coming, I was like, we have to make
sure we're in there, yes, you know, for this, because
that is what will make me go see a play
(20:00):
when somebody that I love, like you, is stirring in it.
So I can't I can't even imagine what that's done
for ticket sales. Also, I mean it's already, like you said,
one multiple Tony Awards, eight eight eight Tony Awards.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Yes, but now you're added to the mix.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Yes. And Yolo. There's three of us that went in Maya,
Yolo and myself. Yolo plays persephone A, Maya plays Youridicy,
and I'm Hermes. And this is all Greek mythology all
Greek mythology in the Toun opera.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Okay, yes, So do they tell you who's coming, like
if they're like tonight, such and such is coming.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
I don't like to know because you find yourself performing
for that person. I just like to know that there's
an audience out there, and I don't like to know
who's coming.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Does Does Stephanie Mill still get nervous?
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Oh? Absolutely. I never take it for granted. Then I'm
gonna go out there and you're just gonna love me.
I never take that for granted. I always get nervous. Always.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
They say nerves are a good thing.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Though, if you don't get nervous, then you should get
out of the business, right, you know, if it's not
making you nervous, if you're not feeling like, oh my god,
you should get out of the business.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
And I told you earlier before we started. Your hair
looks amazing.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
So you're doing your natural hair thing the colorless y'all.
Y'all's my face and Johnny is my hair and carries
my press and kindles my press.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Yeah, I'm having a good time. We had a good
day today. We had a really good press day today.
I had fun, all right.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Good are it's missing out on not being because we're
used to him being with you too.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
I was going to bring him, but I knew I
had to do He would be like, mom, look, you know,
so I didn't bring him because I knew we had
to do a lot of things. So he's home on
his computer on his phone.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Fine, what does he think of the new song jam?
Because you're on a new oh yea which I like?
Speaker 1 (21:53):
You like it?
Speaker 2 (21:54):
I like the vibe?
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Yeah? Right, you called me, he said, I want to
send you a song. I said okay, and I said,
oh ray, I really like this song. I said, who
are you going to get to sing it? He said you.
I said, okay, I'm here. I sent it right, I'm there.
So we went in the studio and did it with
the Kick Capri, Dougie Fresh and MC light.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
It's amazing too.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
I like the vibes. MC Light was just up here
the other day. Yes, and you know I see Dougie
Fresh all the time.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Please tell him, I said, Hi, I have Dougie.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Fresh and kid Capri. Yes, it's a whole vibe like
to see.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Stephanie mails you have not missed a beat just with
everything that you have going on your consistency, I don't
think so.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Well, I'm happy. I'm happy. I'm happy you feel that
way because sometimes when I'm home and I'm not really
doing anything, I'm like, I wonder because sometimes people will say, oh, well,
you've been out of the business so long, because I
did take a break when I had my son and
then coming back. But I feel like you need that
time to redo what you want to do. And I
didn't want to record all the time. I didn't want
(22:58):
to keep doing the same thing. So that's why I
would lay back and just wait till what I wanted
to do.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
You know a lot of people are sampling songs now
from songs that we grew up on. How do you
feel about artists sampling your music? Oh?
Speaker 3 (23:12):
I love it. Okay, check for me. Just keep it coming.
That's that's I always call it mailbox money, so that
that I love it. Sample all you want, take it right,
make it, yeah, you got this. Just handle the business
and make sure I get my money exactly. Well.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Listen, I always appreciate you. I love seeing you every
single time you're in town. I'm coming to Hadestown. I'm
gonna let all of our letters.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Let me know so that when you come and text
me you have my phone number. I tell you, I
get excited.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
And Stephanie Mills like the first time Stephanie Mills ever
texted me, I said, I know because I was like,
have a good day, be careful. Yeah, And I was like,
I can't believe Stephanie Mills. And I had to like
tell my you know, and you even said stuff that's
exciting to me.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
You said, I can't believe you're texting me. I'm just like,
you're my friend, You're my little baby.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Now, you know how exact Like other things don't matter
so much, but when you get a text from these
Stephanie Mills, you know, it feels exciting. Do you feel
more inspired now to do more music? Now that I
feel inspired to do more theater music is I could
do that in my sleep.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
And I do want to do something. I think away
and I going to do another song because there's another
song that I want to cover.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Okay, so and he's the perfect producer for that, because
he's the value you want to cover.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
I want to cover someone else's song.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
I cannot wait to find out what this is and
I can't wait to hear, and I know that's gonna
be an honor for whoever it is.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Oh and she's huge.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Ooh okay, all right, well I can't wait to see this.
And also in Haiti Sound, are there new songs that
you're or is it still just the same.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
No, it's the same songs. But you know, it's so
funny because people come and they see the show and
they're like, well, when are you gonna sing the big song?
I said, I will not be singing the big song
in the show. I said, this is an opera, its
a love song, squeak mythology, but we want to hear
you sing home. This is not the whiz, this is
hades down. You know, there's no big song. I don't
(25:08):
sing the big song. I think Maya sings a big song,
and but Stephanie sings more of the big songs. I'm
glad because I'm in my lower register. Okay, so I
can eat sweets and still go on and sing.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Oh wow things.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
You have to take it to consideration. All right, all right, well,
Stephanie mails the legend. Thank you so much for joining me. Everybody,
make sure y'all go see Haiti Town.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Make sure y'all.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Follow her so you can stay up to date on
everything that she has going on, but also just your
opinions and thoughts on things, which I think is so
important and crucial.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Thank you, all right, it's way up well,
What's up its way up at Angela yee, and you
see I'm happy and smiling because Stephanie Mills is here,
Brooklyn's own.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Let's never forget.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
It's Brooklyn Bedstide, Do or Die.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Right, because I live in Best Die right now.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
I love when we can celebrate the tremendous talent from Brooklyn,
like yourself, who's been doing this forever forever. Yeah, literally
since you were young, like ten eleven mm hm.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
And you know what, I'm so excited that you are
back home.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Like I said when I saw you, welcome home, and
welcome home, it's not just welcome back to New York,
but welcome back to Broadway.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
No after. I mean, it'd be fifty years next year
that I haven't been on Broadway and to come back
and do Hadestown and in a show that's won eight,
you know Tony's you know, The Wiz won seven. So
it's nice to be back in a Tony Award winning
show and the and playing Miss Hermes is such a
(00:57):
delicious role.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
They should give you some amez bad too, just to
go there.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Harry, can we make that happen? And yeah, Kendall'll call
them up.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Now, I do notice that with this play, as you
were getting ready, you have to be on stage the
entire time.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
The entire time. Once I hit that stage, I don't
leave until intermission and the second act too. Once I
come on stage, I'm there because I'm narrating the whole play.
And it's an opera. I never did an opera before,
and that's what really attracted me to it because it
was so different, and I wanted to come back to
Broadway and something totally different that people would not expect
(01:38):
me to come and do.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
So talk to me about behind the scenes when they
first came to you with this opportunity for a role
went through ahead. What was the process like for you
to figure out, you know, as you read the script,
Let me know what you thought.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
I was shocked because you know, sometimes people say, oh,
your approach to things are are different, you know, and
you know, you know, my my social media is very
pro us. So they were always like, well, you know,
I don't think you'll be able to go back to
Broadway or whatever. So when my agent told me that
they were very interested, I was like, really, I was shocked.
(02:14):
So then they flew me to New York and I
saw the play and I was like, Oh, I can
do this. I think I can do this. And then
when I got in rehearsal, I was like, oh, wait
a minute, because it's hard. It's a lot. But I
was up for the challenge. But it's a lot. It's
a beast.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
That's interesting, you say, because when you look at your
social media you are definitely very outspoken, yes, very pro black, yes,
and proudly so. And Broadway definitely, in the past has
not been that, you know, the Great White Way.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Great White Way, yeah, is what they would.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Call it when you were starring in The Wiz.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yes. Yes.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
So do you feel like now that you're back here
and back on Broadway and I'm sure you've seen a
few different plays during that time, you feel like things
have changed much?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Kendle, She's like she might be politically correct her.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Could I be politically corrected? No? I think I think
not much has changed.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Really.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
I mean, you know what, my cast is wonderful. And
you know why I say much has some changes because
Hinton battle passed away. He's won three Tonys. They had
to go and fight for him to have the lights
dimmed when he's a three time Tony Wow winner, you know,
what I'm saying. So I but you know, I don't
(03:29):
concentrate on that, right, I concentrate on what I want
to do and how I'm going to do it. And
I respect them and they have to respect.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Me, you know.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
I will say though, I definitely if everybody who listens
to this show, they know I love going to a
Broadway play.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yes, and I love taking my friends who have never been.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
So for a lot of people, I pop there cherry
going to Broadway and be like, this is my first
time going to a play. And so there have been
some things like I went to go see Ja Ja's
African hair braiding, which I thought was amazing. I did,
of course, go see MJ the musical.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Oh that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I took my mom to see Tina Turner like stuff
like that. I love, you know, the Temptations.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
You know I am.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
I'm actually planning a whole thing around it. Oh okay,
so we're gonna write dan are we having the dinner
and we're planning something.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, we're hoping.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
So they know up here because I went to go
see Home and before that, I had some of our
listeners come and go eat and do something before and
then we all went to go see the play, right,
you know, because it does matter to me a lot,
because I think just the talent that you have to
have to be on Broadways a whole different beast.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
It's a whole different beast you have to be on
your job because it's nothing to play with. It's very,
very serious. And I've always said that if you can
do Broadway New York, you can do anything.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Yeah it's a beast. Yeah, it's a beast.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
And you can't play around. You can't like, oh, well,
I guess I'll show up today. No. No, you got
to be full, to be ready and ready.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
And I think there's no way that people cannot Sometimes
forget a line or oh I do want to rhyme.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Wait is impossible.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
I have so many lines to remember. But sometimes I'll
be in and I'm like, and then they'll just go
to the next scene and they'll say, you find no
way back?
Speaker 1 (05:17):
And I do, and people can't tell. Maybe you can tell, but.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I don't stop people, so they don't. Yeah, because I
have a lot of stuff to say, you know. So
I really I still have my script in my in
my dressing room because I still look at it before
the show to make sure you know I'm on it
and I'm in tune and all that. But I think
the key to that, the secret to that is me
not watching and enjoying my other castmates because they're so good.
(05:45):
I have to stay into it but not involved in it.
I have to keep saying that I'm narrating this.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
So yeah, man, I want to tell you just even
and you brought up your social media earlier. I appreciate
the positivity that you put on air so much.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
I want to be positive. I think we are beautiful people.
I think everything about us is beautiful, and I just
like to express that, and I'm not afraid to. I
think all people are beautiful. But I'm black, so I
only know about being black, right, you know, and being
a black woman. So I just like to portray the
beauty that we have and we come in all ways
(06:23):
of color and our hair. I just love it. I
love being a black woman.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Because some people are going to shy away from certain topics, yes,
but not you, no, And I love that for you.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
For us, I don't shy away from it. I'm sixty
something years old. Why should i?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Right? You know, what is there left for you to have?
Speaker 3 (06:43):
To prove.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
I mean in the history books.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
People know your resume, and I think your talent has
always been undeniable.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
I think I have more respect because I don't shy
away from right. I was told a long time ago,
Buddy Howe, when I went first went to ICM, and
he told me, always be who you are. People don't
respect people that are not true to who they are.
And I never forgot that. I never forgot that, So
I've always tried to do that. I'm more about that
(07:14):
now than I've ever been now.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Another thing that I feel like you've really led the
charge on is your son.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
You know, I love him.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
For Rod Honey. He thinks everything is about him. He's
an author, he's an author. He has his girlfriend's coming
to the show tomorrow, so he'll be at the show.
He comes to the show at least twice a week
or three times a week. But he really thinks that
it's about him. Yeah, and then he'll say, Mom, I
don't want to be famous no more. I'm like, kid,
it's a little it's too late.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
We all know you.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
But you had Taman hoolunteers, you know, on the show
with your son, and even during the pandemic. You did
the whole never Knew Love like this before challenge and
I love that too.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
During the pandemic, you were spreading a lot of.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Love because that's that's what I love to love. Even
though I'm not in a relationship right now, but I
love to love you know, because I would text you
and say, girl, keep on going.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
We did the whole vision board when I Yes, we
did a party, yes, and it was on Zoom and
it was like that, I've never done a vision board before,
so that was my first one and I legit went
and got like the big card.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yes, I take it very seriously.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Yes, And I had still have my vision board from
that time because I think you should look like what
do you want to do? How I want to put
it out in the universe. I think if you put
things out in the universe, they come to you.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Yeah, And so what is something that would be on
your vision board now? Because it feels like you've done
so much, You've been with the legends, you know, And
but people also don't know the whole Stephanie Mils story.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
I don't know that we ever will, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
I don't think people will ever know, right, I think
some things that will go to my grave. I do
plan on writing a book, but I plan on writing
a book on how to survive in the business and
certain things that you shouldn't do that I've learned over
the years that I would love to leave for other people.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Like, give me an example of something you shouldn't do
to survive in the business.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
I don't think you should do anything and everything that
people want you to do. I don't think you should
be willing to sell your soul to be in the business.
You know what I'm saying. I don't think that you
should change who you are to be in the business.
Let them accept you how you are.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
How old were you when you learned that lesson?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
I was like forty.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Oh wow.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
When I turned forty, I began to be like, cause
you got to remember, I had been in the business
since I was ten eleven, so I'd seen a lot,
and I knew the pitfalls, and I saw things, and
I just I got to a point where I was like,
I don't care what people think about man, I'm just
going to do what I want to do if things come.
Because I was always told I was going to be
(09:52):
blacklisted and I was going to be this, and I
was not.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Going to do this.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
I'd be like, okay, whatever, but I always kept going.
I never looked back. Never look back.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
That's another lesson, Yes, never look back.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
So you feel like earlier you were doing things that
you necessarily didn't want to do.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Yes, sang songs that I necessarily didn't want to record.
But when you're young like that and people say, oh,
this is going to be a hit, And most of
the time there were songs that were not a hit, right,
songs that I really felt good about. Like when I
re recorded Home, people told me not to do it.
It wouldn't sell. It wouldn't but I wanted to do
it more urban but my audience. So that's why I
(10:29):
wrote the first part of it of when I think
of home, I think of a resting place because so
many of my friends had passed away in the Wiz
and the people were like, don't re record that song
that I did.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Oh, I saw you also said you did go see
the Whiz because it's back on for our way as well.
A black woman directing it, and she's also directing the Notebook, Yes,
which is unheard of doing both of those at the
same time and has a black woman as one of
the lead in the Notebook during the transitional time, so
people had an issue with that, like how does she
go from white to black? But what did you think
(11:02):
when you saw the newer Wiz?
Speaker 3 (11:05):
I thought they did their version of the Wiz. It
was nothing like what we did on Broadway flew years ago.
I think that they did their interpretation of what the Wiz.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Was and it shouldn't be like what it was, right
do you think fifty years ago? It has to be
a different because it is hard to recreate something that
Why would.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
You take a classic and destroy it?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
They do, Hello dollars, I haven't seen it yet.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
They do main Anti Maine. They do when they bring
certain shows back, they do.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
It the same way. They just updated. The Whiz is
a classic, Okay, why change it? Well, and that's something
that's near and dear to your heart too. Yeah, And
for some kids now they are you know, this is
their obviously their first time seeing it, so they have
no idea what it would have been like, right.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Right, And that's that's fine. But I just think they
had a jewel a you know, like if you if
they brought back dream Girls, They're not going to change
I don't think they'll change. When they did dream Girls movie,
they didn't change it. It was very much like what
the what what it was.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
And I love when you post some of your throwbacks
of yourself on that stage back then, to see you
as like a young Yeah, and you know what, you
look exactly the same.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
No, I don't you do your face. I feel like
you do. I do when you look at that that's
you have a very.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Distinct face and facial features, and I think you don't
look like you don't mess with your face or anything.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
You know, I haven't. I don't have no book. The
only thing I got a long long time ago was my.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Nose, okay, but other than that, No, I don't know
how you maintain this. I mean it's amazing to see
because well, I don't drink.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Or smoke like like like a lot, or I don't
smoke at all, but I just I sleep a lot,
and I stay away from stressful situations.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
You're like, that's why I'm not doating anybody right now?
You wantn't do this, Madly Mondays, I don't know. I
love you, love my Manly Mondays looking girl. I don't
know any of those men.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
I don't know any of them.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
So how do you recruit them? How do you pick them?
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Well, I'll pick I'll pick some pictures and then I'll
send it to the person that does my mind social media,
and then we'll pick it together, and then she'll put
it together and put it out there. But I just
thought we need some manly men, you know. Yeah, just
so that's why we started calling it Manly Monday.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
You know, because if you get in a relationship, that's over.
I don't know if you can you still do manly.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
We'll still do what I want to do. I don't
think you if you get in a relationship, you should
change yourself. Of course, you want to be respectful, right,
But some.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Guy and he was doing like you know, women creush Wednesdays.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
No, it would bother me, No, okay, would it bother you?
Speaker 2 (13:49):
It depends?
Speaker 3 (13:50):
I don't know. I mean why would you? I mean
because if they were doing it. See that's the thing though,
if you would if you like somebody and you were
dating them and they doing that, and then all of
a sudden YO got into a relationship, why would you
want to stop their creativity of what they were doing it?
Because he met you? It didn't change anything. So I
(14:10):
don't believe in trying to change somebody.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, I hear you on that, But I do think
when you do get into a relationship, certain things are
gonna you know, right, yes, you do have to because
you have to respect like how other people might feel
not saying that. They would tell you don't do that anymore,
but you might be like, you know what I mean,
I like, Manly mondays, I don't want you to stop it, right.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
I like, well, well, I'm not in a relationship, so
if I do get in a relationship, I'll see how
he can deal with it.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
And I saw like so many different things Montgomery, Alabama.
We just had the anniversary for that too, and you
definitely posted that at that time.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
You were like, I ain't about violence, but.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I just thought that was so wrong. There's just certain
things that are just so wrong. Like that lady getting
shot by the police. What were they doing in her
house anyway? Right? Why were they even around it? And
she was definitely saying I need help, Yes, Sonia Master,
she was like, I need help, So you're gonna shoot her?
She needs help?
Speaker 1 (15:06):
And the fact that did you watch the Donald Trump
because I know you talk about you know, I see
you posting for Kamala Harris.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Ye, of course, and I'm doing something it's for her tonight.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
But as you're looking at Donald Trump doing things like
the NABJ interview that he did at the conference, right,
people had a lot of issues with him coming into
that space and then how disrespectful he was.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Well, I think that if you invite Donald Trump, first
of all, I don't even think he should have been invited, right,
I don't think he should have been there, and then
to come and be disrespectful. Everybody should have got up
and left and left him in there by yourself. Right.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
They tried to keep the interview going, but it was
kind of like, dude, you are wiling right now.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
No, they should have. They should have left him in there.
Everybody should have just got up and left, right, Because
it's one thing to be political and you're on a
on a journey to get votes. But he's so.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Disrespectful and lies.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
That's also as crazy. All of the lies that he tells.
He'll say things is factually not so he.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Didn't even know that he was president of Puerto Rico.
Let's start there.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Come on, It is kind of embarrassing that he isn't
even allowed to run, just be the fact that he's
a convicted, you know, criminal, and we talk about in
this country, I think it's so hard for people who
have a criminal record to do so many different things.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
But the fact that you can run for president, you.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Can run prisoners can't even vote when they come out
of prison. Right, But he can organize a coup and
destruction on January sixth and have innocent people killed and
still run for president. That doesn't make any sense to me, right,
so I pay it. I don't pay attention to things
that don't make sense. It doesn't make sense. It's not
(16:57):
meant to make sense. It's just meant to for them
to have their own agenda.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I am excited that we could potentially have and you know,
willing it into existence on our vision board at first
ever black women president.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Oh man, I just think that men are so penny,
and I mean not all of them, but you know
it's penny penny.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
It's just like.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Come on, the women were so strong, women are so
much stronger than men nowadays. I don't get it.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
So, you know, Kamla, it's not something we thought we
were seeing. This lifetime though, And I wish my mother
was alive. I'm happy about it, but she would be.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
So thrilled, you know. But I think it's going to be.
I think she is going to be president because I
think what Trump did was made a mistake, saying get
Biden not his way. Sometimes you have to be careful
what you child is for. And so he got his wish.
She said, what does she say, Trump, you have anything
to say about me, say it through my face. She
said that that.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Vibe already, She's gonna tear him up. And you see
her rallies. I mean, they're like a whole party out
of control, I know, and.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Then they start hackling. She was like, I'm speaking, I'm talking.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
And if you want to go support Trump, go do it.
Just say go handle your business. You ain't got to
be here, exactly.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
You don't have to be here. When they come on
my page and they're like I'm for Trump, I just delete.
I don't get into. I don't get into I love
that for you, and I don't get into that's silly.
I'm not going to waste my time argue with somebody. Now.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
I want to go back to Hadestown. I'm talking about
the place because clearly that's what we're here for. And
I'm definitely going We're going to figure out what special
thing I'm going to do, because what I'm really wanting
to do is, you know, on Restaurant Road, which is
right by Broadway, it's all these different restaurants. There are
a couple of black owned restaurants. It's actually one couple
that owns both of them on the same block on
(18:57):
forty sixth Street. They own Jasmine's and they own some
Are which is a Ino Caribbean restaurants. Okay, is it good,
really good food amazing Okay, And I'm going to send
you there. You have to at some point go because
their food is so good. And it's a black woman
that owns Jazzmine. Her and her husband Lloyd, they own that,
and they own somewhere they just open it the only
black restaurants and restaurant row okay, and you're gonna love it. Okay,
(19:18):
But anyway the address because I'll definitely go.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
I'm trying to see about and of course Brooklyn chop House, Oh.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I love the chop House is there too, So those
are places I love.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
The Chopes you know that we love to frequent, So
I'm trying to figure out some things that we can
do when I have my theater nights, when we go
see Hadestown.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Okay, but do you guys coming?
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Do we know Dan?
Speaker 1 (19:39):
They haven't have they given us. I think they're trying
to coordinate everything. Okay, this is what I like to
do up here. Like, part of what they know about
me is that when it comes to these Broadway plays,
ask Angela, because she'll try to put together a whole
situation for everybody to go. But when I found out
you were coming, I was like, we have to make
sure we're in there, yes, you know, for this, because
that is what will make me go see a play
(20:00):
when somebody that I love, like you, is stirring in it.
So I can't I can't even imagine what that's done
for ticket sales. Also, I mean it's already, like you said,
one multiple Tony Awards, eight eight eight Tony Awards.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Yes, but now you're added to the mix.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Yes. And Yolo. There's three of us that went in Maya,
Yolo and myself. Yolo plays persephone A, Maya plays Youridicy,
and I'm Hermes. And this is all Greek mythology all
Greek mythology in the Toun opera.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Okay, yes, So do they tell you who's coming, like
if they're like tonight, such and such is coming.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
I don't like to know because you find yourself performing
for that person. I just like to know that there's
an audience out there, and I don't like to know
who's coming.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Does Does Stephanie Mill still get nervous?
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Oh? Absolutely. I never take it for granted. Then I'm
gonna go out there and you're just gonna love me.
I never take that for granted. I always get nervous. Always.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
They say nerves are a good thing.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Though, if you don't get nervous, then you should get
out of the business, right, you know, if it's not
making you nervous, if you're not feeling like, oh my god,
you should get out of the business.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
And I told you earlier before we started. Your hair
looks amazing.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
So you're doing your natural hair thing the colorless y'all.
Y'all's my face and Johnny is my hair and carries
my press and kindles my press.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Yeah, I'm having a good time. We had a good
day today. We had a really good press day today.
I had fun, all right.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Good are it's missing out on not being because we're
used to him being with you too.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
I was going to bring him, but I knew I
had to do He would be like, mom, look, you know,
so I didn't bring him because I knew we had
to do a lot of things. So he's home on
his computer on his phone.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Fine, what does he think of the new song jam?
Because you're on a new oh yea which I like?
Speaker 1 (21:53):
You like it?
Speaker 2 (21:54):
I like the vibe?
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Yeah? Right, you called me, he said, I want to
send you a song. I said okay, and I said,
oh ray, I really like this song. I said, who
are you going to get to sing it? He said you.
I said, okay, I'm here. I sent it right, I'm there.
So we went in the studio and did it with
the Kick Capri, Dougie Fresh and MC light.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
It's amazing too.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
I like the vibes. MC Light was just up here
the other day. Yes, and you know I see Dougie
Fresh all the time.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Please tell him, I said, Hi, I have Dougie.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Fresh and kid Capri. Yes, it's a whole vibe like
to see.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Stephanie mails you have not missed a beat just with
everything that you have going on your consistency, I don't
think so.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Well, I'm happy. I'm happy. I'm happy you feel that
way because sometimes when I'm home and I'm not really
doing anything, I'm like, I wonder because sometimes people will say, oh, well,
you've been out of the business so long, because I
did take a break when I had my son and
then coming back. But I feel like you need that
time to redo what you want to do. And I
didn't want to record all the time. I didn't want
(22:58):
to keep doing the same thing. So that's why I
would lay back and just wait till what I wanted
to do.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
You know a lot of people are sampling songs now
from songs that we grew up on. How do you
feel about artists sampling your music? Oh?
Speaker 3 (23:12):
I love it. Okay, check for me. Just keep it coming.
That's that's I always call it mailbox money, so that
that I love it. Sample all you want, take it right,
make it, yeah, you got this. Just handle the business
and make sure I get my money exactly. Well.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Listen, I always appreciate you. I love seeing you every
single time you're in town. I'm coming to Hadestown. I'm
gonna let all of our letters.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Let me know so that when you come and text
me you have my phone number. I tell you, I
get excited.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
And Stephanie Mills like the first time Stephanie Mills ever
texted me, I said, I know because I was like,
have a good day, be careful. Yeah, And I was like,
I can't believe Stephanie Mills. And I had to like
tell my you know, and you even said stuff that's
exciting to me.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
You said, I can't believe you're texting me. I'm just like,
you're my friend, You're my little baby.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Now, you know how exact Like other things don't matter
so much, but when you get a text from these
Stephanie Mills, you know, it feels exciting. Do you feel
more inspired now to do more music? Now that I
feel inspired to do more theater music is I could
do that in my sleep.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
And I do want to do something. I think away
and I going to do another song because there's another
song that I want to cover.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Okay, so and he's the perfect producer for that, because
he's the value you want to cover.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
I want to cover someone else's song.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
I cannot wait to find out what this is and
I can't wait to hear, and I know that's gonna
be an honor for whoever it is.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Oh and she's huge.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Ooh okay, all right, well I can't wait to see this.
And also in Haiti Sound, are there new songs that
you're or is it still just the same.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
No, it's the same songs. But you know, it's so
funny because people come and they see the show and
they're like, well, when are you gonna sing the big song?
I said, I will not be singing the big song
in the show. I said, this is an opera, its
a love song, squeak mythology, but we want to hear
you sing home. This is not the whiz, this is
hades down. You know, there's no big song. I don't
(25:08):
sing the big song. I think Maya sings a big song,
and but Stephanie sings more of the big songs. I'm
glad because I'm in my lower register. Okay, so I
can eat sweets and still go on and sing.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Oh wow things.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
You have to take it to consideration. All right, all right, well,
Stephanie mails the legend. Thank you so much for joining me. Everybody,
make sure y'all go see Haiti Town.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Make sure y'all.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Follow her so you can stay up to date on
everything that she has going on, but also just your
opinions and thoughts on things, which I think is so
important and crucial.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Thank you, all right, it's way up well,
Host
Angela Yee
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