Chante Moore

Speaks to the planning.

I go by the name of Charlamagne of God, and guess what, I can't wait to see y'all at the third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival. That's right, We're coming back to Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, April twenty six at Poleman Yards and it's hosted by none other than Decisions Decisions, Mandy B and Wheezy. Okay, we got the R and B Money podcast with taking Jay Valentine. We got the Woman of All podcasts with Sarah Jake Roberts. We got

R and B Money, Honey were saxon Take Valochi.

We are the authority on all R.

And B ladies and gentlemen. My name is Tank Valentine and this is the R and B Money Podcast, the authority on all things.

R and B.

Come on, talk to him, talk to him.

I'm sick of your shiit.

What the hell is going on?

I want to hear your vocal if they got them, I want to hear your train.

Raw fleck footed, turn the machines.

Off, Darphin though Daulphin.

Vocal.

They know who are today?

They know yeah, yeah, because I got the same clothes twice. They I don't do that, only do that when we gotta double up.

Have not seen a combination of beauty and gift and intellect ever.

Standing on that. She's in the building.

My my mind, Chante, it's in the building, damn it, Shante. You can fucking sing and no fucking sing, no question, no questions.

Listen.

We're gonna get into the history of it. But we we were on the show. I think this was the b T war like to look at her like tumble as well. But you you're an athlete too. I didn't know you had that. You put that one hand down and it's still carrying them and you proceed what was this twenty twenty two? You proceeded to show us the difference man.

That remember is like its yesterday.

I was like, you hear this and it was like the room was even even the room was confused, like what the fuck is going on right now? Yeah, that's what's going on right now.

And it was like, let's do it again.

Because I fell down and listen.

Cool, cool, no problem, no problem.

Oh you want it again.

You do this all day.

I can do this all all night because this is what I do.

Yeah, I just I just I You're You're you are, you are what you are, You're you're a really you're gifted, of course by immeasurably right. But the work that you have put into your gift speaks volumes because every time you open your mouth, it is like see and I listen, and I've known you for such a long time, you're like you're like you're like the coolest, nicest person. And maybe Stephen feels differently, maybe you show him another side,

What you know?

You're hey girl, hey whatever, you're like.

I come I come from.

That, no super turned up and you've just with with everything that you have, but all the gifts God has given you, you've never been that and that's I think that's that's the other layer that's even more awesome about you.

So I just I just wanted to.

Make sure we throw those flowers at you at the top of the pod so people can understand who and what.

Is sitting in the.

Hot seat now high school?

Where is this?

Like, it's kind of I feel like you've been singing since you were like one and a half.

That's just my guess.

If I had to guess, I would say she was holding harmonies it too.

Well. I love to see First of all, thank you for having me here.

Course course you're telling people I used to be chasing you down.

I wondering I'm just offing to a boulevard I'm like, what's.

Up, and we were like, yes, yes, so thank you for having me here. I appreciate that singing. I love music, So it's always been something that I played. It was on a little phonograph, it was on the little album thing my godmother got me, uh to play records on and I play them and sing and dance. And what is not commonly known is that my family was all music. My mother saying. My father's a pianist, he's still living. My mother's passed on. My sister is the most talented

Of like that.

It was a lot, and that's what it was when I was growing up. My brothers was a drummer. He passed on as well, but he's played with DJ Rogers and the guys from Crouches, all the Crotches anyway, Yeah, he was yeah, yeah, And so I was the baby of the family, and so the it was just you know, shut up, just shut up, chante because I was always running with the camera and running. I want to play. I want to, I'll sing it. They're like, baby, just bet So. My mother got me a tape recorder when

And I still had that tape.

I still yeah wow. But I wasn't the singer. I was in the choir. At twelve, they let me be in the choir, but I was just in the choir. I wasn't the soloist. My sister was the one who would sing and slay them. My mom sang before my dad preached, and she'd slay it. And it was.

Just like, yeah, I didn't know we really followed that saying all these years, I didn't know that like we followed that same.

Either.

I couldn't play my cousin's.

Drum, get off that piano drill like and my cousin Keisha, my first cousin, she was the soloist.

She was the one that got all the solos.

My mama sang, my grandmama sang all my big cousin, she has all of them, was saying becausein father, they was the singers, and I was the kid trying to just get a little She's get a little peace, like you could just get here.

I'd sneaking to the what they was saying.

And as you said that that, like here, how bad you sound? I had a solo one time. I had fought for this solo. My grandmother fought for this solo for me, and and I sang this solo, Jesus are the center of my joy in front of the whole state Congress, which my grandmother was the diana, and I'm singing my lead, and the two other older guys singing lead with me, and and toward toward the middle of the song, I just felt like I was getting boxed

Honest, okay.

Didn't deter me when okay, all right, and I went back and I kept doing.

Until I figured it out. Same thing, the process, the process, it's.

The love for the music. For me, it's not about I didn't think I was going to become a singer. Well that wasn't even if it was going to be a ballerina. And then I thought I was going to be a gymnast, and then I thought, oh, I'll just draw. I didn't know. I didn't think singing was an option at that point. And where you were you from the baby the family in.

San Francisco, Come on, yeah, come on, okay, so I see it.

I see man, you know.

Singers like you know, we got right. That's good stuff.

I love it. And that was the thing that they didn't deter me from loving the music. I could only listen to gospel music as a kid because my dad and mom were like not having it. And then when my brother turned eighteen, he had a drum set already in the garage, but when he turned eighteen he could play other music. So we just started going into the garage and I can play the drums, which I haven't done a lot of, but because he said, don't touch them neither time you left home out So but that

What.

Yeah, I didn't know that, so wid discovery. Yeah, just to do that, yeah, yeah.

I didn't know. So yeah, that was it.

That's where happened. So that was Anne.

And when do you get a chance at least to where the film is like, all right, go ahead saying something me, let me hear what you're doing to me.

I sang background with my sister and my mom, like as we sang before my dad would preach, we would do that. I was the alto, but alone. A lady asked me to be Dorothy in a stage production college production, and I was Dorothy and she asked me to do it, and I was like, everybody always mixed me and my sister up, it's Laton. I'm chante you Laton. She was like, no, no, I know who I'm asking. I was like you want

I can do it like this And you had just been in your shed just working on it.

Well, I didn't know I was working on it.

You know, you didn't know you were working on it.

But there's there's maybe this unconscious thing where you know, you're just waiting for this approval. Like I wanted Auntie Betty to say I could I could finally sing so bad, like you know what I mean? Like I loved it, so that's why I was doing it. But at the same time we're looking for that. Auntie Betty was the barn Right and she.

And your mother and your your for you.

I mean, I thought it was the approval of that I can carry a note. It still wasn't the I'm going to do this for a living.

Well no, not even with it, just love it.

I was like, oh, I'm on good yeah, all right, all right, two thumbs up.

I didn't know did you did you? Did you kill it?

You know what? There was a tape of it a long time ago, and I don't know if I did or didn't. I think I did good enough?

Yeah, good enough?

They did. They clapped, and it was it was the moment I thought this could be something I could do for a living. But I thought, you know, one song don't make an.

Artist, right, because you also like, it's not one of the million outletsible.

It was not even in my realm, you know, I didn't even think yeah like that.

The other part about that too, and it may be a little different for you tank where most people don't realize how small San Francisco is and the small community of black people. So we like, we don't even have athletes, especially when we were coming up that made the NFL or the NBA or the major like, we don't We definitely don't know singers.

We don't have no artists really.

I mean we have a couple, we have gospel artists, yes, but.

We don't have we don't have Marvin gay If you're from DC or the Maryland area, you're like Marvin.

Gaye was, you know, he used to be right over here doing that.

So it almost seemed and I'll just give my own experience, it almost seemed impossible when my father would be talking to us about what we were going to be in music and how we were going to have careers in music and were like, I'm probably gonna end up selling.

I didn't make that.

I'm difference when you when you do to use and take out different type of church. So, but did you see that for yourself at all, Like you're like, I'm going to make this a career for myself, like once you started to do it while you're in San Francisco.

No, I didn't. I didn't. I I I knew I felt special. I don't think I thought turn it into this or that. I love to dance and perform, and you know, whether anybody was paying attention or not, it was what my joy was. I acted songs out and the songs said knocked me down to the ground. I'll be on the floor and then I like you picked me up, oh you know, and just whatever I was singing and doing the song.

Yeah.

So did you did you have to leave? Leave what san Francisco?

Well, we moved to San Diego. We moved to San Diego when I was twelve, so that was already a change. So San Diego was when I joined the choir and middle school, and I don't know, I don't know when it changed so much. Modeling Key Key Shepherd and her mother Kekey and von Gretchen was a Miss Black America. They I don't remember. Oh, I know. I was in a beauty pageant called MS Bronze and I was fourteen. I was fourteen and I run one first runner up and miss Bronze and that's what made me meet Kiki

But are you singing it still?

At the now?

I'm modeling at this point, I mean in my room, right.

But you're fully focused on.

I'm in high school and I'm just, yeah, not really thinking of what could be. By seventeen eighteen, I started thinking about, maybe it's what I can do because modeling is out. I'm only five four, so you know, petite modeling did not take off like I thought it would. And so my mother was always thinking out of the box. So she was like, what do you want to do? Whatever that is, let's work on that. So modeling was it for a long time, just going out on catacauls

For the journey.

We want people to understand how people get to the success and the process and the other things, you know what I mean. Most people probably don't know that you were a model at fourteen. They don't know that you know what I'm saying. So it's like for us, that's that's a big part of our show. So we would we love those type of answers.

We would have thought you were winning every talent show.

Yeah, we thought you were singing in high school.

I did sing in the Beauty Pageant though. I sang brown.

Baby, you got to do It.

I did do that, and I sang to a little big doll in the Swaddling Clues, and I sang the brun baby rum Baby. So that was the only time I had really sang anything that is crazy.

I was in high school. I was singing my face off everywhere, and you just.

And I wish I would have youthing's better. But I think when I when I came out, I wish I'd had more preliminary work on performing live what to do with my hands because at first this arm here was like it was like you never watched the Flintstones and the hands are always down here one hand, just one arm.

It was.

I was one it was and I went, I'd be like and lift it and then it would go back. It's not cute. It's really not cute.

I know the group I'm trying to think of the group that was before the flints are out of space and.

The one they wouldn't move, the arm that's my it was paralyzed. And so I wish that I'd had more work on how to present myself when I watch. And the thing about it is, I started. I knew how to do my hair and my makeup, and so they were cheap. They were like, oh, you do your hair and you make up. Once I said I knew how, they were like, oh, you're not even gonna have nobody do that. So you see me looking like me would me would look, but not like I should have been styled.

You would do all of those things for sure. But I'll just tell you outside looking at and we're going to go back to finish the story we did. We did not notice, We didn't know. We just like, right, she's incredible. That's that's all we So I get it.

Yeah, to give me the moment where.

Where you now believe where you know this this you as a solo artist, singer, like you circle. When you finally circle back to your both.

Of those, it's like, oh, yeah, you know what, I can't model. Maybe'll so we never get shun to say more. If you go to five nine or five.

Ten, No, you probably wouldn't. Probably not. That would have been nice, would be nice to be taller.

The things that happened your legs stop.

Bro, I thought of it, but that's so painful.

And when it looked like it took him a year to get his walking back, I said, now I'm.

Good, Like that's be grateful moment.

Take this five ten and deal with it.

Yeah, five ten, I'm gonna deal with that. Seventeen eighteen eighteen, I met a guy I was modeling at these clubs. We had these modeling groups, and we were midling. I got the name of the club. But we were modeling my and this one football player saw me and started buying all the outfits that I was in, and.

You what do you mean?

And people could auction. We auction the clothes like if they go, oh, twenty five dollars, I was, you know, through somebody go oh thirty dollars, okay, when I turn and poth and okay. And then whenever they get the last bid, you give him the card and they get that dress. And so he started buying the dresses I was in. And after the Momming show, this is so bananas. I haven't eve thought it was forever h and uh.

You did the whole album, though I did full project.

Full project, and he dropped me. And I met Eldbarche here in La at a stage production. I forgot where it was, though it's in Culver City, because when.

You signed the Warner Brothers, you moved to LA.

I what did I do? I did not move to LA. I was still in San Diego. I recorded my album in Sacramento. I got connected to Jay King and they said, they said, you know, work with him and he'll produce your record. He's hot right now whatever, and I'm like, okay. So I did an entire project. And then actually I met Brian Morgan during that time because he was in the group Cachet Deuvois and so that was he was signed to Jay as well. And after I finished, Yeah,

Wow.

And this is after stay right week about You?

Yes, that was the time where I was in Takama, That's where I met him. Yeah.

How did you feel the first time you heard that?

Right?

Did you even know it was about you at first?

I did? I remember the day. I don't know who's whose apartment it was it could I think it might have been Brian's. I'm not really sure, but we were sitting and he was because I dated Jay King, which is well known because I rarely mentioned his name, but nevertheless he said, whenever I see you with him, I hear this, And he wrote that. He said it was a circus. And he said, and you when you're not with him, right, I hear this the little that's the first I heard. He didn't play the whole thing, but

But that is so great.

Did you think it was a hit when you heard it?

You know, I like the song, but I like Brian's songs. He I love what they did well. He had songs that never came out. It was a song called wrong, just like five and five just don't make nine. I was like wrong. So he always had songs that were great. But I didn't know it to be a hit or not a hit. I think music is what I love, and so I didn't know if it was a hit or not.

M So you get the little silence, Yeah, yeah, and he's cracking at this time. Yeah, And you had been signed to you know, the Bennymdenny thing and all this, and and now you're here with Louil, what is what do you feel like? Is the difference in this opportunity versus that one.

His excitement, his knowing what he wanted from me. He wasn't trying to make me something else. He heard my voice and he wanted me to be the next with Houston, the k next Mariah care You are mine, wouldn't you? You are mine, Mariah? You are going to be the biggest thing better. So I love that he had such vision and he was so excited. You can't buy people being excited about you, especially in the music industry. Everybody's always thinking of the next something else other than you.

Maybe the record man. He was a record man, he was, but.

He burned some bridges with that attitude he had. He made a lot of things wonderful, and his era was just ending when he met me, when I met him. So then they gave him the label to sink him right. So once that happened, then I was right on the NCAA Records again after that went away.

So once once they dissolved Silence Records, then they picked you back up, though.

They never let me go. As their point, we want her what's.

The what's the what's the terms? No, there's there's a there's a term in the contract where once where all the artists.

Revert back to Yeah, I know you're talking about I can't think of the name. It's kind of just a absorbing absorb it, but it's in the contract.

But they move if we don't fuck with that no more, we still need those.

Back no, because I think, and this is a really important part to talk about during the show too, is that most of these labels aren't actually labels.

You know what I mean.

They're production companies, and they don't have true ownership in their companies, and their masters are still owned by and still you know, promoted and licensed and distributed by this parent company.

So the artists aren't their actual artists.

And you young executives and you young brothers who are starting your labels and doing your thing, make sure that your artists are your artists, not the distributors artists, not the parent companies artists, because they will sink your company and absorb your artists.

But I was directly signed first third. I will say that that is not exact actly how it went, but I do understand what you're saying to teach the audience, teach artists that that does happen. But I literally was signed to because he.

Was an executive there. First they gave him.

Then the label happened. So then he asked me to just wait, and I waited.

So did you drop on your initial did you come out on your initial deal with MCA? Yeah, when the first first.

Precious came out, Precious was on Silas, So I waited because they were building Silas when I got signed in ninety one. And then he wanted me to wait till ninety two to come out so that I could be on his label. And in between that, I did the song with eld Barge you know what I Like? And that was how I met the director. Ant He did that you Know What I Like video, which is why Antoine Fuquad did Loves taking Over video in Paris, which is why Ntwine Fuqua did It's all Right video.

And that's just a bar nex suerbar, that's a super.

Bar because now he's doing a Jackson movie. He's doing a Michael Jackson movie now too?

Are you kidding your Jesus Christas?

Were you thinking that this is Banana's.

At the time, not that he was.

I had no idea, but but it was just my dreams were coming true. That's for sure. Mind blowing. Going to Paris in the first place. I'm like, we're going, we get to go. We went in two days and shot it. It was just Banana.

Had you ever been overseas before that?

I went to London, but that was it.

Yeah, shooting your video, yeah.

In Paris used to be first single.

First single, that's disrespect.

Yeah yeah, yeah, Now when you look at Louell, that was what it was about. Louil was about making epic things happen. The stuff he did, I mean, if we look back at his track record, it's amazing. I mean, just one group, and then how we were talking about you as about different artists stemming from those other all those groups, and then all the people who came after that, and then that producing all the people that came after that.

I'm a product of Blue gave me my first record here as a kid ten years old, no side as junior, Like.

There's so many the tree.

Of the people that he's worked or worked with, and man, it's vision vision.

As we talk about like a lot of the record company men and women who were shall we say, boisterous, yes, and big in personality, I just don't feel like and it gets to a point to where, yes, a lot of these guys end up getting pushed and phased out, for sure, But I feel like, as you guys say you're connected to that kind of guy, I'm connected to that kind of guy who was not shy about telling the motherfucker.

If you're not doing your job. Try, I mean, because that's the other thing. Try sitting in those meetings and you got a table full of people who are just trying to get a two week check, and you are a record man. When passion who wants to take his brand new artist who's never saw a record to Paris, come on.

You're gonna have to jump on the table.

You're gonna have to You're gonna have to do some screaming because you have to make people see the vision because everyone is not a visionary, no matter. You may be in the music business, but that does not make you a visionary. So being a visionary is really tough because.

You got to be able to articulate it. You gotta be able to show it to the people.

Champion, champion.

But then you gotta gotta be a little boisterous about it. You gotta fight tooth and fucking you gotta make it. You gotta make somebody feel like if I don't do that, I'm fucking up.

Yeah, she do need to go to Paris because you put this song, that beautiful artist in his voice.

You gotta put it in parents.

But the person that's looking at the bottom line, looking at the P and L, they're like.

That's it's gonna be a line on that. Well, we're gonna make a superstar.

When you get the person who is in power, who's behind you, and that was at that time Louell was that person. So he did I'm sure have to have something brewed by a d or whoever it was in charge of whatever. But he was mainly the one like, Okay, this is our budget, right, let's make this part happen. We'll cut back on this and do that, and we'll travel here and we'll do so he was making stuff happen that that's what you want to happen. When the Special Union.

If you believe, you believe, listen, I spent I spent five hundred thousand on the first video, seven hundred on the second. Like this is like black dar little boutique label. Barry Hankinson, Joe will Say. Hankerson said, we are not gonna fucking lose. We're gonna bet the ranch. He had actual and I watched him call everybody all sorts of motherfuckers, sons.

In my honor, like all those men like that shot up.

Uh goanna say many, many blessings and prayers to the Gotty family.

Earth Gotti, who was another.

Guy like that recordmen who called me out of the blue one day, dank, I'm riding my fucking jeep.

You know it's fucking R and B shit. I like. I like some of the R and B shit.

I like it. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. But all that fucking lovey duffy. You know I'm a streak guy, but that fucking maybe I deserve, not the fucking record I'm playing it right now, Like that energy for an artist's.

Everything made me feel like a conquer the world.

When I hear motherfucker saying, motherfucker on my behalf, you played this motherfucking record, but we're gonna kill you.

That's the far they can't say. They can't say that, that's that part.

You gotta omit that we're gonna break you.

This like, yeah, that's why.

That's why ninety eight percent of us are here because of that fight. It wasn't an analytic it was a feeling.

Yeah, and I'm.

Gonna fight for this feeling that I had. This Shante More is something fucking special. You better fucking play this record or I'm coming out there.

But you know what also happened in the middle of that time period, right in the middle of my record, my first record going up the charts. It was this shift that happened. It was a Paola first and then it began to be what is the thing when they had the no it was like or your records were here if you played that many of them. There was as a word for it, and I can't remember the name of it. BDS and sound Scan, and so when

Again?

I forgot what the girl was?

That what happens?

And so I'm really really grateful to have had this almost under the radar career where I've been honing my craft still and still performing and still trying to get better and still paying attention to the audience and feeding them and them feeding me and making me feel loved. That's been a roller coaster ride, but it's been good.

The shooting star thing, I mean, I was that haunted me for a long time. It's like, I'm better than that motherfucker. And I was like, I was like, I just really want to do this for a really long time, and I just kind of got I got settled in. I was like, what is what is my reason for being here? What is what is what is my purpose? What is my design? And it was it was. It was a guy by the name of Jamie Fox saying, man, I study you. I love what you're doing. Like, Wow,

See you guys are like the nurse star.

People who can people who can sing right, people are musically inclined.

Are your way to freedom?

No, who know exactly who in the fun Jane Moore is.

Absolutely absolutely, it's not even a quest. That's not even the question the question.

And so some of some of some of our gifts, some of us gifted, we are relegated to inspire and and push and and help and serve.

The gifted and our audience. I've seen you live and that's when I really really became a fan. I saw you move around that stage. I saw you play and sing and move all of the women that were in the audience, and no, for real, like really just be sexy and you know it, and and there was like, yeah, their minds about you and I you know, you can't get that from the album. You can make moments personally with your album is very sexy, but you don't know who you are as an artist until you see you.

That's another part of your gift where you're you know, you're just you're resilient in that.

That is one of my words that describe myself as resilient, resilient in that.

Now.

But you bring up also with and I feel like with both of you where the whole shooting star thing. But you guys did get success out the gate too, though It's not like it was like Okay, well it's a sputter a little bit, but like get a gold album.

You got cracking, you know what.

I mean, Like you hit records from the beginning, so you know, I think it's now and people having an understanding of that, like now it's maintaining it.

Yeah, now it's maintaining it.

And like the next projects and the you know, the label things and all the other things that happened that.

The public usually does not know.

The public don't know that the parent company is trying to sink the smaller.

Label and that you're just kind of collaboral damage.

Nobody cared, and that nobody cares about that. What they care about is what they hear on the radio. What's interesting is I remember some of the questions you all sent us ahead of time. Made me think of a situation that puff Daddy was in the studio and I had already done a record with Rodney Jerkins, and my song was called If I Gave Love. Hers was if You Had My Life, same song. Puff Daddy heard my song and said, I want that song for j Lo. And Roddy was like that that Chante's song, and he said,

Then I was all about to say that, and we.

Did, but we did, and I was like, how can I compete with j Lo money? They were coming so high and I had already just I just had Jantie's Got a Mantle. That was my one two punch. That was the two and I just feel like we just like b After that, I'm like, okay, well uh yeah, so we'll see you know, it's all good. What's wonderful is that learning the lessons and understanding which purpose is. My purpose is to sing and inspire the audience, not

Give me a moment when you were on stage and you realize for the first time you had a hit record.

Yeah, well, yeah, well it's funny because I did Soul Train and don Cornelius, Cornelius, Cornelius, I'm gonna say, Cornelius asked. He asked, Liul, did we pay people in the audience to get excited about that song? And Loul was like, who's having done that? He was like, but people are really reacted to that immediately, and he was like, what do you want me to do? So that was one moment I was like, people really must like the song.

But then the work she put.

In, yeah, to maintain it and still a whole another level. But that was one of the moments. And I still, honestly every time they say Shanta more ninety five percent of the time they say my name backstage when I'm about to go on, and I go, shoot, that's me, Like it's me because that's my name since a kid. I was not like it's another name. I'm not like, yeah, that lady.

I was taking a baby too well.

But you know it's a weird thing.

How you mentioned the record.

How do y'all come up with that with saying like, Okay, this is what we're going to call the song Shantees got a man.

Jimmy and Terry and I were sitting in the studio writing many songs because.

Still stop there.

Yeah, it was just a studio in Minneapolis, but it was incredible. Honestly, we had been in the studio for almost a year and a half. It had taken to make this record. It was a long time. Every time we came home they were little, was like yeah, no, I mean it's good, but we need we need that song. And I remember Jimmy jam said you need a ghetto song, like you need John Day's ghetto song, and so we all went huh. And he was like, you know, like that Kelly Price kind of thing, you know that thing?

Happened that great. I'm just jealous. I'm just jealous, everybody said. And I'm gonna make it a point to work with Jimmy Jam.

And I'm about to give you another one. She had some more bart.

I don't even know, because I don't think a lot of people talk about You're amazing song, which is a different type of song on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack.

Oh, like that is such a bar.

Because baby Face decided he's going to write all these songs for all these great women, for this great movie soundtrack.

Yeah.

Like, but.

He sends you a song, or you go to the studio and you talk out the words.

No words, scat song.

It has no words, man, baby Face, the king of words.

Can I tell you how mad little was? I can I tell you how much he does.

That's one of the story.

So I don't know how it ended up being my song. I think he. I think he genuinely was a fan of my voice and thought.

I could pull it off because in it ly they wanted to sign you.

They did. I didn't think about that at that moment, but yes, so I was always yes because it's face, you know, and how do you not work with baby Face? So my thing is, you know, be kind and do your best and be grateful, you know for what doors are opened for you, because I know doors don't open for everybody. And being on the album that I knew was produced all by him. I knew Aretha was on it, I knew Whitney was on it, I knew CC Winings, I knew Brandy was on it, I knew Tony Braxton was on it.

So my answer was yes, yes, you hear anything.

And I sank background. I think on like five of those songs, I think I'm on Shoot, definitely on uh, Tony's definitely on Paddle La Bells. And it seemed like it was a couple of other people. One girl was singing rapping, and I was singing the background. Face was like, just please come plase sing.

I love to sing.

I love singing background.

I loved I say songs on Wait Next Cooking.

So I did. And that's just so.

When you first heard it, though, what do you what do you come on? Because we hear now it was beautiful.

I just thought it's just an extra song.

Did you think that?

Okay, well, maybe he's just playing me the melody and he's gonna he's gonna feel in work.

He told me it was this. I probably have the cassette somewhere, but I don't remember. Oh his version of him singing it, Yeah, I think so, or maybe I don't know. He might have just did it then. I I but yeah, I knew even.

When I was young and I heard, I was like, this sounds like jungle.

Look, but it's the song that if I'm on an airplane and somebody black says, oh my god, I love you. I love you, Oh my god, blah blah blah. Because black people they love me. They always show me love everywhere I go always, but it's the white person that's next to me that goes, Okay, so I don't know you, and I'm really sorry, but I don't know the excitement and all that, but like, what do you do? And I'm like, oh, I'm singer, you know, oh what, I know your stuff and I don't know how to point

That's actually a great how do you explain yourself to the white people?

I oh, I can't make you love me? Sometimes I use that or I say I say, They're like they so you sing that.

I'm like, yeah, sing. It's like, well, what I know any of your songs? And I'm like, do you do you like sexy time.

What record do you put on?

Do you.

Like sexy?

Do you pro create? Because my music is of the pro creation?

That really is that album is? Really?

What song would you say? I said, you really want to get nasty? I got a song called when weed it get you pregnant? I'm just throwing it out there. You know, I don't want to put too much on you. But do you want your legs to go up high?

That got them?

I got them going to it right now?

She cuts the pearls. Why are you talking about I would never I remember.

I remember I told yes, some white people like almost like a little family or whatever. My husband was saying this, yeah, man, my wife's looking at your chest.

Man.

This is just because it's like, I'm sorry, What can I do?

Somebody got to come up with a show explaining black music?

How do you connect the dots?

So in in all of this, and when we talked about purpose, and we talked about you know, the people and all of these twisting turns, right, what is the thing that you want to be remembered for.

Inspiring love and evolving? Like I started here and I think I was pretty good. And then I started looking at what I had done performances and you have to own them differently if you want to make a statement. And I think I know, I was afraid. I still have jitters before I go on stage. But I was afraid because I didn't have enough practice doing what I

That's what she did. And it's like you.

She said, you must know you, you must know honey. And I'm like said the woman with the tone, her daddy and herself morphed into one amazing voice. So I kind of go, huh. Some people make you go well, maybe I'm not so bad because of what I think of them. But the thing is, you can't get confused when somebody goes before you and somebody goes singing a

That's so cool to hear you say that, though, Man, you're still taking vocalists.

No, I've never taken. It was Robert Stevens. He is amazing. I think he's Robert rab in some circles, but he. I was sitting next to him by chance on a flight from Atlanta last month and he noticed me sniffing and put my bag up for me and whatever. So we chatted the whole time, and it was weird that I don't usually talk on the airplane. I'm usually, you know, like hi, good night, okay, and I go to sleep

Robert, Yes, so that's who I'm gonna start.

Taking get out.

He is so amazing, Like it's so weird and wonderful at the same time.

We just made.

I met him with Justin Biber Timberlake. I knew that that's the I think of first. Yes, sorry, the original, Yes, I'm sorry, just keep moving.

But I was like I was out there with with with Justin.

I'm like, bro, you like Crispy every night He's like brom Ashley, Like, I'm fucked up right now. Like vocally he's like, you know, my guy. He keeps me. I was like, Who's who's the guy? Who's my guy? Big Jason was like, trust me, he's always wants to meet the guy. I want to meet the guy. He's like, you need to you need to work with this nigga. And I was like, and I had been procrastinating on it for I would say years, and then finally not too long. I was like, I need your help. Man.

I can do like every day.

And as you get older in his family and and and kids, and you can you just you just can't. And so you just you you You're You're not the same conditioned hooper you used to be when you were jumping every day.

You know what I'm saying. You're not.

You're just not the same. And I'm like, I just want to get some of that back. And I know if I do the work with the right person, I can do that. So it's funny that you said his name and I'm like, are you serious? And when you were saying you were on a plane with him to Atlanta, he was probably telling me, yeah, I'm on the way to LA for a few days.

Let me know if you want to get Yeah, my first lesson two weeks ago, maybe maybe three, maybe yes, yeah, no, it's amazing. I have never known a warm up or a warm down. I don't even I don't trust it because I'm like, I'm gonna be tired trying to.

Do a warm up.

What I'm gonna do is wait.

And saying when I get on, I'm saying practice pretty much.

I can't. I do hot water and honey. It's my doctors like, you have high cholesterol. I was like, that is impossible. You are pre diabetic. Yeah, and I said, how in the world I don't eat if you looked at me and I work out, especially when the first they first said it it's because I have hot water and honey all the time. Honey is just sugar, just sugar, just sugar ate some cakes. No, but yeah, but the hot water and honey is what does it for me? And like during the show, Yeah, it's what I do.

They got sugar free honey.

I don't know if you can.

You know, I don't know if you can.

It's smell of funny.

I don't know.

I think it's just something's turned into shaketh. Yes, but sugar free.

Like I'm just it's just interesting how we parallel.

Yeah, like just the journey and I have another I have a song I want you to sing. I have a new record coming. And somebody was listening, Actually cook you cook Coo career, you know what, I don't never know his last name. He works with Laney and Tricky.

Okay, so coach and producer.

I didn't. Yeah, so he was I don't know who he was. I forgot who was named. But Cook was listening and Cook and then did can't Lighten You time ago for so first album for me was Laney and Tricky and and uh Laney and what's his name? Can't think of it right now, it's okay, But AnyWho, he was listening to one of the songs and he said,

People know how funny you are.

This is great.

I'm a goofball, That's what I am. But that was the thing I was as a kid is I was the comic relief. I was always trying to make everybody happy, make you smile. If mom and my sister were having problems with it normally, dude, I was trying to go, Mama, listen. She said not to say what's And then I said, listen, Mama, love you and just just don't talk back. That would be good, not to talk back time you lie your eyes.

I can imagine doing this at like years old.

That's what makes me funny, negotiating.

I was just come to Tom and my sister and I are thickest because she knows she can always count on me. I know she is my sister. Like I'm like, You're the closest thing that will ever come to me because we got the same mom and same daddy. You could have been me, I could have been you. I don't know, but we just I just a lover.

Speaking of coming together.

So every.

In Tank this because Tank is part of my family. My family comes together, right and we we we all get together and gather in the kitchen as my sister cooks. And there is a song that we sing as a family at every family event.

It is called Contagious. All the men in the family.

We take.

Yes, ma'am, and all the women wait for.

Please please give me the story behind this record, because it was so un expect it for you to pop up on that song.

Yes or to the world it was no, no, no. It was to me too. So I knew r Kelly through Cheryl Cobb she's a fan. She's a friend first friend, then fan. Uh and then she always was like trying to push no matter what happened, she was trying to connect me with someone she has always connected me to.

Robert.

Robert was like, well, r who is really a good guy, like really a nice person, really funny. And so I hung out with him and her and he was like, I'm gonna write you a song. I'm gonna write you a song. He had a song he was gonna call Capital Love Capital l oh the e Capital love was Capital love. You never got to that Capital Love. But one day out of the blue he called and said,

The way they make records now, uh huh people make records now.

Right, yes, But yeah, so he just told me when to sing my part, Frank, So I just had to do my part.

Talking.

Yeah, Well, I just did what he told me to do. And then all at the end of it. It just was a song.

But had you heard it.

After it was done he sent it, yeah, probably probably when he mixed it. And then uh we did the video and we had to make out in the video. So Robert was like, we should practice that scene. I was like, I think, I think we'll know how to do it when.

I believe that we.

Practice. The connection has to be statistic.

It's like when you hoop it, like you know, you got to practice, you know first, and then you got then you know, then you played the game, So we need to practice.

I didn't need practice. I did not. I did not need practice. Now he can kiss, so I don't know why he don't. He was practice. But what's interesting is after that I can't be around because it was just it was too much.

Mhmm.

It was too much. They said that out Soria mm hmm.

Yep.

So no other songs came after that, and I don't think it as often as I probably should.

So it's not in your show.

It was for a little while, and I think it's harder when it comes back up and he's in the news again and all that stuff. It's just a lot. But I mean when it comes on, I just do doom, doom, doom, and then what the hell is doing that comes on? And then everybody and I start doing what you and your family do. So yeah, then they go, right, that was shotting.

So you've been part of some really dope, really dope moments. I'm bad, some really dope moment And I think it's like the power of those moments and how you showed up in those moments that that is what has sustain you. And like people people like like let's say hit records, right, like hit like life changing records. Right. I don't have that many, but the few that I have, oh, I.

Know, I need to learn how to do that more.

I get the milk, Yeah, I get the milk, all the milk. Like people like this, oh you, you.

And the fing some crazy people get to have the most fun.

And it's it's it's it's using those great moments, you know what I mean, and and and letting them carry you through because of how you showed up in those moments.

But you have to know that they are and I think that's something that being the underdog of the family or you know, the baby and the grunt, you know, just like you know the one that it's I'm used to minimalizing some things, and so I didn't get it when some of those fantastic moments happened that they were significant. I when I sing some songs like Way You and My Show, but I was thinking because of our because the way loul was like, ah, I can't believe you

So I never say it you sing it at first.

No, lately I have because of Stephen, not because well.

Way way way wait wait, this was not part of you show.

Always no, no, mm hmm. It was like a thumb. It was the thing that baby Face said he would do a song because I had done so much for that album and you know, I'm gonna and it never happened. And that's why you got to keep relationships though and not be bitter, you know, because it really is about the rhythm of life. It is life that has to continue to happen, relationships that connect old to the new. And this is a perfect setup for the new album.

Yeah, and I love it.

I love it. I have a song with Bennett and it's pretty good. And that's the thing is, I don't watch the charts.

I don't know.

I don't even watch where it's going because it is what it is or it isn't. My life has not been based on charts. It's been based on people showing up to my shows. That's how I make a living.

I'm happy that you are making new music because you should make new music. Your voice should be heard on new shit.

I love that.

Why the fuck not?

How many?

How many shows do you do a year? Even do you try to keep it to a certain number?

Oh no, last year I worked a lot. Year before I worked a whole I worked a whole lot in America, and I spoke this that I want to be, you know, overseas. I think there's a market for me overseas, and there still is. I believe there's more things that I need to work, places I need to go. I've been in America and Aii, I've been around America. Last year I went to China and just spent three months there and

Huh?

But mind you.

The first day I was no, but the but it was different because the movie.

You know as a movie, because you're getting off the place niggas getting knocked out by vocals.

Thinking what it was a great opportunity. I got there and I didn't know what cause I found out about it when I was on tom Join a cruise and I was not singing that week, and they called and Joey Fleming, Joseph Fleming, I think they call Joey now, but he called and said that somebody I sang Happy Birthday at his birthday party. Last year, and then he said this lady Chinese lady came up to me afterward and she was like I would like to. She was all close and all in my space. I was like,

Oh, we dropping this outum in China.

No, I'm about to figure out how to put your assarate.

We need to put this single out in China.

And it's not racist that I said that. So I missed me with that bullshit.

I need to get I have not been and I'm going with you. I'm gonna say.

I'm with you.

You know, no, it's it's it was. It was life changing. Days later, I was walking on the street with Steven, my husband, and people going the trip them all, and they started calling me Momo. Now I am Momo in China fifteen weeks, singing everybody else's song from Wrecking Ball to Alicia Too. Everybody, I am Momo.

If you don't get back over, I'm going. I went.

I went a few times last year, which is what we were talking about. But I I'm singing a lot, but I'm gonna go back. We don't have the times set right now. I did the Chinese version of Tiny Desk, which I haven't doing American. I haven't done American yet, but I don't want to until the record comes out.

But AnyWho, uh, Yeah, your album has to be released, and it has to be a thing. It has to be you present to release your album. Momo has to be in China to release her album.

Yeah, because you have you performed your records over there too at this point or not yet.

I only have done one. One concert I did was one of a few, but it was a stadium of people. Yeah, no, it was. It's mind blowing.

But I don't know.

But I uh, I've done their TV show there and I've done two concerts there, but I intend to go back because yeah, because momos.

Got I'm going to say this before I had the honor the honor of standing next to you singing backgrounds with.

You know, with mister talk about it, talking about.

Me and you Avery Wilson, and I will I will say we might be the coldest background unit of all times, all times. Anybody want to challenge that? We do want smoke. That's a lot of smoke, super smoke.

As a fan, as a fan, I'm saying it as a fan. Y'all were all their cooking.

And and I say this because I just want to speak this, you know, this this piece to other artists out there. For me, I'm not too big for any moment in music. Like when I came to rehearsal and I saw you with your iPad and your like you were you were background singer. I locked and low and I was like, I fuck what, Like, I am of the mind of whatever. Wherever I'm at, I'm going to go crazy in my spot. I'm going to live and enjoy my and and we were having the time of

I appreciated.

I appreciated having that camaraderie with you and Avery and and sharing.

That because that was it was a team.

We were in the car, we were like we.

Was like and I was like, you wrote that.

Oh my god. All the songs. We could not say his hits.

Oh man, we had jakes. He was cutting sounds.

We were like, no, no, But I really appreciate it and have fun standing beside you songs like you You're You're the ship.

You're the ship, and so are you.

And that's one of the most watched things that I've ever done, is that Tiny Desk and the Soul Trade. Those are the two biggest things that I think have gone like viral.

Because because because you're really good, God damn it. Ship your top five R and B singers.

Singers. First, let me say one thing first, is that two of the sexiest albums ever Marvin Gaye Tank. I just want to say that out now we're going, that's what the first thing. I just want to say, sexiest, like full on sexy and you knew and sexy what So just saying that, I'm just looking at.

The cameras so they can so they know I'm standing on what you said.

Here is the truth. It really is like the whole Yeah, that's what we got you Now you're done.

Okay, you are.

Saying got okay, okay.

Uh.

Favorite artist period, it's got to be Prince. Just love him, Just love his style, his versatility, his ability to sing everything that sounded like rock and roll or UH or Elvis, it didn't matter, you know it. Just I loved just growing up having him musically. Michael Jackson, I think is a given for everybody, So I kind of stuck him in there because he is Michael Jackson. Tina Marie is one of the people that I grew up listening to.

A different throat. She is afferent throat.

Yeah.

Tremaine Hawkins was the other person that I was listening to that I was trying to do what she did and that's how I got But see, all things work together for my good because if I could do that, I wouldn't do the high stuff.

You know, as you say that, because you know God by the name of Sean Stockman. He told me one day, He's like, he's Tank, I don't sing hard. I was like, what do you mean? He said, I don't sing hard and I don't try to. Why you do that? Yeah? I do what I do and I stay there, and I was like, you do you do? And as you said, like chasing all those other things when you are you have your own uniqueness. It's right there.

Yeah, So we don't always appreciate ourselves. And I think that's a thing that even the Night of Soul Train Escape went before me and I thought they did a really good job. And I was listening to them and I was like, oh, this girl's a saying yeah. And I had to go, excuse me, ma'am. Do you don't listen to them and try to change how you approach your songs tonight? So I literally had to pull myself

Okay, that's your top five R and B songs.

Hm, oh wait, let me do what I want to say to uh new artists, newish artists love money long, love money long. So love her style, her voice, the way she executes just mic is on. I love it, Uh, Vienna, she just knows who she is, and I love the way her voice is mixed. She's always mixed on the top. I always refer to her whenever anybody's doing any songs for me, I'm like, mix me where they put Rihanna. I don't care what song it is. It could be a song that you bouncing to or a song that

To Steve and.

To turn up himself.

Uh.

And actually I believe r Kelly should be in that list no matter what he has come R and B straight right in the middle of the eyes. So he shouldn't did what he did. But that's not nothing to do with the music, all right, what else do your Okay? I had to put Shanta's Got a Man at home because I wouldn't have a real long career without that. I don't think I put while we're here, That's what I'm saying. Still love it in my system one of my favorite songs. I love that, Prince, I love everything.

D M S R.

I love Prince, D M s R dance music. Okay, just making sure you.

Knew, Uh, don't do this here at the R and B, R and B and early.

In the morning. I love it. Uh? How does it feel? I love that?

Uh?

And then I put on airs where I put not to make sexiest CD Tank and Marvel Gato where I put up there, but I did the other one first. And wait, let me tell you how gigantic they.

Know you got fought, you got, you got big because these.

Eyes, I mean they eight I am. I'm not even talking.

About it big, fun, big, and it was old. It was thick letters.

I like when they go smaller. But if you keep saying in the one, it makes like a thing in the top. If you keep texting in this regular bread and then there's brio.

So you got you got that.

It's true. I've embraced my eyeballs can't see, so I have glasses everywhere.

Miss Shante Moore, Let's build a voltron. You're super R and B artists. Who are you going to get the vocal from the performance style, the styling of the artists, the passion of the artist. And since you just you like to write songs with Jimmy jam and Terry Lewis, who's gonna write the write, Let's start with the vocal.

One vocal for your super R and B artist.

I'm gonna say, shakak she can do it all is pretty awesome, amazing.

Range off the chart in the chest on here and you tell Miss Shaka Khan to come to the podcast.

Can you call it?

Yeah?

You know that's that is, you know because be thinking, you know people I do that. I know she kicked me out of the section one time. Try to see and we and we've been coating cool after that, that's the way you gotta kick me out. I do that.

She needed a place to sit. Tell lem niggas to move.

Everybody had a moment.

I'm a move but playing talk to me nice. The performance style.

In my dream, this is a dream.

This is your super R and b R is yours. However you want it.

Sink like Shaka, dance like Beyon m hmm.

Yeah, and beyones be cutting up on stage, cutting up, hard work, dedication, all of it, all night with the fan.

With the fans. Yeah do that. Oh my god, our conditioning is graz night tonight. Styling mm hmm.

Wow.

I'm gonna say my style work it working really nobody but always always class. If I could sing like that and still be me.

Yeah, yeah, well done. They knew, they knew earlier. You could style yourself. Hit your own care, hit your will give you know. But listen, st figured out what I need the budget for shan, grab yourself some if you will go back to grab yourself something.

Just see my little church haircut and let's go back to the showtime with the Apollo.

I'm sure it's just me.

Just pull up a picture the little screen shot the passion of the artist, the heart of the artists. Who means it?

Mm hmm, passion and heart.

Uh.

Tina Turner ship yes sing anime. Yeah, because she sang everything from the from the guts of guts. I wouldn't want every single song, but everythingle song to be that guts because sometimes you got to relax a little bit. But still, if you have the option be in shockup, you can do what you do.

I love that that's worked. There's Tina and then there's b Yes, that is why that, that's why that is. And who's writing for this artist? Yeah, that's a hot see question. And you friends and every single everybody.

Great song.

He's written a song for you.

Man, don't get mistarted.

Uh.

The thing, the hardest song the song I was pressed more to work past my own limits that song. I think it took me over a couple of months to sing Shanta's got a man, I got horse and got tired. Jimmy and Terry were like, go home, baby, we'll see it today. You think you need a couple of go home and go rest and then come back because we didn't get the vocal and I'm singing and they're going imagine Mariah Carey is in the audience. You are at the award show and you're singing some of the year go.

Oh.

I was like, I don't want to sing during that kind of pressure. So I would say Jimmy and Terry because they worked me the singing hard, melodic, soft, the backgrounds, harmonies. They want it all. Some are some producers get stuck on the tone and they don't press for go singing, go try harder ye, and then some just want that and they don't understand there has to be a finesse to get to So Jimmy and.

Terry, Yeah, you don't pick somebody. Some of the greatest songwriters and producers of all time and they are so friends they are.

Isn't that awesome? That's awesome. So I of course married Stephen Hill, and I know Stephen absolutely loves Jimmy and Terry. He loves music period, but he especially has an affinity for Jimy and Terry. So I asked them to co write the song I walked down the aisle to him on so they did. So that was the song that is on my record that it's going to be on the new record.

You've got it Forever in love, we are pouring champagne.

What's funny is he is the most supportive, Like he just gets overwhelmed with the love and the joy and I'm like, cry more about it than I do. It's just He's like, it's just swarm up, yes, baby, it is.

It is.

But I am. I am so grateful to have some someone who who does appreciate and value absolutely not just chant on stage, but me at home for real, literally.

At home about my god.

Bro.

So we're here now at the very important part of the show. Will you tell us a story? Funnyer fucked up? A funny and fucked up? The only rule to the game is shante.

Can you say no? No.

I have two stories that come to my One is I was on this show and I had this full length mink coat on and I was supposed to come down the stairs and then start talking to the host. And I was coming down the stairs and I stepped on my own coat, and so I just rolled up into the coat and I couldn't get up because every step I made was on the coat that was on me. And I sat there and everyone the guys came and they lifted me up, and this particular person which is

You really tell the.

Ship.

Mm uh.

Someone who's gonna sign me before I got signed and they said, uh, we'll take your songs, but not you. You're not that special, but we'll take your songs. Though I was like, well they come with me, so no. That was long before I signed.

Will take your song?

Mh. They were like, you want to be a writer, Jesus.

It's tough this businesses.

And keep a soft inside.

That's the problem because because because you're going to get judged.

Both ways.

You're going to be judged for giving in and you're also going to be judged or standing firm on your morals, and so even in your nose, you have to figure out a way to make your no pleasant.

It doesn't matter.

Which is no, which I mean, I'm just saying to.

People that are in power, no is no. They don't get what they.

Want so exactly, but just just giving the nuance of how it works a lot in entertainment for women, that balance of saying no and still being able to get an opportunity.

I would have a different career if I said yes for four or five times, I'd have a completely different group, completely different And I'm okay with not having that.

I mean, listen the the chante more you are, uh, we love and revere understanding that, and we appreciate those choices. That is why you are who you are.

Yes, getting proud of yourself. Nobody else gonna be proud of you. That part I have to stand in.

My shoes, stroll up, talk about it.

You do. I think we are just, you know, we are just fans. We are just I mean, I feel like we're family members, so that goes without saying. But you know, I think we're we're We're always of the mind of understanding and appreciating the value of the people that we rock with and never letting, never taking that for granted, and never losing that that respect for it. You know what I'm saying, Like seeing you here, you being here with us means something to us, because to

Like incredible.

I feel the same way about both of you. Thank you for doing this. I'm just so proud of you all from moving out of what's your comfort zone as well and doing something completely it's outside of that, it's inside R and B. But it's still different.

Than what.

Amazing.

Yeah, and it's like and it's it's it's it's how can we be of service? Yeah? How can we?

How can we help?

You know?

And in the universe will take care of the rest. We'll take care of the rest. But how can we how can we have something that that we all can stand on, that we all can be proud of, that we all can say, hey, we we all collectively because I mean me and him can sit there and talk by hours, but we we need special people in this seat right here.

Well, maybe R and B money has to be the new Yar City your hall. I'm just saying, we got married to the guy.

That you're married to.

The guy can consult us all the way you need to go see.

You know your wife, you heard your wife always.

But the thing is, I remember on b T before he was there, I was the first person to sing live on b E T tabot a live singing like doud camera first time. That's all.

As as we continue to talk, you're just you're just more core, more more, which.

Which speaks to why you are.

More.

Thank you incredible. My name is Tank Valentin.

This the Everybody Podcast, the authority of all things R and B and apparently stand up as well. And you know, this has just been for us a special episode with a very incredible, special gifted, beautiful, amazing human being. And she goes by the name of Chante more discre