There are some albums that people need to know about. “P.S I Love Me” is one of them. Even though the album was released digitally late last year, Lil Mo still managed to deliver a combination of good R&B. From its sultry and soulful ballads to its clubbing, empowering and up-tempo vibes, Lil Mo put her pain, heart and soul into this eclectic offering.
Singersroom: Your last album, ‘Pain & Paper’ was released in 2007, what did you do during that time away from the public?
Lil Mo: In between my hiatus, I toured and basically got everything together. In 2009, I gave birth to my first child and in 2010, I partnered with my lawyer and my company Honey Child Entertainment, Inc. [We] did a joint venture with Bronx Bridge Entertainment. We [also] did a distribution deal through Fontana/ Universal and that’s when we put out ‘P.S I Love Me’ in 2011… It was a lot that went on in those years off; thank God it was well worth the wait.
Singersroom: So what inspired you to get back in the studio to record your fourth album?
Lil Mo: The fans wanted me to bring back real music… But my kids enjoyed being the offspring of Lil Mo, so between my family pushing me and the fans wanting me to come back, it was almost like I had no other choice.
Singersroom: What’s the symbolism behind “P.S. I Love Me” featuring Tweet?
Lil Mo: If you notice, there’s a lot of things that’s going on in our society, a lot of people with issues, a lot of people with depression, low-self esteem, anxiety. So many things that are on the rise, that normally we women, especially women of color, we don’t pay attention to. And what people don’t realize is that the world doesn’t owe you anything. The only thing that’s own is you own yourself… don’t take no for an answer. There are some doors that will be closed… but you have to love yourself and [realized]…that [you] are better than what they are giving you …I am just giving people back the [true] foundation of love.
Singersroom: What was it like working with Tweet?
Lil Mo: I toured with her before because we both started out under the Missy Elliot tutelage. So that was just like a given. She’s one of the people that not only do I respect personally, but I respect her professionally and I love her voice. We toured together, we sang background with Missy. [We do] church and everything together. I was like, ‘yo what record can we do that will not sound like it’s force?’ There are a lot of records that I hear that just sounds like nah; they should just have left it a solo or [should have done] a duet with somebody else. But I knew that our voices, even though I am more powerful, she’s more laid back, smooth and soul…blend so well together and I think it was the perfect combination because she’s great.
Singersroom: What do you want people to take away from “P.S. I Love Me”?
Lil Mo: The fact that no matter if I take a hiatus, I will come back to give you good music. I am never gonna repeat myself …[Despite] everything I have been through, I am still here and you can tell because I love myself enough to know that my foundation is always love. So I want people to pull out for me, [knowing that] I am really singing from my heart.
Singersroom: I’m sure a lot of our readers would like to know if you are going to get back to the sound that they loved and made you famous or should we expect a new vibe from you?
Lil Mo: Well it’s basically the same old Mo. Because when I do my live show, I talk the way I typed my messages…It’s the way that I convey with soul. So it’s just like my shows and my singing are almost like I am talking to you… It’s still the same old me but there’s a maturation. I have been in this game professionally since 1999 when I started out with Missy, so you know its 2012 … that’s 13 years. So just imagine a decade worth of music. [Maybe] not an album every year but four albums with at least 12 to 10 songs on each, that’s 40 songs. That’s different chapters of my life that I am sharing with everybody so there’s no way I can change the game because it’s already nine innings. So why fix something that is not broke?…
Singersroom: Are you going to release anymore singles?
Lil Mo: We plan on it. But you see the way the industry is nowadays, you can release a single and release an album and just work it and work it. A lot of times the hard thing about releasing a single is to see which one, the fans really want. Because when I [was writing], “P.S. I love Me” everybody was like you should do a club reggae, then I put out, “I love Me” then we had so many views …So I started releasing theses ballads, which I’ve never done before, everybody was like, that’s what’s up? So I am trying to re-introduce myself to the world because you know when you out of sight, you kind of out of mind. But the people who follow you, no matter where you go, they know when your new music is coming. When you have a great single, it makes pressure on writers… It’s just like certain things take time to catch on. So we should see how the cards may fold.
Singersroom: What was the most difficult thing about making this album?
Lil Mo: The most difficult thing, I would say was getting me actually to go in the studio… Time changed, people changed, and music changed. Even though people write songs to [make] you feel good, you still have to go with the flow. So [once again] the hardest thing was actually getting me in the studio to sing these songs.
Singersroom: Would you rather be a mother or a musician?
Lil Mo: That’s a real hard question, but I will tell you this, being a mother is the greatest job and the hardest, but being a musician gives me that balance…I love being a mom that’s first and foremost. So if I had to choose I would be a mom first…Being a musician is the balance that I need when my kids drive me crazy so when the music industry drive [me] crazy, I am going to be a mom. I am Lil Mo, Friday night to Sunday morning and after that I am back to [being] mommy. So I pretty much stretched it the ways that I want my life to be…
Singersroom: A lot of your fans, don’t know that you are married to Gospel singer Philip Bryant, tell us about that?
Lil Mo: We’re going into our fourth year of marriage. We met in the mix of me going through my first divorce [from Al Stone] and that was at a time when I was like yeah I probably won’t be married again. I’ll just have my kids and just keep it moving because I just felt like my life was so [low]…and that’s when God sent me an angel… My husband is my everything, he really keeps me focus and that’s what I need in my life…
Singersroom: What can your fans expect from you in 2012-2013?
Lil Mo: I am going to keep on working and I am going to do a lot of speaking engagements, [such as talking] to young people, battered women, [talk about] domestic violence, etc…
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