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Interview Podcast Audio Angie Stone
The Art of Love and War

In record label limbo for the past few years, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what The Art of Love and War, the new album from soul diva Angie Stone, is all about.

But now the acclaimed singer has a new home, one that is stuff of legend. Stone left Clive Davis' J Records last year, and is now on Stax, the recently revived Concord Music imprint that was once a pillar of excellence on the soul and R&B scene.

With Art of Love and War hitting stores next week, Stone spoke with MP3.com about dealing with the business end of the music, the confidence and freedom that comes with longevity, and the likelihood that we'll hear a new album from D'Angelo, her ex, anytime soon.

Hey, Angie, Jim Welte at MP3.com. Hi, how are you doing? I'm doing just fine. How are you doing? Pretty good. Pretty good. Do you have a few minutes? Of course I do. Great. Well, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. We appreciate it. Absolutely. I wanted to start off by talking about the title of the new album The Art of Love and War. Is it safe to say that you're talking about your love for music and the war that comes with the business side of this whole thing? There you go. You hit the nail on the head. Really? OK. How did you know? That's a pretty safe guess. There's been a little talk over the last year or two about your dealings with the labels, and stuff like that, and I'm sure it can be a difficult process at times. Well, that was absolutely what I went for. Do you mind talking about the J Records thing? Do you feel that you got lost in the shuffle? Oh, no, at J Records I didn't feel completely lost. What I think happened is that Clive Davis is a mogul in the business, he's one of the best, and he's had nothing but the most of love and respect for Angie Stone. However, I think in the transition of him leaving Arista and going to J, the setup and startup time that they took for them to transition in their time, there's a lapse period. And I think all of the artists suffered, not just me.

I think even now with American Idol being so prevalent, and that being a whole 'nother machine, a lot of the artists at the label now are not getting the focus and the time and attention they deserve. I just knew when to get out. Right. And I saw it coming. And that's in no way to depreciate the greatness that I've had at J Records. I thank Clive and that whole machine over there that I'm known at all, but I just think that once the house got a little crowded, it wasn't about getting lost in the shuffle; I just think it's not having enough staff and enough focus on individual artists, to focus on more than three or four at a time.

And if you got 15, somebody's got to wait, and I didn't want to be number 10 waiting for two years to make another record because you got five other people on the schedule before you. So, it was a business decision for me. That makes perfect sense from your standpoint. What does it mean for you to be part of the revival of the Stax brand? I mean this is a legendary name in music. Well, I mean it was welcoming because it's the first time I left one crowded house to get into a house where it wasn't that many people, and to be the first artist in the genre that they're focusing on to relaunch that label means I'm going to get undivided attention as well as the legacy that goes along with the name Stax. That means a lot to me. Of course. Why do you think the labels and the media have done a poor job of differentiating between all the female singers that tend to get lumped into the whole neo-soul category, whether it's Jill Scott, or Alicia [Keys], or [Erykah] Badu, or yourself? Why is that? I'm going to answer this question, but I don't want you to take me wrong. OK. Because the majority of us are black full-figured women that signify the African-American heritage of gospel music with the undertones of R&B, as opposed to Christina Aguilera who does what they call pop music. To me, it's nothing but R&B music. Yeah, sure. Joss Stone who's trying to do neo-soul music, that's the same thing. And they never get lumped into neo-soul. So, I'm thinking that it's a little one-sided. And I don't think it's an accident. I think they do it deliberately to keep us all in one barrel. It's like crabs in a barrel. And they're all climbing on top of each other to get recognition when, in fact, if they all came together, they could break the barrel open. Yeah, absolutely. The reason I ask is that it seems to me like it would be a little harder to differentiate yourself in the market when you just tend to get lumped into this big group. Right, absolutely. When you have to deal with the business side of things, does doubt ever creep in for you, or do you have a hundred percent confidence in the creative side and you just know that the business side will work itself out at some point? Well, I think in order for something to work, all the components need to be in place, and I think I've always had my music in place. I've always had my direction in place. But I don't think my entire team has always been in place. There's always been changes because there needs to be understood who you're representing. They have to be a hundred and ten percent in your corner. Everything has to kind of line up like the stars when things go perfectly for you. Your team is in place.

I think making the switch from J Records allowed me the grace period I needed to get my team in order so that Angie Stone becomes a brand and not just a ghetto superstar. Right. OK. Yeah. So, in your eyes, how does this new album hold up against Black Diamond and Mahogany Love and Stone Love? How does it fit into the catalog you've been building over the years? I just think that this album transcends all of those because it's The Art of Love and War. I'm making it clear that I'm coming out swinging. And no disrespect to Sade and Anita Baker, and Toni Braxton, but I didn't want to be an artist that was so repetitive of everything that I've done before that it becomes boring. Right. So, I'm the kind of artist that reaches for change without completely deviating from my core but allowing enough room for growth and appreciation. OK. So, I think people are going to feel this album because it's not exactly like Black Diamond or Mahogany or Stone Love. It's a new version of where I am today and what I've come through. There are snippets and pieces of all of those things that were in my life because it is the same voice. It's the same woman. It's just a different period in my life. Gotcha. Yeah, that makes sense. OK. Now, I wanted to ask about "My People," which I think is drawn from the Duke Ellington stage show, right? Uh-huh. Yeah, OK. There's a lot of pride in that song. Do you think pride as opposed to arrogance or boasting is missing in modern urban music? I think it's not necessarily missing. I think people and artists and their managers and labels are just so programmed to deviate from the real because of controversy. They don't want to deal with this two, or three, or four sides that could come out of a situation like when James Brown said, "Say it loud. I'm black and I'm proud." He was an advocate for what was right. And what I'm doing is just continuing the legacy for my people to stay strong because even though things are changing, they're not changing fast enough. Right, yeah, yeah, absolutely. The other song I wanted to ask you about was "Play With It." It sounds like you were having a hell of a lot of fun making that record. That was the first song I did for this album. Oh, was it? OK. And I went in there with the attitude, before I knew what the title of the album was going to be, my attitude was, "I'm leaving this record company." Now, I don't want you to dare think for a moment that because I left the label, that I was giving up, that I was feeling defeated, that I was, you know, in a place where I could be run over. So, that song was inspired by my own--lighting my own ignition to challenge myself was my greatest challenge, and that was proving to myself and the rest of the world that I'm still relevant. Right, right. So, "Play With It" you just might just get it. You don't want to mess with me. And when I say I had to take a walk back down memory lane to let you know I still got a game, turn up the heat a little, and watch your brain sizzle, and bring about a change.

I said all of that to say--you know, I had to reflect over--I am hip-hop. I started in hip-hop. This is a part of who I am. I am neo-soul. I am R&B. This is who I am. I am a writer. I am a poet. You know what I mean? I'm all of these things. So, what is different? I've just gotten wiser and I've had a little bit more experience. So, now you really don't want to mess with me because I've got so much more on the ball than you do. I've got almost 20 years on all the rest of the artists out here. I hear that. So, I can go back further than you can go back. They might just stop at, you know, the '70s era where it was just Earth, Wind and Fire, and I see that Jill Scott is very into Minnie Riperton. You can tell by the overtones who these people listen to and who they pattern themselves after. But I'm like, let's go back even further. So, I can do that and because I can integrate all of that into my now music, it sets me apart from them. Absolutely. Well, it's a fantastic track. Thank you. Of course. It's one of my favorites. It's fantastic. So, what's your relationship with D'Angelo like these days, if you don't mind me asking? We're just parents. We're friends and we're parents. Yeah. You guys have a 7 or 8-year-old son? He's 10. It's been 10 years. OK. D'Angelo has seemed, what little his fans get to see, he seemed to come through it, on the other end of a dark period in his life, and he seems to be kind of coming out of that now. Is the world going to hear any new music from him anytime soon? Do you know? Absolutely. I think D'Angelo is a victim of his own peers and fans because unlike most artists, he never gets invited to participate in things that embody a lot of different artists. And he takes that to heart. Like if we do a Stevie Wonder album, "Why ain't nobody called and asked me to do it?" He's made himself so untouchable that he misses out on the great moments. And it's caused him to kind of shy away from the industry.

But he's a genius and I'm almost sure you know, like the rest of the world knows, that we're expecting something great. Whatever D'Angelo comes out with, I can assure you that it will be absolutely amazing. Absolutely. Yeah, I think it's one of those things where each time he comes out with something, everyone takes a step back. And I'm sure people are waiting for what's next. I'm the only one that's not scared of D'Angelo. I'm sure you're not. I'm sure you're not. Well, Angie, I really appreciate taking the time to talk to us. Thank you. And best of luck with the new album. Appreciate you. Thank you. Thanks a lot, Angie. Bye, bye. Bye, bye.