Ms Olivia: WALK LIKE A CHAMPION
By Tewauna Oliver
In an exclusive interview with Olivia, formerly the leading lady of G-Unit, and her manager “Wolf” Johnson UH was able to get the dirt on what really caused the split from G-Unit, her recent trip to Africa, and what her plans are for the future.
The Brooklyn born songstress spent a year at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, studying Entertainment Law, before transferring to Five Towns College, also in Long Island, to follow her musical dreams. It was here that her potential was recognized, “I didn’t even finish college I went for two years and that’s when Clive came and got me. I wasn’t gonna turn down a million dollars so I went.” She says laughing.
Being the first artist to ever be signed to Clive Davis’ infamous J Records was no small feat and contributed to the journey that only learning through experience could present. Olivia opened up to UH on the adventure that is her life and states, “Everything I’ve been through has definitely been a stepping stone and I think it was for a reason, I don’t regret anything that’s ever happened because I think it was supposed to be that way. I don’t think God makes me do anything just because. That’s how it was planned and I was supposed to learn a lesson from what ever, and you know; I have.”She continues to say, “From the J Records situation I learned how the industry works. I learned how finicky the industry could be and I learned how to handle myself and be strong because you hear all these rumors. Being on the next label it was politics. That’s what happened while I was at Interscope, it was a lot of politics. I learned the ups and downs and now I’m better, I know exactly what I wanna do, how I wanna be, how I want it done now, and what I’m most grateful for is that now I get a third chance. Most artists don’t even get a first, half the artists don’t even get a second. So that’s exactly how I know that I’m supposed to be here and I did everything the way it was supposed to be done because not most people get to the third round and I do.” She finishes with a laugh. Olivia’s manager “Wolf” also reflected on the changes in her career and states, “They were all different situations and that’s the great part about music, it’s not a destination it’s a journey. “
As for the situation with G-Unit Olivia says, “What people don’t know is that 50 and I talked, [a year] prior to me leaving. I wanted to get off the label because there was no R&B sense, it was all just rap and am I really gonna stay in a group with the four of ya’ll for the rest of my life. So we talked about that, but you know the media misconstrues everything and it turned out to be what it was and we all just ended up playing on it and it made it bigger than it was.”
Although the time spent with G-Unit definitely helped to shape Olivia’s career the singer felt like she wasn’t performing the style of music that she wanted. Where she was more into R&B her time spent at Interscope was more hip-hop driven. “You see I had 50 on the songs, I had Banks on the songs and that’s cause 50 thought that the rap would help it sell but I was like I’m R&B that’s why the people love me, because you brought R&B to the group. That’s why we did Candy Shop, that’s why we did Best Friend, that’s why we did So Amazing. But he only knows Rap so he thinks that would be the best way to sell it. He doesn’t know how to sell R&B. I was trying to tell him we have no R&B people to help at the label and you’re doing things as if I’m a Rap artist and I’m not, so that was the issue.”
However “Wolf” provides a little more insight into the issues surrounding the split. “It had to come to an end because we were kind of mixing oil and water. She’s a R&B singer, they’re rappers and it was good in the beginning, great for publicity and all that stuff but at the end of the day it’s a job for us just like it’s a job for anybody else. So at the end of the day when you work you expect to get paid.”
Although there have been lots of rumors circulating around the singers leaving the group the only real issues seem to be monetarily and creatively based. According to “wolf”, Olivia “wrote on Candy Shop and 50 didn’t give her credit for it and he didn’t pay me for it. She wrote on “Best Friend” and to this day he hasn’t given her proper credit or money for those songs and it would be nice it one day he did. I do have legal and tangible proof that she wrote the songs so my day in court will come and everybody will see what it really is. Don’t get me wrong I’m grateful for the time we had together and we had a good opportunity but fair is fair. At the end of the day when someone works hard and goes all out for you they should be compensated not pushed to the side. But history will show everything, it’s no secret that Game left G-Unit, it’s no secret Buck left G-Unit, there’s a reason for that, that all didn’t happen by coincidence. People have to get paid when they render services.”
With the stress of her past behind her Olivia is moving on to much bigger and better things. She recently came back from a trip to Africa where she visited three different cities; Utanga, Lubumbashi, and Katanga. It was on this trip, while performing for close to 30,000 people and feeding bananas to gorillas, that she decided it was time for her to lend a helping hand to her fellow artists in Africa. “I’m building the first big studio in Africa, they have none. So all of the Artists there fly six or seven hours to Brussels or Belgium from Africa to record, so I was like you know what I wanna give back and I love the country cause I’ve been there so many times why don’t I do something. So we talked about it and I picked out the land before I left and we drew up the architecture, I’m so excited. We’ll probably break ground in two months and start the building. It’s going to be called K.O.S, Katanga Olivia Studios.”
Her manager “Wolf” elaborated on the details of the studio for us. “It’s going to be three stages: recording/dance studio, radio station, lounge, and an office that’s the first stage. Once that is completed there will be eight shops where we’ll bring goods and services from Jamaica and America to give them a flavor of what we love… from wears to food and things that we think they would enjoy. The third stage is a theater. It’s going to be 2500 to 3000 capacity seating with a fully equipped green room, and TV station. It’s going to be a very nice project and I’m looking forward to it.”
The new studio isn’t Olivia’s only big move, she just finished recording her new independent album, through Universal records, that has already been released overseas and is expected to drop in the US early 2009. Also according to her manager Olivia has “just hooked up with Tracey Moore one of the most well known and respected acting coaches in acting. She’s taken Olivia under her wing and he’s going to start two months of lessons with her. She’s going to go full force with the music and film at the same time.”
So it seems even though we won’t be seeing Ms Olivia beside 50 Cent, that doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing her. It’s all too often that we see talented singers not make it and weaker singers who are easier to market steal the limelight. It’s time we get and keep real talent in the forefront.
