interview

Q: What’s your secret to remaining a trendsetter?
MJB: I mean, I guess my secret is just being myself, and not wanting to be anybody but me. The secret to being a trendsetter is, just always wanting your own, and you can't be a trendsetter if you're copying off of everybody -- everyone else.

Q: And do you feel under pressure to be a style icon? Do you feel you can never leave the house in sweatpants and tee-shirt and no make-up, or do you always have a dress on?
MJB: I feel never under pressure because a pair of sweatpants, and tee-shirt, and a hat is a style. You know, it's how you feel on the inside that makes the style, that makes things come across.

I dress up when needed. And if I feel like doing it every single day, I would. And if I don't, I'll still be all right, you know. People still, you know, compliment you on your insides.

I don't feel under pressure to always look good. The only time I feel under pressure is -- not even under pressure -- the only time I feel that when it's important to look good, is when I have something important to do.

Q: Why did you call your first single Family Affair?
MJB: I call my first single Family Affair because, from my little brother to myself, we wrote this song together. My mother was there when we did the recording. And when you go to a club, you really want to, look at everybody as "family" or if you're at a party, or if you're partying together, if there's more than one person, it's a "family."

It's, like, a bunch of people, you know getting together to do something as a family. And we're getting together as a family affair to celebrate "no more drama."

Q: The song contains some made-up words. Can you explain who gave you the idea for that?
MJB: My little brother, my cousins gave me the words, like, "holleration" [she laughs], and "crunkapound" [sp] [she laughs]. That's what we say, like, when we see -- that's why we call it a "family affair" because it's a language that, when we see each other, that's what we say: "What's up?” "Holleration," you know, and that's our little language.

Q: How did you and Dr. Dre decide to collaborate?
MJB: Well, the way Dr. Dre came about for this project -- I did something for him a
while ago for his album, and he kind of owed me a favor. And we wanted to use it on
something constructive because Dr. Dre is a really excellent producer, well-known,
and we didn't want to just waste it on a re-mix.

Q: Which tracks are Missy Elliott, and Eve on?
MJB: Eve is on Where I've Been. The track on the album that Missy is on, is Never Been.

Q: And how did you like working together?
MJB: I always enjoy working with Missy. Missy is family. And I enjoy working with Eve, too. She writes her own stuff, and then it was fun.

Q: How is the Mary who recorded 411 and My Life different from the Mary who recorded Mary and No More Drama?

MJB: The Mary that did What's the 411? was different from the Mary in My Life because the Mary from What's the 411 was just singing and having a little bit of fun.

But the My Life Mary wasn't having no fun at all. Like, she was just down, and really not doing well. But she was steady writing, and she was very confused, and very sad, and very unsure, and very insecure, and very mad, and very down.

And this Mary is very -- everything is the opposite: she's very sure, she's very secure, she's very clear. She's not afraid of anything. And she's just -- she's clear.