Missy Elliott`s newest protégée Sharaya J has recently graced the pages of the latest issue of Interview Magazine, with a stunning spread that allows her to showcase her unique style and also showcases her personality and sat down with Patricia Field for a interview. The New Jersey native talks about working with Missy, her BANJI movement and more.
Check out the spread below and read some parts from the interview.
On BANJI Movement: "I'm trying to take the BANJI movement and really make it a part of my brand. The acronym is Be Authentic Never Jeopardize Individuality. I actually live by those words and I could never conform to anything that's not authentic to myself. "
On working with Missy Elliott: Missy's been kicking my butt. We see things about each other in each other. Creatively, that was her whole thing. She was really open with me. She was like, "Sharaya, what do you want to do?" And the BANJI movement, that whole thing started because of a group of executives who told me, "Hey, we think you have star quality. We love your stuff. Only thing is, you gotta get a weave, put heels on, and get out here and be like everyone else." And I was like, "No way!"
"Me and Missy ran into each other through one of those gigs because she loves dance so much. But I actually never worked for her as a dancer; I signed to her as an artist on the music side. As far as the new stuff I'm doing with her, I've got some really good stuff lined up. We've been in the studio crazy hours down in Atlanta." "She feels like we need to be isolated so we can focus completely on the work and the creativity. She has, like, a method to her madness, but it works."
On her love for dancing: "I never went to school for dance. I just did a thousand talent shows, pageants, every kind of runway fashion show ... Dance, I connected to immediately, right after music. When I was really young, my mom said I would run around the house making up routines." "My mother always says, "Girl, who you get it from? Because I can't hold a two-step." And my father doesn't really dance. It was just out of nowhere. "
"Actually, I always have to give credit to Laurieann Gibson. She really helped make me become the dancer that I am. But Missy's like that too, because she loves dance so much. When I think of any choreography for any of my stuff, I'll go in and make up a whole routine, and then she'll come in the room, watch it three times, and then she'll be like, "Okay, make up another one." [laughs] And I'm like, "From the beginning?" She pushes me like that."
You can read the whole interview here and pick up the magazine at your nearest news stand.
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