From her unique fashion, to her natural hair styles, and her indie ‘s music Solange Knowles is truly carving her own history. Lets face it -Solange has always been revered as “Beyonce’s sister” despite the industry’s lack of acknowledgement for her singing and songwriting ability. In her recent interview and spread with Complex magazine, Solange talks about all the the things that sets her apart from public perception and why its important for people to see her for who she is [afro -hair and all].
Sidebar: I clearly need to read the credits on the artist songs, because I had no idea that Solange wrote “Upgrade You” and “Get Me Bodied” record. Let me find out Solange is the “SPARKLE” of the Knowles family.
Here’s a few photos and excerpts from Solange’s interview:
On Taking Risks With Her Music & Image:
“I have a mother who never took no for an answer when it came to her creative pursuits,” Solange says. “She started a hair salon in her spare bedroom and four years later had 30 employees. I have a father who was the first black student at his junior high and high school and had to do a lot to get to that point. So it’s really in my bloodline when it comes to having an idea and making it happen.”
On Her Indie Inspire Music & “Losing You” Video
“It’s an independent label, so with that creative independence comes some financial independence,” she says, laughing. “I had to get very creative with how I was gonna pull it all together. Having an intimate team makes you much more resourceful. It comes out the way you want it to, and there’s not a committee of thinkers and observers.”
On The Origin Of Her Creative Mind:
I had a very vivid imagination, mostly through my style and fashion choices. The kids had a lot to say.” Her fourth-grade teacher, Miss Bethann, found Solange on the verge of tears in her Pocahontas costume outside of the classroom and gave her a lesson that stuck with her:
“Don’t you ever, ever bend or break because of who you are.”
“From that point, the idea of convention versus non-convention or mainstream versus indie or any of those quote-unquote ‘conflicts’ has never crossed my mind.”
On Her Decision To Break From Interscope/Geffen Record Label:
“I wanted to make all of the creative artistic decisions but I wasn’t the one paying for it. And they didn’t fully trust me to make them,” she says. “Every decision was a battle. It was exhausting. I wanted to be in a position where not only was the music fully my body of work, but everything thereafter was also my body of work. I knew that meant I had to leave and that I had to struggle.” She split with the label and later that year leaked a song called “Fuck the Industry (Signed Sincerely).”
For the full article read and photo gallery head over to Complex magazine.