The
last time I caught up with Big Brovaz was April 2006. It’s now fresh into
2007 and the group will finally be releasing their new album entitled
‘Re-Entry.’ Contrary to what people might think, they haven’t disappeared from
the music scene and the girls of Big Brovaz (Nadia and Cherise) even
scored a number 2 hit with Boogie 2Nite under the name of Booty Luv.
They’re back and ready to gain the respect of listeners everywhere. It’s been a while since your last release, what kind of success do you hope to have this time around?
I’m not even judging our success on record sales, I’m judging it on getting our stuff out to the fans and getting played on the radio. When you’re signed to a company like Sony it’s all about record sales. That pressure has been taken off us now that we’re on Genetic Records; it’s a lot more laid back. Although we want success and want everything that we had on Sony, the pressure’s not on us to achieve that. On Sony, if you don’t get a Top 10 record, you get dropped. Whether our record is Top 10 or not, we’re going to keep it moving. We’re not trying to take over the world with one single.
Have you thought of doing things more internationally?
Yeah definitely but being based at home is secure for us right now because that’s what we’re concentrating on. When we did that track for the Scooby Doo film it was our platform into the States because Scooby Doo sold like 5 million copies on DVD in a week. It’s a good launching pad but that thing with Flawless happened and it seems like we’re back at square one again. Although it wasn’t all of us involved with the situation, we’ve all been tarred with the brush. We want people to forget all of the negative things and reinvent ourselves. The only way to judge someone is on what they’re doing now.
It’s obvious that Big Brovaz are different because how many groups do their own thing these days?
So many people are like ‘you’re too pop’ or whatever but nowadays there’s no hip hop and R&B out there. We used to be at all the festivals where the Rock groups were. There ain’t anyone else doing that right now. The hip hop and R&B scene has died and it goes to show the haters who were saying ‘you should do more this, do more that.’ It’s all Indie bands and guys wearing those pencil trousers and for hip hop and R&B to compete with that will be a struggle. It’s an uphill battle to get the radio stations to play the tracks because they’re focusing on Indie bands and they don’t know there’s still a market out there for hip hop and R&B.
Do you think that hip hop, Pop and R&B are difficult to categorise?
They don’t really know what rap is, or what hip hop is. Some people don’t know how to categorise music. I personally don’t think we should categorise music or put it in a pigeon hole because that’s when you have to follow a certain stereotype. I would rather that people don’t know what to call us. I don’t mind being called Pop because it’s the broadest term in music. Everyone is scared of that term because when you’re Pop you’re considered to have sold yourself. 50 Cent aspires to be popular which is what Pop stands for but it has a negative stereotype. I want my music to be Pop and for everybody to hear it. It’s hip pop.
How did Nadia and Cherise end up vocalling Boogie 2Nite and hitting the charts as Booty Luv?
Ministry of Sound was doing a dance record and they were thinking of who they should get to vocal it. They got a few people in to sing it but nobody got it right. Our manager said they should try Nadia and Cherise. The girls went in and did it perfectly so they decided to go with it.
What do you think of Funky House?
I love it, there are a few songs out there that I really like such as Get Your Hands Up For Detroit and all of those. There was a time when I used to leave the dance floor when music like that was playing.
Are you still feeling Grime?
I used to like Grime but it got too saturated. Everyone is doing some kind of Grime. The last time I really listened to any was back in the So Solid days. Now everyone’s doing the same thing on Channel U and I just got bored of it and don’t listen to it anymore.
What about people forgetting about the major labels and doing it themselves?
It’s too easy to do a video and get it on Channel U. That can’t be the be all and end all. People will recognise you but there’s no money there. It’s the big guys doing all the cheque signing and they won’t even see you there. I don’t want to be on Channel U. No offence to Channel U because they’re doing their thing for the underground but I want to be on MTV. That’s what’s killing the R&B scene. Between all the madness on Channel U there are a couple of good songs but that’s it.
What’s your opinion on artists from the States?
I thought Nas’s album was crap. That’s the biggest American artist out there and I thought his album was weak. It’s nothing like his old stuff which was much better. He was even trying to sing. Everyone’s doing the 50 Cent formula where people want to do their own chorus and sing but it doesn’t go, it’s just mad. Hip hop in America is going in totally the wrong way. I personally think our album is better than all of theirs out there. It’s diverse and the choruses are tight, the verses are good and that’s all you need. I don’t like to pick on Nas but on his album the choruses are so wack you wonder why he thought they were good enough to go on it.
Why aren’t artists in the UK making it?
I think the UK has more going for it than America, we just ain’t got the funding and can’t do the big videos. Nobody believes in it. All we need are people to believe in us and we’ll make it.
www.bigbrovaz.com
By Rashmi Shastri - Jan 2007