Urban Grandstand Digital Issue 3 | Page 23

parents. Meelah takes us into her hectic world, which includes advocating for special needs and Autism through her new foundation P.R.O.U.D. (Parents Reaching Out to Understand Development Delays), and marketing & promoting the release of her new solo album. By far, it's not easy. Matter of fact, it's hard as hell, simply put, but somebody's got to do. Meelah definitely seems up for the challenge. She's been making so much noise out in the community and people are surely recognizing. She will soon be honored by Beauty In Beauty Out for her contributions to Autism research and for the help she's been able to provide. We talk about all of that, plus we get the scoop on R&B Divas: Atlanta, her new single with Musiq Soulchild, and the possibility of rekindling that Missy & Timbaland flavor that 702 was so connected to (ok...I was really begging for that one..lol).

At any rate, you don't want to miss out on this interview.

Urban Grandstand Digital: Good morning to you and thank you so much for your time this morning. This is huge for me because of who you are, but I’ve been a huge fan of your music since the beginning, so I truly appreciate you.

Meelah: Oh wow, thank you so much. I appreciate that and you for having me.

Urban Grandstand Digital: There's a number of things I want to cover in our short time today. I most definitely want to touch on your foundation, your cosmetics with Revel, R&B Divas and reality in general, and your new single and pending album.

Meelah: OK…

Urban Grandstand Digital: So to start, I find myself listening to your music almost daily, especially when I’m running. I’m playing Steelo, Where My Girls At, and Beep Me 911. How does it make you feel that the people from our generation are still following, and twenty years later, they’re still listening to those songs from you? Like, my son is eight, and even he is hip to it now because I play it so much. I feel like my parents sometimes in the sense that maybe I can’t let go of the past (laughing), but I’m truly stuck in that Missy-Timbaland-702 era. So how does that make you feel?

Meelah: Well first of all, let me just say thank you so much. My gratitude is infinite. I really appreciate you just keeping it going, and allowing your son to be privy to that era. it’s something that he can continue on with his generation. It’s kinda cool. It makes me feel great, and very humbled. I count my blessings. I’m appreciative to people like you, and to God for allowing me the opportunity to have that moment with 702. The fact that people can still rock out to it and run on the treadmill to it (laughing). That makes my heart smile. To have been a part of something like that, it is nothing short of amazing.

Urban Grandstand Digital: I thought Star was so underrated in the sense that there was such a lack of promo from the labels. Why do you think there was so little promotion?

Meelah: Now that I don’t know. You’d have to find Kedar Massenburg and ask him. I don’t know. It’s very disappointing when I think back to that time. I do recall that being one of my primary concerns, making sure this album got the promotion and marketing that it needed and deserved. I just recall feeling like, listen..this is an excellent body of work and I hope that the label does they're job, but they didn’t. I don’t know why. I think maybe it was a budget thing. Maybe we had exceeded our budget paying out the big bucks to the A-list producers. Pharrell

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