Shunda K. of Yo Majesty: The New Gay Interview

Just up from a nap, and wrangling an eager little puppy, Shunda K. of Yo Majesty found time to talk to us at length about what god thinks about the gays, how to handle groupies, and not selling out.

TNG: Your full length, Futuristically Speaking . . . Never Be Afraid drops in the U.S. this month. You guys have been playing a lot of these songs live for a while, what was it like finally putting down the tracks?

Shunda K.: Yeah, it was a big difference. In the live show, you get a chance to perfect the tracks, you know what I’m saying? Change the words, get a chance to do them more strong and more crunk. We had to go back into the studio and take out Shon B.’s (the member that left) parts and replace them, and then the producer was like, I want you to go over all the tracks as if you were doing a live show. And it just brought out so much more energy. And we came up with a couple of new tracks, like “Never Be Afraid”, “Grinding and Shaking,” and “Break Bread”.

TNG: So is there a particular message behind this album?

SK: Never be afraid--be yourself. God is not concerned with a lifestyle and all these different things, he’s more concerned with the heart and where your mind at. I was raised that being gay is an abomination and your ass is going to hell, ain’t no ifs ands or buts about it. What allowed me to see a different point of view was last October, after I got out of my third relationship since I started dealing with women again.

Cause at one point I stopped fuckin with chicks and got married to this minister, but I left him because he wasn’t doing what he was supposed to do according to the Word. He used the Word to control my ass cause I was new to it. So I left him back in ’05 and had a couple relationships with females, but last October I was like, I’m tired of being hurt. So I was like, Lord, I don’t know how you feel about this, me being gay and all, but I love you and I want you to bless me with my wife. I want her to be this independent woman--her own house, her own car, I want her hygiene to be up to par--and I was very specific about what this meant (laughs). I met her December 19th, and I believe in my heart that god answered my prayers. And from that point on I felt like, well he must not hate me that bad, because he blessed me. So from that point on I’m like, god don’t give a damn about me being gay.

That’s what Yo Majesty is all about, bringing that love and acceptance. I’ve had people crying at shows, after I do “Kryptonite Pussy” or “Club Action” saying they feel so free and this is refreshing. And I’m like, we been partying all night! But like it’s motivating, too. They see these black gay chicks, the minority of the minority holding it down and not being shaken.

TNG: I’ve heard you say that you’re spiritual, not religious. Still, do people beef about you putting really frankly sexual lyrics next to lyrics about god and spirituality?

SK: God created sex! So why the hell would he be against sex? Why would people try to practice abstinence when god put sex here for us? For me it’s just so hypocritical. And then religion, that was just created to keep us separated. It’s like another form of slavery.

No I’m not religious--religion is what kept me from having a relationship with God. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been attracted to females. I had this 2nd grade teacher and I was so attracted to her. I was about seven years old and I was SO sexually attracted to her. And I was like oh my god what the hell am I going through? I used to want to be a boy, and I got this real short jheri curl--I thought, if I’m attracted to girls then I must’ve been supposed to be a boy. So this is my mentality, right? All growing up I was like, I can’t talk to my grandmama--that’s who raised me, my mom she was on drugs and my dad, he was just a ho. My grandparents raised me, and I love my parents, don’t get me wrong, I have a strong relationship with both of my parents now. My mom’s gay, too.

I remember one day I was like 14 years old, and we were watching Oprah and there was this gay woman on, and her ex was this guy going on about I don’t want you around my kids, and he was acting like a dickhead. So my grandmother looked at me and said, “Shunda, do you feel that way?” Like asking if I was gay. And I was like, “No mama!” Cause I was terrified, like oh no she’s gonna kill my ass. My grandmother’s got the gift of discernment--she can see right through a person. So she saw that in me but I was like hell fuckin no. I was just afraid.

TNG: Is your mom supportive of your work?

SK: Yeah, me and my fiancée have a place here in Tampa but we’re going to get a place with my mom in Plant City, because right after I leave D.C. I’m going straight to New York City and starting my own weekly club night to help other artists get some exposure. It’s going to be at the OSR House in Manhattan for like a month and a half, it’s going to be every Saturday night. And then I’m hosting an entire week during CMJ. Any bands that are interested in playing during the week I’m hosting at CMJ, or the month I’ll be running that club night up in Manhattan--we’re going to feature like seven bands every Saturday--go to shundak.com and submit your demos.

We’re trying to bring people together and network with people that really care about the artists. You know I didn’t see a whole lot of love from the business side of this industry, but that pushed me to start my own company--GMEQCA--it stands for “God is a Man’s Eternal Quest to Conquer All. I’m trying to conquer the world and connect with people through love. Not just rapping or singing because you can, but because you’re interested in changing the lives of the people. The whole wide world is all fucked up.

TNG: Are you excited about the upcoming elections?

SK: Oh hell-to-the-yeah. Obama all the way, straight up. And it’s not because he’s black, he’s not just concerned about black people, he’s concerned about everybody. I was watching the Republican National Convention thing last night, and they were talking about how Obama is on this world tour for publicity, and it pissed me off. I don’t see him stooping to their level.

TNG: So you feel like as an artist, it’s pretty important to be political?

SK: Yeah. I’m actually having a couple of events with the kids in the hood. I taught them how to write a couple of songs, took my mobile studio down there and recorded the tracks, and we’re having a back-to-school bash for them that they’ll perform at. And I’m also going to be rallying for people to register to vote. I had my lady print out voter registration papers and I’m letting them know why it’s important to vote This is the most important election of our life time. It’s going to make or break America, straight up.

If McCain gets in there, he ain’t gonna do nothing but what Bush did--drag us further and further down, and create more and more enemies, until we’re going to be looking like Iraq. I want to be able to step outside and see my green grass, and breathe fresh air, and not have to worry about a bomb falling on top of my head, you know what I’m saying? When I get up to New York, I want to do some rallying up there, too, cause I think the deadline to register is October 6th. So I’m like doing all I can and now I’m coming to Washington, D.C.--the capitol--I’m going to lay it down! Straight up.

TNG: I’ve seen you perform before and it was nuts. What’s going through your head when you’re performing?

SK: Yeah it’s going to be powerful, but I don’t want to scare anyone away cause I can be real militant. Shunda K. is different than Yo Majesty. I don’t know if you believe in spirits, but lately I been dealing with some demons on stage. The words I’m saying are so powerful, I feel like I have to come up against these demonic forces keeping me from getting the words out. Hold on. [To the dog] Come on! Get your ass in this house! So I got myself a little puppy and he’s so bad! (laughs)

TNG: What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened at a Yo Majesty show?

SK: We were playing this place in San Francisco, and we get there, and there’s already this girl that’s got her top up so her titties are showing, and she’s like kneeled down on the skirt of the stage, and she’s playing with her pussy! She’s masturbating, like right before the show, and I was like, what the hell? We were all kind of blown, but we were like okay, just let her do her thing.

TNG: I was thinking you guys must have crazy groupies.

SK: Honestly, naw. Females might be attracted and shit but when you talk about god to a lot of people, they back up. That’s been kinda saving us and shit. They be like, I love "Kryptonite Pussy", but that whole god thing . . .

TNG: That’s probably good since you’ve got a fiancée and all.

SK: Yeah, you know, she and I deal with some insecurity, especially from MySpace comments. I think she just can’t believe I really want to be with her. It really hasn’t sunk in yet. Like the other night she was saying, when you get your money and everything together, you’re going to leave me. And I’m like, I’m not going to leave you, girl--I’m taking you with me! I prayed and asked god for you, and I would never abuse or misuse anything god’s given me.

TNG: What was it like working with Peaches?

SK: Oh yeah, my booking agent was like Shunda, Peaches wants you to get on a track. And I was like, Hell yeah! How I met her, we were in L.A. and our attorney set us up to get on her video, My Humps, My Dumps. So that’s all three of us on that video. And then she came out to South by Southwest and hung out with us a bit, and she’s just good peoples. On her next tour, I want to open for her as Shunda K.

TNG: You’ve opened for other folks like CSS and the Gossip, right?

SK: Yeah, but I’m saying that was Yo Majesty. I’ve done all I need to do for Yo Majesty to get it where it is, and now I want to do stuff for Shunda K. You know, as Shunda K., I still got to prove myself, it’s like starting from the ground, and I don’t mind.

TNG: Are there people you want to work with as a solo act?

SK: I definitely want to do some stuff with Lauryn Hill, because she’s going through some stuff right now that’s just demonic, how she’s been held down. I feel like I know what’s she’s going through and I just want to get her up and into that studio and let’s talk about this shit, let’s let people know what you’re going through and how you’re overcoming it.

Someone else I want to work with, Chuck D. I just started getting into Public Enemy and I’m like, man! Someone sent me New World Order, and were like, you got to listen to some Public Enemy! Because I don’t really listen to any other artists, at all. But now I’m jamming.

TNG: You don’t really listen to other artists?

SK: I mean can you listen to the shit they play on the radio? I can’t down with that commercial shit. [To the dog] You better stop biting me! I’m walking in circles trying to shoo him off and he thinks I’m playing with him.

TNG: What kind of dog is he?

SK: He’s half pit bull, half rottweiler. [To the dog] Say, I’m gonna be a killer! Yeah he’s pretty cute, he’s just bad.

TNG: What's next for you?

SK: After New York, I’ve got a UK tour coming up, to promote the album, and then when I get back, I’m going to start doing stuff with the community. Use music to make the community better, right here in Plant City. You know, people use music to get rich, so their chains can hang low, or they can ride around on 34s. But materialism, it won’t do nothing for you.

It's more important to have that loving support of family. It wasn’t always like that for me, growing up, I didn’t have no support except from my coaches. Back at home, it was, “Shunda, why you always wasting your time bouncing that damn ball? It ain’t going to take you nowhere.” And I ended up graduating high school with honors, got an academic athletic scholarship to college--these were the things that people said I couldn’t do and I did. Now they’re like, “You used to say you were going to do so many things, and everything you said you’d do, you did it. I’ll never doubt you again.” And that made me feel so good, you know what I’m saying?

All that negative energy didn’t bring me down, I used it as fuel. I’m gonna show their asses! Now, I’ve got a degree in business administration. I’m not a dumb black gay chick. By the time I turn 33 years old, I should be Dr. Shunda K. It’s all love with my family now, though. You know, I understand, the way they were raised, they were sharecroppers, which is a step right after slavery. So you can imagine what their mentality was. Love? Ain’t no love in this world. I understand that, and we’ve gotten closer, despite our misunderstandings and differences.

TNG: It’s cool that you can stay positive and still put out party hits. Like it doesn’t water down the fun.

SK: You know I say, Yo Majesty can go straight from the church to the club, and back to the church again, if we wanted to. Okay, maybe not with Kryptonite Pussy and Club Action (laughs).

Shunda K. of Yo Majesty plays Phasefest tonight, along with:

Odd Girl Out (Bmore)
Somer
K. Love the Infinite
Cat Furniture (DC)
We Are Hip Hop Too
Josh Bloom
DJ Natty Boom (DC)

Doors at 6 pm / 21+
$15 / tix at door or in advance
Phase 1
525 8th St. SE