Trina Interview

3 months ago 26th Mar 11:52

You know I got to work with some of the best producers as opposed to getting tracks sent. I worked with people like Missy Elliot on this album and Pitbull, Rick Ross and Keyshia Cole. I really got my work in with this album and I am really happy about it.

Even though you haven’t had an album out since 2005, you have been crazy busy with other things. Can you break down just what has been keeping you busy while out of the spot light?

I have actually been putting together a perfume that is called Diamond Princess and I also started a brand new clothing line that is going to be in stores all over.

It was just that I wanted to work on different things besides the music and collaborate on ideas and clothing is one of them and `I am excited to see it all come together. It has been a lot of work but I am very happy with it.

What’s going on with your Diamond Dolls Foundation?

The Foundation is something I set up for younger girls. I set it up with the intention to motivate them and help find out where their head is. You know just see what it is they want to do with themselves.

We talk to them about education, financial advice, diet and things like that. Just talk with them about life and their future and what they hope to achieve and how they will go about doing that.

It has been doing really great and we are getting ready to host the second annual foundation which will be at the end of April.

We have between 700-800 girls lined up for the foundation. It has been doing really well and a lot of girls want to be a part of it. It is free and all I want to do is help out the young girls and help them get on the right track.

Being that you are a female in quite a strong position within the entertainment industry, do you feel you are more relatable to these girls?

I think I can relate and they can relate to me. It is the same game we are all a part of, just different struggles and different upbringings. If you are coming up out of a city or from the hood, I think the things I speak about when it comes to Hip-Hop, they are able to relate to.

You have always held the flag high for female MC’s. You never seem to get caught up in the drama that a lot of the other females seem to get into. Was this something you worked at or is this just your personality?

I think it is me as a person. I have always stayed away from the drama and lots of different things. I just like to work, having fun with my friends and working to get to the next level, getting involved in something new.

I am so used to working and travelling and being all over the world, so my mind is always focused on that. Everything else is not really that important.

Are you proud of your accomplishments?

Yes I am actually proud. I come from a family of very strong women, who are positive and go after what they want. Just to be able to move from the city to somewhere that is very nice and be able to help my family and friends, travel all over the world and then help a lot of different women and to have fans all over the world, even when some people don’t necessarily say the nicest of things; when you see yourself in that light as opposed to what you could have done I feel that that is a great accomplishment.

There have been recent photographs of you that show you have been losing weight, was that intentional?

I have been losing weight but I am not a big fan of working out. But I have been trying to stay in proportion.

I have trimmed down a bit because I did want to be a bit smaller. It was really about getting ready for my project and getting ready for my clothing line, photo shoots for the album, getting ready for the road. Just all of those things.

I wanted to do this for myself, you know look at a photo and like how I look. I put myself in a situation where I was working out and put myself on diets from time to time. You have to take care of yourself.

I am sure some of your male fans are a little disappointed.

If you look too thick, then you are too big (laughs)

But these are the trials and tribulations of being a woman right?

It was just a sentiment to myself really, to put on certain things and to like it.

Single Again, the first joint from the album came out last October. Did you feel that you had to put that joint out as we have talked before about having relationships in the industry and how difficult they are?

You choose to deal with your situation how you choose to deal with it and especially with our relationship, it was highly publicized and you get so much that you have to deal with that eventually it has wear and tear on the situation.

With myself I was just saying I was in a free situation. There are so many situations that women can relate to and what you get out of that should be that by being you it can only make you stronger. Yes it can either make you or break you but in my situation it was a stronger feeling I felt.

I am at a great place in work and I was ready to get in the studio and it really was all about the place I was at and all the energy, being happy and being single.

Just having a great time. There is obviously a great strain on any relationship as there are so many people trying to give you their input and their opinion and being human it can put a lot of wear on you.

Melanie Cornish

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