First heard in 2001 with the sultry song, ‘I Am Your Woman’ in which she tells a man, “I am your woman, so show some respect and treat me as such.” Two albums later she followed with, ‘Guess What’ and ‘Hypnotic’ featuring R. Kelly. Syleena Johnson has become one of the new age voices of R&B with her rich and sultry vocals. She talks with In Chi City (Chicago) about her new release, Ch 4: Labor Pains, her musical influences, being a newly minted CEO, and not being just a local artist.

ICC: On Jan 13th Chapter 4: Labor Pains was released, tell us about the new album.

Syleena: The concept is not exactly what it says literally, birth labor. It’s a metaphoric sense like the pain that comes from hard work. Me putting it up against like having a baby, the process you have to go through with birthing the project. This album I just walked into the studio and said this is how I feel today and recorded it. It’s extremely relevant because it talks about what I have been going through lately. It’s another Syleena chapter. It’s about chapters about where I am and where we are in the world and in this life.

There is a song on my album called Freedom and it’s about being free and having freedom in this world and where would you be if you could not walk down the street freely.

I used auto-tune, sure did. It’s a song called Where Is The Love. I didn’t use auto-tune because it’s hot right now but I used it because it sounds cool and it will make a statement on what I am trying to say. The song is about having money and power but where is the real love in what you do. What’s wrong with T-Pain using it and also Kanye? We all loved Computer Love, are we not allowed to be creative, not allowed what we want to do musically? Isn’t that what music is about? Creating music for everyone? Everything ain’t for everybody. I don’t go in the studio saying, ‘Everybody is gonna like this.’

I also wrote a song called Maury Povich and some people may say that’s childish. Why (say that)? I was seven months pregnant and I would walk on the treadmill everyday at one o’clock and what would be on? Maury. I would watch it and be so tickled, everyday it was the same story: paternity test. I thought I have to write a song about this.

ICC: Have you ever thought, what if the fans don’t like the songs?

Syleena: Don’t be greedy, don’t be selfish fans. Sometimes I have to make things for other people. This (auto-tune) song might get them and (other people) check me out. Its not about getting sales, its about grabbing people. I write these chapters for them (fans). That’s the only reason I came back, for my MySpace fans. They were like ‘I know you are gonna make a chapter 4.’

ICC: What influenced you to start singing?

Syleena: My musical background, being that I come from a musical family. My dad and my uncle Jimmy are R&B singers/Blues singers. It was destined. I didn’t want to do it and my dad didn’t want me to do it either but it was destined. I didn’t have a choice it followed me. I was in the band in grade school then the choir and my teachers were like ‘You need to be singing.’ It just followed me. I just went with it and where God led me to go. It wasn’t like I was watching TV and I said ‘I want to be like such and such, I want to be like that one day.’

ICC: You are the owner of Aneelys Record label, how has that experience been for you?

Syleena: Stressful (laughing) and hard, you have to have a lot of faith and thick skin. Its not only one aspect of my career that wears me out now but its all aspects because I am the CEO of a record label and the artist. I have to deal with artist stuff and CEO stuff.

ICC: What made you decide that you wanted your own label?

Syleena: Actually it wasn’t my idea. It was my sisters’ idea. She wanted a record label and she encouraged me to do it. I never wanted to do it. I actually had a conversation with a producer I have worked with named Trackstar a local Chicago producer. We had this conversation and how he did it (becoming an owner) and how it’s great for him. I said that it sounded really cool but I wasn’t ready to do it. Even when I talked to him I said I didn’t know. Then he moved to Atlanta and I lost touch with him, but we were still able to record some stuff.

It’s real difficult in Chicago because there is nothing here for us (artists). So unfortunately him and I didn’t get to do anything for the (new) album. My sister drove it home, she went and wrote a letter to Doug Morris without me knowing anything and got the distribution deal done.

ICC: You stated about artists not having any opportunities in Chicago. Do you feel you will have a role in changing this?

Syleena: We’re surviving with prayer, with the grace of God. I would like to see Aneelys Records become a label where there are a lot of artists stationed and housed in Chicago. There will be an opportunity for all the talent here to have a chance to get out there. We don’t have a record label housed here. Everything is in New York, LA or Atlanta. It would be dope to have a So So Def or Jive Records here in Chicago so hopefully I can do that with Aneelys.

The south knows me more than Chicago does and New York knows me just as much if not more. That’s what I mean about Chicago. We don’t know because we don’t have the resources like we should and our radio stations don’t support our artists and it makes it seem that all our (Chicago) artists are local. That’s not the case. My biggest market is South Africa.

I am worldwide and that is why Common and others left. Before they left they were worldwide but Chicago will call them local. Kanye was doing big things and making Jay-Z songs but no one would give him love when he came home. We need more stuff out here. Chicago is the number three market and we should be juking.

ICC: Speaking of them, you have worked with Common, Twista, Kanye and a host of others. Who are some other artist/producers that you would love to work with?

Syleena: I really like Missy. I would really like to work with Dr Dre, Timbaland and Puffy. I like Puffy’s business sense, as an entrepreneur.

ICC: Do you have any artist, beside yourself on your label that we will hear from in the near future?
Syleena: No. I refuse. I have not done what I need to do yet so how can I help somebody else? I refuse to be one of those labels, where the artist never comes out. The artist have high hopes and all this prayer going and they are hoping for the best and at the end of the day the person at the label knows they don’t have all that is needed to get them out there. That’s not who I am and I would never do that. Until I can get myself really out there to make enough revenue for the label and to push (another) artist effectively I won’t make those kind of promises.

ICC: What are some of your goals and achievements in regards to albums sales, recording future?

Syleena: Recently I had an epiphany, I’m going to speak it into the universe. The producer that worked on chapter 4, Toxic, from Chyna White Productions. he does a lot of stuff. He has the next single coming out with Keyshia Cole; you may know him by all the Twista stuff. We are going to do the entire Chapter 5, the next album. What I am going to do is shop it overseas instead of release it. Shop it to a label overseas; the entire album will not be R&B, not at all.

ICC: Do you have an idea what Chapter 5 will be?

Syleena: I do but I will keep that as a surprise. I want it to be a shock factor.

ICC: Musically, spiritually, in life: what is your greatest accomplishment?

Syleena: My family. Being a successful mother and wife. I have been a wife for two years. Knowing that my husband plays overseas (basketball) and me being able to hold the family down. Keeping my sanity and doing my album and being a CEO and just getting it (my music) out. I don’t care if it sold two copies, just getting it out. What I have been against to get it out has been huge for me; it says I am not a failure and not a quitter. That no matter happened to me on Jive Records I would not let them tear me down. I kept going and I was blessed to have a family, a beautiful baby and keep it moving. The entire year of 2008 was an accomplishment.

ICC: At the end of the day, who is Syleena Johnson?

Syleena: She is everybody. Every woman that you know, that has children that is married and deals with in-laws, baby mamas and all that. Syleena Johnson is the girl you know that works at the next cubicle. I am just a regular woman that goes through regular stuff. That’s what I want my fans to take back. When they listen to my music that’s what they should know, that I am not coming from ‘this is what is hot’.