Not letting herself become a product of the major label machine, Shanell has had her hand in every aspect of her career from writing her own songs—and that of other artists’—to setting her own trends—check her nose-to-ear chain thing. But, before she was shining in videos with her eclectic style, she was on the other side of the camera building her directing chops by assisting and choreographing for TLC, Lloyd and Ciara. Recently, she made her video directing debut with “Ground Zero” off Lil Wayne’s The Rebirth album. The Young Money songstress talked to us about her fashion collaboration with ladies streetwear brand, Married To The Mob; her upcoming project and Lady Gaga’s meat.
How did you hookup with Married To The Mob?
Leah listened to my music and felt like the statements that I make and the attitude that I bring makes sense with what she is doing with the line. Fashion can have so many guidelines and I think the things she says in her designs go hand in hand with my style. She’s all for female empowerment and so am I.
Did you have a hand in the line as far as designing?
No, but we’ve talked about collaborating and doing some things together in the future so I’m looking forward to doing that later on.
Are you looking for more fashion projects in the future?
Yea, I’m really creative person as far as anything I’m involved with. Right now, I pretty much wear what I want to wear. I have a stylist that comes in and brings me all the funky things they find but I’m pretty much my own person all the way around. When it comes to clothes I would love to start my own line or start something new in the future.
You have very unique fashion sense and musical style. What influences it?
I might see something that gives me an idea or I’ll pull something from the archives and recreate it and reinvent it. It’s a little bit of everything and everybody. It could be animals and it could be trees. I don’t know how my brain works and that’s what makes it easy. There’s no formula.
You mentioned your nails, but where did you get the idea for the ear-to-nose chain?
I like a lot of jewelry and I was playing around with some earrings. One of my stylists that was on the road with me was making earrings and I thought I would love something to go from my nose to my ears. We came out with a bunch of different things and this one is what I ended up wearing all the time.
What other brands do you follow besides Married To The Mob?
Nothing in particular. Half the time I don’t know what it is. If it looks good, I don’t look for specific brands. I go into boutiques and see something that I like and end up wearing it. I don’t follow trends because it takes away from your character. If you follow trends you’re never in your own.
You conceptualized and co-directed Wayne’s “Ground Zero” video…
I’m on a lot of the songs on the rebirth album. This was one of the songs I wasn’t a part of lyrically but I loved the song and I always saw a video in my head. I got with some people that were dope and creative and we put our heads together and came up with the video. I was choreographing and dancing in a number of videos but this was the first video that I’ve actually directed. I have a very creative eye so I will be creating all of my stuff. If you consider yourself an artist you should be involved in your project all the way through from the video to the clothing to the writing of the music and that’s what I do.
Who are some other artist you look up to fashion wise?
Who doesn’t love Lady Gaga? She just presses past any barrier you can put up in front of her. I don’t know I would wear everything that I’ve seen her wear, but I like that she does what she wants to do. I want people to do that as well so that people would accept themselves and what they like without getting the fashion police telling you what you can and cannot wear. The more the people do what they want to do, the more it becomes creative and an art rather than a no-no.
What was your reaction when she showed up to the VMAs in a meat dress?
(Laughs) I left a little early but I heard about it. Maybe she was trying to make a statement. What that statement is, I have no idea, but hey, that’s her. She might have felt a certain way about eating meat. I wish she would’ve explained it but sometimes it’s about the surprise factor. That’s the effect she wants people to have. It might not mean anything but it gets people talking.
Can we expect an album soon?
I’m trying to wrap up this album to have to the fans by the summer time. I’m getting with some of my producer friends here in LA. I’ve spent a lot of time recording in Atlanta and Miami so there’s a new vibe and new feel out here. I’m working on the concepts for the next few videos that I’m putting out and that’s taking up a lot of my time.
Tell me about your song, “Cupid’s Got A Gun”
I had started the song already and Nicki heard it and wanted to jump on it; that’s how Young Money operates. We bounce ideas off each other so it was like she completed it. She had that missing piece that I felt the song needed. It’s not always cupid shooting you with love arrows that always result in a happy ending. Sometimes, love can hurt so I wanted to do a song where I was expressing the softer side of me but in a edgier way and I felt like bringing Nicki and all her character would bring some attitude to the song. The leak was gift and a curse because a lot of people like the song and what it was talking about. I have a special surprise for people when I release the song.
