H:Do you have any advice to industry moms in particular, or just young working moms who still want to be themselves?
I think balance is the essential key to motherhood. I think it’s a really hard rhythm to find, but if you learn how to capture it, it makes the rewards so beautiful. I try not to ever be away from him unless he’s with his dad. We have equal custody, so we work together on it, but it definitely gets hard when I have all these opportunities coming at me. I have to say no to a lot of things because at the end of the day I know that no matter how many awards or accolades or praise or money I get, the one thing that really is a judgment of me is what kind of mother I am. A lot of people feel like their life has to stop because of the child, and they have to let go of their interests. You definitely have to compromise some of them, but I’ve been really blessed. When I went to see Grace Jones, Julez was right there with me. Julez is right there with me when I go for my bike rides. And when I go on tour, he’s with me. And I feel so blessed to be in the position to do that.
H:Does he realize when he’s doing these things that Mommy’s not the average mommy — going on tour, going to do this and that.
He does now. I don’t think he realized it in the beginning, but the good thing is that he’s humble about it. If I ever see that he’s not, he will get snapped back before he can blink his eyes.
"H:I have to ask about dating. How’s that going?S:It’s going… umm… that is definitely where I become the typical industry girl that says…
H: I’m married to my work!
S:(Laughs) I’ve been in this game way too long to expose that part because even if you have something good, it can be criticized and massacred, dissected. It may even start tension that wasn’t there. It’s really easy to assume with this new-age blog thing and Twittering. It’s just a tough situation.
H:Well, speaking of assumptions. I think a lot of people have been zeroing in on Twitter convos between you and a certain Mr. Wale, automatically linking the two of you together. Then we see Central Park photos…
S:Riiiight.
H:Whether we’re rooting for it or not… we just want to know.
S:Well, he’s definitely not my boyfriend.
H:Well, we can cross that off the list.
S:No, I just stated that he’s not my boyfriend, but we are good friends. I have worked with him in the past and I think he’s uber-talented. I think he’s really smart and really creative. And I respect his art. We have a mutual thing. We’re on the same record label and yeah…
H:We’re really excited about his album.
S:Yeah, I am, too. "
H:Let’s just start with the question that’s on everyone’s minds: the big chop. We fell in love with the cut right away. We wanted to shoot you before the cut, but we were really excited when we saw it because we could really get fashion-y.
S:I guess you just go through different phases in your life. I was pretty much at the point where I needed the change and I needed to focus my energy on more productive arenas. I was putting too much into my appearance and I needed to make this about growth and going to the next stage of my life. I felt like I was being distracted by something as simple as hair. I’ve always been really fearless about change. I’ve cut my hair the same way when I was 16 and again when I was 18. This was my third time.
H:I saw a picture. That was really cool. I didn’t know you had done it three times.
S:Yeah, the picture that I supposedly Photo-shopped (laughs). A friend of mine was like ‘People are so stupid. I read somewhere that it was recent and you Photo-shopped the color.’ I was like ‘Yeah, because it’s that crucial.’
H:Do you even care? Does it bother you at all?
Obviously not (laughs). I knew what the reaction would be before it happened. I’ve always been in-tune with what physically and emotionally makes me happy. I was that little girl that wanted to wear the tutu and tap shoes as my nanny is sitting next to me shaking her head ‘Yes, yes.’ All through high school I got made fun of because of what I wore and what music I listened to, so this is just junior high for me all over again. I don’t care, and I don’t think I ever will because at the end of the day, these are not the people who are going to be there to change a flat tire or who help you in ways that you really need it. This is a really fickle and materialistic and narcissistic industry. I try not to put too much into that because it will eat you alive. The people that I love and that I really care about — their opinions matter. Those are the people that have nothing but positive things to say.
