F-Style Chicago Magazine Issue 7 7 | Page 115

TORSHANDA DISCOGODDESS: HI TORSHANDA. THANK YOU FOR SHARING A LITTLE OF YOUR TIME TODAY TO DISCUSS WITH US YOUR MUSICAL JOURNEY. DISCOGODDESS: THANKS. MY PLEASURE. YOU ARE A HIP HOP ARTIST WITH AN INSPIRATIONAL FLARE. WHAT MAKES YOU WHO YOU ARE? TORSHANDA: I GREW UP TAKING CARE OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS. I DIDN’T HAVE MUCH TIME FOR MYSELF. I DIDN’T HAVE A ROLE MODEL. I STARTED LISTENING TO WOMEN IN HIP HOP, LIKE QUEEN LATIFAH, M C LYTE. I DIDN’T HAVE A ROLE MODEL. I LOOKED UP TO THEM. I WANT TO BE AN INSPIRATION TO OTHERS BY FOLLOWING MY DREAMS AND ENCOURAGING YOUNG WOMEN TO DO THE SAME. I WANT TO INSPIRE MEN TOO – EVERYBODY. IF YOU PUT GOD FIRST, YOU CAN’T GO WRONG. WITH MY MUSIC ITS NOT ALL ABOUT BOOTY SHAKING AND GOING TO THE CLUB (LAUGHING) I PRAISE GOD IN EVERYTHING I DO. EVEN AT A HIP HOP CLUB, I BRING CHURCH WITH ME. GO IN ORDER TO SPEND MOST OF MY TIME AND ENERGY ON ACHIEVING MY GOALS. AND YOU WILL SUCCEED. TORSHANDA: I HAVE A SONG CALLED, “SOMEBODY LOVES YOU” I HAVE A BEST FRIEND THAT TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT. SHE DIDN’T HAVE ANYONE TO LOOK UP TO. SHE TRIED TO KILL HERSELF. SHE CALLED ME BEFORE SHE TRIED TO DO IT AND I TOLD HER I LOVE HER. DON’T EVER THINK NO ONE LOVES YOU. GOD LOVES YOU. I HAD TO TELL HER MY STORY OF WHAT I WENT THROUGH IN LIFE. THEN SHE TOLD ME OK TORSHANDA, I’M NOT GOING TO DO THIS TO MYSELF ANYMORE. THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME. AND I WROTE THAT SONG TO LET ANYBODY OUT HERE KNOW THATS CRYING RIGHT NOW OR DOWN RIGHT NOW, DON’T THINK NO ONE LOVES YOU. GOD LOVES YOU AND PEOPLE OUT AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY SHOW, I LET THE AUDIENCE KNOW I HAVE TO SPREAD GOD’S WORD AND I SAY IF YOU BELIEVE IN HIM THEN YOUR DREAMS WILL COME TRUE. NOW LETS GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!! DISCOGODDESS: (LAUGHING) ALL RIGHT NOW! THAT’S A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO START THE PARTY. TORSHANDA: AND THAT’S MY TESTIMONY. I WANT TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE I AM LIVING MY DREAMS AND I AM A ROLE MODEL. I LOOK UP TO MYSELF AND PAT MYSELF ON THE BACK AND SAY “YOU’RE DOING IT GIRL” (LAUGHING) DISCOGODDESS: I LOVE THAT. TORSHANDA: THANKS. I FOUND OUT IN LIFE YOU HAVE TO TAKE A JOURNEY. MY JOURNEY CONSISTS OF 3 STEPS: 1. PUT GOD FIRST 2. WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO IN LIFE, MAKE SURE IT IS WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO 3. GOING HARD AT IT – DEDICATION. THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME THINGS IN LIFE THAT YOU GONNA HAVE TO LET GO. I USED TO PARTY HARD AND DRINK A LOT BUT I HAD TO LET SOME OF THOSE THINGS “I DIDN’T HAVE A ROLE MODEL. I LOOKED UP TO THEM. I WANT TO BE AN INSPIRATION TO OTHERS BY FOLLOWING MY DREAMS AND ENCOURAGING YOUNG WOMEN TO DO THE SAME.” 115/F-STYLE CHICAGO