t's such an honor to have this opportunity of connecting with Faith
Evans, as the world celebrates the release of her debut album. The time when #Faith was released represented a pivotal moment in R&B. Things were changing from what we had seen for so long, and the entire landscape of R&B music has been revamped. Evans represented a breath of fresh air at a time when a lot of music sounded the same. She ushered in a level of authenticity that we hadn't seen in a long time. Having already been seasoned in the industry alongside vets like Al. B. Sure and more, she was ready to give the world what they had been missing. Coming in as the "First lady" of Bad Boy, she was undoubtedly in a tough spot, but as evidenced by the outcome, she was certainly up for the task.
We had a moment to catch up with Ms. Evans to chat about the album, and the process of putting it all together, releasing, and watching it's growth over the past twenty years! We give you #Faith20!
Urban Grandstand Digital: Coming from someone who has literally followed every bit of your music since day one, I can't begin to thank you enough for your willingness in being involved with this feature. This album came at a pivotal moment in Urban Music, but notably R&B because you were the leading lady of Bad Boy. You not only laid an enormous foundation for the label, but you brought a certain level of finesse and sophistication to the industry, and you put together an album that played on every emotion one could ever think. Ultimately, this was the jumpstart of a beautiful career for you. What were your thoughts going into this album? What were your expectations and your vision?
Faith Renee Evans: I didn’t really have many expectations going into my debut album. I just really wanted to make good music, and hoped that people liked it. I was a new artist, and although I had been writing, and recording for a while, this was my debut, and I didn’t know that people would connect to my music the way that they did. But God always has a plan, even when we don’t see the outcome, just yet.
Urban Grandstand Digital: What part, if any, did you play in the overall direction, picking samples, and so forth? Obviously, Isaac Hayes' Walk on By was sampled for No Other Love, Patrice Rushen's Remind Me for Fallin’ In Love, and Tyrone Davis' In the Mood for No Other Love. Who chose those?
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