EXCLUSIVE: A DAY IN THE LYFE…

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A ten year bid in prison gave birth to the artist we all know as Lyfe, but before that he was simply Chester Jennings, a native of Ohio who always had a passion for music. Lyfe found himself behind bars at the age of 19, at that moment he also reconnected with his love–music. Within a month of being released from prison, he went from performing on stage at Harlem’s world renowned Apollo theater to becoming an overnight sensation with his platinum selling debut album 268-192. Overcoming many hurdles while on his journey to success, Lyfe has managed to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Check out Str8NYC’s exclusive interview with the “conscious” R&B singer—where he discusses the death of his dear friend Yolanda “Lala” Brown, his reason to enter early retirement, his new album, that infamous mugshot plastered on TMZ and much more!

Str8NYC: You were born Chester Jennings in Toledo, Ohio; how would you describe your childhood?

Lyfe: Um…my childhood was pretty basic. My childhood was really like a basic childhood; except for [the fact] I was real impatient. I couldn’t find anything to hold my attention and that kind of got me into trouble at times.

Str8NYC: How did you come up with the name Lyfe?

Lyfe: I was actually in prison and I was doing my music and I was trying to figure out a good name. And so a lot of the guys [inmates] were like ‘You should call yourself Lyfe  ’cause you talking about all the things we experience, but we don’t have the words to talk about. So the guys kind of gave me the name.

Str8NYC: At a very young age you lost your father, did his passing/absence have a major impact on your life?

Lyfe: Um…yeah actually. I didn’t see him a whole bunch before, but at least I had a father. You know when you’re talking to people sometimes you have to say my dad. You know it was big thing to have that word stripped from my vocabulary. I guess it kind of stripped a part of myself too.

Str8NYC: At age 19, while most are embarking on their sophomore year of college you were adjusting to life in jail. How was your experience?

Lyfe: At  different times it was different. In the beginning I was just thinking about lifting weights and stuff like that. That was really my thing. Towards the middle, um… the early middle, you know I just really got to looking around and I saw the type of people that was here and their dreams, their goals and I started asking myself questions like “Do you want to be like these people”?. Then towards the beginning of the end, you know I just really started working hard on learning about myself and the world around me. Then I just expressed that growth and that knowledge through the music.

Str8NYC: You’ve credited your time in jail to the reason you turned your life around. Do you ever look back and wonder had you not been incarcerated how different your life would have been?

Lyfe: Well first of all, I don’t credit my time being incarcerated. I don’t think you need to get incarcerated to find yourself. I credit that [jail] with having time to get to know myself. It just so happened that I was incarcerated. You can get that in other forms. I don’t really dwell on what could’ve been because I think what’s here for me is right in front of my face. And if I start dwelling on what could’ve been…then I’m actually wasting time trying to figure out what I could’ve been instead of trying to figure out where I can be.

Str8NYC: What advice would you give to young males who found themselves in the system and are trying to turn their lives around?

Lyfe: I would say that the decision is yours. No man can make it and no man can break it. I think that whatever you want to do in your life you can think it. I mean I really believe that if you can think it, then you can create it. One part of creation is the mental part and the second part is the physical part. And the first part of [the] mental [part] is having your map together. You can’t go to any destination without direction. And if you don’t love yourself enough and have faith in the outcome of all this work, then you’re not even going to create yourself a map. So that would be my advice. Whatever you want to do in your life you need to write it down. Beat that down first, then you need to stick to your map and don’t let anybody bury you from your map.

Str8NYC: You went from singing at the Apollo in 2003 to releasing your debut album Lyfe 268-192 in 2004, which sold over a million copies and received much critical acclaim. How did you find yourself in the music business?

Lyfe: I was really in the music business while I was incarcerated. And when I did the Apollo I just stayed in New York. [I] went down there a couple times and [was] offered a couple deals. And then after running [back and forth] a couple times and trying a couple labels, I just actually got a deal.

Str8NYC: How do you deal with your newfound fame?

Lyfe: Um… I deal with it poorly at times and other times I deal with it like a champ. But one thing that I always recognize is that this stuff [music] that we’re doing is very, very powerful. You know a lot of people don’t think that music changes minds. But, you know I think not only can it change minds, it can change spirits. So that’s kind of just embedded in me. I feel that I have a responsibility to do um… you know social music.

Str8NYC: In 2006, you released your second album, Pheonix which featured the smash hit “S.E.X.” with the late Yolanda ‘Lala’ Brown, what made you write a song about a subject which some still consider taboo?

Lyfe: Honestly, when I came home from the joint I was a horny ass man (laughs). I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was driving down the street. I saw three girls. [I] stopped the car, rolled down the window [and] yelled ‘Yo what’s happening? What’s popping?’. And the chicks get to talking [and] didn’t want to talk afterwards and then they say she’s only fourteen years old right. Then I started noticing that after ten years these girls are growing up so fast. [She’s] fourteen [and] fully developed looking like she’s twenty something. And so I just started wondering to myself like ‘Damn, I can just imagine the confusion that goes through the mind [of a girl] as soon as she starts developing. She can’t even walk to the corner store anymore without getting hell. And how does she decipher all this information and all of this news in bulk?’.  I didn’t want her to have any misconceptions about the attention she was getting, so I wanted to clear it up for her. ‘Cause I knew it was happening to more people than just me and that girl that I tried to holla at. And please don’t write that I tried to holla at a fourteen year old girl ‘cause I didn’t know (laughs).

Str8NYC: Unfortunately, a year later after “S.E.X.” was released Lala was murdered. How did you cope with her death?

Lyfe: Actually [I’m] still coping with it. You know everytime I see somebody that reminds me of her, you know what I’m saying you can’t reflect on bad things. Um…but, I guess one of the ways that I’ve coped is I know that LaLa was in growth. She was a wild girl, but she was in growth. I actually saw her two days before she passed away. So I just really try to continue my growth. I just try to prolong it because I think I was a benefit to her life and I want to be a benefit to other peoples live too.

Str8NYC: Not only was “S.E.X.” a hit, but its message was and still is powerful. We’re living in a time where young girls are no longer playing dolls; instead they’re walking around with babies in strollers. How does it feel to know that your words have helped many young girls to “think before they let it go”?

Lyfe: It feels great because I’ve heard it so many times! I’ve heard it from all across the age groups. I’ve heard it from grandmommas, daddies, mommas, and kids. Like that song was big [in the] home. Like people wanted their kids to listen to that song and it makes you really feel like you have a purpose. Like, you’re just not another R&B singer that’s just trying to get a hit. It makes you feel like you really have a purpose in all that.

Str8NYC: The New York Times called you a “socially minded” R&B singer, how does it feel to be acknowledged for creating socially conscious music?

Lyfe: It is a big thing for The New York Times to even know who I was. Well, I mean it’s flattering because that’s what I set out to be. And it’s just kind of a confirmation that somebody else notices it too, it kind of says that you’re on a right path. So thank you New York Times (laughs)!

Str8NYC: Your album Lyfe Change features the track “It’s Real” in which you sing, “AIDS is real. We already know it kills, so I gotta wrap it up. I gotta protect us”, so what comes to mind when you hear a song like Trey Songz’ “I Invented Sex” or even Lil Wayne’s “Every Girl” which glamorize sex?

Lyfe: Well, I feel two different things by those two songs. I think “I Invented Sex” is a grown person song, you know what I’m saying? So you can’t really judge it dealing with kids. I mean you may be able to judge the media in which it’s played on, like radio for example. As far as Lil Wayne’s song, I wish I could smash every girl in the world I’m just really thinking ‘Every girl n*gga… like everybody?’. I mean ‘cause that includes a lot of people like your momma, your niece [etcetera](laughs). I feel wild about that one, you know? I definitely think that there is a place for stuff like that, but I’m kind of on the fence about the need for stuff like that. Um…I mean, but it was a hit. I just think that it is really important for us to look at the things that are working in other people’s lives and try to apply those same things to our lives and see how it works too. You know when you look at different formats, [for instance] so called White radio they would’ve never played that [song] on the radio. They would’ve never played anything that any kid in ear shot was going to get a derogatory message from. They wouldn’t even play Michael Jackson sometimes because he said some things. I feel like society so to speak is having success and I know they’re having success because they [people] don’t see the ignorance. So I just think as artists we have a responsibility. That [“Every Girl”] is grown folks music, but that should be an album song. That’s not stuff that’s played on the radio in my opinion.

Str8NYC: You’re entering retirement with your new album and I read on the internet that you had an incident with your children’s mother back in 2008 which unfortunately led to your arrest as well as your mugshot all over TMZ. So we want to know what happened? ‘Cause when we hear about Lyfe we don’t hear about Lyfe getting into situations like that. It was a bit shocking, like ‘Okay his mugshot is all over the place. What’s going on?’.

Lyfe: Well I look at it in two ways. [The] first way I look at it is TMZ and all these other places gave me more press about that [incident] than they have ever given me for anything else. I wrote a called “S.E.X.”, they didn’t write about how that song changes young girls lives or nothing like that. And I wrote a song called “It’s Real”, I went all up in there about that. So the negative you know [ is ]always going to strike the attention of people more. Number two, you don’t hear about me doing that kind of stuff because I don’t do it. It was a lapse in judgment at that time and I’m quite sure…I know for sure that I am and will be held accountable for it. But, at the same time I think that everybody should not believe everything that you read in the media because it’s probably like 10% truth and probably another 90% hearsay, you know? You can’t throw the baby out with the bath water. So if I offended some people [or] disappointed some people I’m definitely apologetic about it. But, at the same time I’m not apologetic about my humanity…my humanness because I still am that.

Str8NYC: Is your retirement soley based on your decision to give your career a backseat, thus putting your children first?

Lyfe: Yeah, actually I just can’t be on the road seven to eight months out of the year anymore. I have three children [and] I come home and now I see bad habits. Down the line somewhere, if they get into serious trouble and I’m playing the ‘What if?’ game. What if I would’ve have been there more? I’ve given a lot to this music… mentally, spiritually, socially, economically and I think that it wouldn’t be right [and] it wouldn’t be fair of me not to give that same energy [to my children].

Str8NYC: You have a track called “If I Knew Then” in which you talk about if you knew then what you know now the things you would have done differently. What are you referring to?

Lyfe: I was referring to a lot of different things. I’m quite sure [there’s] stuff in your life as well as my life that if you would’ve known then you would’ve did differently. I think that people can kinda relate to that. Again when situations come up in your life, your decision making process is gonna be like ‘Well let me not make a bad decision that I’m going to regret you know later down the line’. You listened to the song, “If I Knew Then”?

Str8NYC: Yeah! I was thinking about that too. There’s a lot of stuff that if I knew then I definitely would’ve did a couple things differently.

Lyfe: I think it just applies to any given thing; from relationships, man/woman relationships to friendships. It applies to so many things man. I also want to clarify one thing. My album used to be called “Sooner Or Later”. We changed the name since then and the new album title is called “I Still Believe”.

Str8NYC: So when is the album dropping ‘cause the release date for “Sooner Or Later” was in September?

Lyfe: Well it comes out [in] April. I think April 14^th or April 16^th. One of those days in there (laughs). We’re just servicing “If I knew Then”. You’ll definitely be hearing an album from Lyfe. You’ve got to get the album! I really, really, really feel strongly about this album. It’s so much stuff on this album. Anthony Hamilton on the album, Ludacris, Fabolous, Bobby Valentino and there’s a couple more surprises man!

Str8NYC: Right now the music industry is kind of wishy-washy, what is your view of artists having to promote themselves? For example, Amerie’s album just dropped last week and nobody had a clue! Meanwhile, Rihanna’s album is dropping in like two weeks and she’s on promo mode. Certain artists aren’t getting the attention they deserve which leaves them with the decision to take matters into their own hands. How do you feel about the labels not backing their own artists?

Lyfe: Well, you know you gotta think like nobody really knows. It is a calculation that is done. They look at your past records that you’ve sold and they try to cut that in half. And then that’s definitely going to affect the budget that you’re given. So for somebody like Amerie [who’s] last album didn’t do too good retail wise, her budget is going to be crazy small no matter what happens unless she had a big record on the radio and she didn’t. And you look at somebody um…what’s the other young lady’s name you mentioned (laughs)?

Str8NYC: Rihanna (laughs).

Lyfe: Rihanna (laughs). Rihanna, um…she does good retail wise so she’s going to have a big budget. But, something I’ve learned a long time ago is that the bottom line is you can’t let the record label have that kind of power. So if the record label says promotion [budget] is going to be $50,000, now you know damn well that $50,000 is not enough; therefore you have to dig in your pocket and put $50-60,000 in it instead of buying that car because it’s an investment into yourself. You don’t look at it like ‘Well the label should be doing this…’ and you’re fighting the label to give you the money, but in reality it is their [artist] career. The label is just a vehicle,you know what I’m saying? And if that vehicle is not big enough to hold the size of the career you want, then you have to use yourself as the vehicle. And that’s what I plan on doing right now. This is my label. I could’ve did a deal. I got a lot of offers out there. Sony [and I] did our last album together, but I chose to go with myself and I’m really going to put my money into myself.

Str8NYC: Are you currently working on any projects besides music?

Lyfe: Yeah, yeah, yeah…I actually have a lounge that just opened up in Atlanta [Georgia] and I’m going to use it for my non-profit and also private events. I have a children’s book series that I’m just finishing up and I plan on releasing. I want to have my tour coupled with my book tour for a book series called the “Adventures of Lyfe”. I am currently [doing] plays. I’m [going to] start doing some roles, acting classes, just a host of stuff. I’m really doing a lot!

Str8NYC: Is there anything else you’d like to share with your fans?

Lyfe: I just want to shout out all the fans that have allowed me to do something that I love throughout my career; otherwise it might’ve had a terrible outcome. I just want to also say that in the least the music that I do, socially minded as The New York Times put it, but we don’t necessarily get those big budgets. So I just want people to think about that when Lyfe Jennings album comes out and they have to decide which albums to buy. Just think that we have to show not just the music community, but the world that we do support things that are going to do more than make us move in the club–that’s also going to move and change minds inside and outside of our family. So we gotta make sure that we support that in a helluva way. I mean ‘cause hell Lil Wayne’s I wish I could smash every girl in the world… he sold a million copies his first week and then we have a song like “S.E.X.” that’s trying to do something for our daughters and it sold a lot of copies too, but not as many as that! And I think we need that to clear up that lil’ discrepancy right there.

Str8NYC: I really don’t know what’s going on with the music industry (sigh). Like you said, we don’t need a lot of booty shaking songs. We have enough of that! We need some socially conscious music to educate folks about what’s really going on in society.

Lyfe: Absolutely! For real, I don’t see anybody else in my lane right now. I don’t see anybody that every time they put out a song it’s about something, you know? Not to say that it’s not great songs. ‘Cause you know I like a lot of stuff that’s on the radio, but we gotta make sure that we keep these messages out here, you know? This is my last album…hopefully somebody will pick it up and hopefully we’ll be able to support them on their albums too.

Str8NYC: Hopefully…hopefully. That’s a big hope (laughs).

Lyfe: I opened the door for it (laughs). I done had some success at it. So I think it’s more feasible for a kid coming up now to say ‘Hey I can do this kind of music and don’t have to do this other kind of music just to get on’, you know?

Str8NYC: True. But then again nowadays it isn’t so much about what you have to say rather it’s how you look. I don’t know what’s going on behind the board meetings at these record companies, but hopefully someone will run with you’ve already started and come out with some positive stuff. Until then I’ll be waiting (laughs).

Lyfe: Well, it ain’t all over with (laughs). I still got one more album coming and I’m kinda putting money on it. Like…literally putting money.

Str8NYC: Well, thank you for your time Lyfe!

Lyfe: Well, I appreciate the interview and everything. Thank you!

Get to know more about Lyfe Jennings Here and be sure to follow Lyfe on Twitter.

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