YKIGS: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. I’m glad because this is a real treat for me, I’ve been a fan of yours since growing up, I grew up on your music, so I’m just glad you’re still here making that good music!

Faith Evans: Thank you! That’s good to hear, that’s always good to hear!

YKIGS: I also want to congratulate you on new album “Something About Faith,” how are you feeling right now?

Faith: You know what, I can’t complain. Things could always be better, but I look at it like the fact that people even care to hear Faith Evans music after all these years, that’s definitely a blessing to still be relevant in some kind of way to somebody.

YKIGS: I also have to mention I was at your show a few weeks back when you did B.B. Kings on the day your album released, and that show blew me away, you did an amazing job!

Faith: Oh you were there? Cool!

YKIGS: Yep! You had that place packed and rocking so it was really cool. What was it like performing in front of basically, I know you’re from Jersey, so in front of almost a home town crowd like that?

Faith: Right, and that’s the funny thing, because it was so many friends and family that I made sure was there, and it just felt like there was so much love, it was like a family reunion. Over the years, it gets better and better but every time I come home it was great for that show to be on the day of the album release and to be at home with all of them in there, because I was having a good time. And I didn’t even know that half of the people that were there, were there. If I had, I don’t know if I would have been as…I was just doing it for the crowd, I didn’t realize exactly people that I knew that were there, that I knew personally.

YKIGS: It was really cool when you brought out Fatman Scoop at the end too, that was a nice moment there.

Faith: Yea, that was good, that was really nice of him to do that.

YKIGS: Your debut album Faith released nearly 15 years ago now and you’re still doing music to this day. So besides having that amazing voice, why do you think you’ve been able to have such longevity in your career?

Faith: You know what, I think I am certainly blessed to be one of the lucky ones. You never know, don’t get me wrong, thankfully over the years I have learned I don’t measure my success by numbers and sales figures, just the fact that like you just said, to still be making music and even though it’s a different walk with independent with the numbers and the dollars, but just to even debut at the number one on any chart, the independent chart, it’s like wow! I think maybe aside from it just being a blessing, I definitely try and not overdo it, I just kinda live by my rules and my heart in terms of the time I take between albums, that may have something to do with it. And when I do come back with music, it’s still the same good music, I don’t try and keep up with a certain pace of what I hear all the time on the radio. With all due respect, and I’m well aware having four kids what is current, but at the same time, I can’t deviate from what it is that Faith Evans does that my fans like about what I do.

Although much has changed in rhythm and blues over that period of time, lucky for his fans, he doesn’t stray too far from his original formula for success on “Who Knew.” At first glance, the album only has ten tracks, including an introduction and an interlude. This is very short in terms of today’s standards, but I would quickly find this is because it is full of solid music without the filler.

OFFICIAL UK SOUL CHART DEBUTS ON STARPOINT RADIO......

A new soul chart has emerged from the UK. The official national top 30 soul chart is a major addition to the soul scene in both the UK and Europe. Broadcasting from the studios of Starpoint Radio in London and hosted by renown broadcaster JL the chart mixes the best of independent and mainstream international soul music. Since airing in July it has quickly established itself at the forefront of new music for soulful groovers and is unique in that it also airs contributions from the artistes themselves. To date the programme has featured amongst others , Teena Marie, Candy Cream , Excellent Gentlemen, Scherrie Payne and Tour de 4Force, Kenny Barnes, Aaron Mason, Down to the Bone and Astral 22 who have all appeared live on the show. Programme host, JL states " What gives this chart the cutting edge apart from the fact that there is no other programme like it is the research by the team and listeners at Starpoint. A large number of tracks that chart have not actually been officially released yet and so I am literally preparing the programme right upto going live on air and this energy is projected to the listeners who themselves are keen to listen and support the new music. Its a very fast atmosphere where the quality of the music rises above all other considerations including the fact that I have to get through 30 tracks in two hours!"

The official UK soul chart airs every Saturday at 11am GMT at www.starpointradio.com and is repeated every Tuesday at 11am GMT also.

ENDS