Peace, Love and Neo-SOUL
July 21, 2009 • By Tiffani Knowles
Paths crossed. Words were exchanged. And, now this profound conversation is etched in our archives forever.
In a true Iconoclasts-style inteview, NEWD initiated the premier recontre of two neo-soul vocalists whose talent is unmistakable, whose love for humanity is sublime and whose stories are mysteriously parallel.
Both young mothers with a gritty past steeped in sexual abuse, these gorgeous songbirds have found a way to reclaim their womanhood and offer their velvet vocal chords in service to God.
Lisa McClendon, Stellar and Dove award nominee, is a pioneer in Christ-centered Neo-Soul music and spoken word. With her most recent studio release, Reality, out for a mere five months and already reaching Billboard Top 20, McClendon's hope in this album is to shine a probing flashlight on tough decisions associated with the responsibilities of life.
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LaVie, a Neo-Soul vocalist based in South Florida, is no stranger to pain. It bleeds right through onto the bars of music in her album, Life Music, that debuts this July. A praise minister at Latter Rain Ministries in Pembroke Pines, Fl., she has an intense desire to breathe life into young men and women who come into contact with her music.
The two met on air on NEWDradio's Peace, Love and Neo-SOUL program on July 5, 2009. Here is a transcript of their interview for your reading pleasure:
Life's Inspiration
NEWD: What is the purpose behind your debut album?
LaVie: The whole purpose behind the album is simply to encourage. I believe I went through a lot of things at a very young age so that I can be somewhat of a symbol of hope for a lot of young people who may be think that they're experiencing something that is way too much and you feel like you're not gonna make it. I'm here to tell you that you are gonna make it because I am an example of what God can do.NEWD: What were some of those personal things that you drew from to create this album?
LaVie: Well, experimenting a whole lot with drugs at a young age, being raped at the age of 12 years old, and venturing off into this whole rebellious state and never wanting to do anything that my mom ever said EVER. And, then getting into more trouble and getting pregnant at age 18 and my mom put me out then forcing me, basically, to get married. So, I got married to this man who was physically abusive to me. Then, getting divorced at 21 and still having my daughter with me...and bearing the responsibility of a child on my own. And, trying to pursue my music. It's just a whole lot that I am able to use to encourage the young people.
NEWD: That certainly is a lot to draw from. Now, I want you to talk a little about your daughter. How old are you now? And, we know you are launching your career in music. What is that like?
Motherhood and Music: Mayhem?
LaVie: I am 26 and my daughter is 6 years old. She is a blessing and I love her so much. At times, I really feel overwhelmed and remember a couple of times asking God why he allowed me to have her. There's so much I want to do because I have to balance everything out because I can't just do music 100% because I am a mother. And, I have to spend quality time with my daughter. There are certain things I have to put in perspective. Sometimes, it can get really hard. But, then again my daughter is just such a joy. She's at rehearsals until 11- 12 o'clock at night just laid out on the couch. She doesn't complain at all. I believe God gave her to me the way she is. She doesn't complain about being at rehearsals or shows or events. She just wants to know, "Mommy, is there a children's ministry?" Other than that, she's good.
NEWD: Tell me what she said that one day...or may be she says this a lot actually.. about when you are at rehearsal late and what will happen when you get big.
LaVie: Yeah. What she was saying was that after the album release, she knows that God is gonna give us a house and every one can sleep at our house. All the band members will have their own rooms and everything. She's like, God is gonna bless us with a house so we don't have to keep going all over the place.
NEWD: She's beautiful... Well, LaVie, you are not alone in this. We have another very special guest on the show today. She is a Dove Award and Stellar Award Nominee. She has many years in music and ministry. She has just come out with a new album herself called Reality. She has not one, not two, but 10 children. LaVie, I'd like to introduce you now to Lisa McClendon.
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Lisa: Hi Ladies. I'm enjoying listening to you guys. I'm over here just chilllin' being wowed by LaVie's testimony. Spell your name, girl, because I'm gonna look you up as soon as this interview is over. I was listening to them playing your music and I was like OK...I like that...I love it. I was just enjoying your testimony.... I'm like...wow... people have no idea. They see people on stage, but they have no idea the pain that brings the praise through your music.
LaVie: Thank you. This is awesome!
NEWD: By the way, tell us what your name means.
LaVie: It means life. There have been many occasions that I tried to take my life. But, God has come to give life more abundantly.
Lisa: Life. I love it.
NEWD: LaVie, I want you and Lisa to have an organic conversation. I know you had a question or two about where God has brought her in her music and ministry.
LaVie: Yes. First, how do you create balance in your life? I don't have a husband yet. But, you have a husband, you have your children. How do you balance everything and make sure you're spending quality time with your family and make sure you're not neglecting your ministry? Like Jesus himself, when Mary was calling him, he was like...look, she's not about the kingdom right now. I don't know what she's going through. But, I'm 'bout the kingdom. I'm 'bout the business right now.
Lisa: Yeah. And on the flip side of that he specified, right now, I am about the kingdom. There was a time when he rested. When they were going crazy on top of the boat, he rested. He was downstairs 'sleep. Then, there would be another now that he's doing something else. Pretty much the way we do it is we schedule. It's so basic. Ain't nothing deep. I don't have to go on no trance or no seance. I'm like okay, we're going to have to schedule because the reality is guys... it got to the point where I was feeling guilty for not giving the kids enough time. I recently re-married in November and I married into 8 more children. When you were saying you were overhwelmend, LaVie...(chuckles)... I feel you, sister.
LaVie: Whoa!
Lisa: When he first made it known that he was interested in me, I remember saying, dude, you got eight kids. That don't even make sense. Like I would be a fool to even consider this. He was like pleading his case. And, so coming in I was like I got this. Real quickly I realized you have to schedule. I actually have a mommy's guide. I actually have to say from this time, don't talk to me about business. It was hard for a while because my husband's a workaholic. He's the head of the household and he wants us to be successful. It was to the point where I was like we are gonna be successful in business and be unsuccessful as parents. And, we can't do that because we have to give an account to God...You have to say, today I'm not a neo-soul artist, I'm not a rapper, I'm not a singer, I'm not a poet. I'm a mom. And, those children will remember that.
Pause: Balancing Artistry and Ministry
LaVie: Yeah. My other question was in preparing for my album release, I've been missing a couple of Bible studies. We have to rehearse. I kind of feel disconnected sometimes because I'm not there at church all the time. How do you make sure you're not running off of just gift?Lisa: Hold on to your seats, ladies. Because I am so unorthodox when it comes to this stuff. I am a Pastor's kid. My dad's a pastor and has been as long as I've been alive. I've got really balanced parents. I do miss a lot of church. I used to trip on that kind of stuff. I don't anymore. Because at the end of the day, the word of God says forsake not the assembly of the brethren. My children and my husband are my brethren. We believe in the same God, we serve the same God. And the fact is, man points at that kind of stuff and says.. aww you missed church. If you just can't be there, you just can't be there.... I know God knows your heart and he appreciates your heart. But what we have to make sure is, we don't get caught up with legalism. I can't allow the enemy to bring guilt to me because I am not in a physical place. Because I could be in a spiritual place that I could be in service and be asleep. I could be in a church building and my mind be somewhere else. Does that mean that I'm there? It's about where you are mentally. So, a good place to start is if that means a lot to you, stay in communciation with your pastor. Ask him to keep you covered. I think what happens is that you just get homesick. That's your family... But, think about what Paul and them must have felt traveling for months at a time. A lot of times they weren't in a building because they were on a mission. You have an assignment. Somebody's gotta be on the road to take the word. Everybody can't be in the building.
Raising Little Girls
NEWD: Lisa, I know that you're a Florida girl. Tell us about your home growing up. How have you been able to pattern your own homelife now on the one you had growing up.
Lisa: I'm the oldest of four children. Same momma and daddy. If you get that. I always have to say same momma and daddy because so many children come from different family homes. Some things I can relate with LaVie. I was molested in the second grade...my whole second grade year. My mom and dad sent me to the babysitter. But, what happened most times is that she wasn't there and her high school son was there. My mind blocked out a lot of stuff. How he would do sexual acts with me and a little boy Charlie who was in my class and who was his cousin. We all caught the bus home. I just remember being a kid on that yellow bus headed to that neighborhood in horror. Because I knew what was gonna happen and I didn't really know how to tell my parents because if I did he said, "I'm gonna get you." Just a lot.
Lisa: I remember being the only child, then my brother came along and then when my sister came along. She came with the quote unquote Indian hair. Ya'll got that right. Okay. And I had the nappy hair. And she was bright-skinned. And, I thought it was not fair. So, there was a new girl in the house. She's as cute as ever. She didn't even look black. She looked Hispanic. So, from that point on, I began to fight for attention. My goal in life was to make sure people noticed me because I didn't want to be forgotten.
Lisa: There are a lot of things I remember that I don't want to mimic in own household now. I just remember feeling like I could never do anything right growing up. I don't know if that was my mom's doing or if that was in my own mind. But, I've been lately practicing not being a perfectionist. For example, if my girls go to get clothes, I'm like that doesn't match, that doesn't go together. I remember the Lord rebuking me and saying allow them to be free and express themselves. It might not be perfect, but if it's clean and not torn up, let 'em wear it. I let my children listen to regular radio, but I keep my ears open. I remember one day we were riding in the truck and the girls were listening to Lil Wayne's Lollipop. The Holy Spirit said, "Listen to what he's saying." I couldn't turn quick enough. I said, "do ya'll know what a lollipop is?" After I explained what the lollipop was, all my girls were like, "Ewwwwwwww!"
So, anybody who heard that song and that he was talking about a piece of candy, not that candy.
NEWD: How do you balance money and ministry? Does money encroach upon the ministry aspect?
Lisa: In business, be men. I have an accountant that gives me advice and I have the Holy Spirit that gives me counsel. LaVie knows as well as I do, you can have a good month and the next month you don't have any shows. Am I telling the truth, sister?
LaVie: Yes!
Lisa: At the same time we have children we have to provide for, a house we have to provide for. We can't get super-spiritual and say this is just for the Lord. Because, at the end of the day, God makes provisions for us through this. We have to take this and use it wisely. I remember years ago, we were invited to a place, my manager asked them, "What's your budget?" They said, " Budget? What do you mean?" "She has an honorarium." They said, "Jesus died for free, but we have to pay her to sing?" And I was like, Wow! If it was that easy for me to say to the light man, Jesus paid it all and get my lights for free or to go to the mortgage lender, then I would be good. I'd sing all day. But, it doesn't work that way. We have bills to pay. 
Identity: Immabeeme
NEWD: Having gone through all that you've gone through, when did you get settled in your identity? When did you feel the need to not have to go after attention?
Lisa: I'm still settling. I have to keep myself in check. My girlfriend, Butterfly, and I do a six-month buddy check about what we need to work on. I'm looking outside and my lawn needs to be cut. We always have to maintain. I say, today wasn't a good day, you were being selfish today, you ran your mouth a little too much today, you're feeling insecure. You have to remind yourself of who God says you are. You still have an adversary at large telling you that you're not who God says you are. There's always more beautiful people, always more successful people. Always more talented people. So, you have to remind yourself, my husband does, my friends do, having loved ones around you. But, the bottom line is, honey, I'm not gonna arrive until I get to heaven. That's the thorn in my flesh.
Using Gifts For Social Change
NEWD: How are both of you using your gifts for social change?
LaVie: I have been getting various invitations to speak to young women. My friend who is a police officer has recently asked me to come in and speak to the young people. I'm not gonna say I'm a motivational speaker. Cuz I'm not. I just feel like I've got a story to tell. I'm just excited to see what God is doing because it's not just about singing. Singing is awesome and I love it. But, basically what I want to do is get the word of God out there because that what's gonna sustain us.
Lisa: Yeah, well we actually have a non-profit organization out there called SIING. And that's Saving Individuals In Need through Giving. I started it in '06. I auctioned off my wardrobe and donated it to My Sister's Keeper which is in Nashville, which is where I was living for sometime. My Sister's Keeper was started by CeCe Winans. She and I went to the same church in Nashville. So, I was a part of my Sister's Keeper. Then, we skipped '07 because I was going through a lot personally. And we picked back up in '08 and in '08 we fed the community for Thanksgiving and Christmas. How it happened was we were watching TV and saw Brad and Angelina. We see all these celebrities coming into the community and we've gotten to the point where we're waiting for celebrities to come in and save our community instead of us saving our own community. Let's go back to the time where you can borrow eggs from next door. We've gotten away from that. We wanna teach the community to give their $5, you might not think it's a lot. But, that might be the difference between a single mother feeding her children for the night. So, don't ever thing what you have is too little. That's what we're doing and I'd love to talk to LaVie about being a part of that. I just love her spirit and her heart. We do benefit concerts for the homeless. We love giving back.
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