Cene Interview

• Artist: Cene
• Label: Firm Grip 3.0/Asylum/Warner
• Be on the lookout for: Ya Girl! (1st Quarter 2008)
• Artist Website: Cene

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Over the course of history, there have been many analogies used to compare women and cars.  While these comparisons are sometimes highly inappropriate, their creative nature can usually put even the most uptight listener at ease.  For 18-year old singer Cene, a good, religious girl from North Carolina, her introductory single “My Bumper” (use your imagination) is nowhere near controversial and is only picking up steam from its buzz.  During an interview with DJBooth’s DJ “Z,” the newly signed (to Asylum/Warner) vocalist explains why she is a better driver than a dancer, who she had to prove wrong in order to pursue a singing career and how she looks to shine brighter than both Beyonce and Ciara.

DJ Booth:  What’s goin’ on ya’ll?  It’s your boy “Z,” doin’ it real big, and joining me inside the DJ Booth is an upstart singer from North Carolina whose hot new single might lead to some severe car accidents.  Please welcome my girl, Cene – how you doin’?

Cene:  Hey, how you doin’, Z?

DJ Booth:  I’m doin’ great.  You’re doin’ great, too – at the end of August, you inked a deal with Asylum and Warner Music Group – congratulations.

Cene:  Thank you so much.

DJ Booth:  You’re very welcome.  You’ve been working so hard as an indie artist for years – what was the single best decision that you made to get yourself in the position you currently sit in?

Cene:  Stayin’ focused, and stayin’ away from a lot of trouble, keeping certain people away from me, keeping positive people in my life.  I just made the decision from nine that I would be a superstar, so I’m tryin’ to get to that point.

DJ Booth:  Were there any doubters?  Were there any family members or friends who tried to persuade you not to go after your dreams?

Cene:  Yes, there’s always someone who’s always tryin’ to pull you down, but then there’s always people who try to bring to up.  My biological father, he was a big person who didn’t agree with my music, but I’m showin’ him now.  There’s always somebody that’s gonna pull you down.  But hey, I’ve got God on my side – I’ll be all right.

DJ Booth:  Yeah, you can’t let ‘em – what do you say to someone right now, who deterred you earlier in you career?  You’re signed to a deal, you have an album ready, it’s gonna hopefully be dropping next year – what is your comeback, what do you tell them?

Cene:  Well, I made it – I mean, you doubted me, and now God has surpassed what you said and I’m gonna do more than what you thought I could ever do.  And that’s it.

DJ Booth:  I would just go with, “Booyah.”

Cene:  [laughter] Yeah.

DJ Booth:  Your current single, “My Bumper,” is a nice analogy for grinding from the back while you’re dancing at the club.  What do you feel you do better: drive or dance?

Cene:  I would say both – I’m good at dancing but I’m not all the way there, so I would say driving.  I’m better at driving.

DJ Booth:  Have you ever gotten into any small fender benders? 

Cene:  No, but people have hit my car while I haven’t been in it, if that counts.

DJ Booth:  No, that doesn’t count, but that’s frustrating.  I’ve had the same thing happen to me.  If you meet a man in the club, spend the entire night dancing, and then left without getting asked for your number, is Cene upset?

Cene:  Not really.  I’ll probably see him again, so not really.

DJ Booth:  Is it possible to meet someone of the opposite sex while at a club or a bar and actually turn it into a substantial relationship?

Cene:  More than likely, no, but, I mean, you can meet some good people in the club.  Maybe somebody brought their cousin and they’re just coming to check it out, maybe they might have just been there.  But I think it would be better to meet someone at a casino or the park.

DJ Booth:  Do you think “My Bumper” might actually help people come together at the club?

Cene:  “My Bumper” will get a lot of people dancing, and a lot of guys will get confidence with the women, and the women will get a lot of confidence with the men – you’re gonna have a good time while you’re at the club.

DJ Booth:  Cene, where do you feel that you fit in amongst the R&B pop landscape of the current industry?

Cene:  I fit right up there with them.  I’m just tryin’ to get my foot all the way in the door, make that leap.  Bigger than Beyonce, I wanna be bigger than they come.  But I’ve gotta work for it very, very hard.  So, I’m right there with them.

DJ Booth:  If someone hears a Cene song and says, “Oh, she wants to be like Ciara,” or, “She wants to be like Beyonce,” what do you say in response?

Cene:  Everybody at some point re-does something someone else has done, so it really doesn’t bother me.  I would just be like, “Ciara or Beyonce, they’re great artists, but I will become greater than them.” Not in a negative way – I just wanna set my standards a little bit higher and become a lot bigger than them.  ‘Cause I know you gotta get it for yourself, in this industry.

DJ Booth:  I agree completely.  What artists have you heard yourself compared to most similarly?

Cene:  Monica, JoJo, a lot of people say my harmony’s Brandy – I love Brandy.  Some people say Lil’ Mo –I get different [opinions] when people hear my voice.

DJ Booth:  Cene, a lot of R&B artists have used the urban platform to sing over hip hop influenced production.  Do you look to continue that trend, and intertwine the two in your material?

Cene:  Yeah.  Whatever’s new, I can do it.  I do rock.  I really like what Rihanna has been doing – she’s all over.  I kind of wanna be like that, too.  She’s rock, and R&B, and hip hop.  I kind of wanna do everything.  Country and everything.

DJ Booth:  Based on your hair color, your wardrobe for promo photos, and your Myspace page, I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess that your favorite color is red.  Am I correct?

Cene:  Yes, it is. [laughter]

DJ Booth:  Most people say there’s a story behind why they pick a certain color as their favorite – do you have one?

Cene:  Actually, my mother used to wear her hair red when I was younger, and I’ve always wanted to color my hair [red].  She said, “When you turn thirteen, you can wear that color in your hair.” Since that time I’ve been wearing that color in my hair, and it just became my favorite color.

DJ Booth:  Debut album, “Ya Girl,” hopefully gonna be dropping first quarter, 2008.  As long as I’ve done radio interviews, I’ve always opened up with, “It’s your boy, ‘Z’,” and it’s “Ya Girl,” Cene, so I think we were aligned this morning to do this interview.  Are you sensing that?

Cene:  Yeah, yeah, I sense that.  [laughter]

DJ Booth:  Tell everybody, ten seconds or less, why your impact on the industry is going be unlike what they’ve heard from previous artists of similar caliber?

Cene:  Because I’m a new artist, I’m open to tryin’ new things, my music is for everyone else, everybody who loves music – there’s always somebody with a voice who can’t really speak up when it comes to music, and I wanna be that voice.  That’s why I’m out there – everybody about to love me.

DJ Booth:  Well, those are some good reasons.  Give everybody a website or a Myspace page so they can find out more about you, the hot new single, “My Bumper, “ and your debut album, “Ya Girl.”

Cene:  My Myspace page is myspace.com/cenemusic. 

DJ Booth:  I wish you nothing but the best of luck in your young career, and all of your musical endeavors, and I thank you for taking the time to sit down and talk with me.

Cene:  Thank you, Z.  Thank you for takin’ the time to sit down and ask good questions.