Exclusive: Teedra Moses Talks New Music, Upcoming EP ‘Cognac & Conversations,’ Maybach Music, Jhené Aiko & More

Falling in love with an artist and their music is one of the best feelings ever. You become so overwhelmed with excitement when they drop some new material or even when you see them release some new photos. Like any dedicated fan though, you become defensive of them and disappointed when they don’t get the opportunity to shine as bright as the gem you found in them. Singer-songwriter, Teedra Moses is one of these cases.

Catapulting onto the scene back in 2004, the gorgeous songstress gave us one of the best R&B albums of that era.  Released on the now defunct TVT Records, Teedra’s debut album, Complex Simplicity, had the world yearning for more from the slender Cali native. Quickly becoming critically acclaimed and one of the best independent project’s released, it was clear that Teedra was on her way to the top! That was until things seemed to have come to an abrupt halt that left fans asking, “Where is she??”

Now, 10 years later, the incredible vocalist is here to let everyone know she hasn’t gone anywhere. Steadily dropping mixtapes and compilations over the years, Teedra is back to give fans a project that we believe will send her back into your speakers full force. Working closely with Rick Ross’ MMG camp as well as penning records for other artists, the “You Better Tell Her” singer has been right here under your nose the entire time, with some true gems for your listening pleasure. ThisIsRnB caught up with Teedra for a new interview following her recent performance at SOB’s in NYC.  The Lioness let us in on her plans for new music and her new single, “All I Ever Wanted“, where she is as an artist today, and just what the hell she’s really been up to over the years. Delivering much transparency for her fans, Teedra gave us the real deal when it came to her career and what’s been going on.

Get into the exclusive sit down below:

It’s been over a decade since you first hit the scene. I know that at one point you were on somewhat of a hiatus. How do you feel your sound has changed throughout the duration of your 10 years in music?

I think my sound is the same thing to me because you have to understand that what people are looking at as this big time gap, I’ve been doing music this entire time. Just because it hasn’t been commercially put out it’s just like it’s all just life to me – just living. I don’t look at it as this long period of time because I make music probably every other day. My sound to me is just the same thing, just from the perspective of a more developed artist and a more mature woman. That’s all – it’s just the same thing.

Your upcoming EP, Cognac and Conversations – when can the fans be expecting it?

The EP is relegated on how well the single does. Right now, I’m trying to use the EP to pull people back in or introduce myself to new people. I can’t do that if people don’t understand that it’s coming. We haven’t set a date yet because we want to ensure that people understand it’s coming and the single is meant to do that. So, I’m pushing the single harder than anything. So that’s my focus right now rather than when we’re going to release the EP, which will probably be closer to late spring, but I want to make sure that the single is there, people are aware of the single, the video is out, we’re in rotation and that people know the EP is coming. Otherwise, I’m just putting out more music that no one knows about.

Sure. That’s definitely understandable. So, at your recent show at SOB’s, your fans showed a lot of love and they knew every single lyric to the new single. How was that feeling for you?

That’s a blessing to me! It’s cool when people know the words to Complex Simplicity – it’s been out about 10 years and it’s had enough time to get its legs and for people to get to know it. When people know the records that are on my compilations and mixtapes, I’m very blessed because these are things I put out on my own with no team to get them to people. People just search them out. That makes me feel very blessed because there are a lot of artists who are force fed to you. Whether you want to like them or not, you’re gonna like them because they’re everywhere. I’m not one of those artists. So when people choose me, I feel so very blessed because I know that there are so many things being force fed to them and the fact that I am just dangling around somewhere in a corner and they go seek me out, makes me feel very blessed.

Previously, we know that you had some stuff in the works with Rick Ross. What’s the status of your relationship with him and MMG currently?

I was never officially signed to MMG. I’ve always been affiliated with them and we continue to work with one another. I work with his artists as well as Ross and they extend to me as well. Ross’ album actually came out on iTunes officially and I’m on a record called “Nobody”. I just continue to work with him – he shines light on my talent and I’m appreciative of it because he has a bigger fan base. When I need help from him, he extends it to me. It’s really just an alliance. This business is one where you really do need strong alliances.

You’ve done some work with Raphael Saadiq too. Give us a little background how you came to work with Raphael and just how that experience was for you.

I loved it. I met him through a mutual friends years ago and Raphael is one of the few artists that makes you feel like his peer. He doesn’t make you feel like you’re beneath him or that you just have to listen to him. He really just tries to pull the best out of that artist or individual because he’s truly an artist that is OK with himself. Working with him – for me specifically – he just reminds me how talented I am all the time. Even just conversation as friends, he will constantly remind me of how talented I am and sometimes, that’s so necessary in the business part of it. As an artist, you can get engulfed in your talent and really revel in it. When you look at the business side of it, it gets frustrating and you forget that you’re talented and you’re gonna be OK. He reminds me of that all the time.

For people who would want to go the indie route opposed to a major label, what advice would you give to them? What has made you stay on the independent route this entire time?

Well I really like creative control. I’ve never sought out a major label deal. I’m not opposed to a major label deal at all, but it’s just I feel like if you’re going to be indie, you need to have the finances, you need to have the team and you need to have the plan. I mean these things are vital because you don’t have the money to waste. This business takes money. You have to just be well organized with a great team and a nice surplus of money and just have your focus together. It’s very imperative that you’re A, B, and C line up very well because I’ve lost a lot of money from my A, B, and C not lining up correctly.

I definitely understand that. Out of all of the projects you’ve dropped over the years, which one would you say would be your favorite and which one would you say has shown the most growth from you as an artist?

I think my favorite will always be Complex Simplicity because it was such a distinctive album that I put out. You have to understand that these compilations and these mixtapes are just from the struggle. I don’t get to mix those records – I’m recording them in bathrooms sometimes and closets [laughs]. It’s really a grind. With Complex Simplicity, it was a thought out focus to make an album. Making these mixtapes or taking these records that I’ve done here with this producer and that producer, it’s not a really organized process to making these mixtapes. To make that album was an organized process and I knew exactly what these records were being made for and any ideas I had I could go to this one producer I was working with at the time and figure out that idea. I had help from Ne-Yo with vocal arranging and vocal production. It was just much easier in terms of a well put together project because I had all of the pieces that I needed. Since not being with any label at all and being completely indie, I don’t have a lot of the pieces that are needed. In the essence of like true Hip-Hop, I just use what I have. I know I do R&B, but the essence of what I do is Hip-Hop. I just take what I have. Sometimes I just take a sample and create a whole song to it because at the moment, somebody could have given me a track that I can really write what I feel to. So, I find something. That is always that well put together project. Others might be artistically great, but commercially, not put together as well as I think. Complex Simplicity is the first – and the last chance – I’ve had to really put together an album from beginning to end with all the tools that I’ve needed. That’s the great thing about coming back around to Cognac and Conversations – being able to at this point find the tools I need to put the project together properly.

I know you said you haven’t picked a date to drop the EP yet, but do you have plans to release a full album this year as well as the EP? Or is that something you’re looking to do in 2015?

You know…to be really sincerely honest with you, it’s all predicated on how that EP does. How many people it draws in. The whole point for me is to not put out any more music that people are not hearing. I work too hard to make this music for people not to hear it. For people to tell me or ask me, “Where have you been the last 10 years?” I’ve been making music and putting it out. I don’t want to be asked that question no more while I’m making music. So, for me to put out an album, I just need to know that they’re there – that the people are there to hear it. I don’t wanna make another album that is critically acclaimed like Complex Simplicity and people don’t get to hear it. So, it’s all predicated on the single. If the single’s going well then we can probably get the EP out by spring. EP goes well, we can do a few singles off that. Then I can talk about when I can put out the album. Unfortunately, I can’t even think in that direction until I get the people back down with me. I have to think more about the marketing side of things at this point because I’ve always just thought about the music and people are saying, “Where are you?” while I’m still putting out music. I don’t wanna be asked, “Where are you?” and “Where have you been?” when I’m busting my ass to put out music, you know? So that’s really my focus – to just bring people back around. If the people come back around and I can put out an album this year, then we’ll go for it. If the people still need a little more time to catch up with me, then we’ll put it out next year, but I’m not in a rush. I just want to give music and start luring the people back, you know?

Well, I’m really hoping that the people catch up this year because I’m interested in a new album.

[Laughs] I’m really interested in it too – I really am. I work very hard at what I do and I don’t wanna put it on deaf ears anymore. It’s lovely that I’m talking to people, but it almost hurts your feelings a little bit when people say, “Where have you been?” and I’ve been working so hard and rocking shows and making mixtapes. You get to a certain point where you say: Sh*t, is anybody paying attention? Well if they’re not, let’s make these n*ggas pay attention! So now, it’s time to make people pay attention before we drop some really good records. I’ve dropped some really good records in between Complex Simplicity and now that people don’t know I don’t wanna do that anymore. In order to get a different result, I have to try something different. So instead of me throwing music out to people that don’t know it’s there, I’m trying to do something different and pull the people in to set them up for what’s coming. When I know that they’re there, the music is there – let’s get it!

We’re gonna hope that they got it together this time around because I need a new album.   

[Laughs]. I love you! Cognac and Conversations will be something that the people will be pleased with to hold them over – believe me. I just wanna make sure people say, “Oh yeah, she is dope. I remember, alright. OK – the new album is out, let’s go support this girl because she is dope.”

If you had the chance to pen or perform any song – current or past – what would it be?

“I Still Love You” by 702. I know that’s an old record, but I just love that track. I love the vocals. I actually covered it and changed the words a little bit on one of my mixtapes. I just think that’s a beautifully sang song, beautifully written song, beautifully produced song and it has all the elements of what I love about music – well the kind that I make at least. Hard slapping drums and really pretty chords and poignant words and really dope meanings. So, yeah…that’s one of the ones that I really wish I had written.

With a good 10 years under your belt, you’ve had the opportunity to see the evolution of today’s R&B. What artist do you look forward to seeing grow this year and drop some new material?

I like Jhené Aiko. I like her – I think she’s awesome. She has her own thing. I think that she is a great writer and I like her a lot. Outside of her, I can’t really think of anything. I’m not really big on people right now when it comes to listening to it [music]. I can hear someone else play it and get all into it, but the amount of music that I listen to myself is very minimal. Especially in our genre. So, she is probably thee one. I mean I’ve always liked Janelle Monáe and Janelle has done really well. Outside of Janelle and Jhené, I don’t think there’s anybody else that I truly, truly listen to.

What do you want people to take from your new music and understand about you?

I just always want them to understand that I’m authentic. I just want them to always understand that I’m not a puppet – it’s just all coming from me. Whether you like it or you don’t. Whether you say, “Ah, I just like the old stuff,” either way, just know it’s me. Just know that these words are from my heart. Whether you can relate or not, it’s me. I just want people to understand she’s raw – she’s really given herself. That would make me very happy if people could see that it’s mine. That’s all.

-Interview by Ni’Kesia Pannell