The Rising of a New Dawn

The saga played out like verses from Jay-Z songs. Before the fame, fans and sold-out shows, the members of Danity Kane were poised to be multi-platinum, international stars.

“We was so happy poor, but when we got rich. That’s when our signals got crossed, and we got flipped.” –Song Cry, The Blueprint 2002

In season three, the tight buds had drifted apart and Aubrey found a new bestie in Dawn.

“And I don’t even know how I came to this.” –Lost Ones, Kingdom Come 2003

When the next season rolled around, Aubrey was best friends with D. Woods, and like the relationships she had with her band mates, the band is history.

According to Diddy, Aubrey’s fame was to blame. “I just want to work with the young lady that I signed, not the person that fame has made her,” he said.

Except that fame is/The worst drug known to man /It’s stronger than Heroin –Lost Ones, Kingdom Come 2003 

“We don’t trust each other,” explains Dawn. “Therefore, the business is not working.” 

But you can look in the mirror like ‘there I am”/And still not see what you’ve become/I know I’m guilty of it too/But not like them –Lost Ones, Kingdom Come 2003 

Sole caught up with Dawn Richard talk about how things were and how they might be.

Sole: What did you do between seasons of “Making the Band?”

Dawn Richard: Work! When people consider it downtime, I consider it as homework time. [I was] just researching and seeing what’s hot and what’s not. Like where music is going, where fashion is going, how I fit in and stay in this industry and follow what’s going on, but still be different. I was doing homework, trying to get better.

S: In the season premiere, a scene was shown where you are on the phone with your parents talking about your dream and your money; being there alone, how did you feel about the importance of the dream and money to the rest of the members?

DR: I think for me, I didn’t understand what was going on. I was talking to my parents and I felt upset. I felt the weight that everyone was blaming me and I wasn’t mad that people were blaming me, I was mad that I kept on being put in a situation that wasn’t my fault. What do I do in a situation when your dream is torn apart because of assumptions? I didn’t know how to handle the situation, I was doing my best and I was damned if I did, damned if I didn’t. 

S: As a viewer, your work ethic and attitude made you appear to be the leader. Did you ever feel like the leader?

DR: I never felt like that, I felt like I was part of a team and that’s what our journey was suppose to be. It’s funny that when we came in to this everyone said there’s not going to be a leader. No one wanted a leader, they kept forcing it. No one would be better than the other or bigger than the other. In my mind, that was the thought process. However, even though that was said, we weren’t always necessarily following that. We all wanted that, but everybody didn’t seem to follow that…I never looked at it like being a leader; I looked at it as wanting to be a part of something. Coming from a place like New Orleans, I never had opportunities, so when I get an opportunity I don’t take those for granted. I never tried to step out and tried to be a leader, I stepped out and tried to be a part of something big.

S: What role do you think fame and popularity played in the relationships between then members in the group? You stated that no one wanted to be the leader, but in all aspects, there is always a leader.

DR: People want there to be a leader. That’s not the case. I think that it can work. People don’t like things that are different and we have to get used to that. Look how long it took us to get a black president. People don’t like something that’s different, so I think there is a possibility for anything. I think that we have to embrace it. I don’t think it had anything to do with fame, but a lot to do with the media—a lot to do with no one wanting to see us succeed anyway. Danity Kane fans are the only ones that supported us. Outside of that bubble, a lot of people didn’t give us a chance. We had to fight for that chance. So we already had the odds against us to begin with.

S: If you could change one thing about Danity Kane what would it be?

DR: I wouldn’t. Everything led up to that moment; The great moments, the bad moments, the awful moments. It all led up to us making us the people we are now. I wouldn’t change anything because I enjoyed the ride. It was a beautiful ride.

S: Throughout the season we see you being hands-on with and giving advice to Day26 on how to handle things.

DR: They’re my brothers and I was hurt by this whole situation of what was happening with [Danity Kane]. I don’t want them to follow in those footsteps. They’re guys. Girls are catty and we do those things, but guys fight a lot then it’s over with. At the end of the day, I want people to see how talented they are and support how awesome they are. I think sometimes being on a reality show people see too much and lose sight of that these guys are really awesome and talented. Of course they are going to fight, of course they’re going to not agree, but they love each other and they are amazing. They have a common goal, they really want to stay. They all want to be a part of this music industry, so I’m just there to be like…when I see the chips falling I’m going to be the one to pull them back because I do want to buy their album and go to their concerts. I am inspired by them.

S: At the end of the season will we get to see what is to become of your career?

DR: Yeah, you just have to sit and watch; follow the journey with me. And you’ll get to see light being shed on everything. People will see what happened, they’ll have their own interpretation and I think people will kind of get it.

S: Once “Making the Band” is over, what do you want to be known for?

DR: Being a great artist. I know how I feel when I talk about the Brandys, the Beyonces, the Björks and other great artists out there making music. I want to be a part of that group. I want to be in the group that always gets invited to the Grammys and be in the circle of people that always get respect. They sing for the Patti [Labelle] specials, things like that; The people that when you hear their name you are excited about them being on stage. That’s what I want to be a part of. Not just in music either, but just in the entertainment business period. I have my comic book out now: danitykanecomics.com. That’s something new and different for women. We can crossover and do so many different things—we’re not limited anymore. I have a lot on the plate and I really hope people see I’m really trying to make a living in the industry.