GLD: Tell us something about yourself that the public doesn't already know.
Yandy: Gosh, it feels like they know everything (laughs). I am completely humble. I am a super girlie girl and I love to be a good friend.
GLD: Three words to describe you.
Yandy: Ambitious, humble and grateful.
GLD: What inspired you to get into the entertainment industry, specifically hip hop?
Yandy: When I graduated Howard [University], I thought I wanted to get into entertainment law. I went to intern at Violator, while I was taking my LSAT and applying for law school. While I was at Violator, I just fell in love with the management side of things. There was so much going on and management encompassed everything from marketing, management to legal counseling.
GLD: Tell us about Everything Girls Love.
Yandy: EGL is a brand that I created with my partners. When I went on the show [Love & Hip Hop] I realized the value of the commercial time you get for anything you want to brand and market - these shows come on three times a day, seven days a week. I realized that I love accessories. And it just became so much bigger than accessories, we started talking about lounge wear, nail polish and places women love to go. That is when we decided we would start a lifestyle brand called Everything Girls Love. It started out with accessories and now we have an online magazine it embodies everything for a well rounded women. I am excited about it.
GLD: Wow, you sound excited about it. Well I am an accessories girl. I love, love accessories. So I look forward to checking out the line.
Yandy: Accessories can just glamorize any outfit. All of our pieces are statement pieces. We don't have pieces that add on to your outfit, in most cases our pieces are the outfit. You can wear something simple and put one of our pieces on and you instantly become fabulous.
Yandy: When we were in taping last year, I was overseas with Missy [Elliott], so I missed a lot of the taping. I came back for the engagement, when Chrissy proposed to Jim. So, me watching it was really my first time seeing what was going down and I really felt there was an element missing. The element of the independent woman who works behind the scenes because there are so many who hold the guys down, not from the romantic side but from the business side and I felt like that was a story that needed to be told as well. GLD: Do you feel you, the Yandy brand, were branded properly on the show?
Yandy: Not really, that was one of my riffs about it; but being that I've been on the production side I know what makes a good show. We've had the big drama filled scene that had seven million viewers. Did I hate it? Did I cringe my teeth watching it? Absolutely! But for a show, you want that seven million viewership. For the Yandy business brand there could have been so much more explored. We taped me with EGL, we taped me in the studio with artists more so than what was shown and I would have liked for them so show that more but that is not where the story line was going. It was so much more interesting for the producers to follow this crazy, non sense of Chrissy and I or the drama with Erica and Kim than to follow me in the studio working. That probably would have been boring compared to everything else they had going on.
GLD: What other projects are you currently working on?
Yandy: I just recently started a blog on BlackEnterprise.com that I am pretty excited about. With the EGL line, we just launched our lip gloss line, Embellish. It is not on the February issue of EGL but it will definitely be on the March issue. Right now, we are working on Missy’s album so I am in LA shooting a video for the record she has with J. Cole. We are in full Missy mode for the next few months.
GLD: What advice would you give an up and coming artist trying to break into the music industry?
Yandy: I would say to get hot in your own region first. There is no longer money for development. The A&R's want you to already be on the radio and have a buzz before they sign you. I would say to do your due diligence in your region; connect with your local DJs and go to your local clubs. Get your music out there yourself before you try to have a meeting with a label because you don't want to just be another CD.
GLD: What does living grand mean to you?
Yandy: Appreciating the little things and just being happy about the simple things you have.
Follow Yandy on twitter @YandySmith
