Kelly Rowland's Long Awaited Success and Performance on Jay Leno

When you are constantly in comparison with Beyonce, mentioned in a song by Kanye West, hang with the elites like LaLa and Ciara, it’s no wonder that you become hater’s “Motivation.” Kelly Rowland has jump started her solo career with a number #1 single featuring Lil’ Wayne and her third album “Here I Am” debuted on the Billboard Charts at number 3, making it her highest first week success thus far. Kelly is still humble though, sweet and willing to share the secrets behind Here I Am. Kelly spoke with us about being kissed by Trey Songz on the BET awards, working with Lil Wayne, and feeling like the “flyest chocolate chick.”

HB: When you started recording Motivation, how big did you think it would get?   When the song came out and people started taking to it I was just so happy, it becomes your baby, your music is your baby and you just want everybody to love it as well. So when people started walking up to me saying ‘we like your new song Motivation,” I was like yay!’ It’s a really good feeling.

HB: What was it like working with Wayne in the studio?   I recorded Motivation and 2 days later I saw Wayne at a Miami Heat game and then he got on the record. We linked up in the studio and I went to go visit him and he was just so cool about everything. He’s like ‘I love the record’ and he got on it. He’s so cool, he’s one of the most genuine people, I love hanging out with him!

HB: Was it hard establishing yourself as a solo artist, what did you do differently than the last 2 albums?   For me it was just about not putting myself in a box as far as sound is concerned. So many people were like ‘Is she going to do a dance album,’ ‘Is she going to a R&B or urban record,’ ‘What is she going to do?’ It was just about being myself, putting together dance and R&B music and co-existing, why can’t it? So that’s what I did.

HB: What were you thinking when Trey Songz kissed your neck at the BET Awards?  You know what’s funny my cousin told me the next day, and I said ‘What are you talking about?’ She said ‘You didn’t see Trey Songz kiss your neck?’ ‘No’ So I looked at it and I didn’t know he did that until I saw it. I couldn’t even feel it, I don’t know if he kissed my hair but I couldn’t even feel it.

HB: Favorite Destiny’s Child song and why?    “Love” I love the moment that Michelle, Beyonce and myself shared in the studio that day because we were all together. It was our last record together, it was really beautiful, it was such a bonding moment.

HB: How do you feel about the dark skin, light skin issue in the black community especially being that your are labeled and referred to as dark skin. Do you ever find it offensive?  I really don’t take that kind of stuff in because I feel like when you say that, your just a beautiful woman period. I don’t think it should matter whether you’re dark skin, light skin, whatever, you should just be a beautiful black woman period. There is nothing wrong with chocolate-it needs to be worshiped and adored! I always called myself a chocolate girl and I love the fact that I am a chocolate girl. I went to a predominately white school and I remember not always embracing that as a kid and now…Kanye gave me my shot out I felt like I was the flyest chocolate chick walking around!

HB: Relationship With Kanye…   I just saw him the other night at the [Watch The Throne release party]. It was a lot of fun and the album is amazing. One word for that album WOW from start to finish!

HB: During “Motivation” you say “The music is still playing in the background,” who does Kelly listen to during sex?  Sade…absolutely. That moment that only she makes for me.

HB: Do you like your men in boxers or briefs? Briefs

HB: Girl Crush? Jessica White she’s a friend of mine, she’s beautiful.

HB: Favorite Weekend Ritual…I love anything that has to do with cooking!

HB: Shoes or Bags? Shoes

HB: What is your vice and where do you go to get it? I Iove Cupcakes I go to this spot in Atlanta called CamiCakes

HB: When was the last time you cried and why? It was last week because Beyonce taped a message for me on Access Hollywood and it just made me cry because she has been so supportive and I just love my sister. It came from a genuine place and she is just a genuine person. I was like why you do it! It was a sweet cry…