Last year in 2009 when Danity Kane imploded, Diddy announced that he was plucking Dawn from the remains and putting her in his special new project, Dirty Money. Dawn, having been spared the vicious blade of the "Making the Band' guillotine, was grateful to Diddy for the second chance and hopped on board. Later, a third partner in crime was announced, singer-songwriter Kalenna, and Diddy did what he know how to do best: Launch an MTV reality show promoting his new project, "Making His Band."
Dirty Money dropped two singles in 2009, "Angels" and "Love Come Down" and waited for a hit. But it never came. New York radio showed them love but outside of the Empire State, no one seemed to pay the Dirty Money Crew any mind and the album release date kept slippin' and fallin'. Then, late last year, Diddy jumped ship from Atlantic Records, uprooted his Bad Boy imprint and moved it over to Interscope. The Dirty Money project was put on hold again while the label transition was sorted out.
But now, the wonder twins who make up the estrogen half of Dirty Money, are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. The often-delayed and much belabored "Last Train to Paris" is set to depart on June 22. The two ladies spoke with HoneyMag.com about the upcoming album, a possible reality show to launch Dirty Money (again), Chief Diddy and possible solo projects in the future. There was no mention of whether the group would try to win on the charts with another single or whether they'd keep running the ball with the lukewarm first two singles. Instead, mixtape appeared to be the buzzword on Dawn and Kalenna's minds. SOURCE: HoneyMag.com
Dawn: Kalenna and I are just so crazy we call ourselves “Neon and Flux.” I’m sure somebody would love to pick us up. Kalenna and I will be doing a mixtape though.
We know you guys stay in the studio, but can we expect your solo projects?
Kalenna: For sure, but you also never know how this Dirty Money thing will turn out. I mean the fans are there.
Dawn: I spend my life in the studio. (Laughs). That’s a good question, as soon as the Dirty Money album drops I’ll be releasing my mixtape. I feel like the fans have been humbly waiting and I just want to give them something great!
Will your solo project be with Interscope, Dawn?
Dawn: No, it’ll be independent. You know I have the Danity Kane comics independently. Plus I just feel like I owe it to the fans to release some great music. So with the mixtape, it’ll be some great, free music. And definitely an album will come soon after.
The implication here is that Dawn is NOT signed to Bad Boy/Interscope at all as a solo artist, but is instead stuck with her other former bandmates in independent purgatory. But it's not surprising. Ever since Drake made it on the radio with just a few mixtapes, record labels ain't even trying to spend a dime on you if you haven't built your own following with solid mixtapes. Which makes sense. If you couldn't give your music away for free why should the label even bother trying to package it up and charging people for it?
