R&B sensation Olivia is blowing up the scene with her dynamite vocal talent and irresistible style. On her upcoming album, Show The World, Olivia is ready to prove that she’s more than just Hip-Hop. In a challenging music market, the singer has sought out innovative methods to gain exposure for her new music and re-brand herself as a solo artist.

Olivia’s June 22nd performance at the Apple Store in Soho was part of an event series happening at Apple Stores across the country in honor of Black Music Month. Apple is also featuring a special iTunes page dedicated to Black music, giving artists such as Olivia a unique platform to attract large new audiences.

After the stellar performance that included her new song, ‘December’, an infectious ballad about uncertain romance, I sat down with Olivia to chat about how she’s working on the second phase of her career and what inspires her as a singer and songwriter. olivia-longott-audio-interview

WB: What’s the best thing about being Olivia right now?

Olivia Longott: Probably what you saw. Performing. I love to perform. I love to touch people’s hearts. I’m a very emotional person at times so that type of intimate stuff is really dear to me. So I love to be able to interact with people.

WB: Your new single ‘December’ is a song about love and heartache. Was this song based on a personal experience?

Olivia Longott: You know it wasn’t a personal experience but there are some elements that go towards some personal experiences that I’ve been through. A lot of woman and a lot of men have been lied to by partners, so I knew that a lot of people could relate to this record. It’s a little sad that so many women can really relate to it, but I’m glad that I can touch people, make them realize that if they’re in a bad situation that they shouldn’t be in. I really like to write songs that empower women and speak for women. My first single was “Bizzounce” and I was empowering women by telling them to leave the dude alone. I just want to give them a voice. I feel like a lot of women don’t have a voice.

WB: Are you romantically involved with anyone? a special someone in your life?

Olivia Longott: Nobody special, I’m just dating. I’m taking my time, really trying to focus on the music. I’m trying to re-brand myself, and I think we’re doing a great job of re-branding; so people haven’t said “Olivia, formally of G-unit”, which warms my heart.  I’ve really just been focused on the music.

WB: Speaking of G-Unit, Are you close with 50 Cent?

Olivia Longott: Yeah, we’re still good. Everything is fine, he wants to help in any way. All those rumors are totally false. Yes, he’s great.

WB: “Show the World” is the title of your forthcoming album. What do you have to show the world that they might have missed or misunderstood when you first came out on J Records ten years ago and in 2005 on G-Unit Records? Do you have something to prove?

Olivia Longott: I think I’ve always had something to prove, being that I’ve usually been the only girl in a male-oriented field and a male-oriented group. When I first signed with J records, I was 17 years old. I was the very first artist signed to the label and I knew that I was going to be the experimental person because they had just brought everyone over from all the other labels. I just wanted to sing, so I really didn’t know anything about it. I just took the money Clive gave me. I was like, I don’t need to go to college because this is what I was going to college for. I went to Five Towns at night and Hofstra during the day. I was doing both, because it was for music. And then when I got the deal it was like, what am I going to college for? So that deal…it was really funny because there was a lot of politics that went on behind the scenes that I didn’t know about, because again I was young and I just wanted to sing. They ended up dropping me, thinking I didn’t want to be there because of politics. So the person who got me dropped actually brought me with them to Interscope. That’s were I meet Fifty Cent. So I was already signed to Interscope first and then I meet Fifty / Dr. Dre and they were both vying for me to be on their label because Dre had his label and Fifty had his. Obviously we know Fifty won. (laughter). I ended up doing the deal with G-unit .

WB: Why did you decide to leave G-Unit Records? Was it a hard decision?

Olivia Longott: It was great experience, but it turned out to be something that I knew I couldn’t do for the long-term because I was a solo artist in my heart and being up there with a bunch of guys for the rest of my career was not what I wanted. Fifty Cent and I spoke about that a lot of times and he understood, and tried to get me to stay a few times…then it just came out in the news that they had dropped me. I’m like, what are they talking about? and then it turned into all those rumors saying I was probably sleeping with them, and this and that… and that’s what hurt me the most because they were all friends and Fifty Cent was the closest one to me. We spoke all the time. Lloyd Banks, like all of them. So once I heard all that stuff,  I went overseas for about three years. I toured. I just wanted to get away, and I felt like I needed to, like I said, re-brand myself. That’s what I did during that whole time. That’s why people thought that I probably had given up or just went away. They probably didn’t know it, but I had a big fan base over there. So I toured Australia by myself, Africa, a whole bunch of places that I had already been to with G-Unit. But I got to do it on my own. You know, at J records we really just did the U.S., so being able to tour by myself overseas was a blessing.

WB: Obviously you travel a lot; when you’re away from NYC what do you miss the most about home?

Olivia Longott: Really my family. My first cousin is my assistant  I never leave home without her. Shea is one of my stylists who I started out with on J records. So I have a loyal heart and I always love to keep family around me. My dogs. I miss my yorkies all the time!

WB: Will songs like “Boomerang” and “Lick Salt Lime Shot” from your ‘Love and Hip-Hop’ EP be on the album?

Olivia Longott: Actually they wont. “Boomerang” was actually leaked. That’s the record I did with Sean Kingston. Everyone loves that record. I’m a little disappointed that it leaked because it wasn’t supposed to come out now. So we may or may not use it, but I don’t think Rich (Olivia’s manager) wants to use it for the album. We have another record with Sean that is on the album called ‘Sun Don’t Shine’. If you think ‘Boomerang’ is amazing, ‘Sun Don’t Shine’ is like the 2011, 12, 13 of ‘No Air’ by Chris Brown.

WB: What affect on your career has the reality show had?

Olivia Longott: Well for me its been great. You can see the success of ‘December’. That’s the only reason I did the show. I’m very very pleased with it. I don’t like to open up my personal life to anybody. Sometimes some of my closest friends don’t know certain things. That’s just how I am, so having to do the show in some cases was really helpful because I got to say how I feel about the industry, why I said a lot of these bitches out here can’t sing, and I don’t understand why they have deals. I’m just speaking my mind, and I never really got to say those things before, so I was glad that I had that platform and that I was able to sing on the show, because everybody realized I could really can sing. That was really why I did it, not for any of the buffoonery that happens on any of these shows. If you see, on the show I’m the one that tried to stay away from all of the drama. I try to be quiet or I’ll say my little marks, but for the most part I stay clear.

WB: Are you looking to expand into acting? What type of acting do you see yourself in?

Olivia Longott: I actually am. I did a movie last year with my acting coach, Tracey Moore. Terrance from 106 and Park was in it. Slim from 112. They’re adding more actors because it just got picked up by Warner Brothers. It’s called Peephole, so probably in the next year or two it should be out. So I’m getting my feet wet.

WB: Where is your favorite place to disappear to when you want to get away?

Olivia Longott: My favorite two places have always been Monaco and Turks and Caicos. Monaco is amazing; it just looks like a mini Venice. It’s gorgeous… by the water with all its shops along a circle. The people are so warm and the culture is so rich.

WB: What’s your favorite way to unwind when you have a spare moment?

Olivia Longott: You know, what my manager and I love is to go to Serafina’s – that’s probably one of our favorite places. We love the food there and it’s like our chill out spot.

WB: Who are you listening to?

Olivia Longott: I play everybody. I’m very well-versed; I love Lenny Kravitz. I love Anita Baker, Jay-Z of course. Rick-Ross, Lil’ Wayne, Trey Songz, and R-Kelly minus the pee (Laughs).

WB: Since you were down with G-Unit, one of hip-hop’s big labels, you must have some love for hip-hop. Can you name your top 5 favorite old school songs?

Olivia Longott:
1. Nice & Smooth “Hip Hop Junkies”
2. Black Sheep “The Choice Is Yours” – I was the biggest fan in the world…
3. Q-Tip (tribe called quest) “Excursions”
4. Buckshot Shorty & Black Moon …you couldn’t tell me nothing about them
5. Das EFX “They Want Efx”
See I’m a hip-hop head.

WB: What’s next in the works for Olivia?

Olivia Longott: Well, besides Love and Hip Hop Season Two, I’m actually doing a book. It’s an inspirational and motivational book about everything that went on in my career and how I can help other young women. The name looks like “Impossible” but its actually I’m Possible. I’m also doing a home decor collection. And, of course, the album which we’ve talked about.

WB: It’s been such a pleasure, thank you for your time.