Yummy Bingham – Interview

Straight from Forty Projects on the Southside of Jamaica, Queens, a young lady with more experience in the music industry than people twice her age is poised to take the field running.

We interview Yummy.

You sound hoarse—have you been doing a lot of singing?

They’ve had me in the clubs recently promoting the record. You know how the music is loud and I’m yelling and it’s blowing my voice.

Growing up around music—did you always want to sing?

It was always a part of me especially growing up in church and my family. My grandfather was a musician. My father has been a producer for over twenty years—which is how old I am. He pretty much helped me come into the industry. At first I was against it. I didn’t like people looking at me. I didn’t like smiling. When I was twelve I decided I wanted to do something of substance and not get into trouble anymore.

How old were you when you were starting to do it professionally?

When I was twelve I worked with my dad on my demo with my cousin. We shopped that for a couple of months and by the time I was fourteen Kay Gee was the only one interested in making something out of me. I met with him and a few weeks later I met the other girl group members. I took my father’s advice and went with the girl group idea. That was a great experience.

It took eight years to get here. Did it seem like it went by fast?

It does seem like it went by fast. I met with producers and other writers but working with the group seems like so long ago.

How long was the group together?

From when I was fourteen until I was eighteen. When I turned eighteen I was graduating high school early for the group so we could tour. I graduated in January and the girls came to me and said they didn’t think it was going to work. Mostly it had to do with Arista. We didn’t find out from Arista that they were folding. We found out on our fan website. I was still in school with no tutors and finished my year to make it happen and they came to me and were concerned about how the business was happening. The instability in business and the difference in creativity was what happened. It was a peaceful split. I keep in contact with them. A few months after that I was with Rockwilder and on the move.

Did you take time off and wonder if you were still going to do music?

I was done when the group broke up. I just wanted to stick with being a writer. I wanted to keep doing what I loved. So all I had was writing. So I kept hustling through the industry. I didn’t want them to know me as Yummy the voice. I wanted them to know me as Yummy the lyricist. I was maintaining that for a bit but I was trying to get with Rockwilder for two years and when I finally got with him I knocked out two songs in about two hours writing and recording them. We had the craziest chemistry. I never had a night like that before.

Did you know at that point that you were going to be your tracks?

When I worked with Rock I was working on songs for others. There were a bunch of females coming out. I wrote those two songs and I presented those to another group and Destiny Child but Beyonce was the only one who liked it. So “Is It Good To You” wound up being my first single.

Who told you that you should be a solo artist?

Rockwilder and my manager brought it to my attention. So much of it was unbelievable and now it’s happening. When they had the same vision as I have with music I had to stick with it even though I didn’t really want to be a solo artist.

How do you write?

Songs come to me all throughout the day everywhere I am. I don’t have to be in the studio to be creative. Ideas come a dime a dozen. My best place is to release it all is in the studio.

Has it been tough for you because people don’t think a young pretty girl can write songs?

It has been very difficult for me. It’s difficult for me to promote myself. Only because of everything I entail—if they don’t know I’m a singer they think I’m a face and a body. When I perform they see me there and then offstage they see a different person.

I know a lot of labels don’t want pop artists writing songs. They think its best to let someone experienced do it for them. They don’t want to give anyone a chance.

I know. The one thing that helps me to not stress out is me being myself. I can’t try to be an image like they want me to be. I have to be me. I have to be the same girl from the south side of Jamaica Queens who went through the hood and the suburban life in high school on Long Island. I’ve been through the industry since twelve. I don’t care much for how hard it is to understand me. I don’t think I’m meant to be understood. I want people to understand I’m not here to impress everyone. I could care less about the money or fame.

+ Charlie Craine