MiddleChild: Hey. What's up?

Tweet: Nothing. How are you?

MiddleChild: I'm good. I see that you're ready to drop a new album for us, right?

Tweet: Yep.

MiddleChild: What vibe are you going for with this album?

Tweet: I'm going back to the Southern Hummingbird vibe with a little bit extra. Just keeping it the way it was. (laughs)

MiddleChild: So who did you hook up with for this album? Are you pretty much doing it all yourself or did you bring in some writing and production teams?

Tweet: I did it basically myself as I did with the first two. Same producers Craig and Charlie and Warren Campbell and a couple other people. But just kept it...if it ain't broke don't fix it..so just kept it like that.

MiddleChild: Alright. Now you are on a new label?

Tweet: Yea. Umbrella. It's under Universal.

MiddleChild: So how is that working out for you?

Tweet: It's alright. It gives me the opportunity to be the business woman that I've always desired to be and I don't have to go through too many people to get stuff done. It's basically me with the backing of the company.

MiddleChild: Well seeing now that it's all you, what lessons have you learned from your previous two efforts that you will take and apply to this album to make sure it's more successful?

Tweet: What did I learn? What did I learn...I learned not to put my career or my life in other people's hands. To have control over myself and not compromise. I feel that on the second album I kind of compromised my sound to please the label and this time I'm not doing that.

MiddleChild: Okay. I hear you. Well I know you write a lot for yourself and there were rumors that you were writing for other artists and working with like Whitney Houston and some others. Have you been working with some other artists on their projects?

Tweet: Not right now. At this point I have written for Whitney Houston and Karen Clark and a few others, but I been kind of working for myself and this project.

MiddleChild: Okay. Doing for yourself.

Tweet: Yea.

MiddleChild: So no guest spots right now? Any guests on the album?

Tweet: No. Not right now. Nobody is really...if I could have anybody it would be Marvin Gaye, but he's no longer with us.

MiddleChild: Alright.

Tweet: Well I would like to get D'Angelo, but that hasn't happened. That's not to say it won't happen, so other than that naw. I kind of kept it since I've been gone so long, just keep it at me and my daughter maybe.

MiddleChild: Okay. And speaking of duets, you usually always bring the heat when you work it out with another artist. How does that work for you? Do you pick people you have good chemistry with and already know or does that happen in the studio?

Tweet: I usually go with people that inspire me. You know what I mean? Like when I first heard "Soul Sista" by Bilal I was totally blown away and I would play that single over and over and over again until I got the album. That's how it works, but like I said nobody is really...if I could have my way it would probably be again D'Angelo, Andre 3000 and Pharrell and that's basically it. Not saying that there isn't anybody that inspires me, but I just haven't had that "thing" yet for anybody to do something with.

MiddleChild: Now each time you have dropped an album there were so many changes from just even the last time. Quality doesn't necessarily reflect on album sales these days and that's obvious because most of the talented ones today sell the least...

Tweet: Uh huh

MiddleChild: So when you drop this album and you do what you do, how will you deem your album successful whether the sales show it or not?

Tweet: When people say that it affected their lives. Like daily on a daily I get emails on how my music has changed somebody's life and helps them through this. Those are my Grammy's and my American Music Awards and BET Awards. You know? I really don't do it for that kind of recognition. I do it because I love to do it and if I can touch one person then I'm good.

MiddleChild: Okay. Well one guilty pleasure right now for alot of people is when their favorite artist gets a reality show and not to say that you will or won't do one, but if you did have one what would be one thing your fans may be shocked to find out about you?

Tweet: Ooh. Oh wow. What would they be shocked to find out about me? I think I let.. I don't know. Wow. That I'm not out there drinking and smoking like I used to because I've changed gears in my life. I'm not a typical...I'm just like everybody else. I go bowling, I play cards, I sit at home and watch T.V. That's what I do. I'm not really boring, but that's basically all I do.

MiddleChild: So you're just basically chill out!

Tweet: Yea. I'm a chill person.

MiddleChild: I hear you. Nothing wrong with that. So tell me of all of the songs you've recorded, what are your top three?

Tweet: I'm Done..Smoking Cigarettes and...oooh this is hard. Just three? Ooh. One more....Iceberg.

MiddleChild: That's my joint right there. (laughs) Can I tell you that is my song right there? I love it.

Tweet: (laughs) Thank you.

MiddleChild: I'm so for real. Like for real for real. (laughs) That seems to be a favorite from many of my messageboard members as well. You did that!

Tweet: Thank you. (laughs)

MiddleChild: And while we're talking songs I wanted to big you up because my girl Monica is like my favorite artist and you hooked it up on them background vocals for "Gotta Move On".

Tweet: Yea. (laughs)

MiddleChild: You blew like hell on that one. So hey, Ijust wanted to say that to you because I always told myself that I would.

Tweet: Thank you. Thank you.

MiddleChild: So let me see. What are your guilty pleasures?

Tweet: Ohh. Cheese cake and Red Velvet Cake and it's this White Chocalate Macadamian Nut from the Cheesecake Factory. Oh my God, I got to have that! Like have to. And I'm a candy corn person. I love candy corn year round. It don't have to be Halloween, I eats me some Candy Corn. You hear me?

MiddleChild: (laughs) I was just about to ask you do they sell that other times of the year?

Tweet: Yea. They do. (laughs)

MiddleChild: See. We wouldn't know that.

Tweet: You can't find it.

MiddleChild: That's funny.

Tweet: (laughs)

MiddleChild: We going to have to hang out because you're talking about the Red Velvet Cakes and all of that. I love Cheesecake too. That's me all day. So next time I come to one of your shows I'll bring us a Red Velvet Cake. How about that?

Tweet: Alright! It's gotta be good. Some people don't know how to cook it. It taste like Chocolate cake. They don't know how to make it where it don't really taste like chocolatey.

MiddleChild: Alright.

Tweet: So yea. Get the good one. (laughs)

MiddleChild: Got ya! I have my mama hook one up for us. (both laugh) So we have an album title?

Tweet: "Love, Tweet". It's gonna be a signature like say somebody wanted you to autograph a picture. This is just a package. Like a gift to my fans. Those loyal that knew me before and the ones being introduced to me now. I'm just signing my name on this gift..."Love, Tweet".

MiddleChild: Well we are definitely going to be supporting you with this project and wishing you much love with this.

Tweet: Thank you.

MiddleChild: And let me encourage you because my girl Tamia went the independent route and she is definitely doing the damn thing on her own.

Tweet: Yes.

MiddleChild: And we know you got that drive and sometimes that's just the best way to go. So you be sure to hook it up, do what you do and make it hot!

Tweet: Thanks! I will. Thank you so much!

MiddleChild: No problem. You have a good day.

Tweet: You too.