Thursday night, at midnight, was a big moment for Solange Knowles. The singer dropped new music that fans have been waiting on for four years. A Seat at the Table is Solange’s third studio album and was released under her Saint Heron record label in conjunction with Columbia Records. The 21-track album features collaborations with Sampha, Q-Tip, The-Dream, BJ the Chicago Kid, Kelly Rowland and the list goes on. With the genius of Questlove, Raphael Saadiq, Andre 3000 and Timbaland, just to name a few, the writers and producers behind this project are super legit.
The New Orleans resident also enlisted NOLA hip-hop legends Lil Wayne, who is featured on “Mad,” and Master P who describes what it was like building his empire. The No Limit Records head honcho recalls a time when he and one of his brothers fought over a million dollar check from a white executive who wanted to buy his label. He knew he was worth much more than that and wanted to create a label “For Us By Us.” Those words then leads to the track “F.U.B.U.”
Source: saintheron.com
In a conversation between Solange and her mother, Tina Lawson, Solange reveals how Louisiana inspired her album:
“A huge part of me moving to Louisiana was to really have a moment of self-reflection and self-discovery. I’m a strong believer that in order to know where you’re going, you have to know where you came from. I think that I chose New Iberia based on that area being the start of everything within our family’s lineage. I heard stories about your mom and dad, what it was like growing up there and why they eventually left. I felt a strong sense of empowerment learning that they left under the circumstances that they did and that I was able to go back, reclaim that space, and create art and music that reflected their journey.”
Solange describes A Seat at the Table as an album that “is meant to provoke healing & journey of self empowerment.” Preview the album here:
Download: Solange – A Seat at the Table