Artist Profile: Jazmine Sullivan


Striding into Serafina, a midtown New York City restaurant, Jazmine Sullivan, 21, is beaming. “They played my song ‘Need You Bad’ on [WQHT-FM] Hot 97!” she squeals in her gravelly alto.

Though Jazmine is quite young, hearing her single on the radio has been a long time coming.

Six years ago, the songstress was signed to Jive Records at 15 years old—and dropped by the time she was 17. Now she’s the pride of J Records and of champion Missy Elliott. “Missy is my biggest fan,” says Jazmine, sporting a khaki fedora. “I sang for her when I was younger, and she worked on my project at Jive. She’s always been supportive.”

Raised in North Philadelphia, Jazmine grew up in a two-parent household, the middle sister between two brothers.

When she was 5 years old, her father landed a position as a curator for the city’s Strawberry Mansion, and her family moved into the historical landmark, where they lived rent free.

Meanwhile, Jazmine struggled to assimilate at school. “I did not want to be different,” says the singer. “But everything about me was—I lived in a mansion in the ghetto, and I was self-conscious about my voice.”

But Jazmine eventually made music her saving grace. Discovered during neo-soul showcases at Philly’s famed Black Lily, Jazmine never quite meshed with Jive’s predominantly pop roster.

She got the bad news after a performance. “My mom called me downstairs and said, ‘They dropped you,’’’ she recalls. “I didn’t want to cry because I knew she’d start, but when I went upstairs, them tears started trickling down.”

Though Jazmine felt like a failure, she kept recording with producers like Anthony Bell, sending out demos to labels. A rep from J heard her wrenching “In Love With Another Man,” and soon Jazmine found redemption with legendary record man Clive Davis, chief creative officer at Sony BMG. “He loved me…and I loved him, too,” says Jazmine.

Now, the optimist has completed most of her as-yet-untitled debut with producers Salaam Remi, Stargate, Jack Splash, and Missy, among others. She promises that it’ll be a jukebox spinning everything from pop to reggae. “My first album is [like] most people’s fourth, where they’re comfortable experimenting,” says Jazmine. “I’m not scared to try anything.” (Source: Vibe)






'Need U Bad' video



'Don't Let Me Get Started'