Last month we did a lil blip on Jade after she sent us some clips of her music. Then we figured it would be cool if we got to know her a little better and see what’s going on with the Florida native. Jade Foxx hasn’t been in the game for crazy long but she has been hitting the mixtapes in a major way. With her upcoming tape “Let a Woman Handle This” due in May and her debut album in the works Jade had alot to talk about. We also had some fun getting nosy about what kind of man she likes and her worst date experiences. So peep the interview and for more info on Jade check out her ghetto fabulous website at Jade-Foxx.com.

Halftime: How did you come up with the name Jade Foxx?

Jade Foxx: It was a suggestion from one of my boys. He saw the movie “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” and was like it would be hot if you had that name Jade Foxx. At first I didn’t like it. I had to sleep on it for a few days and then I was like that’s pretty hot. It wasn’t anything creative that I did.

How long have you been rapping?

Jade: I’ve been rapping about three years now.

Do you remember what your first rhyme was about?

Jade: It was called “No Good Player” and it was about my home girl and her man that was playing her. It was on some don’t let him use you and that type of thing. It was pretty simple.

Did she take your advice?

Jade: She didn’t even know it was about her. I wasn’t trying to get into her business but it was a good topic for a song.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL doesn’t seem like a hip hop Mecca. What was the scene like growing up there?

Jade: I’ve lived here my whole life and it’s actually pretty boring. Around the general area where I live, there are a lot of old people. The hip hop scene in Florida as a whole is not what it is in like New York but I don’t really deal with people from my area. It’s not really a scene here in my opinion.

How did you avoid becoming a straight up bass music artist?

Jade: I can’t stand it. I can’t listen to it for more than twenty minutes. Being from down here, we love booty dancing but I can’t make that kind of music. That’s why I don’t really fit in down here because they are on some booty shaking shit.

What celebrity would you want to do a song with?

Jade: Nas or Eminem.

Do you ever have any dudes hating on you because you can rap better than them?

Jade: Yea, I have a lot of that. I have a lot of people hating because sometimes I get overwhelmed with people that want to do a collaboration. I’m all about networking but sometimes they want to hate if I tell them I can’t do it right this instance and they get this idea that I think that I’m all that and it’s not about that. It’s just that there is a lot of stuff going on so I can’t put that at the top of the list. So aside from the people hating because I rhyme better than them I get a lot of that.

What’s your occupation right now?

Jade: I’m an insurance agent. It’s horrible because the auto insurance rates down here are the second highest in the country. It’s up there.

Where do you want to see yourself a few years from now?

Jade: The ideal situation five or six years from now would be if I have already put out five albums and already been successful and do an early retirement from the rap game but still be in the background and have the label. I want to have a family but I want to have a family after work. I don’t want to have it all up in the mix.

Speaking of that what kind of man does Jade Foxx like. Do you like a rough neck or a gentleman?

Jade: I like em mixed. I like them a little bit thugged out but I don’t like players.

Oh no you like the sensitive thug! I’m sorry to tell you he doesn’t exist. I don’t know what women be thinking. Don’t go into that delusional state thinking you’re going to find the sensitive thug.

Jade: Don’t get it twisted I’m not hunting for anybody, I’m hunting for my funds.

Have you ever had somebody front like they wanted to help you out but they were just trying to holla at you?

Jade: Yea and I could tell because after I stopped talking to them they didn’t break my music at all. They didn’t put it on the mixtape or nothing like that. That was the definitive line. I can’t get involved with people that I’m in business with.

What’s the worst date you ever been on?

Jade: There’s a few. It was like seventh grade. It was just so funny because we went to the ice skating rink and we were just so shy. We were like scared of each other because we were young. We kissed each other but we were just scared. It wasn’t anything in particular corny that happened we were just prude.

You were in seventh grade so…

Jade: Yea. I’ve had some blind dates with dudes that have been hideous. I’m not all about looks but there has to be an attraction and it can’t really go down like that if it’s not.

I’d be real shook of the blind date thing but maybe that’s because I watch too much TV.

Jade: I’ll tell you what after you do it one or two times you don’t want to do it anymore.

I saw in one of your interviews you taught yourself Pro Tools. Are you messing with beats too?

Jade: Nah not yet. I would love to buy myself a Triton and get to work but that’s not happening right now. I have Fruity Loops but it’s wack and I don’t know how to manipulate it like 9th Wonder and all of that. I’d rather have the keyboard there and play it myself rather than placing it in little spots on the computer. That will come though. Right now, I engineer all of my stuff. I do everything [other than the instrumentals I use].

What are you doing right now to get your music heard and build up your buzz?

Jade: Currently I have a network of about two hundred DJs that I regularly send mp3s too. I’m building that and everyday I’m trying to gain more DJs because they are the muscle of the whole thing. Right now, I am working on a mixtape that I’m putting out in May called “Let a Woman Handle This.” It’s gonna be compiled with a bunch of freestyles, remixes, and a lot of hot collabos with independent artists. That’s gonna get mailed out everywhere and I’m gonna send bunches to DJs that I deal with. Right now, I’m attacking the whole mixtape market aside from putting out my own mixtape. When people go to try to buy a mixtape they are gonna see my name on the track listing and that’s gonna give me leverage. When the mixtape is done, I’m working on my album. We are gonna try and get distribution but everyday we are just building up the mailing list so that when the product is ready I’ll have a bunch of people to send it out too.

Do you have an overall scheme of what your album will be like?

Jade: I know for a fact the album is gonna be half-and-half because I sing and I rap. What I’m trying to do is have a song for every different topic. Its not gonna be my life story or anything I’m just trying to get down with the concepts. I want to have a few commercial joints and then stuff about everything love, life, politics, struggling, everything. I just want to be different. I don’t want to put it in any specific category.

How long have you been singing?

Jade: I’ve been singing about ten years.

Aiight so sing something for us.

Jade: Haha

Just a couple sentences.

Jade: You heard the “Fuck it” song?

Oh yea I heard that dude.

Jade: Well I have a remix and it goes like this.

The last question we got is if you had to sum it up what is Jade Foxx all about.

Jade: I’m all about versatility. I don’t compare myself to anybody that’s out now. I’m a female emcee but I’m just different. I’m balanced. If you don’t like one of my songs, you’ll like another one. I got something for everybody and on top of that I’m a hard worker.

Any last comments or shout outs?

Jade: I want to thank Halftime for having this wonderful interview. I’d love to give a shout out to my management Full Impact, my fans that are in support of my music, and a humongous shout to the DJs that support me.

Posted by Halftime on Monday, March 1st, 2004 and is filed under SICKWIDIT, SPOTLIGHT.