Spotlight: Cheryl The-Pearl

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

It is never too late to pursue your dreams. As children, many people have various dreams. But, as people get older, the dreams change and reality begins to set in. Columbia, South Carolina artist, Cheryl The-Pearl, has a dream and it is still going strong.

Currently, Cheryl is working on her debut album, but she has been in the game for a long time. After dealing with other record labels, Cheryl The-Pearl now works for herself. At the age of fifty, she has an advantage over many other artists trying to break into R&B, maturity. She knows what she wants and why she is in the game, it is more than just the money and the fame.

Cheryl The-Pearl, real name Cheryl Cook, envisions her Black Bottom Ent. label becoming one of the top entertainment brands in the world. But, she realizes she has to start small. Recently, Cheryl-The Pearl spoke with JR to discuss how she is getting herself into fighting shape.

What process have you gone through working on your new album?
Well, for now I will be releasing singles from my company so I can get to know the business all over again. Making music comes easy to me, so there is no real process that I had to go through. Moreso, there is a feeling. I am lucky to have good musician friends that I can call on when I feel like I want to cut something and sometimes they send me music and other times they are adding music to my songs. Being on the outside looking in, I just see some things that need to be corrected in the industry and that is why I decided to jum back into the game.

How do you feel about being an older artist, but also trying to break in as a solo artist?
I feel good because I am older and wiser now and I have a better sense of what I want out of this. I am the first artist on my Black Bottom label and I am doing this for me. When I was young and dumb, I made plenty of mistakes, because I did not know any better. At the time, my team and myself was only focused on making music and not interested in learning the business aspect. Right now, we are fighting to get our publishing back. Most importantly, I do not feel as if music has an age limit.

Aside from yourself, who are the other artists signed to Black Bottom?
I will tell you this much, Blondy, from The Sequence, and Pow Wow, from Soul Sonic Force, they are my partners as well as artists in the company and you will have to wait and see.

Do you feel any pressure from being a female executive in a business dominated by men?
No, not at all. I love the game, but I want to play their game. I got my own, too.

How do you feel about the state of Neo Soul and R&B?
It is not neo soul or R&B. Instead, it is what they put out in their music. If you try to put people in a cage, you will never get their best and because we have so many greedy people in the business, they choose money over the art and the art suffers. Once people begin to play the game fairly, the difference will be shown.

Do you think you will be able revive the genre?
With the help of the good Lord and the people he has placed around me to help make some changes, I believe we can make it happen.

Who have you worked with in the past?
Well, I have worked with The Sugar Hill Gang, my group The Sequence, of course, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, The Funky Four Plus One More, The Trecherous Three and Spoonie G, The Mean Machine, Wayne and Charlie, Chief Rocker, Busy Bee, MC Kevie Kev, and several of the Sugar Hill acts, including Cameo.

Who are you currently working with?
Well, David Bright, from Vertical Hold, did the music to "I Don't Feel Like Talking," along with LA (Lamont Kennedy), who did "Got Love" and "Rhythm Change." Blondy and I have something new coming out, called "On Our Way to the Movies." I am also doing some work with Pow Wow, the three of us collectively will also be working on new material.

When do you plan on releasing your album?
I want to release a couple of singles and then I will release the album, bringing it back to the old school when people waited a while before the album was released, getting the chance to hear a few singles

What have you learned while trying to re-enter the game?
Back in the day, if you had some new music, the DJs would break it. If they were and the air and you gave them some good music, they would play it. But, now you have program directors who answer to owners who tell them what to play and if they go against the rules, the DJs find themselves without a job, so the job is not fun anymore.

Recently, I sent some of my music to the local DJ in my area and to a station in Augusta, Georgia. They knew who I was, but they did not play my music. Instead of being upset, I took everything in stride and continued to look forward. I feel like if they will not play my music, another radio station will. I am too strong of a woman to let something like that stand in the way of my dreams. My support base is entirely too strong for me to dwell on something as small as that. But, yes, the game has changed quite a bit.

What advice would you give to other people, past their twenties, trying to enter the music industry?
Only deal with people who want to deal with you and you will have a better chance. Do not let people tell you what you can and cannot do. If anyone is giving you negative feedback in order to bring you down, do not listen to them. Do what works for you.

Who was your biggest musical influence?
I have so many, from Diana Ross and the Supremes to Mrs. Aretha Franklin, to Billie Holiday, Sylvia Robinson, Betty Wright, and many other legendary women in the game. My grandmother, Mamie Cook, God bless her soul, used to walk around the house singing spirituals all day long, her singing served as an influence for me to take the music to the next level.

When will people be seeing more of you?
Soon, I cannot say when, but I do have some projects coming up. I will be releasing more information as soon as I start receiving some release dates.