The album started to shape itself right after IВ recorded what I considered the last song for the project. What were you looking to do with this album? In doing so, all of these songs and all of these amazing concepts and musical moments happened as they were happening in my life. So now you have Nyla, and itвЂ™s all the steps that it took to let go of the negativity and baggage or everything I felt I needed to let go of to move forward. If I was thinking five steps ahead before, its 10 now вЂ™cause I have so much to be accountable for, and I know Nyla will one-day press play on songs IвЂ™ve done prior to her being here. I didnвЂ™t know I was capable of loving and being loved like this. But other than that itвЂ™s finding room in my heart to love at the level that I do now because of being a mother and being a wife. I have a swear jar in the house so I keep it PG-13 language wise in front of my daughter. How have motherhood andВ marriage affected your writing and your perspective on your music? ItвЂ™s more so empowerment and now if it was toned-down before, itвЂ™s turnt up now. So tone down the sexy? Why? I just had a baby, I feel all glorious like I can do anything! So itвЂ™s empowering. It just remained consistent and IвЂ™ve always spoken about what IвЂ™m going through in life. I just had to bury a friend and say my goodbyes to someone I care about.вЂќ What music comes with that? If youвЂ™ve been riding with me for the past what is about to be two decades, my narrative hasnвЂ™t changed. Or it might be, вЂњIвЂ™m not too good right now.

ItвЂ™s, вЂњhey Marsh, whatвЂ™s going on with you?вЂќ вЂњYou know, chilling, enjoying my life,вЂќ and whatever song stems from that, cool. Have you felt any pressures to tone down the sexuality of your music, whether itвЂ™s from fans or elsewhere? You brought up вЂњFlood.вЂќ YouвЂ™re married now, and youвЂ™re a mother. For someone else, it was their spiritual awakening. And I was like, вЂњI wrote it about tearing ligaments and not being able to play ball anymore.вЂќ So thatвЂ™s what it was for me. It may be deep to you but I remember writing a song called вЂњIf I Was A BirdвЂќ and everybody was like, вЂњOh my god thatвЂ™s likeвЂ“вЂќ. ( Laughs)В I think IвЂ™ve always managed to create music like that. There are songs like вЂњOld Times,вЂќ thereвЂ™s a song called вЂњFloodвЂќ which is when you hear it pretty self-explanatory вЂ“ itвЂ™s really sexy.

I think once you give away your art, people interpret it to be as deep as they want it to be. Should we expect more social commentary on the album? ItвЂ™s these mini funerals that we as people get to have far too often with people that we donвЂ™t know. I was like if I name one, I have to name them all. I remember writing the hook and I was like, how do I paint this picture? I was turning on the news and scrolling through my social media, and seeing #RIPwhoever. I know my husband grinds every day and works hard every day to provide for us and make sure that weвЂ™re safe, but is he safe? I canвЂ™t pretend with someone elseвЂ™s husband, someone elseвЂ™s kid. ItвЂ™s that ongoing feeling that your loved one goes out to handle business and you just hope they make it home to dinner, you know? IвЂ™ve always envisioned the visual to this audio clip that is вЂњOld TimesвЂќ to be me just sitting at home rocking my baby side to side, singing it to her as a lullaby. IвЂ™ve always managed to keep it true to life and what better way to do it with this one because itвЂ™s so personal and being a wife and mother.

Marsha Ambrosius: IвЂ™ve never really done your stereotypical video. What made you decide to put them in the video, instead of casting actors? VIBE: Your new video вЂњOld TimesвЂќ stars your real-life daughter and husband. Here, Marsha Ambrosius speaks about being a fly on the wall for mythical studio sessions, what rapper she would make a Best of Both Worlds album with, and finding closure after Floetry. вЂњCreating, if I was thinking five steps ahead before, itвЂ™s ten steps ahead now,вЂќ she said, вЂњвЂ™cause I have so much to be accountable for.вЂќВ SheвЂ™ll also beВ joining Maxwell on the 50 Intimate Nights tour. Family has its joys,В but it also comes with aВ different set of fears and her upcoming third album, Nyla, taps into some of those new experiences. Her new music video for вЂњOld TimesвЂќ shows Ambrosius at home with her daughter, praying that her husband comes home safely withoutВ falling victimВ to police brutality. The last two years have seen her marry her boyfriend, Dez Billups, and welcome a daughter, Nyla. Now, afterВ a nearly 20-year career of lending her musical talent to the most renowned artists in the industry, she has another area to exert her wisdom: family.

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