Amerie Talks Continuing Hip Hop Hybrid On Def Jam Debut

From her string-heavy debut, “Why Can’t We Fall In Love,” to the D.C. Go-Go influenced bounce of “One Thing,” Amerie has managed to appeal to the Hip Hop crowd without resorting to corny tactics such as spitting bars herself. During a recent conference call, she explained her move from Sony/Columbia to Def Jam, and why she thinks it’s important to organically include Hip Hop in her sound.

“It was cool at Sony, but I just felt like I needed a change and I needed a different situation even though I liked a lot of people over there,” Amerie says of her move to the house that Russell Simmons built. Having kept in contact with Island/Def Jam CEO Antonio “L.A.” Reid since her time at Sony, the pair built on their previous relationship.

The result was her lead single, “Why R U” [click to watch], which will be featured on the upcoming album Love & War. M-Phazes, Trey Songz and Jim Jonsin lend their efforts, and although longtime collaborator, Rich Harrison, is conspicuous by his absence, Amerie says her approach hasn’t changed.

“[Rich] may be on the next one if our schedules are good,” she says of Harrison. “He’s focusing on his girl group, RichGirl. The sound is still consistent though. This album is definitely an extension of my first album, just more aggressive. It’s also an extension of where I was going with ‘One Thing.’ The foundation is very Hip Hop.

“My sound is Hip Hop / Soul, aggressive but it has a really good balance. This album in particular I believe is a really good fusion of hip hop, not old school Hip Hop, but Hip Hop in its essence. Hip Hop and Soul mixed together with Rock, when it was still a sister to Blues.”

Love & War is scheduled to be released on August 11 via Island/Def Jam/Phoenix Entertainment.