Singing is in Bonita Jalane‘s bloodline.
From a child in the church, Jalane has always been a part of music and is now climbing up the ranks as an independent artist. Recently, she walked down memory lane with rolling out.
What is it like being an independent artist?
You grind, do the open mics, sell the tickets — those things leading up to a place where your name speak volumes.
Back in the day, as an independent artist, you’re like, “Oh, I wish I was here. I can’t wait to get to this level.” Now, I feel like I’m already on that level. It’s a mind state first; it’s starting to translate and people are starting to show up and like my music.
Who was the first person who inspired you to pursue music?
I came from Brooklyn, but I was seeing Mary J. Blige doing it and Erykah Badu.
I love that from the soul, that rawness from Jay-Z. That was the grind that I loved about it. So those are the people who really inspired me to make music. I started off, of course, in a church, so anybody that was doing and pursuing a dream of putting out music was an inspiration to me.
What’s your favorite song to sing?
My favorite song was by someone who I actually physically knew. I felt like it was so inspiring to actually know the artists, but it was a song by Hezekiah Walker called “Calling My Name” … I knew the writer — Jules Bartholomew — who is a friend of mine now. It’s crazy because he helped me when I was trying to find my style. … I used to sing [his song] in my church. [That] was my first solo, even though I’ve been singing since I was five. But that was my first solo; you couldn’t tell me that wasn’t my song.
What exactly are you talking about on “So High?” Is it a song about God or actually getting high?
There’s no confusion. It’s whatever resonates with you. So, some people feel like if they get high, they tap into a whole ‘nother frequency, they feel like they can tap into their higher self.
It’s whatever resonates with you. If you felt like when you were not getting high the other way, but if it was a natural thing, and you felt like that’s going to open you up to see more when you listen to it. Close your eyes and listen to it.
“So High” is mostly about being at your highest self, your highest level. [You’re] not going to listen to anything that somebody else is saying about yourself; you know yourself, because you love yourself that much. That frequency — and no other frequency — can be higher or closer to God because he’s the one that made us.
It’s whatever resonates with you. If you listen to it, and you felt like, “Let me just go ahead and roll something,” then that’s just what it is. [You’re] still his child.
Have you ever actually floated while meditating?
I would love to be at that level, but no, I have not.
I have never floated, but I have been in a place where you just wanted to hear peace. You wanted to hear yourself, hear quiet and feel like you can be in a place where you are high above anything else.
So anything that’s bothering you isn’t a distraction anymore. That’s the most floating thing I’ve ever done.
