JJ: Tell us how you feel about "neo soul." How do you feel about the promo machine? The construct vs. our reality...the "business" part of the music business?

JFN: What they call "neo soul," we were doing that in '92 or '93, and at the time, people thought we were out of our minds! We just didn't care that nobody liked it. So, it's funny, because we fought so hard for so long to be heard. So much of music then was so contrived. I definitely feel like if that's where your heart is and what your music is about, more power to you. I don't have a problem with that. I just don't see why we have to one-up each other. Why we can't all just be a collective, and work towards expanding the minds of our children who, at this point, don't have a clue what real music is about.

Also, it doesn't matter who's making' it--the Roots, Jazzies, Maxwell, Talib Kweli, Common...as long as it's comin,' it doesn't matter where it's coming from. As far as black music and this particular movement, it's always "one person on top." There's D'Angelo, then Maxwell knocks him out, then Erykah, then Jill knocks her out...

How can you have Vanessa Carlton and Michelle Branch, they sound alike--same label. One plays guitar, one plays piano, but they're equally supported. With us, people gotta find somebody to deem as the conqueror. It's crazy! Then, I don't wanna get into being a black female songwriter...how no one takes you seriously...I've been writing for years, and it's so hard. And Missy Elliot...she's a great writer, but is she an all-around writer? She's helping create the urban pop scene today, and that's great. But, what about all the other writers up there, and people only hire one writer...Missy. Then there are all these men writing all this stuff for the women, why is a man writing for a woman--when there are so many good female songwriters?

JJ: Agreed. It's a reality we need to look at. You're looking at it all head-on, much respect for that. Mad respect...I heard about a singer-songwriter once who was totally ignored and they just paid attention to her band, who hadn't even written any of the songs...

JFN: "Yeah, right? Like, 'we just need a little hook written, and look pretty for us.'" (Laughs) The fact that we are both attractive women, I mean, thank god we found a family and a manager who believed in us who know that beauty works for you, but that's not it. We're a lot more complex than the way we look, and dress. We have voices and we want to be heard.