Interview: Ginuwine - Singer and Songwriter - Page 5

One of my favorite songs out of your entire catalog is "Differences." I'm curious to know the setup for that song.

That song was really during a time when I was going through a depressed state because of my dad and my mom had passed. We're writing a whole bunch of songs and what helped me out a lot was my wife – she wasn't my wife then but that's what helped me out. I said, "I'm going to write a song about her," and it happened to be a song that a lot of people wanted to sing to their wives when they were getting married. It's just one of those songs that will always be here. I'm just happy I'm the one that did it. 

Some would argue that "Pony" is probably your signature hit. Do you recall your initial reaction, when you heard the final mix?

I always knew even before we've done it that it was a hit. Don't ask me how or why I knew it. I still remember in '94 when I was in front of the mirror practicing it. I just knew that it was a hit. I was so proud of it and I was just so happy. I just knew it was a hit so I'd been practicing it and getting ready because I knew as soon as they hear this song, that was it. That was it.

You've had a string of hits over the years. Is there a particular song that you wished you had pushed for release as a single or you wished people really had their hands on?

Oh, man. I remember the song that we did on the same CD as "Differences" – a song called "Why Not Me." That's just another song I really, really loved. I just felt like that should have been the opening song, the introduction to Ginuwine. But we didn't go with that. They went with "There It Is." It was okay, but it wasn't what I thought it should be. It was just saying so much. It was a song I felt like I could dance to, the video and all that kind of stuff. 

When you look at your catalog, is there a particular album that's reflective of a special era in your life?

The Life. That's kind of like the switch point to maturity and me leading life in a different light. So it would probably be The Life.

Article Author: Clayton Perry

Clayton Perry's mission parallels that of John Hope Franklin, Marcus Garvey and Carter G. Woodson. As the founder of the NUBIANO Project, Perry facilitates the design of projects that give voice to the Black diaspora, empower the Black community, …

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