"Sonyae Elise is passionate, focused, a hard worker and a dedicated individual who loves this venue of expression called music. The reason I call myself The Lady Rebel is quite simply because I am a rebellious individual. I tend to go against the grain and find my own way of making things work."

There are tons of aspiring artists around the world who would love to have their big break in the music industry. Many of these artists have seen the vision of being a well-known superstar since very young. The thought becoming a household name and doing what they love is something they feel so much that they can taste it! Although the chances of making it are slim, those who truly believe will never give up on their dream.

Sonyae Elise is one of those artists. Sonyae is a New Jersey born R&B artist who is working hard and trying to claim her spot in this oversaturated music industry. Though she is still pretty new in the game, Sonyae had the opportunity of working with platinum artists such as Bow Wow and Omarion and talented producers including Los Da Mystro (Trey Songz, The-Dream), Kwame (Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige) and Soul Diggaz (Destiny’s Child, Diddy). In June, Sonyae released her latest mixtape Lady Rebel, which was lead by the catchy single and video We Heard (Retweet).

Yo! Raps caught up with the budding songstress and discussed growing up in New Jersey, her mixtape Lady Rebel, performing in Broadway plays and social media.

Who exactly is Sonyae Elise and why do you call your self The Lady Rebel?

Sonyae Elise is passionate, focused, a hard worker and a dedicated individual who loves this venue of expression called music. The reason I call myself The Lady Rebel is quite simply because I am a rebellious individual. I tend to go against the grain and find my own way of making things work.

Since you are from New Jersey, how influential to believe New Jersey is in the music industry?

In general I believe New Jersey is influential to the entertainment industry as a whole. Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill and Whitney Houston all hail from the great state of New Jersey and are all considered huge influences in the music industry.

What are some reasons why New Jersey artists do not seem to have longevity in the music industry?

I don’t know if I totally agree that New Jersey artists don’t seem to have longevity in the music industry. Again, Lauryn Hill, Queen Latifah and Whitney Houston have had tremendous careers and I would be honored to one day be considered amongst them. Everything has a season and the vibe of music changes in general. We frequently go through different phases, sometimes East Coast music is more popular than West Coast music and sometimes music from the South may be more popular than all. I don’t believe New Jersey as an entity has much to do with the longevity of an artist career.

How did your environment growing up effect who you are as a person today?

Growing up, I went to multiple performing arts institutions and my family was heavily involved in the music industry. I spent many days of my young life in the studio with my mother and other family members who were all singers. Overall, that gave me a great appreciation of music and quickly made me realize that I wanted this to be my career.

Who are some artists that inspired you to go down this career path?

Linda Jones, Phillis Hyman, 2Pac, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitz, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Donnie Hathaway, Prince, Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, D' Angelo, Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, Nas, Jay-Z, Diana Ross, The Emotions, En Vouge, Kim Burell, Karen Clarke, Su Su Bobien, Melonie Daniels, Barbra Streisand.

What do you believe sets you a part from the tons of other up and coming singers in the music industry?

My music comes straight from my soul and I feel that it is what sets me apart from many artists both upcoming and established. In R&B music today there seems to be a huge lack of emotion and passion; and I most certainly plan to be apart of bringing that emotion and passion back to R&B music.

If you could work with any artist in the game right now who would it be and why?

Kanye West, Will.I.Am, Andre 3000 and Cee-Lo from Gnarls Barkley. I have such a high respect for their passion of their work. They all seem to live and breathe music and have all managed to go against the grain in some way. I would certainly consider them “rebels” as well.

You hooked up with multi-platinum producers The Midi Mafia, how did that come about and what role do they play in your career?

I love Midi Mafia. Most people don’t know but Midi Mafia is like family to me. I have known them many years. I met them when I was 14 or 15 years old in New York at Sony Records. I gave them a CD and we chatted a bit. Since that day, we have been family. Midi Mafia pretty much oversees everything pertaining to the brand of Sonyae Elise. I certainly wouldn’t be here without there consistent guidance and support.

Talk about your latest mixtape Lady Rebel. What artists and or producers did you work with on this project?

The producers on the mixtape are Midi Mafia, Ski Beatz, A.U, Brite Ware and J.V.

What inspired your lead single We Heard (Retweet)?

It’s a fast tempo, high energy and slick-talking type of record. Retweet refers to the reiteration of different points and ad-libs throughout the song. In the song I talk about the bitters and gossipers of the world. I also take a few shots at those who sit behind the safety net of their computer screen and hate on the next person. I’ve had a few experiences with that. Overall it’s a fun and sarcastic song that I am sure people are going to enjoy.

You performed in on and off Broadway plays such as The Lion King and Grease. What were those experiences like and what did they teach you about the entertainment world in general?

Those experiences were absolutely life changing. Most importantly they taught me great stage presence; I can honestly say I am never nervous to go on stage and I can credit that to my acting in plays while I was growing up.

How important do you think social media is to artists?

Social media is extremely important to artists because of how the music industry is structured today. I know people who have literally gotten record deals because of their presence on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. Social media allows people who connect to your music to connect directly with you and that is a beautiful thing.

Check me out on www.YouTube.com/SonyaeElise, www.Twitter.com/SonyaeElise, www.SonyaeElise.com, www.MySpace.com/Sonyae_Elise

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

“The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Album goes to…Sonyae Elise”

What's up next for you? Talk about future project…

I am excited to say that Lady Rebel Vol. 1 dropped on June 14th, 2010. I’m also back in the studio working on my next mixtape Lady Rebel Vol. 2 and simultaneously recording new songs for my first official LP.

- By Isha “Ice” Cole