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Penelope Magnet
"Music is life and music is change and I think that people have gotten away from that. Music is inspiration. It’s not supposed to be something that traps you. It’s supposed to be something that frees you. Music is freedom."
These words, spoken by singer/songwriter Penelope Magnet, convey more than just an idealistic interpretation of the power of music. They also describe how she approaches the music making process.
The self-proclaimed “urban experimentalist,” is an Atlanta native who decided years ago that her life would be devoted to music. “I always wanted to do music,” she recalls. “It was just difficult for me to try to figure out how to get into it. When I was living in Atlanta my parents didn’t exactly want me to leave school and pursue music so I figured the best thing for me to do was to move. That’s when I chose to go to New York when I was 17. “
Penelope attended New York University for a while but dropped out to pursue music full time. That decision brought her back home to Atlanta where she made the rounds working with various members of the Atlanta music scene, among them Too Short, Blaque, and Red Zone’s Tricky Stewart. “Tricky called and said, ‘Hey, I want you to come and write.’ He had a group signed to Arista at that time called Mia Blaze so I started going over to the studio and writing stuff with him. We got some stuff done but that group ended up getting dropped from Arista so that was the end of that situation.” At that same time, Penelope was a member of a group that Stewart was interested in working with. “I was really trying to get my group stuff together but then, as groups do, we ended up breaking up…I stayed with Tricky and we ended up working together on Britney [Spears]. A song that I had done for me ended up getting put on hold for Britney and that started the whole thing. We did the Britney album and from there we’ve been working together on other projects. I did the Petey Pablo ‘Freak A Leek’ song. I provided the vocals for the hook.”
After spending years tucked away in the studio with Stewart and others, Penelope Magnet is ready to step out of the shadows. “I’ve been doing my thing quietly but now it’s time for me to step out front, which is something I’ve been wanting to do for years so I’m really excited about that. The whole time that I’ve been working on other groups’ projects I’ve also been working on my own and just waiting for the right time to put it out. That’s the point that we’re at right now.”
Describing her music as a blend of pop and hip hop, Penelope says listeners will definitely hear various influences. “My favorite group is Outkast. They really have influenced me and my music. I love Prince, I love TLC, I love all of the old Atlanta stuff. I grew up with it. Prince is like my favorite so you’ll definitely see and hear those influences in the music.”
Penelope said she looks forward to sharing her music via her recordings and performances. “This is really important to me because it gives us an opportunity to celebrate music. Sometimes I think you get so caught up in trying to fit with what the labels want you to do and trying to fit into a certain box. I want to celebrate exactly what music is: Music is freedom.”
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