MadameNoire
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Nivea has re-emerged but this time on reality television. The “Laundromat” singer is a cast member on BET’s latest show, The Encore, where R&B singers from the 2000s collaborate to form a super girl group. After being back in the game after taking time off to raise her children, Nivea has noticed how much things have changed since her hey day.
During a chat with The Jasmine Brand, she Georgia songstress reflected about how record labels wanted artists to keep their relationship status and families a secret in the 2000s.
“In the beginning of my career any artist, guys and females, they wanted you to seem available,” she said. “They wanted their fans to think they had a chance with you, especially at your shows and stuff. So if [you say you’re married] they can’t live out the fantasy…It wasn’t cute to have your baby on your hip…now it helps careers.”
Nivea added that this was mostly applied to Black, female artists more than their white counterparts.
“It’s also a color thing,” the mother-of-three continued. “Black women are being allotted more freedoms now and some of the judgements are being taken off of us but a lot still exists but in the beginning of my career if another race of girl had a spose of a baby it wasn’t looked down upon or [they weren’t told] we don’t know how to market you anymore.”
Nivea recently told MadameNoire why she felt now was the right time to get back into the industry.
“Number one, honey, when opportunity knocks…and I’m in a different space now. It does to pertain to my children but it pertains to me as well. Years ago, I wasn’t really prepared. I dealt with a lot of up and down and inspiration moments where I didn’t know what I wanted to do, if anything at damn all. My daughter is 16 now. My twin boys are 15 and my youngest is almost 12. So I have a lot more freedom than I used to allow myself when they were younger. All of that plays a part in it, definitely.”
