Jacki-O on the cover of Smooth.... ENJOY

So how have things been going for you lately?

I’m good. Things are definitely starting to get better. I’m at a whole new beginning in my life and in my career. I’ve had some hard times, but I feel that they only happened to prepare me for bigger things. All the things that have been said about me and that happened to me only made me stronger. I owe a lot to my past trials and tribulations.



Do you feel like you have a target on your back?

No, not at all. I never feel like the world is against me. I think that everything is written, and whatever happens is meant to happen. But I don’t feel like people are gunning for me. Life isn’t always fair. That’s the way it is and that’s the way it will always be. I just do all I can to find the good in every bad situation.



What are some of the rumors going around that you would like to address?

I don’t entertain rumors. I don’t think they are worth my attention. There will always be rumors, whether good or bad. The only thing I entertain is the truth. Anything else is irrelevant to me. Life is too short to worry about what others are saying about you. I have a career to maintain and fans to entertain. Rumors are the least of my concerns.



How do you handle all the things that are being said about you in the blogosphere?

Those blogsites are built to try to tear people down. They inject negativity into every situation, because that’s what people are interested in. I’ve seen a lot of craziness about me on these blogsites, but I just brush it off. It’s gossip and entertainment, not a reliable source of information. At the end of the day, I consider it free PR. They help keep me relevant.



How relevant do you feel you are in hip-hop today?

I think I’m very relevant. I’m a real person. I think there are a lot of people out there who can relate to me. I’ve been through so much in my life that people could learn from and be inspired by. I represent strength and persistence. I represent the strong but sexy female. No one could ever compare Jacki-O to any other female artist out there, musically or as a person.