Solange Knowles has a lot on her plate. In addition to her singing career, she’s a part-time DJ and actress. The 26-year-old songbird is also quite the businesswoman. Earlier this month she excitedly announced the launch of her new record label, Saint Records.
“It is through SAINT RECORDS that I will be releasing my full length album, and also future music projects that I’m excited about sharing! Through Saint Records I will have 100% creative/artistic control & continue to passionately pursue my footing in this new musical movement,” the “Losing You” singer announced via Twitter.
But, out of all of the different roles that she assumes in her life, she revealed during a recent interview with Brooklyn Magazine that being a single mom is one of the more challenging ones. Check out some of what she had to say below.
On being a single, working mother:
“[Motherhood] is definitely a balancing act, and it is not at all easy. I do the best I can, which involves a lot of saying no to things, actually, and a lot of really organized scheduling and a lot of help, to be honest. That was one of our major incentives to moving here. We were living in LA and I was writing and recording this album literally between the hours of 9am and 3pm every day because that was the time that Julez was in school. We were completely isolated, we didn’t have any family or long-term friends there, and we didn’t have that support system built in there that we have in New York.”
On her son Juelz growing up surrounded by family:
“You know, my parents are here, my sister is here, my cousin is here, all my friends are here. We really wanted Julez to have the experience that we had growing up—being able to drop in on his aunt’s house and being able to hang out with Grandma and see our friends and have that experience of actually having a soccer game and having family show up. It’s such a beautiful feeling, but also having that village is a necessary reality so that I’m able to pursue my passion both outside of motherhood and outside of my career.”
On moving to Brooklyn, New York:
“I’m still a newcomer here, but I feel like because my family moved to New York when I was 17, that I have a longer and deeper connection. And I think about the times when I would come and visit them, and I would always spend a lot of time in Brooklyn. So it feels like an extension of me, living here, because I spent so much time here before.”
Turn the page for more photos from Solo’s funky photo shoot.
