January 16, 2023 • 40 mins
Erica Campbell always knew the road to her purpose went hand and hand with her gift of singing. Campbell was introduced to the world as a Singer/Songwriter via, "Mary Mary" a popular gospel group formed with her sister. She shares her story about growing up in LA in the church, her dreams, compromising in the industry, and her faith.
Connect: @CariChampion @ImEricaCampbell
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I heard God whisper to me. I didn't forget m M.
I didn't forget the dreams that you had as a
little girl. It's still a moment for me because you
know how you desire things and when it doesn't come,
you just what you want to kind of make it okay.
You just kind of let that dream die because what
was happening in my career was so great, you know, Mary,
(00:20):
he was winning Grammy's and Platinum and TV and but
there was another dream I had and so God allowed
me to, even after we decided to take a minute
on Mary Mary, to still become myself. And that is
Erica Campbell speaking on Mary Mary and what the fans
still want to hear. But on this edition of Naked,
(00:40):
she talks about her latest single and life as just
Eric Campbell. It's the greatest and then the same make
and make Chepian and they carry champions to be champion,
(01:04):
a champion, they carry Champion, Champion, They care with Champion,
they care and Naked Everybody, Welcome to today's edition of Naked,
So on the podcast today we have Erica Campbell and
you all may know Erica Campbell as the other half
or one half of the very explosive group Mary Mary.
(01:27):
It's a gospel group that I know everybody, at least
in my world, are familiar with what these ladies seeing.
My favorite to shackles on my feet, But I can't sing,
so I won't do that. But what I realized prior
to interviewing her was that she knew so many people
that I knew in this very small world, and they
always spoke so highly of her and talked about how
(01:48):
if you ever met her once, you're going to really
enjoy her personality, You're going to enjoy her style. So
when we have the opportunity to interview someone such as that,
I jump at it. Her solo career began, but prior
to that, as we all know, her and her younger
sister Tina, were arguably one of the hottest gospel groups
(02:08):
that were around. Beginning in UH they had a platinum
album that was released, and they were considered up there
with Franklin and all these other groups. These mainstream and
I say mainstream not in negative way, but I say
mainstream in a way where gospel was being played on
local radio stations. And so today she sits down with
(02:29):
us on Naked and she shares so many invaluable lessons.
I often ask the question when I meet people who
are able to live in both worlds, and by live,
I mean, UH, make music that can appeal to others
outside of those who may or may not believe in
Jesus Christ, who may or may not be Christians. But
her music is considered mainstream and she shares stories um
(02:50):
about the life that she has lived growing up with
her sister when the group was initially formed. What's next
for her? Uh? She has a new music dropping on day,
so I encourage everybody to check it out by the
time you listen to this podcast and will be out.
It's another single and she um is just giving us
some true life lessons. I say, a man a lot,
(03:11):
so do not be annoyed. I say, tell me more
a lot, so do not be annoyed. And per usual,
you can always pass forward through the commercials. I appreciate
when you guys do that to back, relax and enjoy
Erica Campbell, Chappion and carry Chappi and they carry Cheppi
Um without further ado. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome Erica Campbell
(03:32):
to the podcast. Erica, you said to me prior to
us beginning that you have been doing press all day.
Tell us about what is happening in your world. Uh well, um,
my last single Positive got nominated for Grammy, which is
super excited about that. Thank you. I released my new
single feel Alright Blessed this Friday, and I'm just you know,
(03:54):
I'm always trying to be the best version of myself,
and um putting out songs like this is a message
that first I sing to myself, and so I want
to be able to sing it with confidence. And when
you've experienced bad days, when you've experienced the negative, when
the positive does come, it's just it's more rewarding. You know,
when you felt bad and you didn't feel blessed, when
(04:15):
you do feel blessed, it's like, girl, let me tell
you about this. So that's why the music that I
sing it's such a it's such a passion for me
because so many people are in a low space and
in a low place, and if you could just give
them a little hope just to keep going. Um, then
I think I'm doing my job on planet Earth. Yeah,
I think you are. I I've often been curious when
(04:36):
people have been given um such a beautiful talent as singing.
But you will hear all the time people will say,
if I could have one talent, it will be singing.
Everyone asked if you could do one thing right, people
like me, who was like, if I could do one thing,
it would be beautiful if I could sing. When did
you know like growing up? Walk me through this, this
(04:58):
rite of passage. I'm assuming that you had um you
were where were you born? And and and and how
were your circumstances growing up? And when did you know
you had? This voice? Is beautiful gift from God. I
grew up in a big family. I was born in
the Lynnwood, California um. Two uh, two parents who loved
(05:21):
God and loved each other and loved us. But we're
complicated human beings as we all are. UM. I remember
we moved a lot. We were not rich at all,
so we moved a lot um. But we had a
whole lot of love, a whole lot of laughter. And
when we were little kids, my father would call us
in the room to pray around the bed, me and
my sisters UM. And then after he would pray and
(05:43):
read a scripture, he would ask me to sing. And
I think the youngest age I remember is about five,
remembering my parents faces when I would sing UM. It
was a song called Ordinary People by Danny Bell that
I remembered UM. At this time, we were living in Inglewood,
it where mostly we moved around Inglewood, and I just
(06:04):
saw this, this pride and joy in their face. And
while I loved it, I love the effects of it,
especially on my parents, and so I always wanted to
make them proud. Um. Of course I didn't know that
it was this gift when I was young, you know,
I wanted to go outside and play, and my mom,
maybe being a choir earlier on, I wanted to do
(06:24):
what my other friends did. And I remember um women
in the church praying over me, saying, you're a little
bit different from everybody else. You're not going to be
able to do what everyone else does. Well, that's the
worst thing you can tell a young person, because all
you want to do when you're young is what everyone
else is doing. So it took me a bit of
time to get to this place of confidence, but I
think all of that made me who I am. All
(06:45):
of that allowed me to speak to people who have
been in that place, in that low place, and have
been striving for dreaming about better and getting to better
and what that means and what looks like I when
I look at you, I will First of all, I
grew up in l A too, but not like you know,
(07:06):
like I was like in West l A. But I
feel like we're sisters in that way because the l
A thing is very palpable. You could deal it. That's
a side note. How do you in your life, you know,
with this, with this gift? How do you in your life? Always?
Are you? Always as happy? And I beat and so positive?
As I'm looking at you, I'm like, she's so smart,
she knows everything that she's saying, like she's very kind.
(07:29):
Is this is this every day? How do you do
this every day? Girl? No, it is a choice. And said,
don't feel good to me? Mad, don't don't you don't.
It doesn't. It doesn't sit well. And sometimes I'm there
and when I am there, all I'm doing is thinking
(07:49):
about getting out of that place. You know. Um So
I like resolve. I like having healthy conversations even when
they're tough, because I don't I don't fake will know
what I mean, Yeah, you got I gotta with or
I just I don't. Maybe it's an l A thing.
I don't know. I don't. Yeah, well I do. I
(08:11):
do believe we are different from other people. Like I
say this all the time people, and I say this
on this podcast. If you're from l A, you're not
so much like looking over your shoulder for the next one,
like you're like, no, it's just good, it's fine, Like
you're not You're not out for the fame of it,
all right, and right. That leads me to my next question. So,
so you be in your world become famous, which is
(08:35):
it's it's hard to be famous period, but let alone
in a in a very niche world of gospel. Um,
it's even I think even more difficult to transition to
what I feel is mainstream. Um, meaning I could say
your name everywhere and ye know I've heard of them
that TV. Tell me how that how that worked for you?
(08:58):
Was there a push and pull of I don't want
to be secular? Was there a push a pool of
is this going to affect me as a person if
I'm in this world? I feel like I was prepped
for this, for this kind of fame and success because
my family was a big deal in l A. So
like in the church, in the church circus. So the
(09:19):
Atkins family, like when we went somewhere, the whole choir
was usually me and all my sisters, and my mom's
this beautiful woman, my my dad's this handsome man who's
you know, funny and charismatic and could preach really well.
So when we came, it was a thing. So we
knew we had to be kind of on. So you
learn that you are kind of seen and people paid
attention to you. So as I became famous, I was
(09:42):
already semi prepared for that. Church life does that for
you because you know, as a preacher's kid and the
pastor's niece, there's a certain requirement. You can't act the
food like everybody else. Well, I and I I loved them,
I honored them. They were real people in my life. Um.
They allowed me to be human, they allowed me to
(10:02):
have errors, but they required something of me. So as
I grew and and this same thing group, Um, I
was already prepared for it. Um. I dreamed of big stages,
I dreamed of people. Yeah, I dreamed of it as
a little girl. Um. Even being married Mary Mary Mary
was great. But me and Tina didn't grow up as
(10:22):
a group. We weren't like always a duo. She sang
with her friend Erica, and I sang with my friends,
and her friend Erica wasn't there at a particular service,
and I was like, I'll sing it with you, and
we sang together, and it was like, so we were
both making up songs. That's what we used to say.
(10:43):
We didn't even call ourselves songwriters. And I was about
seventeen eighteen. Um by the time we met Warren, Um,
I was twenty. Tina was like eighteen, and um we
became a group, so you know, all that happens and
Mary Mary explodes and we're all over the world and
blah blah blah blah blah. But I had been saying
since I was six by myself, and the dreams were different,
(11:04):
and so at first I thought, well, maybe I just
dreamed wrong. When I first went solo in two thousand
and thirteen, right after I had my daughter, I heard
God whisper to me, I didn't forget. I didn't forget
the dreams that you had as a little girl. It's
still a moment for me, um, because you know how
you desire things and when it doesn't come, you just
ship what you want to kind of make it okay.
(11:26):
You just kind of let that dream die because what
was happening in my career was so great. You know, Mary,
he was winning Grammy's and Platinum and TV and you know,
we were in the rooms with all the people and
all the things. Um. But there was another dream I had,
and so God allowed me to, even after we decided
to take a minute on Mary Mary, to still become myself.
(11:48):
And that's hard to do when you're in a big family,
because when you're in a big family, you are it's
it's the girls. I almost didn't have an identity. People
called me Tina for the first few years, or they
still will say, hey, Teena, I'll go I'm I'm Erica.
But that's fine. Problem, but it's fablishing me. Just because
they don't know who I am. Does mean I don't
know who I am. So I don't get bothered. I
(12:10):
don't get bothered by people who don't know. And you
just haven't met me yet. You just don't know. I'm awesome.
But keep up, stay on the stone. I'll show you,
so I don't get easily bothered by that. I cannot
with you, Erica. I need you to pause. On the
sermon because I wasn't ready. Okay, because I wasn't ready,
you get Oh, I was thinking so much food. I
(12:31):
don't have my pin and paper. I want to I
want to take notes on my phone. If you were
driving in the car and you hear Erica giving this message,
pull over and get that pin and paper out. Dictate
whatever you gotta do, Pause, go back, rewind, press fifteen seconds.
You said, I heard God say after I achieved fame
in this this arena, as as this a part of
this group, this very well known group of Mary Mary,
(12:54):
that I didn't forget. I didn't forget. How important is
that message for anyone There is um a man or
a woman listening to this podcast who thanks God forgot
about their dreams of of love, of children, of fame,
of fortune, of success, of whatever you know, reconciliation. You
(13:14):
think he forgotten, He didn't forget. Go through that moment. Yes,
his time is not our time, His way is not
our way. And when we yield ourselves and I hear
this so much, when we yield ourselves to where we
are as opposed to fighting it and telling ourselves we
(13:35):
don't want it because we don't believe it will come,
that's when it comes. Um. And even in that process
of God saying it's time, then my voice went haywire
like I sounded when I first started solo. Every live performance,
I was terrified that I wouldn't be enough. There are
some horrible performances out there. YouTube did me dirty. But
(13:56):
it is what it is. It is what it is,
and I realized that God didn't change his mind about me.
I was just it was a phase. Something was going on.
I need reacquainted with my instrument and learn how to
perfect it, as opposed to saying I got here and
now I'm not ready for it. And I was like, no,
this is just a part of the story. This makes
(14:18):
the story better. Who wants to watch a movie that
doesn't have the dunt dunt dun. Sometimes in our life
that's what we're going for. It's the waiting, it's the searching,
it's the valleys, the dark place. But if you hold
on and if you truly believe, you open yourself up
to receive all that God has for you. That's hard
to do when devastation is in your face. That's hard
(14:39):
to do when it's taking longer than you wanted to
to to steal wake up in the morning and speaking
affirmation of I'm valuable, I'm necessary, you know what I mean.
I'm here and I'm ready. When God opens the door,
I'll walk through. And I spent a lot of years
saying that. You know, your first interviews, they are always
ask what's going on? None going on? But one song
(15:01):
I had Shackles. That was it. So every interview I
would say stuff like, oh, whatever door opens for me,
I'll walk through it. Because it wasn't no doors. But
what was happening was God was preparing me for the doors,
because what do you do when it's a lot of doors?
Then you're overwhelmed and the very blessing that you ask
for is also your point of stress. A church, a
(15:22):
radio show, music, trying to maintain my my identity and individuality,
trying to be a good wife, trying to be a
good friend, you know, all those things, trying to drink
my water, keep my scaring like it's it's so much,
you know, and you can ask God for things and
not be ready for it. So in those times, God
is literally preparing you. At my church, we say something
(15:44):
every set every Sunday, God, prepare me for what you
have prepared for me. And if you believe that, you
live a little bit different. You know what I mean,
You go through trials a little bit different because you believe.
I know the victory is mine, I know it is
I know you have something great. I'm not gonna act
like I'm gonna be here forever. So that's why I
write songs like I write because they are my own anthems.
(16:07):
Sometimes I get in my own car and I have
to play can't give up now. I have to get
in my car and just drive and I'll be like,
all right, y'all, I'll be back, and I just drive
by the beach and I just affirmed myself. Erica, you
wrote this, you sang this. Millions of people bought this,
and they believe what you said. Do you believe what
you said? And so we have to make that choice
(16:29):
in the face of whatever friends, relationship, money, this industry.
You have to learn to affirm yourself. So when you
lay down at night, you literally rest, not just fal
asleep with my phone in my hand. I was trying
to do something because I was trying to get away
from my own thoughts and just fall asleep. No, I'm
(16:50):
going to sleep I'm gonna settle my thoughts. I'm gonna
release my hands, I'm gonna release my tongue from the
roof of my mouth. I won't go to sleep. I'm
going to rest and trust. And you only do that
after you've gotten through the storm, after you've come through
(17:10):
the thing, and you go, oh, I didn't die in
that trial. I didn't lose my mind. Oh life didn't
end because they left. And once you get through that,
you go superwoman. I can conquer anything. You I'm telling you,
you're amen to that, because there is no better feeling
than accomplishing something. When you when when you can really recount,
(17:32):
you thought you couldn't accomplish said thing, you're like, I'm
in the middle of it, and then when you get
through it, you're like, I did that, Okay. The very
thing that you prayed for is the very point of
stress for you. I say that in such a real way.
All I've ever wanted was my own TV show. When
I saw Oprah, I'm gonna do what Oprah did. I
give my own TV show the most stressful experience of
(17:53):
my life, and I'm like, wait a second, but this
is what I prayed for, This is what I asked you, right, So,
so what do we do when we get it? Because
I'm believing in affirming for everybody who has it, what
do we do when we get it? Ask for strength
to maintain it. There's a Scriptures that says the blessings
(18:14):
of the Lord make it rich and add it no sorrow.
And so when I'm when I am sorrowful and I
am stressed out, I'll say, Lord, you you call these
things blessings, my husband, my kids, my life. You call
this thing a blessing, and you said it I shouldn't
have sorrow, but I have sorrow. Can you lift it
or give me a different perspective so I can go
through this in a different way, because when it's heavy,
(18:35):
it's heavy, you know. But if he told me I
don't have to carry it by myself, then I'll say, God, here,
you take this. Because usually the stress comes from um, Am,
I good enough? Will this work out? Will they be
in partnership? Will all those things? These uncontrollable variables, you know?
And when you realize I can't stressing and got stress
and don't make it better? And that's what Mary Mary
(18:55):
said and yesterday stress and don't make it better? After
you finished stressing and what changes nothing? You just lost sleep?
Uh huh huh. Time to take a quick break. I
have to pay the bills. It's been a while. This
is the first episode back since the new year, so
stick with us. Get the fast forward button if need.
(19:16):
Be every champion and care every chappion is to be
a champion, a champion and carry Chappion and carry Chappiana.
Champion and carry Chappion and carry Chappions and sports. And
then the taming can make it work. Every Chappion and
(19:37):
carry Chappion is to be a champion, a champion, they
carry champion the Chappion, they carry Champion and carry Chappion
and sports. And then the taming can make it work. Hey, everybody,
welcome back. We have Erica Campbell still here. Um, get
your pin and paper out because it's so true. It's
a sermon. It's a sermon for all. I hope you
enjoy this edition of Naked. It's so beautiful, full to
(20:00):
hear you talk so candidly and honestly, and and and
more importantly you now you see right, So now we
see why you were giving that vessel to speak to
so many people, and and really It's like the gift
of exhortation because I'm locked in. Do you think that
the career that you have, in the fame that you
have make you compromise? Ever, because I certainly believe earlier
(20:26):
in my career I compromise to get certain things. And
I and you call it playing the game. And by compromise,
I mean sometimes every decision wasn't of God right. Every
decision you make, every choice you choose, UM doesn't have
that more that moral compass that you you would normally do.
Has that happened? And if so, how do you deal
(20:47):
with that? Because I think people would want to know
we all make these compromises. How do you deal when
you make these compromises? Lord, get me out of here,
Give me out of here. Supposed being this wrong, Father,
God helped me out. I mean, there's no super spiritual
(21:08):
ways when you know, God, if you get me out
of here, I promise you. You know, because you thought
it was cool or you thought oh this is gonna
be dope, you'd be like, Lord, just get me out
of this situation. And so that's how you learn your boundaries.
(21:29):
You know, Um, when you look at all things working
together for the good You learn a lot about yourself
in those situations. You learn if you have the strength
to go through what you learn. If you're maybe a
little bit too flexible, you learn your strength. You learn.
Do I know how to stand up for my faith,
for what I believe in in a room full of
people that could financially change my life? Yeah? You know
(21:50):
what I'm saying. Do I compromise money? And I know
a lot of sad and depressed. I know a lot
of people who have a lot and look great online
and social media, but they ain't happy. I literally had
a lady who was posting all this stuff online. You know,
she's you know, in my in my circle and in
(22:10):
my life, and so I was so happy for I
was like, oh my god, I'm so happy. I'm commenting
herds and oh go get a girl. Then I get
a message she's like, I'm I'm tired. I was like,
what do you mean tired? She was like, of life
And I was like, girl, you know why you're tired
because you won't be honest. Sometimes the place your your
(22:32):
platform can also be a place of vulnerability where you say,
because you're trying to carry this, I have to be
I have to be. I have to be, and and
sometimes you're just not. It's okay to say, y'all today
it's not a good day. Wig Off lashes off. Nobody
just say it prayerfully. It's been times when I've gone
(22:54):
to my Twitter page and I go, y'all just need
prayer today. It ain't a good one. Maybe it will
be tomorrow, but it's not a good one. And I
think that level of honesty helps me when I get
in a moment, I'll go, oh, you got it wrong
this time. Maybe it was motivated by maybe I was
having insecure day when that request came through, and I
said yes because I needed to feel you know what
(23:15):
I mean something because the enemy sends invitations too absolutely
and they're too good to be. The devil is well
connected and well funded everything he wants to do. You
don't think it's gonna destroy you. You feel like I'm
having a good time. I'm living my life and and
a little bit of your joy, a little bit of
your peace dies. But every time you walk outside of
(23:39):
your purpose for something that you think is a is
a source of joy or like I love that, I
love that, I love that. Do you ever think and
you have like you talked about coming and the reason
why I keep going back to the origin story of
a family because I really believe that it may to
(24:00):
you who you are. UM, and you were used to
the limelight. You talk about your father well known, UM,
and your mom's you know, you guys were the family
you So was there already an expectation on you growing
up that you had to be something. I'm curious because that,
to me affects how you move. Yes, but I think
(24:23):
it came more from me. You know. I knew I
had to sing, you know. Um. We went to Christian
School for a short time because we couldn't afford to
stay there. UM. And when everybody else had to learn
a scripture, I had to learn the scripture and I
had to sing a song. So I always had to sing.
That was always a part of the thing. When people
did Eastern speeches on Sunday, I had to sing. And
(24:45):
I enjoyed it. I loved it. I did it in school,
I mean elementary school, the school plays, it was all
of that. So without it even coming from my parents,
I knew it was what I wanted to do. And
so a lot of what I did was because I
believe that was gonna be great. Um So I was
singing background for Brian McKnight since we're naked, I'm gonna
be honest. I was singing background for Brian McKnight and
(25:08):
I was on the road and um, when you grow up,
coach at CHURCHI God in Christ in the costal, secular
music is a sin, so we weren't supposed to listen
to it or anything like that. You can only sing
it at weddings, right crazy, So off, um my was
my pastor said, Um, I believe you're supposed to do
this because I believe there's something you're supposed to learn.
So I go on the road with Brian McKnight and
(25:30):
one of the shows, this um hip hop artist is
in the audience, who I have had a crush on.
So you know, I noticed I'm singing do what across
your mind and time saying with Brian McKnight, and I
see him just looking, and he just looking, and I'm
going I'm then I tapped the girl next to me.
I want girl staring, you know, something like oh no no, no, no,
(25:54):
no no no. So after the show, we're in the
green room and he walks past the dressing room and
we have this exchange and it's you know, you can
feel a little vibe. And then they're talking about going
out after the show, and and somehow where I was
(26:14):
positioned it where he was positioned. He looks at me
and says, don't go so win a lot of the hotel.
My friend. I was like, get me out of here. Now,
I can praise you better than I said. I'm gonna
be a gospel artist one day. One day, I'm gonna
(26:36):
be a big deal. I don't want to be in
a room talking about Jesus, God Lord and baby Jesus.
And he goes, yeah, I know you in the biblical sense.
I just didn't. And that happened like a few times.
It was always like somebody that I would have a
crush on. I was in the elevator with these two
R and B singers and they were just going on,
oh my god, she fine, she's so fine, she's so fine.
(26:57):
I was singing with everybody at the time, and um,
you know, one gets off the elevator and he was like, oh,
I'm in room such and such. I was like, okay,
rest well, and then I go up and the next
one he was like, I mean, if you're not doing nothing.
You know, we can just go. I was like, you
know what, give me strength, give me strength, and yeah, yeah,
I believe. I believe. I believe it takes one moment
(27:20):
to destroy your destiny. It only takes one wrong decision
to take everything left. And it doesn't mean that God
can't still use you. You're just having out this unnecessary
bump in the road, Like, yeah, I see what you forgiveness,
But you're like, do you have to do that to
get to where you want to be? You don't have
to do that. I don't. I don't want it to
(27:41):
be a part of my story. I got a little
bit more self control than that. Can. I want my
dream more than I want you. My desire to UM
is bigger than you. So you are UM. You've always
known you're a knower. Like people talk about what people are,
You've always known. Everything that you've said to me never
(28:04):
has led me to believe that. Yes, you may have
had moments where you didn't believe, but you've always known.
Isn't that special? That's how you know that your dream
was was truly ordained, and you were and you already
had the destiny. You are a No, you have not
I don't know if you even heard yourself talking. You're
like now, until I heard God say, I didn't forget. No,
(28:25):
I knew I put the pressure on me, and I
knew that I would be when I was a kid. No,
I understood what it was, and I didn't necessarily like
every move you made was because you knew what it
was supposed to be. I don't, no matter how long.
It's because I was also insecure. I was also shy.
I was also the girl that didn't speak up. I
(28:45):
was the friend that whatever everybody wanted to do, Okay,
we haven't tacos, even if I wanted burgers, Okay, tacos
are fine, you know, if they were going somewhere. I
was just because I wanted my friends. So I wanted
to be liked. I wanted to be cool, because when
you're a church girl, that's not the cool girl in school.
Even though I was cute, I was the corny church girl.
I couldn't go to the parties. I couldn't go, you know.
(29:07):
And even if I did go to like the school dance,
somebody came and it was like, what you're doing here?
Charge girls? It was always that thing. But it was
always that thing absolutely, you know what I mean. So
it can either be a bad thing or it can
be the special thing, the very thing that has allowed
me to be and to become. So even in my
moments of you're not good enough, like the people that
(29:29):
I auditioned, everything that I ever auditioned for, they told
me no anything I ever went out for, I never
got one thing, never won contest, none of that that,
I was like, I'm still gonna be some one day.
I don't know how and I don't know when, but
I'm gonna be something one day. I mean, even going
through relationships and going through my breakups, I was like, yeah,
(29:50):
I'm not a I'm not a boy myself kind of girl.
So I'm gonna cry for about two weeks and then
I'm gonna get over it. So like anybody, like you know,
I've been dumped, and then there's been times that I
had to walk away and I was like, I mean,
I'm gonna crying real hard for about two weeks. What's
happing on? I'm giving you two weeks? Yeah, Max, You're
(30:12):
not crying over this three months. You know, you're gonn
through the whole thing. You can't eat, You're sad, you cry,
you lose weight, and then you'd be like, okay, it's over.
What I'm gonna do? You don't okay? Yeah, But I
asking myself why we aren't asking him why I don't
need closure? Closure? As you left, it's closed. What what
you gotta tell me that you don't want to be
(30:34):
like people like when I talk to a lot of
my single friends that go through breakups. I just want
to know why I don't. If you wanted to be here,
this is where you would be. You gave me the
answer when you left. I'm gonna call you a few times,
and then after you don't call me back, I got
the message loud and clear. I'm not about myself. Find
a girl. I'm moving on to the next one. So
(30:54):
the beauty of being a knower um, and you just
said it's always been that thing, right, like maybe the
insecure thing, but it's also been that thing that you
knew that you deserve what you're supposed to have. That's
a beautiful but it's a beautiful place to be. I
I ask you this for all your fans who say
I want to see this from you, and I want
(31:16):
to see that from you. What do you hear most
from your fans. What are their requests because it seems
like you're on social you interact with them and you engage.
What do they want from Erica. I think they want um,
they want in person interaction, m Um. Some of them
want to say thank you. Oh that feels so amazing. UM.
(31:39):
A lot of them want Mary Mary, which is fine.
I love and miss singing with my sister. Even though
two was amazing for Mary Mary, like with no new music,
from the Super Bowl to the versus Hollywood Bowl, seeing
in closing out the Juneteenth celebration, so many amazing things,
and even when the the top the top artist of
(32:02):
the Year came out, like Mary Mary was on the list,
it was just like, and God, you have a way
of showing me. Even though you're moved on to this,
I'm still blessing that because you were obedient in that,
you were faithful in that you stuck with it in
that I'm gonna also bless this for your faithfulness, faithfulness
(32:22):
and gratefulness. That's something so powerful. It's impossible to be sad,
depressed and anxious and grateful at the same time. You can't,
you know what I mean? If you're saying, I'm just
I'm I'm breathing. I'm happy for breath. I have no breathing.
I'm happy just for breath. Thank you know what I mean?
My legs work. I'm happy to start with the small thing.
(32:45):
Yeah you know. Yeah, Every champion and carry champion is
to be a champion of Champion and carry Chappion and
carry chapiyon Champion and carry Chappion and carry Chappion and
enter team making many Chappion. They carry champions champy on
(33:06):
the Champion, they carry Chappion and Chappi and they carry
Chappi and they carry Chappi. I am so grateful for
this because it's such a message. I don't care where
you are in life. If things are seemingly great and
they're not greater they could, it's all good because you're
reminding me of the basics. Like, first of all, I'm
a big believer in dreams. I don't believe dreams are
(33:28):
placed in your heart and then they disappear. I believe
if it's your calling will stay there. It will, it will,
and you have to fight for it. You have to
push for it. God doesn't do anything for you without you.
You can believe, but the Bible says faith without works
is Dave's dead. Are you relie, Are you really working
towards your dream? Are you doing a little bit and
(33:50):
trying to wait for it to come to you. When
I was in I was going to every concert, every event.
I sang it everything I could. I talked to every producer.
I you until it happened for me. You know, it
didn't happen. I was singing when I was five. I
didn't get signed until I was eight. Mary Made didn't
come out, so I was twenty eight years old, so
us a lot of years. You know, when you think
(34:11):
you're gonna be a child star and then you think
it's gonna happen here and it's gonna you never you
never give up, never give up. Wow, Wow, Erica, I
love that. I love that about you. I love you
saying that you still like he did not forget and
he told you that, So then you get all the
things right, You get all the things. And I was like,
(34:33):
oh my god, she's famous, she's rich, she's pretty, she
had a husband, she had babies. You get all the things,
and we just are like, we want to do it too.
Tell us about the book of how to, and then
you get there and you still feel like there might
be a little more you want. How do you settle
your spirit when you're so ambitious? That's a good question. Funny,
(34:54):
my phone's ringing. It was my sister Tina. She's always
telling me, like Erica, when do you sleep? Okay, we
love the ambition, but don't wear yourself out. My older
sister calls me and says, come over my house and
just lay down. I'm cooking for you. M hm. So okay,
they help me, help me. I wrote a book called
um More than Pretty, Doing the soul work that uncovers
your true beauty. Um. When the amazing things are happening,
(35:16):
sometimes you don't know that they're amazing, they're just life
is happening. And Um, as life happens and you embrace it,
you go, oh, this is the blessing, right, UM, this
is this is what I prayed for even before you
see it. Um. But it takes trust, it takes patience, UM,
(35:39):
long suffering. That's a word in the Bible, long suffering.
It takes you know, because it's just not easy, that's
not you know, and you you do you always want
something else? Are you content? Right now if Erica is
Erica Campbell ready to retire, discuss say there's more. I'm
just curious you're like, never retire. Um. So my song
(36:03):
feel Alright Blessed comes out Friday thirteen. I started working
on my podcast yesterday. Ungratulations. I would love to talk
to you on my podcast. I would again. Can you
talk about the podcast, like what platforms on how we
can find it? Yeah? Tell us more. It's UM, it's
so many questions with Erica Campbell because we all got
(36:25):
questions right about life and all the things, and you
have the answers. By the way, I'm going to educate. Yo.
It is on the Urban one podcast network. Um. Super
excited about that. On the new album called called In
My Dreams. Actually, Um, that comes out the day before
(36:47):
my birthday and my daughters at Spellman, my two youngest
are going to middle school. My church is doing It's
just it's good. It's sweet. Right now. Me and my
husband we're talking about it. We were driving and I
was like, don't think I feel like real sweet? He said, yeah,
I could get I could get a little bit nervous.
I was like, don't bebe let's just enjoy it. Enjoy
its good right now, it's you know, and it does
(37:10):
it'll be bad. It doesn't have to do. So I
know that I look at you and I think there's
so much more to come. As I call you a
nowhere as I just said, that word was introduced to
me not long ago. UM, and when you know, you know,
but that's just God's calling because I knew. So the
(37:30):
fact that I hear you speak even more confidently than
I ever probably have in my life is really refreshing
and assuring and and you know that you've been chosen
and it is such a blessing for you to just
share your message with us, like I I appreciate you,
I really truly do. There is you know, it's a
black women right here pulling over like Okay, she didn't
gave me a word, and you go ahead back and rewind.
(37:52):
I'm sure you get that often, so everybody has to
go on support. UM. I just want to say, honestly
and not kidding, been a fan for a long time
for so many people. Funny story, UM, behind the scenes,
when we always know who we're when we get our guests. UM.
One of our producers who does our social media was like,
she's our first episode of the year, right, Like, we're
(38:12):
doing her first right in terms of it, she's coming
before and I was like, oh, you're excited. I got
and I got excited because she got excited. So it
was really sweet and I and it wasn't I knew
what she was saying. First episode of the year, back
from break and she was so excited, and I was like,
she's a special one. So I just want you to know.
I mean, the fan base is deep. I'm a true fan.
I think you're great. Growing up in l A, there's
(38:34):
always somebody who says they know you and know you.
That's why I was like, I got Francis, they didn't
know you. I don't know if they do, but you
know west Side right were Um, when is your podcast launched?
So we know to support you, know how to give
you a specific date. Um, we are starting the recordings,
so we're getting I'm really really fresh in the process.
You know when ago, Please let me know so we
(38:57):
can promote. I would love to. I would do, and
so I can listening more so I can take some notes.
I'm sending it directly to you. I'm gonna trying to
get your phone number and harass you and be your
be your new best friend. You like I got enough? Yes,
I love that. Erica Campbell the greatest. I mean, she
does it all, and quite frankly, she deserves it all.
(39:20):
Thank you so much for being a knower and sharing
your dreams with us on Naked. You are more than welcome.
Thank you for having having so I for the holidays. Uh,
I was gone. I went to Ghana. It's an amazing experience.
And so there were two episodes. We took a two
week break and now we're back in full effect. And
I'm glad that we are kicking off our very first
(39:42):
episode of the new year with Eric Campbell with such
a powerful message. I think my biggest takeaway from her
is simply that, Um, she is a knower. She knows
what she wants in life. She never ever, no matter
how much we doubt, she never ever not fully in
the dream and the promise that was given to her.
And I think that is something special. Um, it's special
(40:05):
to be a knower. I think oftentimes we all know,
but we refuse to acknowledge what we know. Uh. And
she didn't do that, And I felt like everything she
talked about was a true testimony, Like I said before,
you don't necessarily have to believe in Her God or
our God, or whatever God that is, but you do
have to understand these are life lessons that are truly invaluable.
(40:27):
Happy New Year. You can still say that to the
end of the month. I don't care what Larry David says.
I hope you've enjoyed this edition of Naked Talk to
y'all next week.
I heard God whisper to me. I didn't forget m M.
I didn't forget the dreams that you had as a
little girl. It's still a moment for me because you
know how you desire things and when it doesn't come,
you just what you want to kind of make it okay.
You just kind of let that dream die because what
was happening in my career was so great, you know, Mary,
(00:20):
he was winning Grammy's and Platinum and TV and but
there was another dream I had and so God allowed
me to, even after we decided to take a minute
on Mary Mary, to still become myself. And that is
Erica Campbell speaking on Mary Mary and what the fans
still want to hear. But on this edition of Naked,
(00:40):
she talks about her latest single and life as just
Eric Campbell. It's the greatest and then the same make
and make Chepian and they carry champions to be champion,
(01:04):
a champion, they carry Champion, Champion, They care with Champion,
they care and Naked Everybody, Welcome to today's edition of Naked,
So on the podcast today we have Erica Campbell and
you all may know Erica Campbell as the other half
or one half of the very explosive group Mary Mary.
(01:27):
It's a gospel group that I know everybody, at least
in my world, are familiar with what these ladies seeing.
My favorite to shackles on my feet, But I can't sing,
so I won't do that. But what I realized prior
to interviewing her was that she knew so many people
that I knew in this very small world, and they
always spoke so highly of her and talked about how
(01:48):
if you ever met her once, you're going to really
enjoy her personality, You're going to enjoy her style. So
when we have the opportunity to interview someone such as that,
I jump at it. Her solo career began, but prior
to that, as we all know, her and her younger
sister Tina, were arguably one of the hottest gospel groups
(02:08):
that were around. Beginning in UH they had a platinum
album that was released, and they were considered up there
with Franklin and all these other groups. These mainstream and
I say mainstream not in negative way, but I say
mainstream in a way where gospel was being played on
local radio stations. And so today she sits down with
(02:29):
us on Naked and she shares so many invaluable lessons.
I often ask the question when I meet people who
are able to live in both worlds, and by live,
I mean, UH, make music that can appeal to others
outside of those who may or may not believe in
Jesus Christ, who may or may not be Christians. But
her music is considered mainstream and she shares stories um
(02:50):
about the life that she has lived growing up with
her sister when the group was initially formed. What's next
for her? Uh? She has a new music dropping on day,
so I encourage everybody to check it out by the
time you listen to this podcast and will be out.
It's another single and she um is just giving us
some true life lessons. I say, a man a lot,
(03:11):
so do not be annoyed. I say, tell me more
a lot, so do not be annoyed. And per usual,
you can always pass forward through the commercials. I appreciate
when you guys do that to back, relax and enjoy
Erica Campbell, Chappion and carry Chappi and they carry Cheppi
Um without further ado. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome Erica Campbell
(03:32):
to the podcast. Erica, you said to me prior to
us beginning that you have been doing press all day.
Tell us about what is happening in your world. Uh well, um,
my last single Positive got nominated for Grammy, which is
super excited about that. Thank you. I released my new
single feel Alright Blessed this Friday, and I'm just you know,
(03:54):
I'm always trying to be the best version of myself,
and um putting out songs like this is a message
that first I sing to myself, and so I want
to be able to sing it with confidence. And when
you've experienced bad days, when you've experienced the negative, when
the positive does come, it's just it's more rewarding. You know,
when you felt bad and you didn't feel blessed, when
(04:15):
you do feel blessed, it's like, girl, let me tell
you about this. So that's why the music that I
sing it's such a it's such a passion for me
because so many people are in a low space and
in a low place, and if you could just give
them a little hope just to keep going. Um, then
I think I'm doing my job on planet Earth. Yeah,
I think you are. I I've often been curious when
(04:36):
people have been given um such a beautiful talent as singing.
But you will hear all the time people will say,
if I could have one talent, it will be singing.
Everyone asked if you could do one thing right, people
like me, who was like, if I could do one thing,
it would be beautiful if I could sing. When did
you know like growing up? Walk me through this, this
(04:58):
rite of passage. I'm assuming that you had um you
were where were you born? And and and and how
were your circumstances growing up? And when did you know
you had? This voice? Is beautiful gift from God. I
grew up in a big family. I was born in
the Lynnwood, California um. Two uh, two parents who loved
(05:21):
God and loved each other and loved us. But we're
complicated human beings as we all are. UM. I remember
we moved a lot. We were not rich at all,
so we moved a lot um. But we had a
whole lot of love, a whole lot of laughter. And
when we were little kids, my father would call us
in the room to pray around the bed, me and
my sisters UM. And then after he would pray and
(05:43):
read a scripture, he would ask me to sing. And
I think the youngest age I remember is about five,
remembering my parents faces when I would sing UM. It
was a song called Ordinary People by Danny Bell that
I remembered UM. At this time, we were living in Inglewood,
it where mostly we moved around Inglewood, and I just
(06:04):
saw this, this pride and joy in their face. And
while I loved it, I love the effects of it,
especially on my parents, and so I always wanted to
make them proud. Um. Of course I didn't know that
it was this gift when I was young, you know,
I wanted to go outside and play, and my mom,
maybe being a choir earlier on, I wanted to do
(06:24):
what my other friends did. And I remember um women
in the church praying over me, saying, you're a little
bit different from everybody else. You're not going to be
able to do what everyone else does. Well, that's the
worst thing you can tell a young person, because all
you want to do when you're young is what everyone
else is doing. So it took me a bit of
time to get to this place of confidence, but I
think all of that made me who I am. All
(06:45):
of that allowed me to speak to people who have
been in that place, in that low place, and have
been striving for dreaming about better and getting to better
and what that means and what looks like I when
I look at you, I will First of all, I
grew up in l A too, but not like you know,
(07:06):
like I was like in West l A. But I
feel like we're sisters in that way because the l
A thing is very palpable. You could deal it. That's
a side note. How do you in your life, you know,
with this, with this gift? How do you in your life? Always?
Are you? Always as happy? And I beat and so positive?
As I'm looking at you, I'm like, she's so smart,
she knows everything that she's saying, like she's very kind.
(07:29):
Is this is this every day? How do you do
this every day? Girl? No, it is a choice. And said,
don't feel good to me? Mad, don't don't you don't.
It doesn't. It doesn't sit well. And sometimes I'm there
and when I am there, all I'm doing is thinking
(07:49):
about getting out of that place. You know. Um So
I like resolve. I like having healthy conversations even when
they're tough, because I don't I don't fake will know
what I mean, Yeah, you got I gotta with or
I just I don't. Maybe it's an l A thing.
I don't know. I don't. Yeah, well I do. I
(08:11):
do believe we are different from other people. Like I
say this all the time people, and I say this
on this podcast. If you're from l A, you're not
so much like looking over your shoulder for the next one,
like you're like, no, it's just good, it's fine, Like
you're not You're not out for the fame of it,
all right, and right. That leads me to my next question. So,
so you be in your world become famous, which is
(08:35):
it's it's hard to be famous period, but let alone
in a in a very niche world of gospel. Um,
it's even I think even more difficult to transition to
what I feel is mainstream. Um, meaning I could say
your name everywhere and ye know I've heard of them
that TV. Tell me how that how that worked for you?
(08:58):
Was there a push and pull of I don't want
to be secular? Was there a push a pool of
is this going to affect me as a person if
I'm in this world? I feel like I was prepped
for this, for this kind of fame and success because
my family was a big deal in l A. So
like in the church, in the church circus. So the
(09:19):
Atkins family, like when we went somewhere, the whole choir
was usually me and all my sisters, and my mom's
this beautiful woman, my my dad's this handsome man who's
you know, funny and charismatic and could preach really well.
So when we came, it was a thing. So we
knew we had to be kind of on. So you
learn that you are kind of seen and people paid
attention to you. So as I became famous, I was
(09:42):
already semi prepared for that. Church life does that for
you because you know, as a preacher's kid and the
pastor's niece, there's a certain requirement. You can't act the
food like everybody else. Well, I and I I loved them,
I honored them. They were real people in my life. Um.
They allowed me to be human, they allowed me to
(10:02):
have errors, but they required something of me. So as
I grew and and this same thing group, Um, I
was already prepared for it. Um. I dreamed of big stages,
I dreamed of people. Yeah, I dreamed of it as
a little girl. Um. Even being married Mary Mary Mary
was great. But me and Tina didn't grow up as
(10:22):
a group. We weren't like always a duo. She sang
with her friend Erica, and I sang with my friends,
and her friend Erica wasn't there at a particular service,
and I was like, I'll sing it with you, and
we sang together, and it was like, so we were
both making up songs. That's what we used to say.
(10:43):
We didn't even call ourselves songwriters. And I was about
seventeen eighteen. Um by the time we met Warren, Um,
I was twenty. Tina was like eighteen, and um we
became a group, so you know, all that happens and
Mary Mary explodes and we're all over the world and
blah blah blah blah blah. But I had been saying
since I was six by myself, and the dreams were different,
(11:04):
and so at first I thought, well, maybe I just
dreamed wrong. When I first went solo in two thousand
and thirteen, right after I had my daughter, I heard
God whisper to me, I didn't forget. I didn't forget
the dreams that you had as a little girl. It's
still a moment for me, um, because you know how
you desire things and when it doesn't come, you just
ship what you want to kind of make it okay.
(11:26):
You just kind of let that dream die because what
was happening in my career was so great. You know, Mary,
he was winning Grammy's and Platinum and TV and you know,
we were in the rooms with all the people and
all the things. Um. But there was another dream I had,
and so God allowed me to, even after we decided
to take a minute on Mary Mary, to still become myself.
(11:48):
And that's hard to do when you're in a big family,
because when you're in a big family, you are it's
it's the girls. I almost didn't have an identity. People
called me Tina for the first few years, or they
still will say, hey, Teena, I'll go I'm I'm Erica.
But that's fine. Problem, but it's fablishing me. Just because
they don't know who I am. Does mean I don't
know who I am. So I don't get bothered. I
(12:10):
don't get bothered by people who don't know. And you
just haven't met me yet. You just don't know. I'm awesome.
But keep up, stay on the stone. I'll show you,
so I don't get easily bothered by that. I cannot
with you, Erica. I need you to pause. On the
sermon because I wasn't ready. Okay, because I wasn't ready,
you get Oh, I was thinking so much food. I
(12:31):
don't have my pin and paper. I want to I
want to take notes on my phone. If you were
driving in the car and you hear Erica giving this message,
pull over and get that pin and paper out. Dictate
whatever you gotta do, Pause, go back, rewind, press fifteen seconds.
You said, I heard God say after I achieved fame
in this this arena, as as this a part of
this group, this very well known group of Mary Mary,
(12:54):
that I didn't forget. I didn't forget. How important is
that message for anyone There is um a man or
a woman listening to this podcast who thanks God forgot
about their dreams of of love, of children, of fame,
of fortune, of success, of whatever you know, reconciliation. You
(13:14):
think he forgotten, He didn't forget. Go through that moment. Yes,
his time is not our time, His way is not
our way. And when we yield ourselves and I hear
this so much, when we yield ourselves to where we
are as opposed to fighting it and telling ourselves we
(13:35):
don't want it because we don't believe it will come,
that's when it comes. Um. And even in that process
of God saying it's time, then my voice went haywire
like I sounded when I first started solo. Every live performance,
I was terrified that I wouldn't be enough. There are
some horrible performances out there. YouTube did me dirty. But
(13:56):
it is what it is. It is what it is,
and I realized that God didn't change his mind about me.
I was just it was a phase. Something was going on.
I need reacquainted with my instrument and learn how to
perfect it, as opposed to saying I got here and
now I'm not ready for it. And I was like, no,
this is just a part of the story. This makes
(14:18):
the story better. Who wants to watch a movie that
doesn't have the dunt dunt dun. Sometimes in our life
that's what we're going for. It's the waiting, it's the searching,
it's the valleys, the dark place. But if you hold
on and if you truly believe, you open yourself up
to receive all that God has for you. That's hard
to do when devastation is in your face. That's hard
(14:39):
to do when it's taking longer than you wanted to
to to steal wake up in the morning and speaking
affirmation of I'm valuable, I'm necessary, you know what I mean.
I'm here and I'm ready. When God opens the door,
I'll walk through. And I spent a lot of years
saying that. You know, your first interviews, they are always
ask what's going on? None going on? But one song
(15:01):
I had Shackles. That was it. So every interview I
would say stuff like, oh, whatever door opens for me,
I'll walk through it. Because it wasn't no doors. But
what was happening was God was preparing me for the doors,
because what do you do when it's a lot of doors?
Then you're overwhelmed and the very blessing that you ask
for is also your point of stress. A church, a
(15:22):
radio show, music, trying to maintain my my identity and individuality,
trying to be a good wife, trying to be a
good friend, you know, all those things, trying to drink
my water, keep my scaring like it's it's so much,
you know, and you can ask God for things and
not be ready for it. So in those times, God
is literally preparing you. At my church, we say something
(15:44):
every set every Sunday, God, prepare me for what you
have prepared for me. And if you believe that, you
live a little bit different. You know what I mean,
You go through trials a little bit different because you believe.
I know the victory is mine, I know it is
I know you have something great. I'm not gonna act
like I'm gonna be here forever. So that's why I
write songs like I write because they are my own anthems.
(16:07):
Sometimes I get in my own car and I have
to play can't give up now. I have to get
in my car and just drive and I'll be like,
all right, y'all, I'll be back, and I just drive
by the beach and I just affirmed myself. Erica, you
wrote this, you sang this. Millions of people bought this,
and they believe what you said. Do you believe what
you said? And so we have to make that choice
(16:29):
in the face of whatever friends, relationship, money, this industry.
You have to learn to affirm yourself. So when you
lay down at night, you literally rest, not just fal
asleep with my phone in my hand. I was trying
to do something because I was trying to get away
from my own thoughts and just fall asleep. No, I'm
(16:50):
going to sleep I'm gonna settle my thoughts. I'm gonna
release my hands, I'm gonna release my tongue from the
roof of my mouth. I won't go to sleep. I'm
going to rest and trust. And you only do that
after you've gotten through the storm, after you've come through
(17:10):
the thing, and you go, oh, I didn't die in
that trial. I didn't lose my mind. Oh life didn't
end because they left. And once you get through that,
you go superwoman. I can conquer anything. You I'm telling you,
you're amen to that, because there is no better feeling
than accomplishing something. When you when when you can really recount,
(17:32):
you thought you couldn't accomplish said thing, you're like, I'm
in the middle of it, and then when you get
through it, you're like, I did that, Okay. The very
thing that you prayed for is the very point of
stress for you. I say that in such a real way.
All I've ever wanted was my own TV show. When
I saw Oprah, I'm gonna do what Oprah did. I
give my own TV show the most stressful experience of
(17:53):
my life, and I'm like, wait a second, but this
is what I prayed for, This is what I asked you, right, So,
so what do we do when we get it? Because
I'm believing in affirming for everybody who has it, what
do we do when we get it? Ask for strength
to maintain it. There's a Scriptures that says the blessings
(18:14):
of the Lord make it rich and add it no sorrow.
And so when I'm when I am sorrowful and I
am stressed out, I'll say, Lord, you you call these
things blessings, my husband, my kids, my life. You call
this thing a blessing, and you said it I shouldn't
have sorrow, but I have sorrow. Can you lift it
or give me a different perspective so I can go
through this in a different way, because when it's heavy,
(18:35):
it's heavy, you know. But if he told me I
don't have to carry it by myself, then I'll say, God, here,
you take this. Because usually the stress comes from um, Am,
I good enough? Will this work out? Will they be
in partnership? Will all those things? These uncontrollable variables, you know?
And when you realize I can't stressing and got stress
and don't make it better? And that's what Mary Mary
(18:55):
said and yesterday stress and don't make it better? After
you finished stressing and what changes nothing? You just lost sleep?
Uh huh huh. Time to take a quick break. I
have to pay the bills. It's been a while. This
is the first episode back since the new year, so
stick with us. Get the fast forward button if need.
(19:16):
Be every champion and care every chappion is to be
a champion, a champion and carry Chappion and carry Chappiana.
Champion and carry Chappion and carry Chappions and sports. And
then the taming can make it work. Every Chappion and
(19:37):
carry Chappion is to be a champion, a champion, they
carry champion the Chappion, they carry Champion and carry Chappion
and sports. And then the taming can make it work. Hey, everybody,
welcome back. We have Erica Campbell still here. Um, get
your pin and paper out because it's so true. It's
a sermon. It's a sermon for all. I hope you
enjoy this edition of Naked. It's so beautiful, full to
(20:00):
hear you talk so candidly and honestly, and and and
more importantly you now you see right, So now we
see why you were giving that vessel to speak to
so many people, and and really It's like the gift
of exhortation because I'm locked in. Do you think that
the career that you have, in the fame that you
have make you compromise? Ever, because I certainly believe earlier
(20:26):
in my career I compromise to get certain things. And
I and you call it playing the game. And by compromise,
I mean sometimes every decision wasn't of God right. Every
decision you make, every choice you choose, UM doesn't have
that more that moral compass that you you would normally do.
Has that happened? And if so, how do you deal
(20:47):
with that? Because I think people would want to know
we all make these compromises. How do you deal when
you make these compromises? Lord, get me out of here,
Give me out of here. Supposed being this wrong, Father,
God helped me out. I mean, there's no super spiritual
(21:08):
ways when you know, God, if you get me out
of here, I promise you. You know, because you thought
it was cool or you thought oh this is gonna
be dope, you'd be like, Lord, just get me out
of this situation. And so that's how you learn your boundaries.
(21:29):
You know, Um, when you look at all things working
together for the good You learn a lot about yourself
in those situations. You learn if you have the strength
to go through what you learn. If you're maybe a
little bit too flexible, you learn your strength. You learn.
Do I know how to stand up for my faith,
for what I believe in in a room full of
people that could financially change my life? Yeah? You know
(21:50):
what I'm saying. Do I compromise money? And I know
a lot of sad and depressed. I know a lot
of people who have a lot and look great online
and social media, but they ain't happy. I literally had
a lady who was posting all this stuff online. You know,
she's you know, in my in my circle and in
(22:10):
my life, and so I was so happy for I
was like, oh my god, I'm so happy. I'm commenting
herds and oh go get a girl. Then I get
a message she's like, I'm I'm tired. I was like,
what do you mean tired? She was like, of life
And I was like, girl, you know why you're tired
because you won't be honest. Sometimes the place your your
(22:32):
platform can also be a place of vulnerability where you say,
because you're trying to carry this, I have to be
I have to be. I have to be, and and
sometimes you're just not. It's okay to say, y'all today
it's not a good day. Wig Off lashes off. Nobody
just say it prayerfully. It's been times when I've gone
(22:54):
to my Twitter page and I go, y'all just need
prayer today. It ain't a good one. Maybe it will
be tomorrow, but it's not a good one. And I
think that level of honesty helps me when I get
in a moment, I'll go, oh, you got it wrong
this time. Maybe it was motivated by maybe I was
having insecure day when that request came through, and I
said yes because I needed to feel you know what
(23:15):
I mean something because the enemy sends invitations too absolutely
and they're too good to be. The devil is well
connected and well funded everything he wants to do. You
don't think it's gonna destroy you. You feel like I'm
having a good time. I'm living my life and and
a little bit of your joy, a little bit of
your peace dies. But every time you walk outside of
(23:39):
your purpose for something that you think is a is
a source of joy or like I love that, I
love that, I love that. Do you ever think and
you have like you talked about coming and the reason
why I keep going back to the origin story of
a family because I really believe that it may to
(24:00):
you who you are. UM, and you were used to
the limelight. You talk about your father well known, UM,
and your mom's you know, you guys were the family
you So was there already an expectation on you growing
up that you had to be something. I'm curious because that,
to me affects how you move. Yes, but I think
(24:23):
it came more from me. You know. I knew I
had to sing, you know. Um. We went to Christian
School for a short time because we couldn't afford to
stay there. UM. And when everybody else had to learn
a scripture, I had to learn the scripture and I
had to sing a song. So I always had to sing.
That was always a part of the thing. When people
did Eastern speeches on Sunday, I had to sing. And
(24:45):
I enjoyed it. I loved it. I did it in school,
I mean elementary school, the school plays, it was all
of that. So without it even coming from my parents,
I knew it was what I wanted to do. And
so a lot of what I did was because I
believe that was gonna be great. Um So I was
singing background for Brian McKnight since we're naked, I'm gonna
be honest. I was singing background for Brian McKnight and
(25:08):
I was on the road and um, when you grow up,
coach at CHURCHI God in Christ in the costal, secular
music is a sin, so we weren't supposed to listen
to it or anything like that. You can only sing
it at weddings, right crazy, So off, um my was
my pastor said, Um, I believe you're supposed to do
this because I believe there's something you're supposed to learn.
So I go on the road with Brian McKnight and
(25:30):
one of the shows, this um hip hop artist is
in the audience, who I have had a crush on.
So you know, I noticed I'm singing do what across
your mind and time saying with Brian McKnight, and I
see him just looking, and he just looking, and I'm
going I'm then I tapped the girl next to me.
I want girl staring, you know, something like oh no no, no, no,
(25:54):
no no no. So after the show, we're in the
green room and he walks past the dressing room and
we have this exchange and it's you know, you can
feel a little vibe. And then they're talking about going
out after the show, and and somehow where I was
(26:14):
positioned it where he was positioned. He looks at me
and says, don't go so win a lot of the hotel.
My friend. I was like, get me out of here. Now,
I can praise you better than I said. I'm gonna
be a gospel artist one day. One day, I'm gonna
(26:36):
be a big deal. I don't want to be in
a room talking about Jesus, God Lord and baby Jesus.
And he goes, yeah, I know you in the biblical sense.
I just didn't. And that happened like a few times.
It was always like somebody that I would have a
crush on. I was in the elevator with these two
R and B singers and they were just going on,
oh my god, she fine, she's so fine, she's so fine.
(26:57):
I was singing with everybody at the time, and um,
you know, one gets off the elevator and he was like, oh,
I'm in room such and such. I was like, okay,
rest well, and then I go up and the next
one he was like, I mean, if you're not doing nothing.
You know, we can just go. I was like, you
know what, give me strength, give me strength, and yeah, yeah,
I believe. I believe. I believe it takes one moment
(27:20):
to destroy your destiny. It only takes one wrong decision
to take everything left. And it doesn't mean that God
can't still use you. You're just having out this unnecessary
bump in the road, Like, yeah, I see what you forgiveness,
But you're like, do you have to do that to
get to where you want to be? You don't have
to do that. I don't. I don't want it to
(27:41):
be a part of my story. I got a little
bit more self control than that. Can. I want my
dream more than I want you. My desire to UM
is bigger than you. So you are UM. You've always
known you're a knower. Like people talk about what people are,
You've always known. Everything that you've said to me never
(28:04):
has led me to believe that. Yes, you may have
had moments where you didn't believe, but you've always known.
Isn't that special? That's how you know that your dream
was was truly ordained, and you were and you already
had the destiny. You are a No, you have not
I don't know if you even heard yourself talking. You're
like now, until I heard God say, I didn't forget. No,
(28:25):
I knew I put the pressure on me, and I
knew that I would be when I was a kid. No,
I understood what it was, and I didn't necessarily like
every move you made was because you knew what it
was supposed to be. I don't, no matter how long.
It's because I was also insecure. I was also shy.
I was also the girl that didn't speak up. I
(28:45):
was the friend that whatever everybody wanted to do, Okay,
we haven't tacos, even if I wanted burgers, Okay, tacos
are fine, you know, if they were going somewhere. I
was just because I wanted my friends. So I wanted
to be liked. I wanted to be cool, because when
you're a church girl, that's not the cool girl in school.
Even though I was cute, I was the corny church girl.
I couldn't go to the parties. I couldn't go, you know.
(29:07):
And even if I did go to like the school dance,
somebody came and it was like, what you're doing here?
Charge girls? It was always that thing. But it was
always that thing absolutely, you know what I mean. So
it can either be a bad thing or it can
be the special thing, the very thing that has allowed
me to be and to become. So even in my
moments of you're not good enough, like the people that
(29:29):
I auditioned, everything that I ever auditioned for, they told
me no anything I ever went out for, I never
got one thing, never won contest, none of that that,
I was like, I'm still gonna be some one day.
I don't know how and I don't know when, but
I'm gonna be something one day. I mean, even going
through relationships and going through my breakups, I was like, yeah,
(29:50):
I'm not a I'm not a boy myself kind of girl.
So I'm gonna cry for about two weeks and then
I'm gonna get over it. So like anybody, like you know,
I've been dumped, and then there's been times that I
had to walk away and I was like, I mean,
I'm gonna crying real hard for about two weeks. What's
happing on? I'm giving you two weeks? Yeah, Max, You're
(30:12):
not crying over this three months. You know, you're gonn
through the whole thing. You can't eat, You're sad, you cry,
you lose weight, and then you'd be like, okay, it's over.
What I'm gonna do? You don't okay? Yeah, But I
asking myself why we aren't asking him why I don't
need closure? Closure? As you left, it's closed. What what
you gotta tell me that you don't want to be
(30:34):
like people like when I talk to a lot of
my single friends that go through breakups. I just want
to know why I don't. If you wanted to be here,
this is where you would be. You gave me the
answer when you left. I'm gonna call you a few times,
and then after you don't call me back, I got
the message loud and clear. I'm not about myself. Find
a girl. I'm moving on to the next one. So
(30:54):
the beauty of being a knower um, and you just
said it's always been that thing, right, like maybe the
insecure thing, but it's also been that thing that you
knew that you deserve what you're supposed to have. That's
a beautiful but it's a beautiful place to be. I
I ask you this for all your fans who say
I want to see this from you, and I want
(31:16):
to see that from you. What do you hear most
from your fans. What are their requests because it seems
like you're on social you interact with them and you engage.
What do they want from Erica. I think they want um,
they want in person interaction, m Um. Some of them
want to say thank you. Oh that feels so amazing. UM.
(31:39):
A lot of them want Mary Mary, which is fine.
I love and miss singing with my sister. Even though
two was amazing for Mary Mary, like with no new music,
from the Super Bowl to the versus Hollywood Bowl, seeing
in closing out the Juneteenth celebration, so many amazing things,
and even when the the top the top artist of
(32:02):
the Year came out, like Mary Mary was on the list,
it was just like, and God, you have a way
of showing me. Even though you're moved on to this,
I'm still blessing that because you were obedient in that,
you were faithful in that you stuck with it in
that I'm gonna also bless this for your faithfulness, faithfulness
(32:22):
and gratefulness. That's something so powerful. It's impossible to be sad,
depressed and anxious and grateful at the same time. You can't,
you know what I mean? If you're saying, I'm just
I'm I'm breathing. I'm happy for breath. I have no breathing.
I'm happy just for breath. Thank you know what I mean?
My legs work. I'm happy to start with the small thing.
(32:45):
Yeah you know. Yeah, Every champion and carry champion is
to be a champion of Champion and carry Chappion and
carry chapiyon Champion and carry Chappion and carry Chappion and
enter team making many Chappion. They carry champions champy on
(33:06):
the Champion, they carry Chappion and Chappi and they carry
Chappi and they carry Chappi. I am so grateful for
this because it's such a message. I don't care where
you are in life. If things are seemingly great and
they're not greater they could, it's all good because you're
reminding me of the basics. Like, first of all, I'm
a big believer in dreams. I don't believe dreams are
(33:28):
placed in your heart and then they disappear. I believe
if it's your calling will stay there. It will, it will,
and you have to fight for it. You have to
push for it. God doesn't do anything for you without you.
You can believe, but the Bible says faith without works
is Dave's dead. Are you relie, Are you really working
towards your dream? Are you doing a little bit and
(33:50):
trying to wait for it to come to you. When
I was in I was going to every concert, every event.
I sang it everything I could. I talked to every producer.
I you until it happened for me. You know, it
didn't happen. I was singing when I was five. I
didn't get signed until I was eight. Mary Made didn't
come out, so I was twenty eight years old, so
us a lot of years. You know, when you think
(34:11):
you're gonna be a child star and then you think
it's gonna happen here and it's gonna you never you
never give up, never give up. Wow, Wow, Erica, I
love that. I love that about you. I love you
saying that you still like he did not forget and
he told you that, So then you get all the
things right, You get all the things. And I was like,
(34:33):
oh my god, she's famous, she's rich, she's pretty, she
had a husband, she had babies. You get all the things,
and we just are like, we want to do it too.
Tell us about the book of how to, and then
you get there and you still feel like there might
be a little more you want. How do you settle
your spirit when you're so ambitious? That's a good question. Funny,
(34:54):
my phone's ringing. It was my sister Tina. She's always
telling me, like Erica, when do you sleep? Okay, we
love the ambition, but don't wear yourself out. My older
sister calls me and says, come over my house and
just lay down. I'm cooking for you. M hm. So okay,
they help me, help me. I wrote a book called
um More than Pretty, Doing the soul work that uncovers
your true beauty. Um. When the amazing things are happening,
(35:16):
sometimes you don't know that they're amazing, they're just life
is happening. And Um, as life happens and you embrace it,
you go, oh, this is the blessing, right, UM, this
is this is what I prayed for even before you
see it. Um. But it takes trust, it takes patience, UM,
(35:39):
long suffering. That's a word in the Bible, long suffering.
It takes you know, because it's just not easy, that's
not you know, and you you do you always want
something else? Are you content? Right now if Erica is
Erica Campbell ready to retire, discuss say there's more. I'm
just curious you're like, never retire. Um. So my song
(36:03):
feel Alright Blessed comes out Friday thirteen. I started working
on my podcast yesterday. Ungratulations. I would love to talk
to you on my podcast. I would again. Can you
talk about the podcast, like what platforms on how we
can find it? Yeah? Tell us more. It's UM, it's
so many questions with Erica Campbell because we all got
(36:25):
questions right about life and all the things, and you
have the answers. By the way, I'm going to educate. Yo.
It is on the Urban one podcast network. Um. Super
excited about that. On the new album called called In
My Dreams. Actually, Um, that comes out the day before
(36:47):
my birthday and my daughters at Spellman, my two youngest
are going to middle school. My church is doing It's
just it's good. It's sweet. Right now. Me and my
husband we're talking about it. We were driving and I
was like, don't think I feel like real sweet? He said, yeah,
I could get I could get a little bit nervous.
I was like, don't bebe let's just enjoy it. Enjoy
its good right now, it's you know, and it does
(37:10):
it'll be bad. It doesn't have to do. So I
know that I look at you and I think there's
so much more to come. As I call you a
nowhere as I just said, that word was introduced to
me not long ago. UM, and when you know, you know,
but that's just God's calling because I knew. So the
(37:30):
fact that I hear you speak even more confidently than
I ever probably have in my life is really refreshing
and assuring and and you know that you've been chosen
and it is such a blessing for you to just
share your message with us, like I I appreciate you,
I really truly do. There is you know, it's a
black women right here pulling over like Okay, she didn't
gave me a word, and you go ahead back and rewind.
(37:52):
I'm sure you get that often, so everybody has to
go on support. UM. I just want to say, honestly
and not kidding, been a fan for a long time
for so many people. Funny story, UM, behind the scenes,
when we always know who we're when we get our guests. UM.
One of our producers who does our social media was like,
she's our first episode of the year, right, Like, we're
(38:12):
doing her first right in terms of it, she's coming
before and I was like, oh, you're excited. I got
and I got excited because she got excited. So it
was really sweet and I and it wasn't I knew
what she was saying. First episode of the year, back
from break and she was so excited, and I was like,
she's a special one. So I just want you to know.
I mean, the fan base is deep. I'm a true fan.
I think you're great. Growing up in l A, there's
(38:34):
always somebody who says they know you and know you.
That's why I was like, I got Francis, they didn't
know you. I don't know if they do, but you
know west Side right were Um, when is your podcast launched?
So we know to support you, know how to give
you a specific date. Um, we are starting the recordings,
so we're getting I'm really really fresh in the process.
You know when ago, Please let me know so we
(38:57):
can promote. I would love to. I would do, and
so I can listening more so I can take some notes.
I'm sending it directly to you. I'm gonna trying to
get your phone number and harass you and be your
be your new best friend. You like I got enough? Yes,
I love that. Erica Campbell the greatest. I mean, she
does it all, and quite frankly, she deserves it all.
(39:20):
Thank you so much for being a knower and sharing
your dreams with us on Naked. You are more than welcome.
Thank you for having having so I for the holidays. Uh,
I was gone. I went to Ghana. It's an amazing experience.
And so there were two episodes. We took a two
week break and now we're back in full effect. And
I'm glad that we are kicking off our very first
(39:42):
episode of the new year with Eric Campbell with such
a powerful message. I think my biggest takeaway from her
is simply that, Um, she is a knower. She knows
what she wants in life. She never ever, no matter
how much we doubt, she never ever not fully in
the dream and the promise that was given to her.
And I think that is something special. Um, it's special
(40:05):
to be a knower. I think oftentimes we all know,
but we refuse to acknowledge what we know. Uh. And
she didn't do that, And I felt like everything she
talked about was a true testimony, Like I said before,
you don't necessarily have to believe in Her God or
our God, or whatever God that is, but you do
have to understand these are life lessons that are truly invaluable.
(40:27):
Happy New Year. You can still say that to the
end of the month. I don't care what Larry David says.
I hope you've enjoyed this edition of Naked Talk to
y'all next week.
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