CONTROVERSY

Can you first tell us a little about "Controversy"?
ALL: Well, we are a 4 part harmony of completely diverse girls, with totally different and unique sounds. You have ReVae(20) who is Latina/African-American decent, Jennifer(18) who is Hispanic/Latina, Jessica(20) who is African-American/Black decent and Stephanie(21) who is White/Caucasian. With such diversity in each of us, we’ve all come together to make great music. Diversity is the key thing we have and it’s amazing.

How did you guys get started?
ALL: Amazingly we came together thru the internet. With each of us living in different parts of Texas, it was a little difficult to get things rolling’ but we’re getting everything done that we need to, to make the group work. As long as you have people that will strive to get what they want, you can get it. Hard work can get you anywhere.

What can we expect from ya'll in the future?
ReVae: Hopefully some really good music.
Stephanie: ReVae said it!! Hopefully with us getting signed and making it big time, we’ll be able to complete a full album, put out music videos and more. Great music is an obvious and of course it would be nice to take a few Grammy’s home with that, LOL.
Jessica: They said it!

Did you know you always wanted to be involved in music?
ReVae: I always knew. When I was younger, I used to draw "posters" and put them up on the refrigerator saying "show at 8 o'clock." I used to do shows for my parents in the living room. Sometimes I even used to drag my sister into it and she hated it. After I got older, I started thinking what would bring in a steady paycheck so I started to go to college for news broadcasting. Eventually I started missing singing, so here I am again.
Stephanie: I think at about the age of 10 it hit me. My little cousin and I would listen to the radio and sing along to it at the top of our lungs. Then one day she suggested we should start a girl group, so I said yeah. Now here I am, still today, working with an amazing group and producer.
Jennifer: Yes ever since I was a little kid. I felt inside of my soul music was for me.
Jessica: I’ve always loved music in general because I wanted to be in a band. It’s an amazing oprotunity that these girls came into my life and get to work with them.

Who are some of your musical influences?
ReVae: Obviously, Mariah Carey. Being of a mixed ethnicity gives me hope. I saw her show on Oprah one day and I just sat and cried because the things she said were like she was living my life. Hopefully, I will walk in her footsteps and be able to reach someone the way she reached me. Another influence is Whitney Houston. She has an amazing voice. No one compares.
Stephanie: Lyrically, I looove Diane Warren. The woman knows how to write!! From “Never Get Over You, Getting Over Me”(Expose) to “Unbreak My Heart”(Toni Braxton), you can feel the passion in her words. I would love to be able to write like that!! Vocally, I would have to go with Anita Baker, Whitney Houston, and Brenda Russell. They all have beautiful/unique voice and know how to belt it. Phil Collins is also an amazing writer/singer/producer. He’s in my top 3.
Jennifer: Mariah Carey, Selena
Jessica: I’m more into alternative type artists but you can never go wrong with Whitney Houston or Christina Aguilera. They can sing really well and that is what most artists stive to accomplish.

How do you feel about the fans?
ReVae: The fans are what it is all about. Without the fans, we would be nothing.
Stephanie: Fan’s are what make or break stars. As long as you have great fans, you’ll go far.
Jennifer: I’m really happy people are here to support us. It’s not easy in the music biz. Every person in my book counts for 10.
Jessica: They’re peachy!!

Do you feel fans bring the fame or fame brings the fans? Why?
ReVae: Like I said before, without the fans, we'd be nothing. Fame comes from being known. If you don't have fans, you aren't known. Therefore, fans are what bring the fame.
Stephanie: How can you have fame if you don’t have fans/people that like what you’re doing and support you?!? Good music brings the fans; great fans bring the fame.
Jennifer: I think that’s a retarded question, LOL. But every one knows it’s the fans that bring the fame. Without fans you’re pretty much nothing. They are the ones who support you and buy your CDs.
Jessica: Fans bring the fame because without fans you have no fan.

Do you prefer recording or performing live and why?
ReVae: I love performing live. It gives me an adrenaline rush. Recording is fun, but it is more stressful to me.
Stephanie: While recording is where all the magic happens and is fun, it can get frustrating when you’ve been singing a part for 2 hours and it’s not right yet. As far as performing, it’s sooo much fun. Yeah I get nervous the whole d - PINK STAR PROMOTIONS

Richland College Chronicle
September 30,2003

MCampus Talent:Move over Mariah Carey, there’s a new talent in town

Stephanie Hoff was a mere 10 years old. She and her cousin, Brianna Foster, were playing and singing along with their favorite performers. Foster peeked over her shoulder and, above the raucous of electric guitars and drums, called to Hoff,
"We should start a girl group." Foster didn’t take this suggestion seriously, but, for Hoff, the notion was perfect. She went to school the following day and began an intense and rigorous search for the perfect girls to join her. No one in her class shared Hoff's ambitions, but she didn't let the idea die.
"When we were all getting along, it was awesome," Hoff said. "When people let their emotions get in the way of what was important, it all blew up."
Jefferson, Spurling and Bowie got involved in a bizarre love triangle that Hoff compares to the Bermuda Triangle, because "I kept getting sucked in."
The issues also encompassed jealousy of each other's position in the group and fear. Hoff was forced to the forefront to sing lead vocals because of Spurling's and Jefferson's intimidation to do so. Hoff said that because of the band's disarray and personal resentments, they were never in the position to sing live in front of an audience.
I-con traveled to Oakland, Calif., last October for a music conference. The girls were able to sing for talent scouts known as A&Rs, or Artists and Repertoires. I-con decided on the song they were to perform the morning of their audition.
"We were not ready," Hoff said. "We were unorganized. It was hell — pure hell."
Despite getting positive reviews for their vocal talents, the girls returned to Texas disheartened. Even though music was still their passion, the girls were unable to cope with the larger issues of jealousy and intimidation. The group that had been together for over a year disbanded in December.
"I want to see myself on MTV," Hoff, now 19, said. "I want to see myself performing at the Grammy’s, winning some Grammy’s and maybe popping into acting."
This is the first semester at Richland for Hoff. She has dedicated her whole life to music. Earlier this month, her dream of making it big was within reach when she performed for label bigwigs at a VH1 music fesitval. It was the perfect ending to a rough couple of years chasing her dream.
Hoff formed her first girl group in high school. In March 2001, Hoff started posting advertisements on website message boards looking for potential members. Hoff was barraged by interested girls, but the most dedicated lived in Houston.
The girls chose I-con as their group name, which stood for Internet connection, because they all met on the Internet.
"We are so ghetto," Hoff laughs.
I-con was to consist of five girls. However, Hoff and fellow members Courtney Spurling and Cammie Jefferson had a difficult time keeping so many girls together.
"When you want to do something like be famous," Hoff said, "it's nice to have someone there who knows what you are going through."
So, three days after she graduated from North Garland High School, Hoff packed up and headed for a life full of sunshine, palm trees, wealth and friendship in Houston. Her parents were extremely supportive of their daughter, who had been prepping them for her life in the music business for years.
They were hesitant about letting Hoff move away from home, but, luckily for her, Hoff has an aunt and uncle, in Houston, who opened their home to her.
"They had three little kids," Hoff said. "So it was horrible. It was so stressful. I was there maybe two hours a day."
She lived with them from June to December 2002. Originally, the group had planned on getting an apartment together, but this was the first in a series of missed chances and mishaps that would plague them.
Hoff had a challenging time juggling music and work in a strange city. She had to work 10 hour days, at a private school, as an assistant teacher to afford her stay and the gas money that went into the trek to the home of their 24 year-old producer, Brandon Bowie. It was an hour drive roundtrip.
"You have to find someone to help you," Hoff said. "If you try to do it alone, without anyone, you won't make it."
At first, Hoff had a tough time getting used to asking for help. She is an independent young woman, but she knew that she had to open herself up if she wanted to succeed.
She also opened herself up to friendships with the girls and Bowie. Their close living-quarters provided a melting pot of emotions.
"[The best part was] the friendship — being close to them," Hoff said. "I feel really bad for them. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with it anymore. It's funny now."
She left Houston with her dream tattered. However, she came home to a still supportive family and friends.
"I felt great [when she came home] because I missed my friend," Richland student, Michelle Thomas, 19, said. "It was great. She's a good frie - Richland Chronicle - Michael Hernandez; Managing Editor