Photo Credit: TSR Video/ Stepping Into The Shade Room
On the latest installment of Stepping Into The Shade Room, R&B star and country music aficionado K. Michelle chatted with host Thembi about everything from her upcoming I Am The Problem album to her love life. The artist especially spent a fair amount of time touching on how being in the spotlight impacted her body image and led her to go under the knife thirteen times in one year before sharing her thoughts on a few noteworthy names.
During the interview, the Memphis-bred artist touched on how she felt pressured to commit to R&B due to others’ expectations of her. However, thanks to a recent opportunity to hop on a country album alongside legends like Dolly Parton and Reba McEntyre, she’s seeing her career come “full circle” as she returns to the country roots that helped her discover her love of singing.
“They keep telling you, ‘You can’t sing that because you Black.’ I only did R&B because y’all kept telling me I couldn’t do [country] because of how I look or act. And to see [it come] full circle, that’s crazy to me.”
Speaking of others’ standards and expectations, K. Michelle acknowledged how her confidence “absolutely” declined after entering the music industry.
“My teeth looked like I was chewing rocks before I got in the industry, and I was okay with them little bitty-a*s teeth. And when I got in, I needed this, I needed ti**ies. … I didn’t know that certain things were needed and expected until the industry.”
She went as far as to note that she went under the knife because she “thought that that was the way,” and she’s determined to speak out about the pressure now.
“I [had plastic surgery] because I seen other people in the industry, and I thought that that was the way. … I had thirteen surgeries in one year. For an a*s. You did all this — you almost lost your life over an a*s. So I said I was gonna say something.”
After noting that she has experienced surgical complications, she remarked, “It’s not a cool thing to play with. … Women have died because they want their body — they want this and that.”
Shortly after sharing these reflections, K. Michelle noted that she still wrestles with whether to finish her “reconstruction” procedures because she fears the anesthesia risks.
“I just can’t see myself getting put back under like that. So I have to deal with every day, ‘Do you wanna finish up your surgery? Are you gonna be scared to go to sleep? Because people don’t wake back up from that.’ Every day I deal with that.”
Aside from dishing on her body positivity journey, K. Michelle was sure to shake the table and spill some tea about where she stands with some past adversaries.
Regarding Love & Hip Hop star Rasheeda, K. Michelle says the drama is on “forever.”
Rasheeda isn’t the only one K. Michelle’s still beefin’ with, as she also threw some shade at Angela Yee.
“I don’t give a f**k about no Angela Yee. Who the f**k are you?”
She even mentioned that she’s “banned from The Breakfast Club and the Sony building” for pulling up and being “outside for” Angela Yee. Oop!
On top of this scathing commentary, K. Michelle offered some kind words for a few other public figures.
Regarding Summer Walker, K. Michelle called her “dope” before giving her props for going through her relationship drama “in front of everybody.”
K. Michelle also offered some words of wisdom for Chrisean Rock, imploring her to “get the hell on” and focus on her baby.
Humorously, the musician was asked what advice she had for Carlee Russell, and she replied, “I would like to run off in the woods, too. She wrong for that, but I know b***hes just like that.”
Peep the full video down below.
