LISTEN to Charli’s 1st single "Hey Charli" from her Murder Inc. Records debut album “The Diary” in LOW or HIGH!

SIXSHOT: We know BIG pretty much brought you in the rap game, but artists aren`t made just by jumping into the game. When did you start rapping?

CHARLI: It started when I was young, writing poetry. I was really into artists like Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, all those great lyricists. I used to battle boys in the schoolyard. I never thought it would turn into anything that I could make a career out of. Even in my Untertainment days, I wasn`t really prepared for the experience of becoming an artist.

SIXSHOT: You had a lot of drama with Untertainment, what was going on there?

CHARLI: The Untertainment situation was not good, the company didn`t have an identity. Both Cam and I were the big artists on the label and they wouldn`t let us be ourselves. We wanted to be more realistic and less pop, which was the direction they thought was best and where they wanted us to go. Little did they know DMX and the LOX were on the horizon. I was never allowed to be myself and make the kind of records I wanted to make. They were dictating who they wanted me to be.

SIXSHOT: How has your new label, Murder Inc., been treating you?

CHARLI: When I met Irv Gotti he was impressed that I wrote my own stuff. When we would get together in the studio he was guiding me rather than telling me. He was like "Do You, and if I don`t like it I`ll tell you". He wasn`t trying to push me into a stereotypical female MC role like "you gotta be naked, you gotta look like this". I`m not a gimmick, and I don`t want to come across as a gimmick. I want to write an album about me, not sexed out, very lyrical, where every song has content.

I really love being on Murder Inc. It really is a revolutionary label. We have taken records that normally wouldn’t be played on the radio and made them wildly popular like “Down Ass Chick”. That’s what I think great art and great music is about. It inspires and changes concepts on what music is.

SIXSHOT: You`re almost completely finished with your official debut, "Diary", what can we expect from it?

CHARLI: Lyrical joints, straight spittin`, entertaining songs, stuff about relationships. I approached it from a diary standpoint. Its like a book, like a diary of my life. I want my joint to be great. I took that from BIG. We would talk about music and his attitude was that he wasn`t happy with Ready to Die when he was working on Life After Death, he thought [Ready to Die] was wack. He wanted to improve his flow and lyrics for Life after Death and make it a classic.

SIXSHOT: That’s crazy…..

CHARLI: Yeah, I know, everyone knows and recognizes that "Ready to Die" is a classic, but BIG was like a perfectionist. He was always trying to improve.

SIXSHOT: Who do you have producing on "Diary"?

CHARLI: Chink Santana and me basically did the whole album. Seven Tracks. Really no other guest producers. I really felt that when you limit the amount of producers you can get comfortable and go deeper.

SIXSHOT: Are there any special guest performing with you on "Diary"?

CHARLI: Eve is on the album. We’re re-doing "Brooklyn’s Finest". It’s called "Philly’s Finest". I was happy to do it because it shows that female artists aren’t out there scratching out each others eyes on site. I really want to put Pink on the record for one track in particular, but I haven’t reached out to her yet. I think she would really embody the song. A lot of artists want to get the hottest talent or hottest artist at the time on there and they might not really embody or be the best fit on the song. I don’t want that. I really want someone who is the absolute best fit for the song. That’s why I want Pink. Not just because she’s popular, but because she would be the perfect fit for the song.

SIXSHOT: Anyone else?

CHARLI: Ja and Ashanti will probably be on the album. I didn’t really want a whole lot of people on my album. I didn’t want an album of guest appearances because the album is really personal. But I had to put them on there. They’re family. I was telling Ja that I didn’t have any plans for a lot of guests on my album, but Ja made sure I knew he was going to be on the album. I’m happy about it. He’s a great artists and talent.

SIXSHOT: What’s the first single going to be?

CHARLI: The first single is going to be “Hey Charli”. It’s a cool, fun joint. It has a crazy flow, crazy lyrics, and a great hook. It comes from when I’m out everyone hollerin’ at me, like “HEY CHARLI”, from garbage men, to just everybody on the street. We’re doing the video in Philly. It’s kind of a Philly record. The first single was going to be “Diary”, but that was more of a straight hip-hop song.

SIXSHOT: What’s up with the Vita situation? Is she still on Murder Inc.?

CHARLI: Honestly, I really don’t know if Vita is on or not. I haven’t seen her in a while. We’re cool, and we developed a good bond. For the past couple of months we’ve communicated a little over two-way but that’s it…

SIXSHOT: There have been rumors that you had something to do with her leaving….

CHARLI: That’s totally untrue. I didn’t have anything at all to do with her leaving, which is what a lot of people believe. The current situation is a business thing having to do with her management and Gotti’s management. I hope she’s still on Murder Inc. though. [Vita] and I bonded a lot being the only female rappers on Murder Inc., and it just being a tough industry for female MC’s overall. We shared a lot. So I’m hoping she’s still with Murder Inc.

SIXSHOT: It’s been reported that part of the controversy with Vita dealt with her wanting to write her rhymes and Murder Inc. management refusing her that artistic endeavor. Do you right your own lyrics.

CHARLI: Definitely. I right ALL of my own lyrics. I wouldn’t let anyone do that. I always here people talking and wondering about who ghostwrites for Charli. My best talent is my lyrics. I kind of think of it as a compliment in a way because to think that someone must ghostwrite my lyrics means in a sense that they are good and respected, however I still think it’s chauvinistic. Could a guy really write what I do from a woman’s perspective? Ashanti, Pink, and Eve…I have great respect for women who write their own lyrics.

SIXSHOT: Now "Diary" is your first “official” debut, but Charli fans know that your original debut was “Cold As Ice” on Untertainment. Will any tracks from "Cold" be appearing on your “official” debut?

CHARLI: Nope. That was one of the conditions of my release from Untertainment. That’s fine with me. “Cold” was a couple of years ago, and I’ve changed a lot and am not really the same artist or woman. I’ve matured a lot and gone through a lot of things.