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Kandi Burruss is the newest member of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.  She started her career in the music business as lead singer in the platinum selling group Xscape and is now a successful Grammy winning songwriter. She has written for many artists including Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys and Destiny’s Child.  She is currently working on her own solo album.  Kandi has a six-year-old daughter, Riley.

(Interview with Flaimahmy, July 24, 2009)

FM:  We heard that you were planning your dream wedding.  Give us a few ideas of what that dream entails?

KB:  We’ve slowed our plans a bit and have not gotten that far with the planning process.  However, we were looking at the Atlanta Aquarium.  It’s a really nice place.

FM:  We know your fiance has six children.  How do you two plan on bringing both families together into an harmonius unit? That seems like a lot!

KB:  You’re right, it is a lot.  Actually, two of the girls, the twins, are living with me now and everything is really good.  They and my daughter have their good days and their bad days.  For the most part everything is good.  I was a child of divorce.  I’ve dealt with a lot of different step-moms actually because my dad was married multiple times.  I experienced as a kid having the good step-moms and the bad step-moms.  I always thought that if I was ever in that situation, if that ever happened to me, I would always want to have a good relationship with the kids.  So now that I am in the situation I just feel that you should treat them as your own, show them the same love, do the same things as you would for your own child.   You don’t want anybody to feel that you are showing favoritism.  I’ve always loved kids.  I like to do fun stuff like going to the movies.  With the girls, we all get our nails done; we get our hair done together.  We do stuff.  With the guys, I play video games too.  So when the boys are over we play video games.  We just kick it.  I’m more like their friend but I am stern when I need to be.

FM:  That’s great.  So, have you been welcomed by the current cast members of “The Real Housewives’?

KB:  Some of the girls were welcoming and some were not as welcoming.  I’d say mixed, I guess mixed.

FM:  Were you a fan of the Show before you joined the cast?

KB:  I definitely was a fan.  I watched it all last season.  I never missed an episode.  I thought it was so funny.

FM:  I know you’ve been in the limelight before because you were with Xscape, but are you ready to be cast into the limelight again, expecially now that you are a family person?  Are you ready for that?

KB:  I’m not ready.  I’m really not ready.  I don’t really think I thought it through, like what I was getting myself into.  For example, being a writer, people know your music, people know you for your creative side.  They don’t really know you.  But, when you’re on reality tv people get to see your personal life.  They get to see how you are with your family.  They get to see how you talk, how you act.  There’s different stuff that they can actually criticize.  They see who you are as a person for real, you know?  Also, I don’t know how the Show is going to be edited.  I only get to see it a few days before each episode, within a week before each episode.  I’m kind of scared about what people are going to say, what they are going to think, how they are going to feel about it.  I don’t know.

FM:  You are a great songwriter.  What do you think your greatest achievement in life has been so far?

KB:  My greatest achievement career-wise or personal?

FM:  Either one.

KB:  Career-wise, probably being the first woman to win the ASCAP “Rhythm and Soul Songwriter of the Year” Award.  That was big because no other woman had ever done it before.  I always like to open doors and make moves for women.  I was excited about that.  Personally, it is my relationship with my daughter…being a single mom…having a strong bond…being a strong parent.  It is making my daughter happy everyday, keeping a smile on her face.  It is staying close to my family.  I feel a lot of families are not close so I feel that staying close is an accomplishment especially if you have a lot of stuff going on.  I love my relationship with my family.  That’s very important to me.

FM:  After you became a mother what style tip did you pick up to maintain your “flyness?”

KB:  My mom is constantly on me about my weight.  My mother was a single mom as well.  After she had my brother, he’s older, she made sure that she got her body back in shape.  She knew that she would be dating again.  She told me that I’d better not let myself go.  She stressed the importance of going to the gym or just hitting the floor doing situps.  That was really important.

FM:  What is your favorite style trend for the fall?

KB:  My favorite style trend?  I haven’t even started looking at fall fashions to be honest.  I love boots so I’ll be looking at whatever new boots come out.  I’m not really trendy like that.  I just go with whatever looks good on me.

FM:  We know that you are a Flymommy.  Tell us in your own words what makes you a Flymommy?

KB:  Well, I don’t know.  I’ve never really thought about it.  I’m a woman who handles her business; I’ve always handled my business.  I carry myself well.  I’m not trying to be overly sexy.  That’s not my thing anymore.  Being a Flymommy means making sure I have time for my kids.  Really, handling your business is the fly part; people will notice and say she handles her business; she has it going on.

FM:  Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

KB:  Yes, I’m working on a new album.  So far it’s going crazy.  I have a couple of other Fly-Mommies on the album, Tiny and Rasheeda both did records with me.  I also have a couple of fellas on the album, Rick Ross and Gucci Man. I’m almost finished, it’s coming out soon and I’m excited about it.

FM:  Great, we look forward to hearing it.