Home » Keshia Chanté » Quotes

"I see (them) at my shows – they know all the words, all the dance moves... and they know everything about me," Chante says. "So maybe if I give them a piece of World Vision or War Child or the Stephen Lewis Foundation, they'll take that in stride and maybe they'll want to do something as well."

"The hotel we were staying at was a beautiful resort, and I was getting up and going to these places that were literally slums – these places were just mud and little shacks – and then we would go back to our resort,” she explains. “It was definitely a big change for me, especially coming back home as well."

"You could have a great song, but if the video doesn't work, the marketing for your whole project isn't on point, your team doesn't know what they're doing – a lot of things can go wrong," she explains. "You need to know both sides of it."

"I try to make music that works for my fan base, records they're going to like. They want to hear about things that they can relate to ... they want to dance, they want to have fun, they want things they can sing along to, they want it to be catchy."

"It's not just about you – when it comes to making music, it's about them as well," (about her fans)

"There's so much opportunity and there's so much humbleness in Ottawa – you really get to grow on your own terms,"

Keshia recalls her childhood in Orléans as "a good experience. I love Ottawa, and Orléans is my home. It doesn't feel like a big city – it almost feels like a small town because everyone knows everybody."

"I knew (I wanted to do music professionally) when I was six,"

"I feel like this is where I'm supposed to be."

"It feels really natural now."

"It's important for people who have that dream and they get that shot to not hesitate, to not ask 'Oh what song should I sing? What should I do?' None of that."

"I wasn't really focused on being famous. I was like 'I'm going to have a song on the radio."

"I've always been 'when I get older I'm going to sing. I'm going to dance and sing."

"I already knew the words but she wanted to make sure I knew how to pronounce them correctly—she had to leave out the bad words."

"To be talked about , is to be thought about and being thought about is pricess."

"If your not willing to be vulnerable and get your heart broken then you don't deserve to be in love."

"What people say about me, actually says more about them.

"True Love is the perfect fairytale. If you believe otherwise, your compromising."

"Enjoy your life for what it is and not for what it isn't. "

"Live now, life is short, time is luck."

"When I ask people for an opinon, they send me a bill."

"Don't hate the player, Don't hate the game , Hate the fact that YOU can't keep up."

"When your telling the truth, you don't have to have good memory."

"When I'm on the road, they always ask if I want a makeup artist,but I'd rather do it myself because it's exciting!"

"I've learned so many things from the best of the best in Canada. I feel like i'm experienced and ready-but at the same time I'm nervous."

"My mom's not a hairstylist,but she's very protective of my hair because of all the hours she spent braiding it when I was a little girl. She told me, Oh your not cutting it,your are not damaging all my hard work!"

"When my hair dries it gets bigger and bigger.It's hard to manage so I straighten it because it's too much drama."

"The deal that I have with Sony and Ford International. Being picked up by Bad Boy Video. They requested my song, they had my album imported, and I got noticed by an American label. This is my first time doing a worldwide album so that’s been really cool. Any goal that I dream, I can accomplish it if I work really hard." (Coolest experience so far)

"Girls who don’t understand their worth and don’t acknowledge their true potential and girls who only think they’re worth their thighs, or their butts, or their hair. They only think that their worth is physical. What’s inside is what matters." (On her biggest pet peeve)

"You have to be centred. Know yourself and accept yourself. You have to mentally prepare yourself. Just find your own style, work as hard as you can, better yourself, record yourself, and get better and better and better. It’s tough and it can be pretty crazy. Imagine a long day at work, doing that every single day non-stop and you putting your love and energy into something. Always do what you love first."

"I look for somebody that is ambitious, respectful, somebody who has a confident swagger, somebody who’s a businessman. Somebody that I can relate to on an artistic level."

“I could also see myself getting into some modeling and acting as well. Right now I’m signed with Ford Models, and even though I might be the shortest model they’ve ever signed, I still believe I have a future in it,”

“I’ve always had lots of posters of him (Tupac) on my wall and we even have the same birthday.”

“I love Tupac!”

“I’m a very tough critic and I’m always hard on myself,”

“I feel like I’ve done so much at such a young age,” Keshia states. “I mean, I’ve had so much to learn in this industry, but all along I knew I had a vision of what type of artist I wanted to be and what type of career I want for myself.”

“I’ve been singing ever since I could talk.”

“I was six years old when my mom’s friend overheard me rapping "Dear Mama"”

”I knew every single word even though I wasn’t pronouncing half of them right. My mom’s friend suggested I perform in a talent show for Black History Month at Carleton University. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to perform, but the feeling of being on stage was crazy. I realized: “I want to do this!”

“My mom has given me the best advice,” Keshia reveals. “She says ‘If you want something, just stay driven, be focused, and you’ll get there.’

“I could have gone to a private school”

“Realizing I have fans of my own is pretty interesting because I know how it is to be a fan,”

“The first time I was recognized by someone was at a mall back in Ottawa. Some people were staring at me and then they said: ‘Oh my god, are you Keshia Chanté?’ It didn’t hit me right away but then I thought ‘Oh wow!’”

"Since this is my first album and it reflects me, it’s self-titled”

“As an artist vocally – Christina Aguilera has had a huge influence on me. Her range goes flawlessly from deep to high. She can do it all, she’s amazing. For sheer charisma – Beyonce! She is so humble. She’s not trying to be anything she isn’t. “

"When I was 8 or so, Tupac had passed away. That shattered my dreams a little bit because you know when you love somebody so much and they pass away even though you don't know them personally, it shattered my dreams of being a rapper."

"Love me or leave me alone."

"I respect (Aaliyah) a lot! She's influenced me as much as any artist but no other artist seems to stand out to me as much as Tupac did!"

"If you want it that bad, you can do it. If you think you can do it, you'll do it!"