The producer, singer and budding emcee that is from everywhere and nowhere has witnessed a lot. Travelling constantly back and forth from Washington, DC, New York and California Musinah has molded her ear for music. Before it was decided that music was going to be a full-time work the DC native was doing musical engineer work. As those gigs slowly decreased music became the craft that consumed her and we’ll be all the more better for it. With all the redundant images of the over sexualized woman of color that fill the media it’s refreshing to know that there are still women in the industry that have integrity and choose not to sell anything except the music, so instead of using your eyes listen with your ears.

Scheme: Last time we spoke you were talking about plans for an album but you weren’t ready to push it or anything but clearly…

Muhsinah: (Laughs)

Scheme: Clearly you’ve been doing some things behind the scenes and have kept it quite discrete, why don’t you elaborate on this wonderful album that you’re about to give to the world.

Muhsinah: It’s actually an EP and it’s more of a teaser for an album to come in 2008, but it’s a substantial amount of music. It’s called Daybreak and it’s my official debut and it’ll be exclusively on itunes. We’re getting promotions together now, it was kind of a last minute decision, but I think it was one for the better.

Scheme: Why was it such a last minute decision, how did you get to that point?

Muhsinah: A friend of mine Mec Zilla, she has a label called Rockslinger Incorporated. We planned on working together and she was like, “You want to put this album out?”, and I was like, “Why not, we’re not doing anything else we might as well put the music out.”

Scheme: So the here comes the generic what can people expect question from the album?

Muhsinah: (Laughs), I approached it from a morning kind of standpoint. This is pretty much going to be people’s introduction to me anyway. So from the beginning of the EP you’re going to feel like you’re just waking up and the day is starting. There were a couple of songs that were on an older EP just two, and the other eight are tracks people haven’t heard before.

Scheme: This is not a sarcastic question but it’s called Daybreak, do we ever get to afternoon or evening?

Muhsinah: Yeah, I think we go through the whole day. The beginning of it is the morning and the last track is kind of a new idea not a new day but a new idea, and it’ll kind of let people know that there’s more to come.

Scheme: What was the process like behind the production of the album and how do you generally work during the production phase?

Muhsinah: I pretty much start with whatever kind of feeling I have. Sometimes my day will be going kind of funny and the music will reflect that or my day could be going great, or not even started yet and you can start fresh with whatever idea, it might have been a dream, it really depends on what’s going on that day. You go through different experiences during a day and you go through different sounds as well. As far as production I might see something in the street or read something in the paper, sneeze and make a certain rhythm or trip up on the sidewalk and hear my shoes make a certain sound.

Scheme: So did you notice the production change as you go through the day, for example did the beats get harder during the middle of the day and lighten in the evening?

Muhsinah: In the beginning you’re going to know it’s morning. I found a harp that I liked and I used that in the very beginning. When you wake up you want your day to be really good and have good intentions for the day I think that’s what the first track is. The second track is Construction and I always think that’s a good song to start with because but talks about building and the possibility of it.

Scheme: That’s kind of like when you’re eating your cereal.

Muhsinah: Right, and that’s when you’re like at eleven I’m going to go here and at one I’m going to do this. Then the tracks will go kind of in order and then there’s some surprises because days do bring surprises and you don’t always know what’s going to happen.

Scheme: So you would recommend the listener to listen to the songs in there entirety?

Muhsinah: Yeah, I would say every song on the album except maybe three have something extra so definitely keep listening.

Scheme: Did you have any help production or instrumentation wise or was this all Muhsinah?

Muhsinah: It’s me, except some of the vocal samples I use. I have Stringer from the Wire on there (laughs). That was just a recorder so shouts out to Stringer, I used your voice dude.

Scheme: So is this album sample heavy or is it a mixture of a lot of different sounds?

Muhsinah: It’s different from Oscillations which I suggest everyone get if they can find it (laughs). That was pretty much all samples, I didn’t play anything on there. This time I was in a good environment and I was encouraged to play. I think each beat has something live on it and a sample so it’s a complete mix which is what I ultimately want to do anyway.

Scheme: Do you have a crazy record collection do you dig…

Muhsinah: Yeah I dig when I have money (laughs). I’m really big on very, very cheap records. I’m not the one that goes to the “everybody knows” record shop. You’ll see me on the ground in the dollar bin. I have a good record collection that my mom helped with. She used to DJ in college and I pretty much inherited her collection which is a good amount of 70’s white label funk.

Scheme: What equipment and technology are we using these days?

Muhsinah: Ahh, I got a little upgrade (laughs). Lately I’ve been using the 500 because I move around a lot and it’s small and it does the job, pro-tools. If I’m stable I try to use the piano or somebody’s keyboard with a piano in it, some plug-ins and records pretty much. I was lucky to be at the Red Bull Music Academy in Toronto and that opened my ears to different kinds of synthesizers so I have a wish list but until then I’ll keep it simple.

Scheme: Besides your R&B, soul, jazz and funk music there is a shortage of women musicians in the hip hop community and not to limit this music to hip hop by any means. There is representation but it’s not a broad spectrum do you ever feel that that’s an added pressure to show another side of womanhood in hip hop along with showcasing your music?

Muhsinah: I definitely think it gives me a sense of responsibility but it gives me more of a sense of freedom you know. Especially sisters if we’re all seen in this way, and one person goes and does something else they can be free to do whatever they want. The responsibility is to do what I feel.

Scheme: Have you ever made a beat by mistake and are there any “mistakes” on this album?

Muhsinah: Definitely! When I’m first starting out and I’m learning and figuring out what my sound is, you buy new pieces of equipment or when you buy someone’s album. Influences come so fast and when you figure out who you are, you can’t control that and that’s the greatest part about it. I might have an idea of what kind of general place I want to go with it but it’s always an unexpected kind of occurrence. As far as tracks on the album being mistakes, I would say all of them are (laughs) and most of my music is.

Scheme: When did you find your groove and space when creating this music and not to say you’re stuck in that but when did you find your foundation?

Muhsinah: Really recently, I think when I was in India which was a year and a half ago. That’s pretty much when I figured out what I wanted to sound like, whether it sounds like that or not it’s a different story. As far as the beats go I’m just getting to the point where I’m hype about making beats, I’ve learned a lot about mixing and getting stuff to sound like how I want it. As far as singing and vocal production about a year and a half ago that’s when I really found my confidence and learned what I like to sound like.

Scheme: Is there a little bit of singing and emceeing incorporated in this album?

Muhsinah: Yeah I would say a lot less emceeing and I don’t know when people started calling me an emcee either (laughs). Whenever that happened I’m not sure but there’s definitely more to come as I grow.

Scheme: You appear to be an artist that takes one day at a time so can you see what the follow up will consist of?

Muhsinah: I do keep an imaginary calendar in my mind, I had the idea for the album before we did the EP. Mec approached me and was like there’s probably some songs that you would want to put out and re-do and make people aware of that we can put on an EP now just to get them ready. So the next album I have a good picture of what that’s going to be like just because I’ve already started this process.

Scheme: Last time we spoke you said you do the music because if you didn’t you would be sad. Do you see yourself now becoming a full time musician because you also said you wanted to score films and you’re currently doing sound design in addition to the music?

Muhsinah: I was getting to a point where I was looking for sound jobs and I wasn’t getting them and all signs were pointing to do the music. I was getting approached so much about songs and remixes that people wanted to do but I wasn’t getting any sound jobs and I was like dang am I not a good engineer? It just so happens that this is what I’m supposed to be doing and it’s cool to find it out that way. I’m still doing sound work but it’s a lot less because there’s more music that has to be made because more people are involved.