Talented and beautiful 16-year-old identical twin singing sensations Chrystal and Chyna Johnson are destined for future big-time success in today’s landscape of R&B music. ChrystalChyna took timeout to chat with PureSoulMag.com about their passion for music, the legendary family pedigree and more.
PSM: Where are you ladies from, and when is your birthday?
CC: We were born, raised and still live in Los Angeles, California; And in this year of 2013, we both will turn 17 on the 26th day of September.
PSM: How would you describe the ChrystalChyna style of music?
CC: We would simply describe our sound as R&B mixed with Pop.
PSM: Who are the singers who inspired the both of you to pursue a career as recording artists?
CC: Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Brandy, Usher, Aaliyah, Jodeci and Mary J. Blige, just to name a few!
PSM: How are you ladies doing in the classroom as far as your formal education is concerned?
CC: We’re both doing very well with 3.5 GPAs. We’re juniors and are actually home-schooled, which works very well for us to the point where we have much more focus and self-motivation.
PSM: Your mother – former SOUL TRAIN dancer Benita Hill Johnson – is currently managing your music career. How valuable and comforting is that for the both of you?
CC: First, our mother is more than a former SOUL TRAIN dancer; she has also been a hairstylist for television sitcoms, she’s done some singing and she was our godmother Natalie Cole’s personal assistant for 15 years. Our mother has a lot of knowledge and up-close experience in this business – the ins and outs. She is real cautious about moving us too fast and jumping on just anything, and with that assurance, it makes the both of us a lot less fearful.
PSM: Along with having a music icon such as Natalie Cole as your godmother, the legendary Chaka Khan is your aunt as well. Share with us the impact that the both of them have had in your lives in regards to your passion and love for music.
CC: Since birth, we have traveled with our mom and godmother on tour. We would be backstage seeing the show’s preparations and rehearsals. We’ve spent a lot of time in studio recordings with both our godmother and aunt, and we’ve been able to study them and learn so much, which has definitely increased our love and passion for music!
PSM: How fun and exciting is it to be involved with a unique and amazing talent organization such as ‘Nu School Sings Old School?’
CC: It’s very exciting because we meet other kids who are also singers. What makes ‘Nu Skool Sings Old School’ unique is that it involves talented young kids of various ethnicity from ages 8 to 17 that sing music from the Old School, which for us is amazing! It gives us a lot of performance opportunities to build our skills and at the same time from a charitable standpoint, we are helping to raise money to help young women who have aged out of foster care to take care of themselves during their life transitions. To learn more, log on to www.NuSkoolSingsOldSchool.com.
PSM: Besides music, what other career would you see yourself venturing into in the future?
CC: We would definitely be involved in the world of fashion as either writers, designers or stylists.
PSM: Are you ladies currently working on new music?
CC: At this present time, we have one original song that’s been written for us and we are working with a producer and songwriter in preparation to begin recording in the studio soon.
PSM: The both of you do a wonderful job performing covers of classic songs. When you ladies perform on stage, I see that you’re having a lot of fun, and that in itself produces a great show for the fans to fully enjoy. Am I right on that assessment?
CC: Thank you!….You are on point with your assessment because being on stage is exhilarating for us!
PSM: In five-to-ten years from now with God’s will, ChrystalChyna will be –
CC: College-educated with degrees, multi-Platinum and multi-Grammy winning singers, and happy!
PSM: What is PURE SOUL to the both of you?
CC: To us, PURE SOUL singing is being able to touch others, no matter what music genre it is.
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Interviewed by Ross Guity aka R.G. Major
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