Def Jam/Slip-N-Slide R&B recording artist Shonie has been in the industry for several years–but it wasn’t until recently that she broke out as a solo artist and released her first single, “Can’t Let Go,” featuring famous rapper Fabolous. KilledThat.com sat down with Shonie last week to get a better understanding of how she made it in the industry. Check it out…

When did you first realize that you wanted to be in the music industry?

Umm, well I did my first performance when I was 11 and when I did it it wasn’t a big response, but the response that I did get, the feeling that I felt in my body was crazy. At that point, I was like “Okay… this is something I really enjoy doing.” I recorded my first song when I was nine, so I knew it was something I enjoyed doing. But it was my first performance that really did it for me.

What was your first role you played in the music industry? Was it singing or something behind the scenes that introduced you to the field?

It was singing. I wanted to rap and everything like that, but my mom told me ‘You know, you need to let that go.’ So singing was definitely how I got into everything.

I know you’ve worked with a lot of artists before you began recording your solo debut on Slip-N-Slide/Def Jam. Can you tell us who they are and how it was working with them?

I worked with Danity Kane and Day 26 which was a great situation. I also worked with Flo Rida, Brisco, Shawty Hustle. He ’s an independent artist that’s out now. He had a record called, “Ring Me Up,” that’s crazy. It was a great opportunity and I have a great deal of respect for each and every one of them.

How do you think you developed into the artist you are today? What are your influences?

It’s life, you know. I like to write about different things. I grew up listening to Betty White and Lauryn Hill and they definitely had an impact but generally being in this world and being allowed to be free helped me to start doing what I do best.

I’m with you on that. How did you link up with Slip-N-Slide to begin with?

Well I always worked for slip n slide. I was on Trina’s last album, The Baddest Bitch. I did “Wish I Never Met You”–I wrote the hook on that. I did the background vocals for “Single Again,” so that was a great opportunity. I worked with Qwote before he got signed with Slip-N-Slide and Jive—so I’ve always been around Slip-N-Slide working. But I think what really caught the attention of Ted Lucas [the CEO of Slip-N-Slide Records] was when I did a mixtape called Street Heat Volume 1. I got that out to high school, college, the streets—to let people know I was a writer and an artist. That’s when he reached out to me and said, ‘You know what, let’s make this official.’ A couple months later we signed a paper and that’s what led me onto Def Jam. That’s why I’m working on this album and everything’s just incredible.

What are you most excited about in your growing career?

Being able to travel, and work with different people and see different things. I think that’s the most exciting part. If you stay in one place, you won’t develop—your mind won’t grow. Traveling and working with different people, seeing different things, and eating different foods (laughs), gives you a lot more to write about.

Speaking of developing as an artist and preparing your debut, can you tell us which artists are featured on this album?

As of right now, we just have Fabolous. We’re not sure if we’re going to have any more features. We’re figuring out if it’s just going to be me or, you know, other features. We want to keep people guessing about what’s going on.

Finally, what do you want your fans to know about you that they might not know yet?

I just want people to know that I’m a down-to-earth girl. I’m real and I like to write about real things. I’m a regular girl (laughs). I’m going to keep doing my music and I know one day I’ll make it to the top.

Listen to Shonie’s single, “Can’t Let Go” featuring Fabolous, below: