Dawn Richard (or just D∆WN as she goes by now) is not having the best week so far. First her former group mates Aubrey O’ Day and Shannon Bex appeared on ‘The Breakfast Club’ this week to promote their new duo album and opened up the floodgates on all the drama they say Dawn caused in Danity Kane (click HERE).

Now according to another report, Dawn is clapping back at the constant and long standing comparisons she get to R&B singer and one of my faves as you know, Brandy. According to TGJ, Dawn revealed in an interview her thoughts on the constant comparisons and claims now that not only does she not attempt to sound like the ‘Angel In Disguise’ singer–but also that she for a long time had no clue who Brandy was. Get into her quote below.

I grew up loving Imogen Heap and Bjork. And one of my favourite female voices to this day is Alanis Morissette. Those voices really did something for me, growing up to me they sounded like cognac and cigar smoke, they had these cool tones that worked well with rock and alternative music.  As far as what I do organically, I just go in and whatever feels good, feels good I don’t force it. Leads and adlibs are cool but my favourite thing to do when I’m in the studio is backgrounds. I can go on and on for days, there’s this sense of peace and chanting. Like an army of bad motherfuckers always behind me, like a 1000 people in believing me and 1000 people behind me every time doing these counter chants which are so African, so Creole and so New Orleans.

People want so badly for there to be Brandy-isms. I didn’t know about Brandy until college, I didn’t grow up on Brandy, I grew up on Bjork and Imogen Heap.  So there was no influence but I respect her. I think she’s one of the dopest singers we’ve ever had in our time. When I found out about her through my brother, I was like this girls voice is on a whole other level so the respect of Brandy is definitely there. She to me is the vocal bible, but I don’t necessarily take her style or influence into my music. I don’t think of Brandy when I think of the formatting of my music and I think it’s funny that only black people think that.

Now listen! I personally love Imogen Heap as well and we definitely see the influence there, but to say that you didn’t know who Brandy was until college??? Okay receipt time…check out the 7:09 mark

I have personally had an online interaction with Dawn over sharing my thoughts and comparing some of her vocals to Brandy and she was not a fan of my statements. I have been a day one supporter of Dawn since she auditioned on ‘Making The Band’ so my opinions never come from a place of hate but just observation and admiration for artists that i like.

Thoughts????