Chaka Khan stopped by “The Steve Harvey Show” on Wednesday and had a little something to say about the current music scene.
“What do you think is missing from some of today’s music?” Harvey asked her.
“Talent,” Chaka quickly replied. “Sincerity, the reason and initiative. Why am I here on this stage. You know, really speaking and loving all these people en masse.”
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Elsewhere in the interview, the Rufus singer talked about how her 1984 hit “I Feel For You,” written by Prince, came about, and she explained that it was a song that was nearly thrown away.
“They played a lot of songs on the album, and I saw it getting ready to, like, go away, and I was like ‘Oh my god,’ ‘I Feel For You’ is on there, and I want to do this song.”
The song, which was featured in the film “Breakin,” also has a guest verse from Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five’s Melle Mel, and since rap wasn’t the mainstream music it is today, the New York MC’s lyrics caught Chaka off guard.
“So I went in the studio, and I hear somebody saying my name over, over and over again, ‘Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan,'” she explained. “Rap was rather new on the scene then, and the things he was saying ‘Let me rock you, let me do this.’ I was like ‘Oh dear,’ and I’m a recovering Catholic.”
The last time the iconic singer made headlines was back in October 2018, when it was announced she’d be the grand marshal of the 2019 Rose Parade on New Year’s Day in California.
Before that Chaka was involved in a bit of controversy when some thought she was drunk during a March 2018 performance in Miami Gardens, Fla. Eventually, one of the singer’s representatives denied the claims and said she was merely suffering from the flu.
After her interview with Steve Harvey concluded, some agreed with Chaka that some of today’s musicians lack talent.
“Talent, reason and sincerity. Ain’t that the dammmmmmm truth,” someone wrote. “That’s exactly what is missing from music today.”
“These current rappers can’t freestyle or perform without a back track. These current singers can’t sing live and be lip syncing all the damn time,” wrote a second person. “Where is the lie?🤷🏾♂️ Y’all hold the Hot 100 to such a high stature, but they’re just filled with Internet clout chasers.”
