The Long Way Back...
Dig in the crates, and you might find a gem - a true gem that might change your mind about the current state of hip-hop. Such was the case with the 1996 T-Love EP, "Return of the B-Girl." Full of raw jazz riffs, meaty live drums and a slew of eloquent rhymes, that EP (featuring collaborators like Jurassic 5's Chali 2na and former Ultramagnetic MC's and solo freak Kool Keith) hit the shelves quietly, sold out quickly but managed to become a bit of LA rap history.

So, it goes without saying that while Long Way Back may be T-Love's debut full-length album, T-Love is no newcomer to hip-hop. Even at 11 years old, busting and rhyming in the schoolyard, T-Love dreamed of becoming a rapper. Since then she has been a journalist, a fan, a promoter, and a performer. Her first public appearance was at the age of 15 on the legendary LA radio station, KDAY.

"For me it started with Tina Marie," says T. "She was breaking down how she liked Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni. And then Sugarhill Records and hip-hop's first-ever commercial female rap group, The Sequence. When I heard that I said, 'Oh shit, a female voice, I can do this.' When I told my mom I was going to be a rapper, She laughed at me," she continues. "But around the neighborhood there was so much encouragement."

Growing up just east of Crenshaw in LA's South Central community, she found herself alongside many others who had the same aspirations. In fact, in the years following her proclamation, many of those competitors and challengers would go on to fame and success as hip-hop grew to new heights every year. T-Love even battled with seminal rappers like Fat Lip from Pharcyde. As those around her told her would happen, attention spread and her path into the rap game had begun.

Soon she was making demos for producers and other artists like Eazy E, Egyptian Lover, and numerous others. In and out of the seminal West Coast Recording Plant in LA, she began to see the possibilities. However, it would be a few years before she got her opening- a production deal through Capitol Records under the name Urban Prop. Still, by being different, having a different vision would not help her crusade in any way. In fact, it made it more difficult. So, after many delays, and much internal drama, the Urban Prop album never materialized, but as T-Love sees it now, it was a blessing in disguise.

T-Love moved on, helping to develop a few small companies - from clothing apparel to record labels - and built her career in the business to balance out the creative expression she was so passionate about. "I wanted to take the skills, the corporate skills I was learning during the day, and use them in another way." She used it to promote herself and her cause.

What ensued was a list of writing and authoring credits, including two books: It's Not About A Salary [Verso] and Girl Power [Warner Books]. Over the years, she was an editor and a writer for various publications, which enabled her to get to know the industry a bit better. As a rapper, she was still known for her lyrical wit and wisdom, but it was her first underground joint, "Nobody Knows My Name" that let heads know about her incredible mic skills.

But as encouraging as the attention was, T-Love stuck to her plan of developing her writing and entrepreneurial talents, keeping her rap name as a sideline. Initially, she helped to develop the now-defunct Correct Records, but left to quickly begin her own startup, Rumble/Pickininny Records. Immediately, she released Jurassic 5's classic debut, the Jurassic 5 EP and then her own The Return Of The B-Girl EP, both of which caused much attention and praise amongst underground hip-hop heads everywhere.
In fact, the EP was intended as a swan song of sorts. "The EP was me saying goodbye," she continues. "I was ready to hang it up, but my mom, my grandma and [my producer] Miles all made me promise that I would do one project before I moved on. So we did the EP, and I figured that would be my way to get to some big magazine gig somewhere."

The EP ushered in a new wave of interest including a contingent of music heads in London. Quickly, the phone started to ring more and more. It was looking likely that T-Love would finally have an outlet for her 'hobby' and perhaps a new enterprise to follow it up.

It also seemed likely that she would find some kindred spirits in London to help with her vision. Upon visiting the UK, she encountered London's Ninja Tune crew. Down at one of their numerous club nights, she got up on the mic and found a whole group of feverish fans including some like-minded producers. "I met Ollie from Herbaliser," she says. "We hung out the whole next day. It was easy to get my ideas out with him." So, they immediately began work on her new material, a large part of what would become Long Way Back.
"People ask me why I moved to London, and I guess I was looking for me," she says. "I knew I couldn't find it here - too many people here [in LA] are selfish, lazy, fake and clingy--to the point where they invade your personal space-always taking, but never giving. I was looking for T-Love, or better yet 'Taura'-Love. I felt I had lost her, she was gone." In London, she could be her own eclectic self. She came to know and love just as many people in London, as she did in LA, but now living in a culture whose motto is:"D-I-Y" (Do It Yourself), the telephone and doorbell rarely rang. Now she could revisit her path and try to envision the next stage. "Before [London], there was a split creatively and spiritually, and it was ugly. That's what the title is about. It was a long way back to finding me again." As the title connotes, The Long Way Back is witness to the long voyage. "As these songs started being recorded for this album, it reflected the span of my creative and spiritual life," she says. Some of these songs are more than 12 years old, but have evolved in depth and meaning and now are finally part of her published works for the world to hear.

The album is evidence of the many people and influences that make up T-Love's eclectic vision. "Malindy Sings" and "Oh So Suite" hark back to Abbey Lincoln and Billie Holiday, big inspirations for T-Love, allowing her to show her growth as a vocalist since Return. Detroit producer Jay-Dee [Slum Village, D'Angelo, Q-Tip] became part of the mix on "Who Smoked Sunshine?" and on the title cut, "Long Way Back", featuring soul singer Dwele on vocals. Both tracks exhibit that midwestern flair for broken beats and unusual cadences. Canadian hip-hop's Frankenstein [Choclair, Saukrates] chimes in with lackadaisical flair on "Fortress of a Prophet", an ode to T's South Central LA upbringing. To round out the journey, T-Love went back to basics uncovering a West Coast classic from her EP, "Wanna-Beez" featuring Jurassic 5's Chali 2na. Even the LP sleeve is witness to the voyage, featuring the photos of many of Taura's family members. It's an attestation to where she comes from and how far it's been to now.
On the path between the EP and the LP, T-Love went from being a rapper to being a performer. Both literally and figuratively, as a performer on the mic and in real life, T-Love has blossomed into a multidimensional talent. In London, she spent hours teaching herself how to sing the songs that appear on the LP. She also built a home for her new voice, a voice that will continue to be heard, the voice of the b-girl who finally grew up. "The girl I was back then is gone, and there are times I miss her, but I like who I am now better." For souls that find themselves lost, her advice is: "Just stay to the path of your sanity, and you'll be traveling in the direction of 'YOU'."

The Long Way Back... No, it ain't about the money or the fame-it's about reality.