Sitting on a couch at Atlantic Records’ New York office in a black sweater dress, gold hair, and gold earrings glimmering, Estelle recalls the first time she met Kanye West. On an idle 2003 afternoon, the London girl spotted the rapper-producer at a Los Angeles Roscoe’s House of Chicken ’n Waffles. Even though she’d already eaten, she hopped up to fake an order. Unable to get to him, she waited outside.
“I was like, Lord, if you’re there, please Jesus, let [Kanye] come outside and talk to me. I kid you not, 10 seconds later, Kanye walks out.”
After exchanging pleasantries with the Louis Vuitton Don, she cut to the chase—it wasn’t West she was after, but one of his cohorts. “Kanye, I’m a big fan!” she gushed. “Where’s John Legend?”
“I happened to be there when she asked him about me,” Legend says. “So we connected.” They were struggling artists back then—he a singer trying to catch a break and she a singer-rapper trying to get recognized in the U.S. Her 2004 debut, The 18th Day (V2), spawned a Top 20 single, “1980,” but was a U.K.-only release. That Roscoe’s meeting delivered, though: In 2006, Estelle Swaray, 28, signed to Legend’s Homeschool Records through Atlantic, which will release her American debut, Shine.
Shine features production from Legend, Mark Ronson, and will.i.am, and bubbles with quirky pop, vampy raps, and hammering ’60s-esque guitar. Lyrically, Estelle recalls Lauryn Hill—before Hill met Rohan Marley. And like L. Boogie, Estelle has had her share of tangled romances. Shine is about walking away from the pain love can cause. “I’m cussin’ out a lot of exboyfriends,” she says with a laugh. “I pick ’em! I do pick the crazies.”
With the romantic drama behind her and well-received single “Wait a Minute (Just a Touch),” Estelle is focused on avoiding one-hit wonder status. “You’ve worked for 10 years and no one knew who the hell you were! Do you know what you’ve done?” she asks herself. “Do you know how much work you put in? This is supposed to happen. Now don’t fuck it up!”
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