October 24, 2003: Foxy Has Major Projects in the Works Foxy Brown was interviewed October 23 on New York City radio station 107.5 WBLS. Foxy returned to The Wendy Williams Show to update listeners who had tuned in to her emotional April 16 appearance, during which she first made public her desire to leave Def Jam Records. Having since parted ways with the label, Foxy explained the details of the split to Williams. Def Jam executives disliked her from the beginning, Foxy claimed, as they resented her assertiveness and independence. She had been seeking to leave the label for four years before finally departing earlier in October. Among the many problems she’s had with Def Jam, Foxy stated that she had never once received a royalty check. Upon hiring an independent auditor, she learned that the recording contract she had signed at age fifteen entitled her to just “one thousandth of a penny” on each dollar her record sales brought in. Def Jam would not allow Foxy to purchase the master recordings of her shelved album Ill Na Na 2: The Fever. In addition, Foxy left behind her Ill Na Na Entertainment subsidiary. Though her departure began with legal wrangling, Foxy described the split as “amicable.” She plans to file suit against the label, however, claiming that Def Jamaica, the recently released album of West Indian-influenced hip-hop tracks performed by various Def Jam artists, was in fact her idea, first proposed in 1999 after the release of her own Caribbean themed single “Na Na Be Like.” Now freed from her recording contract, Foxy acknowledged that six labels have been courting her, though she wouldn’t divulge any further details. She did, however, discuss several current projects, the most important of which being an upcoming series on MTV. In fact, MTV cameras followed Foxy into the studio as she spoke with Williams. MTV approached her to develop a reality show, Foxy explained, because she has consistently been the “most real” female rap artist, and has worked with all of the major rappers, from Jay-Z to Puff Daddy. Though she couldn’t provide any dates, Foxy said the show would be aired weekly, describing it as the “black Osbournes.” Also in works: a tell-all book entitled Broken Silence, to be published by Harper Collins or Simon & Schuster; a women’s sneaker line with IZOD; an outerwear line with famed New York furriers Alexis and Gianni; and a new music label of her own, to be called “Black Roses.” Foxy also plans to star in the motion picture “Less Than Kind,” currently in the development stages. In it, she would play a young woman whose mother and boyfriend have an affair. Angela Bassett has been linked to the mother’s role. Other topics of discussion included Foxy’s hospitalization for ulcers a few months ago. Mary J. Blige visited her daily as she recovered from surgery, Foxy told Williams, adding that Lauryn Hill was also extremely supportive throughout her illness. On the subject of Lauryn Hill, Foxy defended her close friend against allegations of mental instability made in the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine. Foxy called the article “trash” and bemoaned the media’s backstabbing ways. Referring back to the April 16 interview, Williams asked Foxy if she had resolved issues with boyfriend Spragga Benz, but Foxy, clearly upset, declined to respond despite repeated prodding on Williams’ part.