A Jamie Foster Brown Interview
(excerpted from the November 2009 issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine)
 
I met AJ the night Kandi did a showcase in Atlanta for her latest CD. I asked him how he was holding up with all the controversy against him. He told me he was okay, and I told him to keep strong.
 
But just minutes later I met Kandi’s mom and aunt for the first time. What was funny was that when I let them know that I had just met AJ, both of them immediately made it clear to me that they did not like him. They were pointing at him and frowning; I was taken aback a little bit because I don’t adjust well to that kind of thing. I’m more of a love child. Still, we were happy to finally meet each other.
 
Then, while Kandi was performing, Kandi said that people on the blogs were questioning why she was with AJ. Then she commenced singing a song that told why, which will be on her album. (Come to think of it, since they are now split up, I don’t know if she will take it off the album or not.)
 
If you have read Kandi’s story and are reading AJ’s, it will probably strike you that they actually have the makings of a great relationship. Because you’ll see that both of them claim friendship, they claim chemistry, and their children get along well together. They even claim a good financial balance, despite the critics calling him a “scrub.” As I listened to him, I said, well, dang, what else do you need in a relationship? I was also really impressed with how he did not want to break up the relationship between Kandi and her mom. If I could play Dr. Jamie, relationship adviser, I’d say the problem was that they just were not able to take the heat. Here’s AJ; judge for yourself.
 
***
 
Jamie: Hello, AJ.
AJ: Hey Jamie, how you doing?
 
Jamie: What type of work are you doing now?
AJ: I’m into the strip club. We got a gentleman’s club right now, and I got a record out right now too. I got my management company with the producers and stuff. I got this guy by the name of Zaytoven. He does a lot of stuff with Gucci Mane. He’s got a single coming out with Usher. He’s one of the hottest producers in Atlanta right now.
 
Jamie: I thought that you had a credit company and that sort of thing.
AJ: Naw, naw. My family does that. I deal with so many other things. We had a collection agency that we were doing. I don’t even run that. I got other stuff that I’m doing. I had the girl group, Bella, that was signed to Warner Bros.
 
Jamie: What about the restaurant, sweetie?
AJ: I don’t own them anymore. You know, I had a couple of them two or three years ago.
 
Jamie: ’Cause people were saying that you didn’t have your own money.
AJ: Yeah, yeah, of course. But I feel like I didn’t have to explain myself to people because I live my life for my family. As long as my family is well and they’re content, that’s all that matters. I feel like I really didn’t owe nobody no explanation. That’s why I didn’t never speak on it.
 
Jamie: Do you regret being in that [show “Real Housewives of Altanta”] with her?
AJ: Oh, of course I do. I told Kandi, the only reason I did this [was] because the show was for my significant other, and that’s just to make sure she was getting her stuff together—the music. It wasn’t just me. It was “Atlanta Housewives.” As you can tell, you see how I act when the cameras are rolling. I don’t even want to be a part of that. I hated it, and if it wasn’t for the show, if Kandi wasn’t on “Atlanta Housewives,” then she would just be regular Kandi. They wouldn’t analyze our relationship and try to look in on everything like that.
 
Jamie: Were you proud of her when you saw her on the show? Did you watch the show?
AJ: I don’t watch it.
 
Jamie: Why did you want to marry her, AJ?
AJ: Kandi’s a sweet girl and, like, our chemistry is crazy. Besides all that other stuff, we get along. We have fun together. She’s just everything I was looking for in a woman. All that stuff just put so much pressure on our relationship and I just can’t take it. I don’t need all that extra stuff. I just want to live a regular life, be a regular guy away from that. I never wanted to be a part of TV ’cause my business partner, Ryan Glover [ex-husband of Tameka Raymond], he does all the stuff over at Turner [Broadcasting].
 
Jamie: I know Ryan!
AJ: That’s my partner. That’s like my brother. I don’t speak on everything I do ’cause I don’t like everybody to know. I’m a private guy. I don’t even want people to be in my relationship, period. Kandi knows that. She does these reality shows and they don’t show nothing but criticisms. They are on the outside looking in and they don’t know me or her. They’re just going by what they see on TV.
 
Jamie: I thought you were pretty brave to take all that.
AJ: Because, like I say, I did all that. I complement my woman. They talking about she got her own. Well, of course she got her own money. I don’t need Kandi, she ain’t never did nothing for me. We had fun together. What did she do for me?
 
Jamie: Do you miss her?
AJ: Of course I miss her.
 
Jamie: Do you think you all will ever get back together?
AJ: Well, you know, only time will tell. As far as right now, we remain good friends.
 
Find out what AJ said was the cause of his split from Kandi when you read the November 2009 issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine, on stands now.