Obviously, I've dealt with a lot varied situations in my life, but nothing was as powerful as the ten years I spent in prison. 'Haters' is my way of saying I'm tired of the foolishness, tired of the lies.

I suppose its boring to people just to hear about me being a good father to my children, taking them to the movies on Friday night and to church on Sunday mornings. But then, folks will take one situation and magnify it. It's hurtful, because I've done nothing but put out positive music. Man, between the tabloids and the blogs had a field day saying that I was either broke or crazy, and people believe all these lies that they read. Generally, you could say I was fed-up with how certain writers were trying to depict me after my run in with the law last year. For example, my new single 'Haters' is a mid-tempo danceable track, but the message is much deeper. People often ask what I'm thinking when I write certain songs. The truth is what inspires me as a songwriter, a musician and as a person. From my first album Lyfe 268-192 (my old prison number) to this latest project, I've always tried to put truth in my music. Whether I'm talking about my 'Momma,' my ex-girl or the 'Haters,' I wanted to be open and honest. Believe me, I practically lived in the studio. Being that this is the first disc from my new label Jesus Swings/Warner Brothers Records, I had total control over the final product and set out to do something special. I feel this is my greatest work because I was able to concentrate on the music in a way that I haven't in a very long time. I Still Believe will most likely be my last studio album as I switch my focus to spending more time with my young family and prepare for other ventures outside of music. I even recruited my man Anthony Hamilton to give it that down home vibe, but if you listen to my voice, I try to convey the aching pain I now realize I put my mother through. When I sat down to work on 'Momma,' I knew it had to be both honest and soulful. I wasn't the type to sneak out of the house, but that didn't keep me from being kicked out several times.

Unlike other kids, I never tried to hide the bad stuff from my mother. One day I might be in my room rehearsing to a New Edition song and the next I was 'running the streets, making people crazy.' Even as a child, I thought of myself as rebel who just did what I wanted. One of the early songs I wrote for my new album I Still Believe was the soulful track 'Momma,' which talks directly about my own mother and the foolishness she had to deal with from me. While I've never been the family reunion kind of guy, I don't get back to Toledo much, but those memories are forever. It was in that city where I sang in church, performed at talent shows and got sent to prison when still in my teens. Artists like the soul star Anita Baker, pianist Art Tatum and singer Shirley Murdock once called it home. Toledo, Ohio, where I came from, has always been a place where wonderful culture was born. Official Biography (courtesy of Lyfe Jennings)

Lyfe jennings new album