Tatyana Ali is one reason to pick up the August issue of KING. She talks about everything from working with a prominent 2Pac collaborator to becoming an Obama surrogate.

On her new album:
“I found my voice with this album, The Light. I can never stop singing. Remember, I recorded my first album [1998’s Kiss the Sky] when I was 16, and other people wrote most of the songs. I really wanted the next album that I did to express who I am. And the only way I can do that is to write it myself. So in that sense, I found my voice.”

KING: Did you also recruit a gaggle of producers like last time?
No, I finally paired up with a producer named Johnny J, who has sold 100 million albums worldwide and is responsible for a lot of 2Pac’s music.

KING: You’re not going to start rocking bandannas and have THUG LIFE tatted on your body, are you?
Absolutely not, not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s not my personal style. But I’m not gangster—no THUG LIFE tatted on my chest [laughs].

KING: ’Cause that wouldn’t be helpful to Barack Obama’s historic march to the White House, you being a volunteer and all.
I’ve been working as a surrogate for his campaign. Surrogates can be politicians, actors, musicians or private citizens—anyone who volunteers in the campaign. Since the Iowa caucuses, I’ve been going to colleges and speaking to students, not just about Obama but about the importance of participating in the process. The notion that one vote doesn’t matter really is a lie. [Full Story @ KING.com]