House Goddess Crystal Waters Looks Into Her Past While Embracing The Genre’s Present Explosion (BET.com)

From Drake’s controversial Honestly, Nevermind to the perfection Beyoncé laid through RENAISSANCE, the summer of 2022 was a standout year for House music. The return of repetitive 4-on-the-floor beats, hard bass drums, addictive basslines, and everything in between marked a serious return to the dance floor in ways unseen pre-pandemic. It also introduced the genre’s storied history to a new generation of listeners including singer-songwriter Crystal Waters.

Known for classics ranging from signature debut single “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)” and “100% Pure Love,” Waters has spent nearly decades delivering a consistent stream of undeniable dance music. Last year, she linked with notable House artists Soul Central alongside Robin S for “Love One Another” and collaborated with dance DJ David Anthony for “2B Luv.” The latter just received an 11-track remix album that’s completely danceable from top to bottom. As an elder stateswoman for House, she’s also begun highlighting various artists within the genre through her I Am House podcast. The monthly podcast is also named after her own label which hopes to further that goal outside of being home to her own music.

Speaking with BET.com, Waters talks about her jazz music background, highlighting newer generation House artists and the importance of Black LGBTQ+ individuals.

BET.com: As an icon in House music, we can’t talk about your earlier hits without talking about The Basement Boys. Do you remember your first introduction to the genre and how it helped push you into mainstream recognition?

Crystal Waters: I think it was so new back then. I first became aware of it in the late 80s; hanging out in the clubs that would play it late at night. At that time, I was at Howard University in Washington D.C. and radio stations used to play it late at night on radio as well as certain Baltimore stations. When I met The Basement Boys around that time, I was doing more of a Sade-type thing and they loved the way I wrote songs. They asked me to write to those instrumentals and I had never really gotten that deep into it before. This was when I started getting into the New York scene with clubs like The Sound Factory. Back then, we didn’t call it House music. It was just dance music. Once I got into the culture, I was stuck because I spent a lot of time in the club when I was supposed to be at Howard. I’m surprised that I’m not a DJ cause all my friends and I had a massive vinyl collection back then.

BET.com: There was also this jazz influence in your sound and your father was a famed jazz musician. What was your key to infusing your jazz vocals on top of house instrumentals when you were creating tracks like “Gypsy Woman?”

Crystal Waters: I think it’s because I used to go on tour with my father every summer and all he had were jazz albums. I always liked the female jazz vocalists and that’s what I would always play. I loved Ella Fitzgerald. I spent time watching my father play at lounges or hotels at night. I always wished I had a voice like Chaka Khan but this was the voice that I just had. I never went to church so I didn’t learn how to sing in the choir or anything. I just had this jazz background following my dad around when I was young.

BET.com: When Michael K Williams was your one-time backup dancer, did you know he’d be such a big star?

Crystal Waters: He was a pain in the butt but, he was a hustler though. When I got to New York, you had these big personalities coming from guys like Mike. They were fun and they weren’t afraid to do anything. They were always going for something. Mike didn’t start acting until a little bit later. He was dancing and hustling. I’ll just put it at that, he was hustling. I remember he would always be late and would always have these excuses. When I met him, he had just gotten scars on his face and they were all across his body. I just always thought it was so amazing that he did not let that hold him back not one bit. If it was me, I think I would’ve been a little damaged and a bit afraid of life. I think he really took it and used it to his advantage. That’s something I always admired about him.

BET.com: You have plenty of new music you’re releasing from “2BLuv” and its various remixes to “Love One Another” with Soul Central and Robin S. How has your approach to music-making changed or evolved or has it even changed at all?

Crystal Waters: I’m still me but I think things have changed because the industry has changed. One of the reasons I stopped working together with The Basement Boys was because the label had gotten their hands into it and they wanted us to do the crossover type of stuff. After that was all over, I got the freedom to do what I wanted. I didn’t have to worry about writing a song for radio or fitting into this certain hole. I know the club scene and I’m deeply involved. I know the kids still want to dance. I just kind of write from my heart more. I don’t have that pressure on me anymore.

BET.com: Should we expect an album from you this year? It’s been a while.

Crystal Waters: Yup, I’m working on it now. I sat down with DJ Spen and he said it’s time we do an album together. So, we’re working on it now and he’s helping me. I’ve gotten a couple of tracks done so we’re hoping to get it done by the summer.

BET.com: You have the I Am House podcast which plays newer and older house tracks. What’s it like to play tastemaker at this point in your career?

Crystal Waters: I like it. I really like doing podcasts cause I get to hear all the new music. I get to hear what’s going on, what’s hot and what’s bad. There’s a lot of bad music out there by the way. I really go through all the songs and I think my taste is pretty good. I really like hearing new music and I even reach out to some of the artists whose music I play. It’s the reason why I have the label because I feel like there’s a lot of talent out there and they don’t have the money to go to the conferences or meet this or that person. I can be a liaison between them. I love helping people who are starting up and giving little tips about production and things like that. I really like working with other people and helping other people get their music out there.

BET.com: How do you feel about the mainstream resurgence of the genre thanks to artists like Beyoncé or even Kaytranada?

Crystal Waters: Yes Beyoncé! I’m happy to see this. You have to understand, when I first started, they told us House music wasn’t real music. It wasn’t shit and wasn’t going to do anything. It was a fad. We couldn’t even get interviews. Luckily, I crossed over but we got pretty beat up when we first started out. To see it still lasting 30 years later with people creating and pushing the envelope has me happy. I’m very proud to see and be part of this community that’s continuing to thrive.

BET.com: It’s clear as day that the Black LGBTQ+ community has been the flag bearers for the genre over the past decades. Can you recall watching queer Black culture evolve going as far back as when you started to now?

Crystal Waters: I was there. I do a lot of gay pride and they started calling them parties and festivals and I say it’s about pride. There are a lot of folks who didn’t make it to this point; especially in the Black community. Due to the social climate, it wasn’t cool to be gay back then. One of the reasons why houses were formed was because parents were putting their gay children out of the house or they were being beaten up. You also had AIDs as well. I remember doing pride festivals and only the dance artists would touch it. R&B people wouldn’t go near it. Now, it’s come so far along that it’s accepted as mainstream. I’m doing shows with R&B artists and hip-hop artists now. But it was a rough time. But there were some people who just shined anyway. So I kind of like to remind people of the pride when they had the pride festivals that there were a lot of shoulders you’re standing on now to make this happen. It’s more than just a party.