Karen “KiKi” Sheard
Interview conducted by Nicole Marion

UGN: You come from a family line of ministers and artist, are there others besides your parents that have inspired you ?

KiKi: Shirley Ceasar, Donnie McClurkin is one of my favorites, Mary Mary. There are many singers that have inspired me.

UGN: How do you handle obstacles and things that may try to come against you?

KiKi: I look at my past struggles and triumphs and I see maybe the Lord didn't come at the time when I wanted but He came right at that time when I needed Him. I keep the faith. Sometimes I may fall off and go the opposite what God is calling me to go. But again, I am human, we have mind games sometimes. So, I have to keep faith in myself and have a prayerful life.

UGN: One than more third of all teenagers pregnancy end of in abortion. What are your views about abortion.

KiKi: Well I've been taught that abortion is not good. According to us living a Christian life. I've also been taught we shouldn't get into certain things before marriage. A lot of us go our way, and we make our mistakes. But thank God, He (God) is the way He is and He gives us another chance. So, I am against abortion, because you are killing an innocent life and I don't think it is fair. He or she is a human being. That is what you choose to do. You choose to lie down and you choose to do your thing. I'm against it.

UGN: What kinds of things do you to keep your balance with your ministry and your personal time with God.

KiKi: Well, I realized that my real friends are the ones that know what's the deal. They know I put God before any and everything. They know that ministry and singing is what I want to do. Singing is like, it is my hobby. My bother loves playing basketball, if you give him a court, he will stay on there all night. If you get me a studio, I will try to stay in their all night. I love being in the studio. So, my friends understand and I thank God for the friends that I have because they understand my schedule. And when I do have time we have fun, we do our thing. We don't get off into the world, but we still have fun, so I balance it pretty good.

UGN: You have said that singing is your purpose in life, when do you come to this realization?

KiKi: To tell you the truth, I didn't realize it until I was thirteen. My pulled me out on Finally Karen, I think I was nine on there. That was an experience, but it was something that I kind of blew off and now I realize that was a great opportunity a great chance and an open door for me. But I was younger but I didn't realize it at that time. At the age of thirteen, that is when I really starting “getting saved.” I still kind of fell off, I was a little ba-ba kid. But the Lord, He held me up.

UGN: What do you think the future has in store for you?

KiKi: Well first I want to be pleasing in Gods sight. I want to do what God wants me to do because He gave me this gift. Whatever way the Lords want to lead me. Of course I want to pull a bigger crowd of young people and let me know that you can still have fun, live a Christian life and still have a good time. You don't have to live like they did in the past, no red lipstick, no red nail polish, long skirts. We can still do our thing.

UGN: On your CD, I Owe You, “What message are you trying to send out to the youth of today.

KiKi: You don't have to live in the shadow. A lot of people make mistakes. You don't have to necessarily think that “Oh since I am a Christian I have to be this straight type of person that never makes mistakes.” Again that why I thank God that He gives us chance after chance after chance. So, I want them to know that you can be young, have fun and be with your friends. But there is a line that you have to draw. Some of the worldly things that we do, we get ourselves into trouble that could we could have prevented. Living as a child of God, you can still have fun and give God praise.