AllHipHop.com: Now you�re part of Diddy-Dirty Money with Kalenna Harper and Sean Combs. Does Diddy dominate his artists and their music like people say?

Dawn: Well you know, I don�t think he ever had any women in a group with him. I can�t think of anyone at the label who had that opportunity, so it�s an interesting dynamic to see both sides of it � as his artist and being in his group. He is a man who has that reputation, but I think that anyone who owns a label and is an artist can tend to have that reputation.

The reality is they have to make sure that they�re pushing their product, because it�s their product. But I think what Puff did this time � I think he even surprised himself with this � he got two women who are extremely opinionated and really have a strong passion in what they do. So it�s kind of an interesting group because he has to humble himself sometimes, and he doesn�t like it. [laughter] But when it comes to passion and the things that we say, when we have a good opinion, he respects it, and he�s like, �damn, I had to humble myself.� He hates to say that! [laughter]

But I think he�s starting to appreciate the fact that he is good at finding talent, and he has to believe in the talent that he picks. So Kalenna and I sort of force the hand at making him appreciate a powerful woman, which is hard for him. I think when he had his girls, it changed his whole perspective anyway. I�m the type of person where I �m not gonna bow down, you know? I make sure I give him my opinions respectfully, and I understand that it�s his project and his label. He understands that this is what I love to do, and that I�m an asset to this thing. I think that�s why Dirty Money has been successful so far.

You and this music thing are going strong. Tell me about the upcoming mixtape #ATellTaleHeart.

I�ve been in two groups, and I�ve done my duty in trying to be a team player. I love every minute of it and I�ve learned so much, but I�ve also gone through a whole lot these last four years. I�ve been homeless, I�ve been in a group, we did two platinum albums and then I lost my job. Our group dismantled, and I had to deal with that. I couldn�t grieve because I had to find out how I was gonna eat. I was struggling to write, then I made Dirty Money and Dirty Money was in the studio for three years. I never got a chance to grieve, cry, smile, laugh or anything about the last four years of my life. Because I�ve been in a group, I�ve had to cater to everyone else. This mixtape is my diary. This mixtape is every tear that I was supposed to cry, every smile that I was supposed to make, every angry feeling that I�ve ever felt from the time I made the band to now, a lot of things that happned in my love life and everything I never got a chance to say. And that�s why I called it ATellTaleHeart because, if each one of you fell into my heart, the heartbeats would sound like these songs. Flaws and all, here�s my diary and accept it.