Kelly Rowland's "Chasing Destiny" Group Says She Hasn't Been Involved In Their Career

BY Erika Marie 24.4K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Leon Bennett/Getty Images
Kelly Rowland
Rowland created the group on a docuseries but hasn't been involved with developing their career now that the show is over.

Much like Diddy's Making the Band, in 2016 Kelly Rowland created and starred in a docuseries for BET. The show was called Chasing Destiny and followed Rowland and her crew as they attempted to select five girls to become the next hit girl group. Six hundred hopefuls auditioned and were narrowed down to 18 before Rowland chose her winners: Shyann from Florida, Brienna from New Jersey, Ashly and Gabby from California, and Kristal from North Carolina.

On the show, Rowland seemed genuinely invested in developing the careers of the ladies who later chose the name June's Diary for their group. Yet, in the last three years, June's Diary hasn't really done much and according to them, Rowland hasn't been around to help them. After LA Reid hastily exited Epic Records, the ladies were dropped from the label. That year they did release an EP titled All Of Us, but the project didn't make waves they way they'd hoped.

Rachel Murray/Getty Images

In a recent interview, June's Diary member Kristal was asked about the group's relationship with Rowland. “No [she's not involved]," the singer said. "She kinda wanted to take on a thing of her own. Kelly was trying to put out music prior and I think Chasing Destiny really gave her the confidence to just go out there and do it again, work on an album and work on her project. But, you know, it gave us wings, and we were like, 'Alright, Kelly’s not here, so we gotta figure this out.'"

Kristal said she and her groupmates expected much more help from Rowland. "It didn’t work out that way, but, I think it worked out for us with our creativity and our bonding and us figuring each other out and really having to gel together and get it together. So, even though we did want her to be more involved, we love her and wish her the best in whatever her endeavors are. We started with her. Without her, we wouldn’t be here. It’s literally like college. You send your kids off to college, you got to let them grow up and do their own thing. And we appreciate her.”


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

Comments 3
Page was generated in 1.4156849384308