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Kelly Price is back doing what she does best – singing. The former star of TV One’s hit reality show, R&B Divas, a show that threatened to derail her career, has a new release Sing Pray Love out on June 3.

The big-voiced singer known for classic songs like “Friend of Mine” and as the voice on some of hip-hop’s biggest hits, says the title of the new release reflects her state of mind these days.

“Singing praying and loving,” she says.

It’s also partially inspired by the book and movie Eat Pray Love written by Elizabeth Gilbert. In the book and movie, a woman sets out on a quest around the world to find greater meaning in life and in love. It turned out well for Gilbert. She found herself – and a husband – along the way.

Price has found herself again and says the woman on the reality show wasn’t who she really is.

“That woman is anybody with a good set of cameras and a wonderful set of editors. I don’t take that check anymore so I can say that. It was all me, I own everything I said and I did but I can’t account for when it was seen and how it was shown. It was out of order; it was out of context. Some things I got asked to do and it was shown another way.”

Price says the characterization of her as an adult mean girl wasn’t accurate but was exaggerated to meet the demand of reality TV. She specifically references the now infamous acting rehearsal that seemed to show her most negative side as something she says was taken out of context.

“The friend thing was an acting exercise. I was asked to do it. The Timberlands and the boots and the Vaseline was the most disturbing thing because there was never a weapon of any sort and I did say it that day. But when I said it, they forgot to let the rest of the sentence finish out.

“I was actually saying that I was going to bring a razor with me as the third prop. What you heard was Vaseline, Timberlands and a razor. That’s the stuff their lawyers gets pissed about and start sending letters to my lawyers saying that I’ve given away trade secrets. So….there’s still some things I can’t say because it happened when I was under contract and I’m bound through perpetuity.”

Price has no hard feelings about the overall experience because R&B Divas was never hers to direct in the first place. She was casted through show creators Nicci Gilbert, Faith Evans and Phil Thornton, a producer Price has known for years. But she says even their vision was compromised.

“My conversations with them were completely different and I was asked to be on the show for a completely different reason. But they’re not the filmmakers, per se. They’re not on the set every day. They’re not the ones who are editing. Those cameras are constantly rolling six days a week for 160 hours or more of footage cut down to 42 or 43 minutes. I think there was a plan.

“I think it could have been any one of us. It was tag, you’re it. In hindsight, it probably wasn’t me initially. There was a lot I didn’t agree with and I was very vocal about it and I probably rubbed some people the wrong way. They didn’t appreciate it and they probably said ‘She don’t mind saying what she feels’ so we’re going to let her say what she feels and make it look the way we want it to look. At the end of the day, it’s their thing but Sing Pray Love is my thing.”

Sing, Pray, Love Vol. 1. Track Listing

1. Sing Pray Love Interlude 2:06

2. It’s My Time 5:06

3. Back 2 Love 3:11 (Feat. Ruben Studdard)

4. The 14th 4:36

5. Think Again (Shep’s Sermon) 4:11

6. Last Night 4:16

7. Through the Fire 5:22

8. Neva Been Scared 3:18

9. Conversations with HER 3:19 (Feat. Algebra Blessett)

10. Our Love 4:02

11. Metamorphosis 5:38

(Photo: Rance Elgin)