‘We sing and play the songs our fans want to hear’ 

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: LEMISHA FIELDS AND KAMEELAH WILLIAMS 

Las Vegas is historically known as a destination for some of the world’s greatest entertainers, but only a select few artists who called the Silver State home have gone on to make a global impact. Among them is the R&B girl group 702, which emerged from Las Vegas in the 1990s and made a major mark on the music industry with hits such as “Get It Together,” “Where My Girls At?,” and “Steelo.” 

702’s journey began at the Las Vegas Academy, where LeMisha Fields and sisters Irish and Kameelah “Meelah” Williams attended high school. The group would go on to achieve national and international success, with their music climbing the charts and earning them a lasting place in R&B history. The Las Vegas Academy has also been home to other notable talents, including Ne-Yo. 

Now, 30 years after their debut, 702 is preparing an October return to Las Vegas to celebrate three decades of music, memories and a remarkable journey. To mark the occasion, Las Vegas Black Image sat down with LeMisha Fields and Kameelah Williams for a deep reflection on their journey in the music industry, the 702 legacy, and the heartbreaking loss of their group member and sister, Irish Grinstead. 

I guess we will start with, “Where My Girls At?” But seriously, where has 702 been? 

LeMisha: We’ve been around and traveling on the road. We know a lot of people don’t really see us a lot, and that is not by choice. It just happens that way. We go and perform wherever we are requested. We’ve been on tour with The Queens of R&B, which included Xscape and SWV. We also headlined with Total and Mya back in Summer 2024. And we also performed with D-Nice at Carnegie Hall. We lost Irish, sadly, in 2023 — but we have been working and trying to keep her honor and legacy alive. We’ve performed with Usher’s Lovers and Friends shows and performed on Tom Joyner’s cruises. We have come back to Vegas a few times, but not as much as we would like to be. That’s why we are coming home for the 30th anniversary celebration — because Vegas is our home. We are just so grateful we are still performing and singing some of our hits that the fans want to hear. 

Do you have new music to perform? 

Meelah: Well, our performances are centered around nostalgia. It’s very hard for us to get into the production studio for new music, but we are re-releasing our debut album, “No Doubt,” on vinyl in October 2026 on the Motown label. We choose a light baby blue color, like the Tiffany Box, for the vinyl album — if you recall, it is the same color on the “Get it Together,” cassette jacket. 

Tell me about the 30th anniversary celebration that will take place in Las Vegas? 

LeMisha: Well, management is trying to keep it a secret from us. It’s a surprise for us. We think it’s beautiful that our team and Craig Knight are spearheading everything for us. Details will be coming up, and we will be sure to share as all the activities are released. It’s a little bit of a celebration and a homecoming for us. It will be a whole 702 meet-and-greet and celebration. 

I believe 702 is the first all-girl R&B group out of Las Vegas. How did all of it happen? 

Meelah: Our first featured record was “This Little Game We Played” [with Subway]. It was the first time anyone laid eyes on 702. We were signed to [New Edition member] Michael Bivins’ label after meeting him at a Jack the Rapper Conference in Atlanta. 

Is it true that when you sign with a record label you receive a lot of money? 

Meelah: Oh no! We still had to live where we lived (laughs). And do what we were doing. The glamour life of being in the music industry is a misconception. People don’t realize that it takes time to gain the financial momentum and to be considered a celebrity. There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. This isn’t to say we are not doing okay financially because there is usually a financial signing bonus — not as much as people think it is. And remember: we signed on with a record deal in the ‘90s so it really wasn’t a whole lot of money back then. Also, we were only teenagers at the time we signed on, and we didn’t ask a lot of questions. 

Do you see many other R&B girl groups coming out today? 

LeMisha: Not really. There are a few, but they don’t seem to last, unfortunately — sometimes from overseas and multicultural to appeal to the masses. Kandi Burruss from Xscape always tries to put new talent out there. But unfortunately, it’s a hit or miss. They come out strong, then they just disappear. 

Did Michael Bivins write and produce your songs, and do you all own the masters to some of your hit records? 

Meelah: No, we don’t own our masters to our hit songs, but it is something we are looking into because I think by law we are able to do so. Michael Bivins was the president of his label that was a subsidiary of Motown. But we had the pleasure of working with Missy Elliotte on a lot of our songs from the first and second album. She wrote “Steelo,” and “Where My Girls At.” We had an opportunity to work with Pharrell Williams. 

How would you describe 702 from the 1990s compared to 702 of today? 

Meelah: We only perform our hit records from the 1990s today. We sing and play the songs our fans want to hear. When we were just getting started in the music industry, we were teenagers and now we are grown women, mothers and wives. We are more like family now, and we have grown so close since the passing of Irish. We are different people because we experienced that loss. 

What would you like people to know about Irish? 

LeMisha: Irish was a beautiful person — inside and out — with a sweet spirit. She never had an enemy and could talk to anyone. We would travel all over and she would always make a new friend. She was a great dancer and choreographer, and would always come to the group with new moves. She was so humble and warm. She would laugh, be silly and joke all the time. Our three-part harmony was enhanced by how she held down the bottom notes in the songs. We miss our sister, but we never forget her. 

Where do you see yourselves in the future? 

LeMisha: Our dream is to do a Las Vegas residency and come back home. That is something we will investigate for the future. Maybe we will add some other R&B girl groups to the production and have a wonderful nostalgic show.