Playgirl Interview: Hip Hop Writer, Radio Host, Manager

This is A.D. The General reporting again for BirthplaceMag.com. It is Feb 14, 2009. (I know, who works on Valentines Day? lol) Today, I caught up with one of the hardest working women involved in New York hip hop. I hope you enjoy and make sure to contact Playgirl to increase your network.

N.A.B.: First of all, I want to make sure I have my facts together. You are Puerto Rican & you were born in Brooklyn, NY. Correct?

PLAYGIRL: Yes, 100 % Boricua. I was born in Downtown Brooklyn.

N.A.B.: Playgirl, where did you get the nickname?

PLAYGIRL: I got my nickname seven years ago on the VH1 Hip Hop Honors Red Carpet. I was with the group Furious 5, Ice T. & Coco. I was wearing a belt with the playgirl bunny symbol courtesy of my friend Kendra who worked at Playboy. The announcer on the red carpet asked who I was & Ice T. said “Playgirl”. So, I’ve been Playgirl ever since.

N.A.B.: How did you start in the music biz?

PLAYGIRL: My sister is the first Puerto Rican Female Hip Hop artist. She was the original Real Roxanne. I was eleven years old at the time. I started back up dancing and eventually battling. Because of my sister, I’ve met so many people in the music business. I have continued to build behind the scenes, network & most importantly, I’ve kept all my contacts.

N.A.B.: You are a woman of influence in the music biz. You write for Rap Fanatic magazine, host your radio show called Mic Chec 69 on www.dtfradio.com every week, and you manage several signed & unsigned artists in the game. How do you balance your time?

PLAYGIRL: You know what? I’m going to be real with you. I’m a very organized person and a time freak. I like to be on time wherever I go. In third grade I received my first accolade for being on time and having perfect attendance. I think it’s all based on time schedules and keeping to them. I have a few assistants that run my Myspace, Facebook and Twitter accounts, because I really don’t have time, but I’ve managed to balance my management responsibilities, radio show, TV show and live appearances. I’m on point with that. I separate everything I do so that it works for me.

N.A.B.: How do you view the state of hip hop in 2010?

PLAYGIRL: Well, as far as the unsigned artists in 2010, I know and love many of them. I think if the unsigned artists can start to create more innovative music, we’ll start to see them get signed. I recently had a meeting with several A&R’s in the music biz. The conversation was all about unsigned & independent artists and how artists end up messing up their buzz before they reap the benefits. They put artists that might not have as much of a buzz on their remixes and do collaborations and then the feature ends up getting the deal instead. Artists should work on their sound & buzz before worrying about anyone else. You might need to start to charge them because you may end up putting them on. I suggest that artists become more business minded.

N.A.B.: Do you have advice for other women in Hip Hop that would like to pursue a career like yours?

PLAYGIRL: Stay focused and love yourself. Don’t ever let anyone disrespect you in this game. We have as much power as men. A lot of women feel like they have to do certain things to get ahead. If you have your side of the game on lock, there’s no one that can step on you.

N.A.B.: I’ve seen you in several music videos. Is that also something else you plan to pursue?

PLAYGIRL: No I’m not a video vixen. I just like to support the artists I deal with.

N.A.B.: The field you’re in is normally overpowered by the male influence. How have you managed to become a relevant force in the biz?

PLAYGIRL: I’m the female version of Hue Hefner (laughing). I have one of the biggest armies of men. I’m a loyal female. I grew up with most of the people in my camp, so we are like family. That makes it easy for me.

N.A.B.: Are you currently working on any projects?

PLAYGIRL: Hmm… I can’t really speak about it at the moment. But I promise you’ll be the first to know.

N.A.B.: Any shoutouts or last words to the BirthplaceMag.com readers?

PLAYGIRL: Shoutout to everybody that reads Birthplace Magazine. And A.D., you are one of the few females respected in the game. You work extremely hard and I respect and love you, so shouts to you A.D. The General & N.A.B.

Check out Playgirl at www.myspace.com/playgirlmc69 and www.ovntv.com (channel 69)

By A.D. The General, Ms Fefe (N.A.B) & Mschiff Tiff (N.A.B)