Behind the Facade: The Dark Reality of Music Industry Success - Lady Luck

When 17-year-old Lady Luck stepped into the Def Jam offices after freestyling on Hot 97's morning show, she had no idea of the complex journey ahead. From a $500,000 record deal to industry-created personas, her story reveals the stark realities behind the glamour of hip-hop stardom.

Growing up in Englewood, New Jersey gave Lady Luck a rich cultural foundation despite modest means. As the niece of Sylvia Robinson—founder of Sugar Hill Records and the visionary who brought "Rapper's Delight" to the world—she was uniquely positioned at the intersection of hip-hop history and its burgeoning commercial future. Her mother, responsible for promoting rap's first commercial hit, helped write her first rhymes at just five years old. By her teens, Lady Luck was battling older kids at local pools and barbecues, constantly pushing herself to improve her craft.

The rawness of our conversation reveals painful truths about authenticity in the industry. Despite having no criminal background or street involvement, Lady Luck found herself pressured to adopt a harder image and rap about experiences foreign to her middle-class upbringing. "I didn't rap about killing people or selling drugs because I didn't sell drugs," she explains, describing how she became the character the industry created for her. This manufactured image, paired with management struggles and industry politics, complicated her relationship with her art and career trajectory.

Perhaps most compelling is Lady Luck's perspective on success and materialism. After years of financial struggle watching peers succeed, she admits blowing a substantial check on luxury items—a decision she now regrets. Her candid reflections on the emptiness of material wealth and the darker aspects of entertainment offer a sobering look at what's sacrificed in pursuit of fame. As she puts it, "You name one child who survived this shit," highlighting the toll the industry takes on young artists.

Today, Lady Luck channels these experiences into her book "Quiet as Kept" and continues creating music on her own terms. Her story isn't just about what could have been, but about reclaiming narrative power and finding authentic expression beyond industry constraints. Check out her book at thegr

Chapters

• 0:00 Meeting Lady Luck
• 4:23 Growing Up in Jersey's Rich Culture
• 9:30 Early Hip-Hop Influences and First Raps
• 16:30 Signing to Def Jam at Seventeen
• 25:20 Symphony 2000 and Industry Collaborations
• 33:10 Industry Created Characters and Image
• 42:10 The Dark Side of Entertainment
• 53:08 Quiet as Kept: The Book

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:14

that was tight right yeah, that was nice, no doubt peace world how you doing.

Speaker 1: 0:20

it's your brother, mikey fever. Another episode of NYP Talk Show, as you can see, who we got on the screen right now doesn't need any introduction. You know what I'm saying. One of Jersey's finest Dope MC there we go. She goes by the name she God also. You know, so we got her here. Know, so we got it here tonight. Man the one and only Lady Luck. Right now we just rock before we jump into the interview. Let that beat rock. Mommy 05G. Do you remember I could take you back way?

Speaker 2: 1:03

back, alright.

Speaker 1: 1:08

Yeah, alright, yeah, we're going to fade this one out. Alright, we got Lady Luck in the building. Peace.

Speaker 2: 1:19

Yo.

Speaker 1: 1:23

How you feeling beloved. How long you got I signed up for a therapist.

Speaker 2: 1:33

I got therapy on Wednesdays. You know I'm saying can you smoke on this show?

Speaker 1: 1:39

oh no not on camera, all right, cool, definitely we can get the broccoli later. So definitely trust me yo, mental health is important for those you know when they get to see this show you see how important mental health is. Do not hold that stigma that we have towards mental health. Your psyche is all you have.

Speaker 2: 2:01

Without that, you are lost out here tell me about it, I could tell you people. I could talk to you people for hours about that. What was good, mikey?

Speaker 1: 2:10

I'm good. I'm good man. I read the book.

Speaker 2: 2:12

Hey, hey you know I know you had a conversation about it. You was trying to guess who's who and I said, no, brother, Don't make them people you telling me. Yeah, I know, we brother don't make them people you're telling me yeah I know we don't want that. Knock at the door, black fedex. I said, nah that ain't?

Speaker 1: 2:32

I said damn he good. Well, you know, let's keep it, let's keep, you know, the suspense going. You know, if you guys want to go read that book, you go out there, you go on to.

Speaker 2: 2:39

Ladies luck well in case you don't know what book he's talking about. I got a new book out. It's my first book quietest campus, the story of three girls from Jersey entering to the music industry. They follow in their dreams and have no idea how much of a nightmare that is. It takes place in the late 90s, early 2000s and it is exclusively on my website, thegreatestmediacom. Everything's spelled properly.

Speaker 1: 3:04

Yes, and I'll drop you a copy. Yeah, man, you'll be like wow when you read that book. I'm like what?

Speaker 2: 3:13

But you know, it's so much that I missed because it's so much that I didn't get into in that book there's so much more, there's so many more layers that I I didn't, I didn't touch on and I realized that, you know, in the spirit of Harlem Pulse there's so much I didn't touch on. So in the second version or I've been drinking and in the next series, the next volume of the book, we definitely have to expand on a lot of the things that that goes on, cause there's so many layers to it. You know, you think that you have talent, you come in, you perform and you're going to blow up. Yeah, that's 10% of it, you know. Yeah, and I don't think I've I touched on a lot of the other things, the sacrifices, all that other shit. So there's a lot of the other things, the sacrifices, all that other shit. So there's a lot of stuff we're gonna get into in the next one definitely that's what it's called the industries.

Speaker 1: 4:10

It's what 80 music, 10 talent I mean 20 talent, so yeah so so, definitely so. Let's jump into the first question what was your childhood like, growing up in Jersey?

Speaker 2: 4:26

Wow, we weren't rich. We weren't rich by any means, but me as an adult, I realized that I was rich in experience and I'm rich. I'm so wealthy in culture. So my dad I'm just meeting a lot, lot of his family, like literally today, and stuff like that. My dad was one of them gangsters. My dad was a Frank Lucas. My dad was a. He wasn't a number runner, he owned the number spot and I just met so many real men just being small around him. I didn't grow up with my dad, but I spent time with my dad and him just knowing so many of the gangsters. And then my mom, her being from Harlem and me being brought up with a lot of the gangsters that she knew and came in contact with.

Speaker 2: 5:15

And I'm not glorifying that lifestyle of selling drugs and things of that nature, but that that era also came with people who are cut from a different cloth. I'm rich in culture because, even though my aunt she didn't do shit for me, just being able to be around Sylvia Robinson and have the access that I did is unthinkable. It's the first lady and out there with the Rolls Royce and stuff the things that some people might take for granted, like me just being around during the Sugar Hill era and I was a baby and then me being around like my cousin Leland threw a big ass barbecue. He used to have everybody come out. I seen Missy Elliott before she was Missy Elliott. I seen Ginuwine when he was calling him Elgin. I met. I have so much history with me and so much culture with me that I was able to see and experience from as a child. I went to the studio to see Bryce when I was younger but he was rocking with Groove Theory and they had a group called Pete and Repeat two twins. They were cute as hell. You know what I'm saying. I was able to just be around and see so much. You know what I mean.

Speaker 2: 6:34

So growing up in Jersey, where I'm, at Englewood, new Jersey, like Eddie F just followed me on Facebook and I'm like, wow, that's so crazy. Because me, as a shorty, I remember when Heavy D and the boys came and shut down Palisade Avenue in Englewood, all Heavy D had to do was stand there and they did, I guess with the Pathfinders or whatever car they had, and everybody went crazy. So me I'm just rich in those type of things. You know, eddie Murphy, living up the street is Bubble Hill, you know it's. It's all of these things that so many people did not get to experience. You know me. So in my area, in my, in my bubble, you know and and and my uh melting pot, and in Bergen County, teaneck, new Jersey, inglewood, new Jersey, you just you don't see the color line. Nowadays, racism exists, but where I'm from, we were all the same, we just had different meals at night.

Speaker 1: 7:37

Got you. Trust me, I understand. And when you say Sylvia Robinson, can you break it down for the listeners and viewers who she, who?

Speaker 2: 7:46

Sylvia Robinson is. My aunt is Sylvia Robinson. She started off with Mickey and Sylvia. So if you're familiar with the movie Dirty Dancing, this is where most people know the song. But baby, when they upstairs dancing, my sweet baby, that's when my aunt Sylvia was young. Then my aunt had a breakout hit. She wrote with Tina and Ike. She did so much and then her breakout hit was Pillow Talk. She had wrote that for Al Green, I believe, or Teddy Pendergrass I was a shorty, I don't know. I believe it was Al Green. He didn't take it. Aunt Sylvia did Pillow Talk, her biggest record. And then after that my aunt and my uncle, Joe Robinson, founded Sugar Hill Records and they had the Sugar Hill Gang, which is the first rap record. You ask me, it's the biggest rap record because them niggas is 90 years old, still talking about hip-hop.

Speaker 2: 8:41

Yeah, that's what I grew up in, man, I'm more than thankful and so rich for that.

Speaker 1: 8:48

Nice exposure and insight. That's dope right there. So who were your earliest musical influences in hip hop, outside of all that?

Speaker 2: 8:57

Right, because they didn't influence me. I didn't want to rap like the Sugarhill Gang, right, I would say I spoke, spoke to him to uh audio, to you know, um, milk is chilling his most ill, like. That's the first record that made me want to write. I was listening to wbls and um, what was it?

Speaker 1: 9:16

kiss, it took it back wdls no, no, no, no.

Speaker 2: 9:19

You know what it wasn't. Bls, it was, uh, 98.7, kiss fm. Yeah, it's fm. That's when they was fire with the rap music and was on and he played that one night. I was a shorty, shorty, I'm four or five years old and it was crazy to me. And then my mom came home because my mom promoted rappers delight, so a lot of y'all who eat, and my aunt sylvia had the, had the. My aunt sylvia was the plug. My mom was the one who delivered. So my mom went to every radio station and convinced them to play this new genre of music that's hot in the streets and I got to get the movie done. She's not with us, no more. We talked about it so much and we worked on it, but my mom is part of the reason a lot of y'all eating you know. So that that is my mom, yeah mom.

Speaker 1: 10:11

Salute to mom.

Speaker 2: 10:12

Moment of silence for mom so then, um then you, of course you got your mc lights. Your, your moni loves your salt and peppers. Your lady of rage, your rod, you know's. You know what I mean. Shout out. Rest in peace to Miss Melody. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1: 10:29

Oh man.

Speaker 2: 10:30

Yeah, yeah, like you know, if you're going to speak about the people who encouraged and influenced me, you know, it's just so many of them that I looked up to, you know.

Speaker 1: 10:42

Miss Melody. One thing about Miss Melody yo. She was super fly, Like the way she her outfits yo.

Speaker 2: 10:51

Yeah, she shouting out God or self-destruction. You know what I'm saying. So of course we can't have a record like that nowadays, because self-destruction sells, but um.

Speaker 1: 10:59

Mmm bars, Bars, bars. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2: 11:06

I bars, bars, bars. You know what I'm saying. I might, I might, I might, I might put up self-destruction on my, on my, on my page tonight, like this is where we came from, this is where we was, and now you got this pregnant puerto rican out here, man yo you know what?

Speaker 1: 11:18

let me say anyway, all right, yo, I got a question for you, another one right. When did you first realize you could rap competitively? When did you get what really got you?

Speaker 2: 11:31

I don't know when I recognized it, I just always felt like I had to prove myself. So I was always rapping at the barbecues, you know, I was always grabbing the microphone. You know, everywhere I went, I was always grabbing the microphone, you know, everywhere I went, and I just always felt like I had something to prove. So I always had to be competitive. So I don't know when exactly, it was Like I wasn't a battle rapper. I was a rapper who battled, you know, and I just happened to fall into that category, not on purpose, you know what I mean. So I just always had had to.

Speaker 1: 12:07

I'm a light-skinned little girl, so I gotta rap everywhere, you know so the question, like I like to know, is like when did you, what day? How did you feel when you first wrote your first 16? Like what you know? What influenced you to be like you know, one day I'm gonna pin a quick 16 and from there I'm gonna keep going like what motivated you?

Speaker 2: 12:25

I don't remember, honestly. My mother wrote my first rap because, like I said, I had listened to audio too. I'm listening late night. You know, my mom home after promoting rap music all night, you know, come home and I had this manila folder and I had cat rat bat. You know I had all the rhymes that I want to rap. And I had cat rat bat. You know I had all the rhymes, ma, I want to rap. And you know I said Ma, I want to rap. And she wrote me out this rap and I was five. So I said that rap for at least a good three years and then I remember my cousin telling me okay, we're getting tired of that rap.

Speaker 2: 13:07

My cousin, janoa, said we need to do something else. So I just remember us writing and we had the Teddy Rupskin doll, you know, and we had the little computer so you could sample yourself and make you know. So we was creative kids. So I don't remember like my first dope rhyme. I just remember always going better. I could remember more bad shit than good. I remember being at the pool and I'm rapping with all the older kids I'm talking about these guys that's 16, 17. I'm 9, 10. And they like shitting on me like nah, shorty, you got to get better. It got boring at the end, all of this stuff. So I just remember everybody in my neighborhood trying to enforce me to get better at it. I don't, I don't remember when I wrote like that first rhyme, like yeah, this is it. I just yeah, I just know. Like I just always, you know so all right, cook um.

Speaker 1: 14:03

How like what's your background like nationally? You know ethnic we, we know we could present um how like what's your background like nationally? You know ethnic we, we know we could present as black, but what's your background like?

Speaker 2: 14:09

yeah, I think I think black. You know, I think I think black. Yeah, my daddy black. They from north carolina I'm. My ancestors is from saint thomas. You know, um, I'm black, I'm just light as hell I hate it.

Speaker 1: 14:25

I respect that nothing else happening.

Speaker 2: 14:27

I ain't mixed or any of that. I'm a human being first, you know, and so.

Speaker 1: 14:34

So when did you start, like you know, um, you know, everybody starts rapping a certain age, like when you know you started from five. When did you decide to really start taking it serious, like was it, was it during your preteens or that's it Preteens that was?

Speaker 2: 14:47

it. Five that was it, that was it. I'm going all the way. That was it, that's it. And then the crazy part is that you got to be careful what you pray for, because all I prayed for was a record deal. Oh okay. God, give me a record deal. Give me a record deal and that's what I got. You know, I didn't pray, God, let me be the most successful person ever, Let me get the most. You know, I prayed for what I got.

Speaker 1: 15:11

All right. So how did you? How did you, how did you go? How did you obtain a record deal Like did you cut a demo? You started recording.

Speaker 2: 15:20

That's the funny part. So I had a demo. I had, um, everything adds up so, um, I had wrapped at the um, was it before that? No, it was before that. So I had a talent show. I used to go around the talent shows and and perform. So I'm out there selling tickets because you gotta sell tickets.

Speaker 2: 15:42

And I met this one guy and, um, because before that I was recording in school, I would take one cassette tape and the other one I hit record and I rap over it and I take that back and put it there and then record over the next tape so I could do ad libs and shit like that. I still got them. I just bought a Walkman off Amazon, you know. But I met this guy, bobby Kennedy. He don't fuck with me to this day but shout out to Bobby and Bobby gave me a shot and he had us recording. That was the first time, like I had other people I've been in the studio before but Bobby was the one who really helped me, you know, like really hone in on my talent and yeah. So he had a demo. He was shopping the demo everywhere. That's how I met so many artists prior to me getting record deal. But the thing was, I had rapped on hot 97 and I had set you up on fire, and then, yeah, yeah, that's how I got right there what was it?

Speaker 1: 16:40

who um which show which dj at the time?

Speaker 2: 16:42

so I had called in to the morning show. So at that time it was Ed Lover, steph Lover and DJ Enough on the radio.

Speaker 1: 16:50

Oh word, All right.

Speaker 2: 16:51

I had rapped and I had rapped five days in a row and they said the prize for winning was you come up to. I called in and Skeletor answered the phone. He said you a girl? I said yeah, so then that's how I even got on, yeah, and then, um, I just was killing everybody and then by wednesday I knew I was going to win the rest of the week. They was 16 and my mother, like what you're doing? Get ready for school.

Speaker 2: 17:15

and so uh, I never even listened to that show, I just heard a voice say call that cola station. So um andll was the one who chose where we went. I went up to the radio station and I was rapping. I didn't get the reaction I wanted, so I did another rap. Then the phone started ringing up. Ed was on the phone. The red phone, hot 97 had a red phone where all the special people called. He decided to take us over to Def Jam, but it was a lot of people who called too.

Speaker 1: 17:48

That's peace. That's peace right there. Shout out to Ed Lover. So you was early in the morning up early like 6 am spitting bars.

Speaker 2: 17:54

Nah, it was like 7-something man. Ah, don't do me like that man, no coffee, no breakfast.

Speaker 1: 18:01

Let me just get on here and spit these bars.

Speaker 2: 18:03

I didn't drink coffee at 16.

Speaker 1: 18:06

I was. I was drinking that Bustado like crazy.

Speaker 2: 18:10

Nah, I wasn't drinking any coffee.

Speaker 1: 18:12

So that's what's up. You remember what beat you were spitting on? It was just any beat they threw on.

Speaker 2: 18:18

Wow, I think it was any beat that they put on and that's fire because you could rap on beat over the phone. You know what I mean. Like think about it. You put on a beat, right now I rap. It's going to sound off because of the delay.

Speaker 1: 18:32

The delay? Yeah, definitely yes.

Speaker 2: 18:33

Well, just thinking about that, technology is amazing. But yeah, no, I don't remember the beats. I probably could find the tape somewhere. I hopefully still got it.

Speaker 1: 18:45

That's dope Somebody got it, somebody got it. So you went up there. I mean you torched it. They invited you to come up to the station and you said LL said get you a deal.

Speaker 2: 18:55

No, we was at the radio station and I just started rapping on air and certain people, you know, uh, was calling in, but I don't know, like I felt the room, I read the room, like I didn't like the reaction I had, so I rapped again and then that's when the red line. He was saying nope, nope, we on our way. And varick was right across the street from where hot 97 was at that time, me, my parents, all us, we was walking distance, that's dope.

Speaker 1: 19:26

So you're like 16 years old, 17. 17. You're hearing this record label's interesting to you. What feeling did you get at that time, like what went through your mind at that moment.

Speaker 2: 19:38

So I'm a Foxy Brown fan. I'm Foxy Brown, so the prize for winning was supposed to be Foxy's album. So you take me over across the street. They telling me they giving me a record deal. They promising me the world and I'm like y'all still going to give me Foxy album. They like what? So I got a copy of Foxy's. China mean, I was a huge Foxy Brown fan. A lot of it happened so fast and so quick. I mean really you ain't realize the shit was going on until it was over. You know what I mean. It was just like you just always knew that you was going to be here and establish this and accomplish this. So you know what I mean, you just follow this. So you know what I mean, you just follow it. So it was surreal a lot of the times. Like I'm on Def Jam when Jay-Z's doing Hard Knock. Life Like this is crazy.

Speaker 1: 20:35

I'm on the Hard Knock Life soundtrack.

Speaker 2: 20:37

You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is nothing like outside of being an artist and the disappointments or the accomplishments you make being a fan or being somebody who dreams of this. This is astronomical, you know? Oh my God, is that Jay-Z? You know what I mean? Oh my God, what is it? Redman and Metamaker? You want me to show you know what I mean. So a lot of it was amazing. Even today, it blows my mind that Lady of Rage is the homie that's dope.

Speaker 2: 21:13

Rage bought the hard copy of my book. You know what I mean? I pray with Lady of Rage and that's the homie, but it's like my nigga.

Speaker 1: 21:24

you know who you are, yeah I know, I know, because, because I, because you know you said you said 17, so at that time close within the range, age range. So I know that feeling is like that's all we knew, like in high school. Source magazine was a double excel. So you've seen the posters, you're watching the shows, hard knock life movies, like. I'm actually seeing the people from the movie, like how kanye said it on that track, but I ended up the keys to the rock track, the last call song. He said yo, I'm, I'm in a room with, like my fans, idols, whatsoever. So I know the feeling going through your body, especially at a teen, at a young age like that, going to school.

Speaker 2: 21:56

Even even even to this day, like yeah, like I could tell you about being a teenage and all that, but to this day like ill and out of scratch. Out of scratch. Just brought the hardcover in my book what, what, where the home is when the home is.

Speaker 2: 22:17

Where the home is what, what you know what I'm saying and it's like you know, like I'm a fan. First, I love hip hop. So, regardless of where my career went or did it like, just to you know, I think it was Beanie who said, like you, shoot for the moon and even if you miss, you still land amongst those stars, right? So there's certain, there's certain things I wanted to accomplish in my career that have not been done. I mean, let's keep it real, but as a fan, nicki Minaj shouted me out on her album, nigga, you know what I'm saying. So, just as a fan, when it's all said and done, because I have a value of money, but I don't value money as most people do, let me tell you something. Let me tell you something real quick. So I was dead pop for years. I'm talking about I'm dead pop for years, right? And I got a check, a nice fucking check, and I tore Neiman Marcus ass up. I tore Sax Fifth's ass up. I'm doing shopping sprees on Instagram Because, mind you, nigga, I've been broke for 20 years. You know what I'm saying. And I had to watch all my peers succeed me. I watched everybody do their thing. So when I got a bag, fuck y'all Dumbest shit I could have ever did. Bro, I won't respond to that Dumbest shit I could have ever did. Bro, I won't respond to that Dumbest shit I could have ever did I'm talking about.

Speaker 2: 23:56

I got $1,800 Alexander McQueen hoodie and it's fading and I hit them up. I got an air pick. I mean a water pick, right, so if my teeth can't clean, I can't live it broke. I emailed them. They sent me another one Shit. It was $8, $45, whatever. I hate Alexander McQueen. Yo, my hoodie is fading. Don't call us again. You know how much of your shit I got.

Speaker 2: 24:23

So now I feel stupid because now I look at investments, I could have made things that I could have did. You know what I'm saying. So it's like I had to learn. I had to learn because I only did it because I was dead pop for so long and I just wanted to be here with the crowd. I got so much shit. I got Givenchy shit that look worse than my Nike suit. Like the uniform Nike suit. Everybody wear the Air Tech or whatever that. You can wear that every day of the year. You can wash that every day of the year. You can wash it every day. It's gonna be good, pristine. Iron it that giovanni, shit, I bought garbage. You know what I'm saying. So it's it's a lot I learned. I've been drinking, so I don't even know how I got here, but no, no, but I get what you're saying.

Speaker 1: 25:02

You're basically showing it's the quality of a quantity, basically in life it like certain experiences will humble you, so like we'll humble you in a sense like because we as you mentioned not, but you know, trust me honestly, where you're coming from, because in life, you know, we feel like we missed out on so much at a moment that I feel like I did because because, like, oh man, um, I hate that.

Speaker 2: 25:28

Supposed to be shit, you know, and I respect it too at the same time, because it be coming from love, like luck you was supposed to be this or luck you was supposed to win this, and I know it's coming from a place of love. Nobody want to hear that shit, my nigga. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1: 25:51

I know when you're going through it. You don't want to.

Speaker 2: 25:54

Right, right, and it's a double-edged sword, because this person really feels this way about you, but at the same time, you know why shit is where it is. You know what I'm saying. So if only you could say do you know what they did? Or do you know what I'm saying? So if only you could say do you know what they did? Or do you know what I didn't want to do? You know what I'm saying? So that's, that's the ego gets in the way.

Speaker 1: 26:19

Sometimes, though, because you know there's something called foolish pride, and I suffer from that, especially as a sagittarius, I go through it.

Speaker 2: 26:25

I'm like, oh don't talk about us like that oh, you're sagittarius, you see I'm december 7th oh well, 16th so I might say you, you better not be one of the november ones oh no, it's not crazy, it's um see, see, a lot of people would think that again, that you, you, you have a talent, you go perform, you do your best, you put out a dope album, superstardom, and that's what they show you.

Speaker 2: 26:56

But there's so much darkness Like no Vultures, no, it's not even vultures. Forget about my story. Forget about my story, forget about what I'll tell you. Right, because I can sit here and tell you anything. Oh, this happened to me. This happened to me. Maya, the other day, talked about when she was 17 years old and an executive sexually assaulted her and she had to go learn karate. Go watch Aaliyah's story. She's 16, 17 years old and all of these things is happening to her. Everybody can say what they want. I love Foxy Brown, but she was 17 years old telling me she had an ill nana. You understand what I'm saying? Don't listen to me. Just look at the culture and how sick it is. It's not about your talent or your music at all, baby.

Speaker 1: 27:49

You got a.

Speaker 2: 27:50

Puerto Rican with four kids and then a different look before we get to that.

Speaker 1: 27:56

Look, you're right man. That's why I shouldn't be drinking. I wouldn't and I stopped drinking too, you know I did, but you know, I know I know, but I know you told me earlier, you told me earlier. But let's get to the. You know we'll build on that app, you know off camera but is she even puerto rican?

Speaker 2: 28:11

or is she dominic? Am I? Am I being racist?

Speaker 1: 28:13

no look all right all right, let's talk, correct let me say she followed me too, but we got all right let's talk about all right. You got your deal 17 years old. They took it into the building. You know not gonna ask for the numbers, but how you? How did you feel about your deal? Half 17 years old. They took it to the building. You know not going to ask for the numbers, but how did you feel about your deal?

Speaker 2: 28:34

I had a half a million dollar deal, half a million dollar deal. I rapped because it was going to be a bidding war, because during that week I had went to Bad Boy twice. I rapped for Puff and it was other record labels I went to. And then we settled at Def Jam and they turned us out. They was sending fruit baskets to the crib, they was sending jackets and car service after school. Lio Cohen called my house. I went to rap for Puff because first I rapped for Hoff Pierre and then a couple days later I rapped for Puff. Shit was so crazy. Let me rewind.

Speaker 2: 29:16

I'm 16 years old and I used to sellj ap mixtapes for ten dollars, right, and I would take five or or whatever. And this particular day I went into the barbershop trying to make a couple extra dollars. This goddamn hakeem like yo. Sure they like let me hear you rap. So I spit a rap. He's like yo, you rapping about all this stuff. That ain't happened. He said you talking about champagne, buy me a bottle of champagne. So I went next door to the liquor store and I feel like a piece of shit because I forgot my man's name. Right now I know his face. His face is right here. I'm bad with names. I get it from my mother, so I names. I get it from my mother, so I buy a bottle of Moet. I'm like $10 short, $15 short. He give it to me. He say, go get him shorty. He open the bottle, show me how to pop it, and all that. So I'm at the number one barbershop in Bergen County and I go pop the bottle. Everybody went crazy, they running out. But, mind you, even my man, johnny, to to this day, is over in Paris right now cutting Pharrell's hair. Like my man, johnny, like the people in this barbershop is not regular barbers, they cut everybody's hair.

Speaker 2: 30:17

So at this time my boys and them was taking me everywhere, like I ain't even going to hold you. They took me to Tito Puente and I was playing basketball with Fat Joe, you know. They took me everywhere. But Naomo took me to Lil' Kim house and I was rapping for Lil' Season on my 17th birthday. I had Coogee I stole from my cousin Scoochie. So it started from then. And so that December, mind you, we sat serious. So that December I'm running with Kim and them, but they not calling me enough, they not, you know, they picked me up like two, three times. So then, when January hit. I'm rapping on the radio Now little Kim and them is circling back Right. But like y'all live in the mansion, y'all, whole team live in the mansion in Alpine, like all of y'all. Like C's D rock everybody. Like I can't move my in there, you know so. It was at one point where I had little kim and foxy brown leaving messages on my answer machine. So I go rap for you yo, that's brother I.

Speaker 2: 31:18

So I rapped for harvey pierre and and bristow rip was in the studio so he told him I was there. So now kim calling me like yo look, I heard you with puff. And then at the same time we have already went to def jam. So when I rapped for puff, then leo cohen called the next day like yo, you don't like bad boy? They sent car service for me and my whole family took us to mr child, we on welfare shit.

Speaker 1: 31:40

I'm with you, sir yo, you too much, man. Yo to me I don't know if the people have told you this you like in me of a female version of red man, just Just that rawness Shout out Doc. Have you heard that?

Speaker 2: 31:56

Nope, but make sure y'all go check that Money. Borders 2. It's out in stores right now. I don't even know if they say that anymore. I'm mad old school. Out in stores.

Speaker 1: 32:09

Don't feel bad. I'll be saying that to you Money Borders.

Speaker 2: 32:13

Now don't. Don't feel bad. You're thinking I'll be saying that out right now. I'm on the track, light it up me. And all the jersey legends shout out to queen latifah, always showing me so much love. Naughty by nature, oh my god, I love him. Rock so much. Um, shaquille o'neal is on there. Nicky d, my mentor, my big sis. Um, lords of the underground shout out my man do. Everybody's on there the b, you know. So make sure y'all go, y'all stream that. Burn that up. I got like two to five percent.

Speaker 2: 32:37

There's a lot of people on record.

Speaker 1: 32:42

What you drinking on love. I had a little tequila man.

Speaker 2: 32:47

I tried to stop smoking, stop drinking. I did it, you know, but today is just one of them days.

Speaker 1: 32:54

Trust me, I know what you mentioned. So let's get into. You got your budget, you did your deal. There's a bit in war. Did you ever get those Def Jam jackets? Did they send you a Def Jam jacket? I got one downstairs.

Speaker 2: 33:08

I got it downstairs. I got it downstairs. That's so crazy, my girl, when I was moving from Jersey she doing mad funny videos wearing it because it's mad big, because Lady Luck used to be mad big. But yeah, I had the death jam jacket. Miff Bleak was bitching about Miff Bleak and the one that said Dame Dashiell, I got one of them joints and I had the other joint too. I had the Varsity joint. I don't know what happened to that, Like I lost a lot of shit, but yeah.

Speaker 1: 33:39

So let's take it to Symphony 2000. When I first heard that track, epmd- it was. Epmd Redman Method man featuring Lady Luck.

Speaker 2: 33:49

That's weird.

Speaker 1: 33:51

Yeah, I remember what went through your mind when they called you to do that track, like, how was that session?

Speaker 2: 33:57

Well, you got to understand the setup. So Eric Sermon, no, redman heard me on the radio that morning and Redman called Eric, and then Eric called Kevin and then or whoever they called, and then that's how the whole Def Jam thing happened. So me getting on EPMD joint was only right. It was on, it was only right because they they the ones who set it up, you know. So they put me with them you know what is going on.

Speaker 1: 34:29

I see your light. Yeah, I thought the same thing happened.

Speaker 2: 34:33

That was. I got a lot going on. So see how I said one name. You saw that I said a name.

Speaker 1: 34:44

Don't be having nobody knock on my door.

Speaker 2: 34:46

Now you know why I ain't been doing these. It was like I said Candyman or some shit.

Speaker 1: 34:56

So that track happened right. I want to know, like, how was the session? Who came up with the beat?

Speaker 2: 35:02

That was a sermon. They already had it done. So what happened was Excuse me y'all. So what happened was the reason why you hear mop right before me. It was.

Speaker 1: 35:15

It was like the tupac record you know about, um yeah, the got my mind made up yeah, yeah, you know I like, okay it was. It was a tupac song got my mind made up, but it's supposed to be. I had um inspector deck on there but tupac took off. Um yeah, so you took the ad so that's what happened with this?

Speaker 2: 35:32

It was MOP supposed to be on there. That's why it's like wait a minute. That's why MOP is before me and they're like next up. And then it was me and that was all. I guess day makings because of everybody who made the phone calls and things of that nature. So that's how I landed that and I wrote two verses in car service on the way there Stop, drop and roll is what they liked.

Speaker 1: 35:58

I got to remember that one right there. That video was crazy. I was like who shorty there with the whole Carrie scene?

Speaker 2: 36:05

That was my idea again, because these guys Dave Mays, shout out to Dave Mays they had a scene with me being the chick from Misery. I say yo, my nigga, I'm 17. I'm in high school. Why would you have me be like the old lady of Misery, hitting people? No, Harry, you know what I'm saying. I came up with that idea. That was all me. They had Misery I was like that.

Speaker 1: 36:31

It made sense for the age and everything. It does make sense. Thank you, they was ridiculous with misery.

Speaker 2: 36:37

See, I was lit back then.

Speaker 1: 36:40

You didn't feel like yo. I got to go hard in this track because I'm on the track with legends and these guys are going to try to burn me on this track.

Speaker 2: 36:47

I had to go hard my whole life. It wasn't even about, it wasn't no pressure about who it was. It was the pressure about like I just gotta be dope, you know oh man, what was the reception after that, like after the track was done?

Speaker 1: 37:02

like I don't. I know people who the fuck is this?

Speaker 2: 37:06

yeah, you know the carry shit. What was this? What you know.

Speaker 1: 37:11

And then yeah, definitely I remember that. And the second time we heard from you, I believe, was um, damn, I'm old. What was during the flex? That track you have on flex, uh?

Speaker 2: 37:26

yeah, I don't know, because I did record too. I was about to say that you reported.

Speaker 2: 37:32

Coffee Brown. Yeah, but shout out KG Coffee Brown. And then we did the Flex me and Jinx the Juvie. I wasn't supposed to be that type of rapper, though, bro, and that's the whack shit about it, because I didn't rap about killing people selling drugs. I didn't sell fucking drugs. I'm from Teaneck, new Jersey, you know. Like I wasn't shooting people, all of the shit that they made me rap about and then I became it. You understand. Like they created a character for Chanel Because, like you can read the New Yorker magazine, they telling people that I hit people upside the head with baseball bats my brother. I had only been suspended one time, and that was for insubordination. I'm in an all-white school. The white bitch didn't like that. I ain't move enough quick enough for her. So they suspended me for two, three days, but, like I was never a problem, I didn't get in trouble until I was in my 20s, so they created that yeah.

Speaker 1: 38:42

I didn't have a record until I got a record deal that kind of situation.

Speaker 2: 38:47

Like Tekashi69. Like so many of these rappers that that's not them but the people like. And I didn't realize that I was using. I didn't know I was a statistic, I didn't know that I was being used to poison my community. So I'm watching. I'm watching what happens and then become a part of it. So okay.

Speaker 1: 39:13

With that being said, we're gonna delve deep into that. How was like your foundation, your management team, your support, like?

Speaker 2: 39:21

trash management was trash management was garbage. Because I had. I had bobby kenn Kennedy, who found talent in this young lady and was working with me but I'm 17. So my aunt and Aunt Sylvia, and all of them convinced my mother to fire him for whatever fucking reason and they didn't work with me before. I'm not supposed to speak ill of the dead, but I'm just telling y'all what the fuck happened. What the fuck happened, you know. So my aunt told my mom's who's influenced by her rich aunt, and she must know what she's talking about because she's the founder said fire bobby. And I'm like what the fuck? They've never worked with me before. Like why are you listening to them? But I'm a minor. So they fired bobby and then my mom's hired james ellis's Redman's manager. She met him at the video shoot and Ellis was trash, you know. And then, yeah, it was like a bad decision to fuck with him. Sorry.

Speaker 1: 40:22

So what kind of music did you want to do, like themes and style of music that you want to put out.

Speaker 2: 40:26

I just know that I would tell them like, yo, bro, because of what I'm going through, I had to go through a lot of my old articles that I have not read in 20 years, 25 years, and just to see that young girl talking about she didn't want to dress like that, she didn't want to rap like that. It's fucking in the source. I'm like I look like a dyke. I'm like, oh my God, I was saying that back then. But like, yeah, it's documented that that's not what I wanted to do, but that's what I did because I thought that's what was required of me, not thought was instructed, that's required of me. You know, I got on a hat right now because I ain't laying down the baby hairs, but I ain't bringing no hats with me to Hawaii right now because I ain't laying down the baby hairs but I ain't bringing no hats for me in Hawaii, you know. So, first trip without him. So it just became a part of me. It's like it's fucked up what they did to that kid. It's fucked up.

Speaker 1: 41:25

So you're saying the industry had malicious intentions with artists?

Speaker 2: 41:29

I want you to name one artist who survived it. I want you to name one artist who survived it. I want you to name one child who survived not even music entertainment in general. If you want to just keep it to where we are, you name one child who survived this shit. I admire Bow Wow. Romeo come from a great foundation. Outside of that, go read the Youngstas article right now on allhiphopcom. Where the fuck is Lil Malik and Jamal what? Where's another bad creation? Where's the Candy Rain niggas? Name somebody who survived this shit.

Speaker 1: 42:13

This is why I always like not speculate, but I always analyze it from both sides. We got to remember this is an industry, so people are trying to find and make money off of it. Even in a regular nine to five, they're going to make money off of you. That's the intention, like, yeah, you bring a business, we doing business, but they always get the upper hand. You get what I'm saying. I think, and I think I know, is that, as you mentioned, having that proper foundation to really protect you was very important and you got to remember some people.

Speaker 2: 42:41

And they ain't have it.

Speaker 1: 42:42

Where we come from, we see those dollars.

Speaker 2: 42:45

We overlook that and just like yo, how much money I'm getting, Not knowing that they're going to front you a certain percentage up front, even and just like yo, how much money I'm getting, not knowing that they're going to front you a certain percentage up front. Even Michael ain't survive it. Even Michael ain't survive it. Nobody survive this shit Like in the movie Sinners. I ain't never met a happy musician.

Speaker 1: 43:04

Rob Markman Jr.

Speaker 2: 43:05

That's lame, my aunt was a multi-millionaire and I watched her die heartbroken she ain't give a fuck about none of that. One day she was like her maid. I guess they was having a conversation. My aunt wasn't really too thrilled about something and the maid was like, well, look what all you have, look at all the stuff you have. And she said that's all it is Stuff. You know what I mean? Like when you start to see outside of the materialism. I believe that luxury was purposely made. Luxury is bullshit, just like racism, just like so many other things that they made and created for us to fight against, but social construct bullshit but it's true to a certain degree what you say, um, when mike tyson says it, like you know, now in his older age he said all the championship belts and money don't mean anything to him.

Speaker 1: 43:58

Because he wasn't happy. Because you know that a regular person on a day-to-day within this no, but you said it's true to a certain degree.

Speaker 1: 44:07

To a certain degree, it's not Let me tell you why I'm going to break it down to a certain degree, why it's not. You know you can't get rich and say I'm going to stay within the same place, right, you will have to grow with that, because now that I obtain it, I have to protect this. Now you get what I'm saying. So you got to somehow become aggressive, not saying that you don't want to, but you got to become aggressive because you're going to have vultures and leeches around you. You get what I'm saying and you got to, you know, with the fit within that cipher.

Speaker 2: 44:39

Does that sound happy to you?

Speaker 1: 44:40

No, it's not happy. That's what I'm saying. Let me break it down. You're not happy but, like I said, you become something that you don't want to be. But to obtain and to sustain this stuff, I have to do these things. I'm not saying the sexual deviant behaviors I don't agree with or stepping on people, but I'm talking about to guard yourself, because you're a bigger target now.

Speaker 2: 45:00

So to what degree?

Speaker 1: 45:07

I'm still trying to hear the degrees because you said to a certain degree.

Speaker 2: 45:10

To a certain degree, to a certain extent yeah, you want to.

Speaker 1: 45:12

You want to, you want to reward yourself, you want to obtain certain things. Like I, work hard for this, let me take care of myself, let me get the big home. You know, I didn't have these things before. As you said earlier, I didn't have this. So let me get the big home.

Speaker 2: 45:23

Let me get a car, maybe a place or two each of each, each things that you name, take a piece of you, and the bigger it is, the bigger the pieces you gotta work harder for it to no certain extent, sir I'm sorry, we can agree to disagree disagree. Even when you're right, you're right.

Speaker 2: 45:45

Hey, we can agree to disagree you know I wear the shoes, I've walked it and I've been a part of it and, like I just told you, I have an aunt who made it possible for all of us to have podcasts and gear and clothes and everything. My aunt and my uncle are the first ones who put out rap music. My aunt is an icon. She didn't. She didn't start a clothing line, she started a genre of music. My aunt is in the rock and roll hall of fame and she was not happy when she died. So of course you and I could sit here and say, well, wow, if I had that, I would be this way.

Speaker 2: 46:27

I would feel that way, you know what I'm saying, but no, motherfucker, not when you see how much of it you have to sacrifice, when you can't spend time with your children and can't raise your children the right way, or you give them different ideologies based off of where you are with what you just gave me. Because, because, because everything that you just told me, yo you know you gotta get the house.

Speaker 1: 46:53

it don't come without a sacrifice of course it comes with a sacrifice everything comes in life a sacrifice to get somewhere. Unfortunately, unfortunately, no, I hear you, but you know I'm talking about not the crazy sack, but I get it. You know time. It requires time to nourish and build something you can't say the crazy sacrifice.

Speaker 2: 47:11

Can't say that even because I know a lot of people who lost their mind can't say crazy sacrifices this is so. This is so dirty and dark. And like these people ain't lying to y'all when they tell you that they was trafficking, or they tell you they was drugged, or they tell you they was molested. They're not lying to you, bro, when they tell you that they see kids' blood and they worshiping the devil all this other wild shit that you'd be like.

Speaker 1: 47:50

Why would they lie? Did you see any of that?

Speaker 2: 47:53

you told me what we was gonna talk about in the beginning. You know, I'm just right, I'm just saying I ain't see, I ain't seen nobody drinking no blood. But I do know a lot about a lot of blood magic.

Speaker 1: 48:14

Wow, hold on, hold on, hold on.

Speaker 2: 48:18

Bumble Cloud. That's crazy it's a, it's a anyway. So where are we at? You got more questions where we at, because you said an hour, we got seven minutes we got seven.

Speaker 1: 48:35

I know we're gonna. Oh man, it's deep, like we. The perspective that we did, we did share about the sacrificing and seeing things from both sides. And you know, unfortunately we live in a capitalistic society where parents are away from their children and their family and want to go out there and provide things. So, yes, you do fill a void, whether men or women, that you're constantly on the road you're not there.

Speaker 2: 49:04

Keep this shit clean. A woman going to work Now of course it's sacrifice, because there's mothers who went out there and you see this on my papers. I've been shipping out tons of books on the-.

Speaker 1: 49:13

I'm not keeping it clean. Look, I'm just seeing on both sides.

Speaker 2: 49:18

If you're seeing both sides, then you got to be like Lady Justice, because you just gotta weigh it. Because, like you're right, the mother who's single and gotta go work all you know mad jobs. The kids at home, they turn into gangsters, you absolutely right. Or the rap or or the female rapper who doesn't have kids because she's chasing her career and wants to set up a nice future for them. But you keep chasing and then you turn around and you like time.

Speaker 1: 49:49

Yeah, yeah, it happens in a regular world too, unfortunately, man, because we I'm glad you said it all right when you off camera, but unfortunately, the reason why I'm saying that, look, is this that I see sacrifices every day. I, I know it and I'll be like damn yo, this person's missing out so much time. Like you'd be like yo, I miss time with my child. I missed a first step. I'm always on this damn tour x, y and z, and I'm in these offices. I I'm amongst deviant men who expect me to do such and such. I don't do it, so they may put a blockade on my career here and there.

Speaker 2: 50:24

So I do you know about hiroshima? Have you ever?

Speaker 1: 50:33

seen it.

Speaker 2: 50:35

Do you know that?

Speaker 1: 50:36

I know, I know the history of it.

Speaker 2: 50:37

Yeah you know about. Like 50 years later, people are still dealing with the effects of Hiroshima.

Speaker 1: 50:42

Of course, the radioactive Blockaded.

Speaker 2: 50:44

Yeah, karambol. I forgot the name of the town, charambol. Whatever the dogs is resistant to nuclear. It's crazy. But nah, they destroy your life, bro. They don't just come and be like, nah, it ain't for you. Especially, I commend the rappers who was like all right, I'm out of here, you know what I'm saying. But there's some of us who be like, nah, I'm dope and I'm going to. There's so many people that have not even made a name like me. It's always been me fighting for me. I never had the real co-sign.

Speaker 1: 51:24

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 51:24

I was with red man and method man, you know, a red man and EPMD, but like I didn't really get the cosign, like Diggah and Kim and Foxy and even Iggy Azalea you know what I mean, like the guy who's standing behind you, like you know, so um, let's let that go.

Speaker 1: 51:46

So um, let's let that go.

Speaker 2: 51:49

It's just, it comes for you, bro, and it's not even me, because I know so many artists who have some of them who accomplish more than me and they're not doing better than me. And I know so many artists who you guys have never heard of, because I do this music shit my whole life. I've been to all of the studios, I've been to all of the back rooms and the hip hop shows. There's just so many people who have given their life to this shit that you'll never hear of Because somebody decided, nah, it ain't for you, or like, nah, and it's not. Just, I ain't fucking with you, we not fucking with you.

Speaker 1: 52:31

That's the worst part. I I see that's the worst part. I see, hold on, hold on my headset just fell out. Oh man, that's the worst part. But we, we got to continue this conversation. I know the time is running and I want to say, look, we got to do this again and get into the book my beloved I'm here, mikey.

Speaker 2: 52:51

Mikey, you got my number Really quick, y'all. My book again. It is called all right, it's true fiction. It's called Quiet as Cat, but it's true fiction. It's true fiction. It's called Quiet as Cat, but it's true fiction. And the reason why I say it's true fiction is because the stories in the book that you read didn't happen, but they did and I was there. Characters in this book, they were real as day. They just don't exist. So if you read this book, when you read this book, everybody who's been in the music industry has seen one of these parties. Uh, if you're an artist or musician, you've definitely experienced something in this book, you know. So to me it's um, it's near and dear to my heart. I changed a lot of situations, changed a lot of names, timelines and everything to protect the innocent and not innocent, but, um, just to give you guys insight from somebody who experienced it, like, yeah, that story is real, it just didn't happen you know I mean that's true, I hear that and I respect that quiet as kept great book.

Speaker 1: 53:58

You know I text after I read. I'm like, oh, come on, man, how you gonna do that to me.

Speaker 2: 54:02

But read the book because I didn't even put everything in, like I was talking today, like we said, the black magic and all of that other stuff and there's so much that I didn't put in there that has to come in another volume, you know in the next. To Be Continued you know, part two.

Speaker 1: 54:19

Definitely the next show. No tequila.

Speaker 2: 54:21

Definitely the next show. No tequila. Wow, I fucked up.

Speaker 1: 54:26

I thought I did great. Nah, you did good. But I'm like we're going to go clear, we're going to go all the way Somebody else said thank you, luck.

Speaker 2: 54:36

You dropped all these jewels. You told us about your family. You gave us your background.

Speaker 1: 54:40

You told us how you started rapping.

Speaker 2: 54:45

You gave us the insight from wherever. Whatever, you did a great job. This motherfucker.

Speaker 1: 54:47

Talk about something next time it's the Sagittarius, and you know how you are?

Speaker 2: 54:51

I have four shots. I'm feeling good, but I'm focused.

Speaker 1: 54:55

I know everything no, no, definitely, definitely, and I appreciate you for coming out, for being a good show.

Speaker 2: 55:00

You're ungrateful. December 16th ass.

Speaker 1: 55:04

Love. I appreciate you. Luck for coming out, my beloved sister. She came out here, she dropped. Yeah, of course she came out here, she dropped it. Shout out to Jersey, go out there and check her out. Luck got a crazy freestyle out there.

Speaker 2: 55:21

I got more. I'm going to drop more. It's just been. I've been quiet, you know, because I got some things that I'm dealing with, ladies and gentlemen. But then again, um, we got freestyles. I got some good music out there, positive music. I got my song praise people telling me they're still added to the morning routine. Um, got a bunch of singles out there, uh, and on top of that, quiet is kept comes with a dope ass soundtrack and I am editing and building all these websites and building these characters and everything myself from scratch, got a full media company.

Speaker 2: 55:50

We shoot videos. We got all the cameras, all the drones, all the lights, everything.

Speaker 1: 55:54

So it's beyond the book, and I respect that, and I respect that, you know, and I want my soundtrack. I got the book, I didn't get the soundtrack, so I'm waiting for my soundtrack.

Speaker 2: 56:07

I ain't giving you nothing.

Speaker 1: 56:09

Beloved. I appreciate you again. This is NYP and we out Stay. We're going to build Peace. Oh, he's.