RESILIENT: PRETTY LOU
BRONX, NEW YORK | PRETTY LOU
INTERVIEW TERRELL “REALIFE” BLACK
“I STARTED OUT HOSTING HOUSE PARTIES IN HIGH SCHOOL AND EVENTUALLY MADE MY WAY INTO NIGHT CLUBS. PARTY PROMOTERS WOULD PAY ME TO HYPE UP THE CROWD AND GET PEOPLE TO DANCE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.”
VALIDATED: TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.
PRETTY LOU: I AM A HEAVYHITTER DJ AND HOT97 PERSONALITY FROM PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN. I LOVE MUSIC, BOXING AND SPANISH FOOD. I HATE LIARS AND CANCER.
VALIDATED: BEING FROM BROOKLYN, WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP HOP CULTURE?
PRETTY LOU: I REMEMBER WHEN "LONG LIVE THE KANE" DROPPED IN 88 AND "AIN'T NO HALF-STEPPIN" HAD THE STREETS IN A FRENZY! THE GOLDEN ERA OF HIP HOP IS WHEN THE FOCUS WAS REALLY ON THE DJ.
VALIDATED: PRETTY LOU, HOW DID YOU GET THAT NAME?
PRETTY LOU: I USED TO BOX AS A TEENAGER IN THE NY DAILY NEWS GOLDEN GLOVES TOURNAMENT AND EVERYBODY IN MY GYM WOULD CALL ME PRETTY LOU BECAUSE I WAS A PRETTY BOY FIGHTER LIKE OSCAR DELA HOYA.
VALIDATED: GROWING UP YOU WERE INTO ART AND GRAFFITI, WHAT DOES ARTISTIC FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION MEAN TO YOU THESE DAYS?
PRETTY LOU: I THINK IN THE 80'S AND 90'S GRAFFITI WAS APART OF NYC LIFE. YOU WOULD SEE IT RIDING THE TRAIN OR BUS, WALKING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOU WOULD SEE IT ON THE STOREFRONT GATES WHEN THEY WOULD CLOSE... IT WAS EVERYWHERE! I THINK ART IS APART OF HOW I SEE LIFE AND IS IMPORTANT TO OUR CULTURE.
VALIDATED: HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN THE BUSINESS?
PRETTY LOU: I STARTED OUT HOSTING HOUSE PARTIES IN HIGH SCHOOL AND EVENTUALLY MADE MY WAY INTO NIGHT CLUBS. PARTY PROMOTERS WOULD PAY ME TO HYPE UP THE CROWD AND GET PEOPLE TO DANCE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.
VALIDATED: WHICH DJ’S INFLUENCED YOU GROWING UP AND WHAT IF ANYTHING DID YOU “BORROW” FROM THEM?
PRETTY LOU: DJ ENUFF IS A HERO OF MINE. I WATCHED HIM BUILD HIS HEAVY HITTER EMPIRE BY WORKING HARD, BREAKING RECORDS AND MAKING PEOPLE DANCE. I THINK HIS DEDICATION TO MUSIC IS WHAT INSPIRED ME.
VALIDATED: WHICH RADIO PERSONALITIES?
PRETTY LOU: FUNK FLEX WAS ALSO ONE OF MY FAVORITES ON HOT97. I WOULD RECORD HIM ON MY TAPE DECK DROPPING BOMBS ON NEW RECORDS. HE WAS THE ONLY DJ I EVER HEARD ON A RADIO STATION PLAYING THE SAME SONG OVER AND OVER FOR A HOUR MAKING THE WHOLE CITY GO CRAZY!
VALIDATED: YOU’RE A PIONEER OF ONLINE RADIO AND THE FIRST LATINO ON INTERNET RADIO AND THE MOST KNOWN LATINO MC IN THE NEW YORK CITY NIGHTLIFE SCENE, WHAT DO THESE ACHIEVEMENTS MEAN TO YOU?
PRETTY LOU: IT'S SOMETHING I AM VERY PROUD OF... I HAD A VISION TO DOMINATE ONLINE RADIO AND I HAD A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE INVOLVED TO MAKE US THE #1 ONLINE SHOW IN THE COUNTRY 6 YEARS IN A ROW. I MISS MY BROTHER COMBAT JACK WHO WAS THE REAL PIONEER OF ONLINE RADIO. HE WOULD ALWAYS SHOW ME LOVE AND TELL ME KEEP GOING.
VALIDATED: THIS YEAR MARKS YOUR 25TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF BEING IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS. FOR THOSE LOOKING TO FOLLOW IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS, WHAT ARE THE 3 MAJOR KEYS TO YOUR SUCCESS?
PRETTY LOU: DEDICATION TO YOUR CRAFT, HARD WORK AND SACRIFICE. WITHOUT THOSE THREE KEY ELEMENTS YOUR DEAD IN THE WATER.
VALIDATED: YOU’RE AN AFFILIATE OF THE TERROR SQUAD, BRIEFLY EXPLAIN WHAT THAT IS AND HOW YOU GOT INVOLVED?
PRETTY LOU: I AM A TERROR SQUAD MEMBER AND FAT JOE'S HYPE MAN WHEN HE NEEDS ME. TS IS A FAMILY AND FAT JOE IS MY BIG BROTHER AND MENTOR. HE'S ALWAYS BEEN INVOLVED IN MY CAREER WITH MY BROTHER TONY SUNSHINE WHO IS HOW I GOT INTRODUCED.
VALIDATED: YOU WERE DIAGNOSED WITH A RARE FORM OF CANCER IN 2015, HOW HAS THE ILLNESS CHANGED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE?
PRETTY LOU: IT TAUGHT ME THAT LIFE IS PRECIOUS AND HAS TO BE RESPECTED.
VALIDATED YOU’RE COMING UP ON THE 5TH ANNUAL PRETTY LOU BIRTHDAY CHARITY CONCERT, WHAT MOVED YOU TO DO IT INITIALLY AND WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?
PRETTY LOU: MY BUSINESS PARTNER MISTA BLESS HELPED ME PRODUCE THE CONCERT WITH FAT JOE AS A WAY TO RAISE AWARENESS AND MONEY FOR THE CHILDREN'S CANCER HOSPITAL AT COLUMBIA PRESBYTERIAN. IT GETS BIGGER EVERY YEAR AND 100% OF THE PROCEEDS GO TO FIGHTING CANCER. AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER IT WAS MY WAY OF FIGHTING BACK.
VALIDATED: YOU’RE BIG ON SHOWING APPRECIATION AND SUPPORT FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, WHY IS THAT EXACTLY?
PRETTY LOU: I ALWAYS RESPECT COPS, FIRE FIGHTERS, EMT'S, DOCTORS AND NURSES. THOSE ARE THE REAL HERO'S HELPING PEOPLE AND SAVING LIVES. WE MUST HONOR THEM EVERY CHANCE WE GET FOR PUTTING THEMSELVES ON THE FRONT LINE.
VALIDATED: DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, YOU CREATED “TURN THE TABLES WITH PRETTY LOU”, YOUR SHOW ON INSTAGRAM LIVE. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?
PRETTY LOU: IT WAS A WAY TO HONOR AND HIGHLIGHT UP AND COMING DJS WHILE EDUCATING AND SUPPORTING THEM ON MY PLATFORM DURING THE LOCKDOWN. I ALSO WANTED TO HAVE DIFFERENT CELEBRITIES PARTICIPATE AND SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC AND HELP INSPIRE THESE UP AND COMING DJS. THEY ARE THE FUTURE OF MUSIC AND PASSING THE KNOWLEDGE DOWN IS CRUCIAL TO PRESERVING THE HISTORY AND CULTURE.
VALIDATED: WHAT’S NEXT FOR PRETTY LOU?
PRETTY LOU: MUSIC AND POSSIBLY TELEVISION. I DON'T WANT TO LET THE CAT OUT THE BAG JUST YET BUT I HAVE A FEW THINGS I WILL REVEAL EARLY 2021.
VALIDATED: WHAT’S YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS?
PRETTY LOU: FOLLOW @PRETTYLOU11 ON IG THATS THE MAIN WAY TO SEE WHAT I'M UP TOO.