Originally Posted on February 23,2006

In this installment of DS & FL we have one first female DJ's as well as the first female solo MC to release two consecutive platinum singles in Europe. The first female inducted into the Universal Zulu Nation. You might have caught a glimspe of her in the movie "Beat Street" with her partner Richard Sisco. She was also lead singer for the group KLF who had a major international hit song with "3am Eternal". Now the DJ,MC, Singer, Hip Hop pioneer...


WANDA DEE



By JULIANNE SHEPHERD & DEARDRA SHULER


Wanda Dee entered the world the same day Josephine Baker left it. The two souls must have passed and smiled at one another as each made the transition. One entered and one left, yet a bond was intrinsically formed. Born in Harlem and raised in the Bronx, Wanda's penchant for dreaming left her head more in the clouds than in the schoolbooks. A tomboy, she excelled in sports and was accepted by the boys as one of their own. None of them viewed her as the glamorous woman she would become because the then Wanda, was a skinny girl who peered out at the world behind thick glasses and crooked teeth. Wanda's athleticism enabled her to do a mean dance impression of both James Brown and Tina Turner right down to the slides, splits and struts. She played clarinet, flute and keyboards and was already setting the stage for her show business career.

Wanda Dee has always felt drawn to Josephine Baker and has made it her business to know everything about the star. She has met and befriended Josephine's son, Jean Claude Baker, sung at Chez Josephine and has even emulated Baker's dress and singing style occasionally in her act. "Josephine Baker is Diva Original. She wrote the chapter on Divadom. In fact, long before Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Marlene, Dorothy or even Lena…there was Josephine out there daring to be different, demanding to be seen and diligently assuring that she and all people of color were respected."

Dee became the first female Hip Hop DJ and inductee in the Zulu Nation in her early teens. "Afrika Bambaataa, the Godfather of Hip Hop and the founder of the Universal Zulu Nation, gave me my first big break as a DJ, " said Ms. Dee. "He protected me against all the jokes, pranks and insults by my male DJ contemporaries." Wanda was adept on the turntables and soon her skills drew the attention of Harry Belafonte who featured her as the first female Hip Hop DJ in his movie, "Beat Street." The movie led to a European tour. Wanda packed the London theatres. While there, Peter Waterman, offered her a multi-million dollar record deal on PWL, which gave her the opportunity to work with the production team of Stock, Aitken & Waterman who worked with artists the likes of: Kylie Minogue, Donna Summers and Bananarama.

Reknowned as Eric Floyd (who also played "Jerome" on the hit TV show Fame)are building an empire.They co-own Goddess Inc., which is their main holding company. Its subsidiary branches are Goddess Empire Entertainment (for Bookings); Goddess Empire Productions (for Song and/or Show Productions); Goddess Empire Publishing, Goddess Empire Record Label (aka G.E.R.L) and lastly F.A.M.E. Inc., which stands for Floyd Artist Management Enterprises.


"Both my husband and I are spiritual people and devout non-traditionalist. No disrespect intended towards anyone else's religion, but personally we feel that the institution of religion is man made," explained Dee. "All of the oldest civilizations and/or religions gave praise to a loving, generous, nurturing and peaceful Female Deity…the Creatress…the Great Ancestress…the Universal Mother…the Goddess.....In ancient times when women were heralded, exalted and recognized as the healers of our lands, holders of our hearts and protectors of the peace. Remember, long before HIStory, there was: HERitage, HEReditary, inHERitance and HERstory."

Dee and Floyd travel extensively. "I maintain a rock-solid 10 month international global touring schedule with 8 weeks off to regroup. My last tour was 22 months, in 90-countries, 150-cities and 6 continents. At last count I think I've played at least 121 countries and every state in the union," stated the inexhaustible performer.

Dee and Floyd have had some interesting experiences while on tour. When in Tallin, Estonia (outside Russia), people stopped, stared, and ran up to touch their skin in awe of their color having never seen black people before. "When we were performing in Riga, Latvia, I had to be rescued from a Russian Mafia boss who was attracted to me," recalled the beautiful star. "Apparently, he was notorious and extended an insistent invitation to dance via his hulking bodyguard. Once the mobster got me on the dance floor, he began whispering sweet nothings in my ear. I became concerned he had no intentions of letting me leave.

Before things got any scarier, my husband and one of our dancers, Panther, approached Charles Bronson, who was also in the casino and explained the situation. Bronson approached the Russian Mafioso (complete with film crew) and asked if he could cut in. Not even the Russian Godfather was going to say "no" to the "Death Wish" star. Bronson strategically danced me across the floor and out the door where my husband, a van, and troupe were waiting. My husband had paid a Mediterranean woman to feign being me while we took off in the van. Although, Charles Bronson has since died, I remember him fondly and will always thank him for that..."

Dee is sprinkling her stardust upon the year 2004, with plans to record a compilation album, co-headline and co-produce the Sweatfest World Tour which blasts off New Years Eve with Freedom Williams(C & C Music Factory) and Turbo B (Snap). Also in Las Vegas will host a show at a major casino based around Dee's 'Goddess' image and persona; Eric Floyd's Diva Fever Revue, a world tour of Pop, Soul, Funk, Dance and Disco femme fatales, will be on the roster for Valentine's Day at The Westbury Music Fair, featuring Wanda Dee, Grace Jones, Sister Sledge, Freda Payne and Loleatta Holloway.


Wanda Dee:
The Goddess Is Here And What A G.E.R.L She Is!!


Tell me about your album, Wanda Dee: The Goddess is Here. What's it about?

WANDA DEE: Well, this is my first solo album. "The goddess is an image, she's just a creation; a symbol for all the women in the nations. That is, beauty, body, brains and sophistication can co-exist within glamorization... and there's a goddess in every woman." This is what this album is all about. It's about the support of the female deity and that's what's happening now... everything was so male, male, male, male and from a male's point of view; that's the world that I came up in--the hip-hop world. It was a constant fight for me as a DJ, as a female in that world. You know, a lot of people just didn't believe I could do it, and I got a lot of guys who wouldn't let me on cause they didn't believe I could do it--until I got on, and they saw me DJ'ing and saw how good I was. Afterwards, they bowed and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you could DJ!" But I'm glad I came up that route, because it made me a stronger artist and it prepared me for what I'm doing now on the solo tip.

Were you always a versatile performer?

WANDA DEE: Yeah, I've always sung, since I was two years old. I just didn't imagine that I'd end up getting into the business through deejaying. That was my door in; then I became a rapper, then a performer, and that's when I got back to my singing, so that was the best thing for me 'cause I ended up learning from the ground up.

ERIC FLOYD: What kills me is they keep attributing Lil' Kim to being the first glamorous female rapper and that's really not the case. Years ago, Wanda... well, it was such a male-dominated industry and a lot of the girls coming out were adapting their behavior and style of dress to fit that male domination--sneakers, jeans, and gold chains and sweatsuits, minimal make-up. I said, "You know, Wanda, the only way to beat a man is to be the one thing he can't be, and that is a woman." We incorporated this high-glamour, Las Vegas, exotic, erotic, hypnotic persona, and it worked for her. It's the reason why her first two rap singles went platinum. This was way before Lil' Kim.

WANDA DEE: And of course, when you're the first to do something it's not easy, and you take the slings and arrows, and boy did I take some slings and arrows!

ERIC FLOYD: We'd go to events and female rappers would be there upset with her, saying, "You're making us look like sluts and selling our records with our butts!" But now if you look around, Salt and Pepa, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, everybody's glamorized. Missy Elliott has false eyelashes--it's no crime to be a woman!

WANDA DEE: And it wasn't easy for me because I was too young to get in clubs so I had to go underneath the wing of Afrika Bambaataa; he got me into the big time as a DJ, so I thank him a great deal for getting me into the game.

Do you have any thoughts on where the culture of hip-hop might be headed?

WANDA DEE: Well, it's clear: it's in everyone's faces. I'm happy that it's grown so much. It went from just being in someone's basement, out on someone's street corner to now, on the TVs and radios of people worldwide. That is a tremendous accomplishment. Now people can retire on it; before, you're doing it for the love of it and hope and pray you get it. Now, they're selling millions of records, everyone owns real estate, businesses, and feeding peoples' families. That is tremendous.

ERIC FLOYD: There are so many pioneers who started this game, and paved the trail that others now walk upon who didn't benefit. That's why each of us have a responsibility; I'm so glad that Will Smith and Latifah and others are reaching back and using some of the talents that didn't get those big paydays.

WANDA DEE: I'm also glad to see that there are a lot more women who are able to be in charge of their careers and sell millions of albums and do TV and other mediums of the business. It's awesome!!

You can learn more about Wanda Dee through her website: http://www.goddessempire.com

Source: Desofo.com and Globalblacknews.com




Next Week:
The HISTORY Of THE DJ: WE USED DO IT IN THE PARKS!!!