Arts & Culture: Interview with P-Star

She’s acted in movies and on stage, she’s been on MTV and won a beauty pageant, and she has her own rap album. Oh, and did we mention that she’s only 13? Priscilla Star Diaz, a.k.a. P-Star, is proof that girls can be successful in many different industries, including the ones usually dominated by guys, like hip-hop.

Teen Voices: Where did you grow up?
P-Star: I grew up in Harlem, New York.

TV: How old are you?
P-Star: I’m 13.

TV: How old were you when you started rapping?
P-Star: Six.

TV: Where did your name P-Star come from?
P-Star: From my real name, Priscilla Star Diaz.

TV: How did you get started rapping?
P-Star: Well, I was living in the Bronx and one time, I was with my father I saw these kids rapping and they were using disgusting language. I knew that I wanted to make something positive. So one day I practiced, practiced, and practiced, writing lyrics and everything, and I told my father that I could spit. He said “If you spit at me, I’m going to ground you for life.” I was like “No dad, I can rap.” I started rapping and he was really amazed.

TV: Was your family supportive of your decision to rap?
P-Star: Yes, of course. 100 percent.

TV: Have you ever felt disrespected by people in the business because you are a girl?
P-Star: No, not at all. Since I was really young, people respected me as a young Latina who was doing it. I always had my dad and he had my back, so it wasn’t that hard.

TV: How did it feel to be the youngest female entrant to win the Citywide Hip Hop competition?
P-Star: It felt so good, actually, I felt like I was a queen or something like that. It was awesome.

TV: What would you tell young females like yourself who wanted to rap?
P-Star: I would tell them to keep practicing. Don’t let anyone put you down because you can do whatever you want to, and you can be whatever you want to be. You know, just keep doing what you have to do, and make sure you stay in school because that is one thing that will take you to the next level.

TV: How did it feel to open for Raven Symone at Great Adventures in 2006?
P-Star: I was really excited because that was actually when I met my favorite actors and singers. I was so excited to do it and all the kids out there were really excited that I was there as well. It was a different experience as well, something new to me.

TV: We read that you attended performing arts school. Do you plan on using your acting talents as well, or do you just hope to continue pursuing your music career?
P-Star: Right now I’m still acting, I’ve always liked to act ever since I was in a city theater. I just finished doing a pilot called “The Electric Company.” I’m going to keep doing everything. I like to do everything: I like to dance, rap, and act.

TV: Between acting, dancing, and rapping, which one do you like best?
P-Star: Oooh, that’s a hard one. I don’t know, I can’t, I can’t choose for something like that. I’d rather say everything; I like everything equally so I can’t give it up. I like all of them.

TV: How do you feel about MC’s and how do you intend to stay in the game even though it’s really tough for females?
P-Star: Well, I’m just going to do me. Even if it’s going to be hard at some parts, I’m not going to let it bother me. If that doesn’t work, I also have other talents and I’m going to keep doing other things that I can do. I’ll make sure I won’t give up on doing my dreams and it’s going to work one day, and when it does I’m going to be really happy.

TV: Has anything in your life inspired you to stay in the game?
P-Star: I will have to say my fans because there were some parts in my life when there was so much drama and I really wanted to quit and I knew if I did that I would be letting all my fans down. But then I have to thank them 100 percent cuz if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be in this situation. So I’m really excited about the fact that I have a lot of fans that make sure I do my music and work hard. I thank my fans definitely.

TV: Do you plan on going to college? Do you have any future plans besides your career?
P-Star: Yes of course, I have a lot of future plans. One of them is to actually help people in the world, and do a lot of things that will help make the world and the community a better place.

TV: How does your music affect your personal life?
P-Star: It does a little bit. There are some times where I just can’t be Priscilla because I have to be P-Star, and I want to make sure that I’m going to have time for Priscilla. It doesn’t happen a lot but there are times that it does. I always make sure in a way that there is a time for me to be the kid that I am and do my school work and everything.

TV: What is your favorite song on your CD? What kind of message does your music have?
P-Star: “I Ain’t Ready” is a song about how I ain’t ready for boys and stuff like that. My whole album has a message. I have a song called “What a Difference It Makes,” and that message is about making changes in the hip hop-world and making a difference. I have a song called “Strangers,” which is about not talking to strangers. I have a lot of messages in my songs and I want to keep pursuing, keep continuing the messages on my album.

TV: When you have spare time, what do you like to do?
P-Star: Hang out with my friends, get on Myspace, get on the phone, watch T.V., and play with the dog and that’s it.

TV: When people say young adults don’t have a voice, how does that make you feel?
P-Star: That’s interesting because I’ve never heard people say that young adults don’t have voice. But since you tell me that’s true, I think that’s a lie. I think that’s stupid and whoever says that just needs to be educated right now. Anybody has a voice. Everybody has a voice, whether they’re young, whether they’re old, they can do whatever they want. So people who say that have no right. I would just ignore that.

TV: How does it feel being able to have your voice put out there for the world to hear?
P-Star: It feels exciting and it’s tiring as well. I never expected for all this to happen to me. I never expected a lot of people out there to hear my voice. When I started this, I thought it was going to be a small thing, but it just took things to the next level. It’s tiring to me, and it’s really exciting to know that there are people in the world who know who P-Star is. I want to keep working hard so that more people in the entire world know P-Star.

TV: What is it about rapping you love so much?
P-Star: Everything! When you rap, you have so much fun! One thing that I really like about rapping is that it’s one way that you can let your feelings out; you can let anything out in rap.