See photos from IvyQueenDiva's BBWomenInMusic shoot. 📸
Ivy Queen arrives in full color-coordinated regalia — a form-fitting, floor-length dress in lemon hues that match her long, yellow-tipped acrylic nails and the curly, beach blonde locks that reach her waist. Standing still and ramrod straight, her eyes surveying the room from under impossibly long lashes, she has the bearing of, well, a queen.
It’s a far cry from nearly 25 years ago, when Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez, then 25, walked into the San Juan, Puerto Rico, studios of The Noise, the all-male rap collective formed by the pioneering DJ Negro, who sized her up: a country bumpkin from the island’s west side, her tiny frame dwarfed by oversized jeans and a T-shirt, hair tied in “500 braids,” lips painted blue, nails like talons.
“What’s your name?” he asked. “Ivy Queen,” she replied, without hesitation. “I have a song called ‘Somos Raperos, Pero no Delincuentes’ [‘We Are Rappers, Not Delinquents’].” Overcome by shyness, she then flipped the mic around and rapped, facing the wall. But even with her back to him, DJ Negro was impressed. “Welcome to The Noise,” he said. “You know we don’t have girls here, right? You’re the first one.
It was 1995, a time when the Puerto Rican airwaves were dominated by glamorous, big-voiced pop divas like Ednita Nazario and Yolandita Monge, and when reggaetón and rap were still underground movements dominated by men. “When I started in this music industry, I didn’t look like I look right now,” says Ivy Queen, noting she was relentlessly criticized for her deep voice, her fashion choices and her staunch refusal to exploit her sexuality.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Kim Petras: Photos From the Billboard Women in Music ShootSee the photos from kimpetras' shoot for 2023's BBWomenInMusic issue! 📷
Read more »
Becky G: Photos From Billboard Women in Music ShootSee photos from iambeckyg's BBWomenInMusic shoot. 📸
Read more »
TWICE: Photos From the Billboard Women in Music ShootThe group is Billboard’s 2023 Women in Music Breakthrough act.
Read more »
Music Industry Moves: Sonny Rollins’ Music Catalog Acquired By Reservoir MediaReservoir Media has acquired both the publishing and recorded rights of renowned saxophonist Sonny Rollins. “Reservoir is honored to sign this deal with the iconic Sonny Rollins and to be entrusted…
Read more »
New Strategies to Advance Care for Women: Broadening Horizons for Quality Care in Women's Health➡️ CME: Learn more about women’s health topics including HPV vaccines, menopause, endometriosis, STIs, CMV, & postpartum depression. MedEd MedTwitter 🖥️
Read more »
Lifeway Women Recommends | Studies Leading up to Easter - Lifeway WomenCan you believe we’re just a couple months away from Easter? Before you know it, tulips will be blooming, Easter egg hunts will be happening, and most importantly, we will […]
Read more »