"First Lady of BMF" Interview with Angie Starr

Beasley Digital

Transcript

00:00It's Angie Starr, Detroit 105.9, KISS FM, Detroit.

00:05That's right, I'm going to say it again.

00:07Detroit.

00:08We got our homegirl that I'm so proud of.

00:12I'm so proud of what you are about to do.

00:15This whole BMF First Lady project.

00:19Yes, I'm smiling about it because this is where I grew up

00:22and I want to hear these real stories.

00:25So first, Tonisha, how are you?

00:29I'm well, thank you.

00:31I love you.

00:32You know that, right?

00:34I know now.

00:35But Vivica, Vivica Fox.

00:38I've got to tell you, Vivica.

00:40I remember you with that show with Patti LaBelle.

00:44And you always worked in excellence.

00:47You've always been like one of the stars.

00:50We love you in Detroit.

00:51You always come here, show us love.

00:53So you are the director.

00:55How are you?

00:56I am so, so blessed.

00:59I want to send a special shout out to my girls in the D.

01:01Can't wait to see y'all at the premiere.

01:03Vanessa and Lisa, it's going to be on.

01:05We're going to turn up in the D.

01:08But then, wait a minute.

01:09Y'all bring in a boss because I heard she's like the executive producer,

01:14Tresha.

01:14And I want to say your last name correctly.

01:17Is it Smallwood?

01:18Say that for me.

01:19Smallwood.

01:20I got you, baby.

01:21All right.

01:22Executive producer, okay?

01:25Yes.

01:26I love it.

01:27Listen, when we get to see Detroit on the big screen, we are so excited.

01:33I've been up since 4 o'clock this morning, just so we can keep it real.

01:36I do a morning show in Detroit.

01:39But when I found out I had an opportunity to talk to you, powerful, powerful, powerful

01:43women, I had to make sure I made this happen.

01:48First Lady BMF, I'm going to start with you, Tanisha.

01:53Why?

01:53Why was this important for you to do?

01:56Please explain to Detroit.

01:58Because of all the misconceptions that was out there.

02:02And so I thought it was very important to tell that part of it.

02:05And plus my journey from my past into where I'm going now in the future.

02:09So I thought it was very important for people to see that, to learn from it, to get inspired by it.

02:15And, you know, we've interviewed you on our morning show.

02:18And the one thing that I love about you is your transparency, because I feel like God uses people to teach people.

02:27And you are a major weapon right now for God to teach these women, because you had it all.

02:34And just for some of my listeners that don't know, tell them just a little bit about your story.

02:41Well, I was a girl raised in Detroit from a, you know, middle class family that one day, this young lady at 19, you know, went in one door.

02:52But I always say it's like, what do you call that revolving door when one door came out?

02:57And I was a different woman, seeing a different life.

03:01You know, I just wanted to be like when I've seen this party, I wanted to be that in that life.

03:07And that happened to a lot of young women.

03:09You know, it just don't happen to me.

03:11It happens to a lot of young women.

03:12And then we just fall by the wayside.

03:14And I want to show those young girls that, you know, how that life can, it's a dark life.

03:20It's not easy.

03:21It's hard.

03:22And how we destroy families.

03:25And I just wanted to see how, you know, like where you can end up, you know, the rise and fall.

03:30It all looks beautiful.

03:31It all looks good.

03:32But where are you going with it?

03:34What's that journey?

03:35Where, you know, it's a dead end.

03:37It's like either, I would say like jail or hell or something like that.

03:41I hate to say it like that, but it is, you know.

03:43So if I can help somebody not go through that, then that's why it's so important for me.

03:49I don't want them to feel like it was easy.

03:51I don't want them to think it was all beautiful.

03:54You know, it has its moments, but it's not an easy life.

03:57And that's what I love with you.

03:59I've watched your interviews.

04:01And, you know, you keep it real.

04:02You know, you let people know, yeah, I had it all.

04:05But then you don't glamorize.

04:07You show both sides of it.

04:09And that's why I know you are a tool of God.

04:11And I'm so proud of you.

04:12And, you know, my other confirmation is Vivica Fox is on this project.

04:18And she's directing.

04:20Miss Vivica Fox.

04:21She is a master of this craft.

04:23And now by her being in so many movies, you know, everything that she's done, she is the perfect director.

04:30Please talk to Detroit about this director role.

04:33So it came into my lap compliments of my fabulous partner, Tressa Smallwood.

04:39Tressa and I did a short together, a short movie together for BET Plus.

04:43And we always do things that involve women and African-American women's stories.

04:49So when she, we did that and we shot a short, she said, I like you.

04:54We're going to do something else real soon.

04:56And it's going to be even bigger and better.

04:58Hence, months later, she came and she's like, girl, got the project.

05:01And it's the Tanisha Welch story.

05:04She sent me some links on Tanisha being on Trap Queens.

05:10Said we got the script together.

05:12We're going to shoot it in D.C.

05:14But we got 14 days.

05:17I was like, okay, we'll just go on and throw another challenge in my life.

05:20Why don't you?

05:21But we did it.

05:22And I am so grateful for this wonderful challenge that not only did I have to challenge myself as a director,

05:31as an actress, I was coaching the kids.

05:35I was running lines with everybody.

05:37I was grabbing cones.

05:39I was in the trenches for Tanisha Welch's story, okay?

05:43And I'm just grateful that she trusted me with a feature film and with Tanisha's story to be portrayed and told as accurately as possible.

05:54Vivica, oh, my God.

05:58Again, like I said, I know this was touched by the force because it's such an important story.

06:03And you as the actress, and like you said, the direct, like, it is like the perfect combination.

06:10I mean, I'm just thankful that you guys got together and put this together because, again, in Detroit, we want our stories.

06:19But I feel like a lot of stories from Detroit are real, like the modern-day Bible stories.

06:24You know, we created Motown, you know, BMF.

06:26Everybody knows BMF.

06:27It was, you know, but then the first lady of BMF.

06:30So you have these women that we are going to empower.

06:33And I just, I love what you guys are doing.

06:36But then I got to go to Tresha.

06:39Tresha?

06:40Yes, I love it.

06:42I love your energy, Andy.

06:43I know, it's fantastic.

06:45Yo, five cups of coffee.

06:47I've been up, like I told you, at four o'clock this morning.

06:50But Tresha, how did you see the vision?

06:52I know I got to go because I got to get to you, baby.

06:55How?

06:56Yeah.

06:56No, I think for me, the vision was always tell Tanisha's true, authentic story

07:01that she wanted the world to see.

07:04And make sure that we give it to you raw, real, and make sure you understand

07:09that there is a redemptive part of Tanisha Welch that everybody needs to see.

07:14October 5th, baby.

07:17Detroit can't wait.

07:18We're going to brag about it.

07:19Make sure I get all of this.

07:21I'm going to have it all over the radio.

07:23She is, I call her a gift from God, her elegance, her class, but her realness.

07:28And, I mean, First Lady, BMF, like, it just, I can't wait to see this.

07:35Vivica, when they said you were part of it, and then Judge Greg Mathis, who we love in the day.

07:43Period.

07:44That's what we said, period.

07:45We love him.

07:47God worked this out.

07:48I don't remember how many times I tried to get this project ahead,

07:52but look how God worked this out for me.

07:54Look at the beautiful team I have.

07:57Vivica.

07:58Yes, lady.

07:59I love you.

08:00You just don't know.

08:01You are the real deal.

08:04And thank you.

08:05And God matched you with our real deal from the D, Tanisha.

08:10She's our gift, okay?

08:12And Tressa, you got the vision, girl.

08:15Girl power.

08:15Bosses.

08:16I love you guys.

08:17Girl power, Angie.

08:18You're back.

08:19You're about to make me start crying.

08:20And I need to keep these lashes on.

08:23You're about to make me start crying.

08:25But thank you.

08:25I appreciate all of that.

08:27And that's what it is.

08:28Queens sticking together and putting crowns on each other.

08:33That's what it's all about.

08:35Bless you, my loves.

08:36So, Tanisha, you know I love you.

08:38Tressa.

08:38But Tressa, tell them how we can support you guys.

08:42And we want everybody in the city to watch.

08:44Absolutely.

08:44We need everybody to stream First Lady of BMF, the Tanisha story, on October 5th on BET Plus only.

08:53You cannot get it anywhere else on October 5th other than BET Plus.

08:59So, be there, y'all.

09:00Be there.

09:01But look, if y'all hit the D, y'all can come to our radio station.

09:046A, 10A.

09:05We got y'all.

09:06All right?

09:08Much love.

09:09Much love.

09:10I love you.

09:11Love you.

09:12See you soon.

09:14See you soon.

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