Legendary hip hop DJ and rapper DJ Spinderella, who rose to fame with the iconic rap group Salt-N-Pepa, will be joining AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s 20th year celebration of the Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival sponsored by AHF Pharmacy at Fort Lauderdale Beach on March 15.
“We are excited to have DJ Spinderella’s talent on stage once again here in South Florida as we celebrate our 20th annual Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival,” said Tracy Jones, AHF Southern Bureau Chief. “Her commitment to safer sex awareness dates back decades, and her talent is timeless. In addition, as we celebrate 20 years of Florida AIDS Walk, we are proud to expand our beneficiaries this year to include organizations whose work is directly helping to address the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in this community. Ending the HIV epidemic means meeting people where they are to get them the care they need in all the ways they need it most.”
OutSFL had the pleasure of catching up with her as she prepares for the festival.
You are opening up for Rita Ora this Saturday for the 20th anniversary of the AIDS Festival and Walk. We are so excited to have you back in Florida. You also opened up for Rickey Martin for World Aids Day that was held in Miami this past December. How does it feel to be the opener for Rita Ora for this festival?
Yes, Miami was awesome! High Energy and party with a purpose! This is a cause that is very dear to me, that's what my career has touched on, recognizing the needs and raising awareness. We’ve been using our platform, myself and Salt N Peppa for many years, and it's kind of like going back into our old bag and raising awareness and help with resources and just being a part of something amazing to help bring some change.
It’s been 35 years since the release of one of your signature songs “Let’s Talk About Sex,” what does that song mean to you today, especially considering the festival?
(Laughs) I am still here! It's been a long journey, but I'm proud of it and “Let's Talk About Sex” was one of the songs that you know kind of took us to new heights. There was a purpose for that song, it was a meaningful song for us, and it helped in our journey and our career. It also provided information to our peers and those that were our fans about the taboo of sex, and then we ushered in the whole idea of HIV awareness. We learned a lot along the way, we were using our platform back then and having a good time and I think that primarily was the goal to enjoy the ride. Plus, back then 35 years ago, I think what really pushed us over the top was that people were talking about HIV, but did not have information back then so we learned the basics, and we searched to incorporate that in our music and share that with our audience. So, it was pivotal for us to sum it all up.
I can agree to that, there have been several other artists that have been inspired by your boldness when it comes to HIV. I can remember when TLC came out wearing condoms on their clothing to amplify protection.
Yeah, and that's still the same song today! Protecting yourself and being aware of your partners and being aware of your own situation. It’s been pretty amazing. I’d have to say that was a big part of our message.
We are celebrating 20 years of the festival. Why do you feel this festival and AIDS walk is so important?
Building awareness and just supporting organizations you know such as AHF has been promising. Anything to bring the numbers down, or anything to get people the info that they need. It’s also important to enjoy ourselves while we're doing it! We also need to honor those that we've lost along the way that we’ve lost to AIDS.
Many would clarify you and Salt N Peppa as queer icons. How does it feel to be a trailblazer in the LGBTQ community?
Wow! Our fans have been so diverse and open, but we all know that the fun comes from the community! Our fan base has been the LGBTQ community for so long, so I have to say thank you for all the years of support and love, and we've been here to give that back to you all.
We know that you have one of the hottest sets around, so what surprises can we expect from your opening set. What kind of vibe can we expect?
Oh wow, thank you! So, I am just in my bag right now! I'm having fun doing what I do, I'm so focused, especially in a time such as today. I just want everybody to have a good time. So, I'm talking about house classics, I'm talking about old school sing-alongs, some hip hop and just some fun upbeat party celebratory music! We're gonna just have a great time, you don’t wanna miss it!
The site opens at 8 a.m. and the walk starts at 10 a.m. The festival starts at 11 a.m. For more information, visit FloridaAidsWalk.org.
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