Kevin:Your audience is global. What are a few major differences between working overseas and he United States?
Dizzy: Loyalty. I realized that immediately. Europeans have the mentality of being a fan for life. This is why you an go into European clubs and play Gangta's Paradise by Coolio and they will crowd the floor! This is why artist still tour overseas and will no longer tour the U.S.. A lot of Americans are fans until you are no longer in the limelight. So once you are no longer relevant, they will move on to the next best rapper, singer, rockstar.
Kevin: As a public figure, your words and actions are magnified. What key messages do you work to convey through your work?
Dizzy: LAUGH IT OFF. I try to teach through comedy, although people don't catch it sometimes. The state of the world is crazy, and people are often stressed and too serious. So I try to get people to see the humor in all things, In themselves, in others, at work, in school, at home, in life and even in death.
Kevin: What inspires your contribution to positive action in our communities?
Dizzy: Kids inspire me. I believe that life comes full circle at some point. For example, I am currently the Chief of Youth Programs at Langley AFB, the SAME youth center that I attended as a teenager. Who would have known that I would be giving back to a teenager? Who would have known that I would be giving back to a program that gave so much to me as a child? So I feel it's my duty to give back as well. Whether it be monetary, material, time, patience or love. Everyone needs something! People who have passion inspire me. It take a few minutes of a conversation to realize whether someone is passionate about their craft, regardless of what it is. So when I see that passionate in a person, try to help develop that into something more substantial.
Kevin: How did your start in entertainment begin?
Dizzy: I come from a family of entertainers. My grandmother was a gospel singer and my father is a music entertainer as well. I have always been exposed to great music and stage presence. I played the sax in school, sang in chorus, starred in plays, the whole gambit. As a teen I turned to poetry as an outlet for expressing myself during those trying years.
Kevin: When you were growing up, did you have a female role model? Who was it?
Dizzy: I had several. Women are so diverse, and they hold so many different talents that no one woman could mold. I took the positive pieces of the woman around me to create who I am. My grandmothers determination to stand up for what she believed in. My mothers ability to be silently strong. My Aunt Valerie because she was always on stage, and indirectly taught me how to be a DIVA. Also, my Aunt Nancy, who showed me how be a businesswoman while still being a woman.
Many of us hold a fondness for entertainers. They often present us with stimulating performances, interesting dialog, or a humorous vantage point that sometimes softens the sting of reality. Due to their universal appeal entertainers are always in high demand and often use their platform to present commentary on social issues. The success of an entertainer can be measured by how the audience feels at the end of the "show." Successfully, controlling the crowd increases your chances of repeat customers in this business and Dizzy keeps them coming back for more. The subject of our profile shares insight about herself and how she skillfully presents a contrast between managing your stress and maintaining your sanity....it's Showtime!