Book Review: "My Voice" by Angie Martinez and How It Changed My Life
I am a huge Hip-Hop head and I'm talking boom bap loving, graffiti obsessed, street documentary having hip-hop. I am a sucker for Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Big L, Big Pun and all the beats that make my head bob to lyrical flows. A few years ago my boyfriend and I made a trip to New York; we climbed the Statue of Liberty, took the double-decker around the town and flew over Manhattan in a helicopter with no doors. Even though I was living my stereotypical Asian tourist life I couldn't help but remind myself that Hip-Hop was why my soul brought me to New York in the first place. We took the subway to Brooklyn Bridge Park and I was taken back by the skyline and the two light beams disappearing into the sky. I connected to the city in a personal way because for my entire life all I dreamed of was going to New York.
Although I didn't get to indulge myself in any Hip-Hop monuments, that trip opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed. When you fly into the city you immediately feel small and all the dreams you thought you had become dust when you land. But when you leave New York, you feel accomplished. At least I did. I never thought that I would make it to the other side of the country and walk the same streets my favorite artists talked about in their songs. It was a dream come true to be in the middle of Time Square and eat a slice a pizza at every turn. I will always be an L.A. girl, more specifically, a Valley girl. But my love for hip-hop runs deep. So deep that I am attempting to make a career out of it. Therefore, when I went to New York, I knew I had to do better when I came back home. I understood how overrated sleep is and results only come from the hustle.
When I learned hip-hop radio legend Angie Martinez released a book about her journey in radio, I knew I had to read it. I had a vague understanding of exactly how influential she was, but I knew she was a game changer. "My Voice" by Angie Martinez follows how she went from the street team member to phone call screener and ultimately ended up hosting her own show. Angie has interviewed basically every one of your favorite artists. The amount of mind-blowing stories in this book are insane.
The thing I connected with the most when I read her book was how passionate she was about hip-hop. All she wanted to do was give voice to rappers who would never get the chance to be on the air if it weren't for her and Flex opening those doors. Her willingness to learn and perseverance to reach her goal directly inspired me.
In case you don't know what a radio street team person does. They are the sad young people who set up tents at random locations and play the same music on repeat giving away free stuff. It's a routine marketing tool for radio. Anyway, I started as a street team member and during that time I was reading this book. And let me just say, when you read a book about a person who started of in the same position you're in you lose all excuses. While I'm learning about how she worked overtime to learn the boards and helped Flex on his segment, I was doing hits, thinking of how I could make moves like she did.
I ended up taking an opportunity in a department I knew nothing about but ultimately got the full-time job I was aiming for. THAT is how Angie Martinez changed my life. Although the stories she has with artists like Jay-Z and Tupac are fascinating, I resonated more with her work ethic. Her ability to make herself uncomfortable in the studio alongside Missy Elliot and Lil Kim moved me to not give a fuck. Because we each have our own path, and she brought that out of every artist she spoke with.
To this day, Angie Martinez is my favorite interviewer. Nardwuard uses a shock factor by gifting artists records from their samples, Charlamagne always finds a way to make something problematic and Sway digs deep into the lyrics. I mention them to say that although they have strong interviewing skills, Angie speaks with artists a lot more naturally. I marvel at how effortlessly she asks hard questions and admire how she always stays true to herself.
After reading the book, I went into a full-blown Angie Martinez binge and I did not know she has as much music as she does. I watched all the interviews I could find on her YouTube and became obsessed with her new podcast with Miss Info "In Real Life." The two talk about current events from the spectrum of mothers in the Hip-Hop industry. They are absolutely hilarious and the pod would truly be a blessing if they actually kept up with it. Angie Martinez's book is available now. If you love hip-hop as much as I do, you need to pick this one up and school yourself on a legend.
Angie's book is available now, I tried to find a direct link to buy from her site, I don't know that there is one. Either way I bought it on iBooks and will buy a hard copy on Amazon to giveaway to you all! Comment below if you would like a copy of this and I will announce a winner next month! If you haven't already, go check out her latest interview with J.Cole. It's a conversation that needs to be heard.
