This post was originally published on this site.
Justina Valentine Says Wild ’N Out Battles Get Way More Ruthless Than What Makes TV
The rapper, comedian and longtime Wild ’N Out standout tells Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur what happens when opponents refuse to admit defeat, why television made her famous, where music fits into her empire and why Nick Cannon having another baby is basically a 50-50 bet.
For two decades, Wild ’N Out has occupied a special and peculiar space between Hip-Hop, comedy, battle rap and controlled chaos. We never know what’s next. Nick Cannon launched the improv series on MTV in 2005, and it became one of the network’s highest-rated shows. New Jersey native Justina Valentine is still listed among its veteran cast alongside DC Young Fly, Conceited, Karlous Miller, Chico Bean, Hitman Holla and others.
Valentine has turned that platform into something larger. The red-haired rapper, comedian and television personality has built a career around the ability to freestyle, roast somebody, perform and laugh at herself – all at the same time
When she caught up with AllHipHop co-founder Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur on the red carpet, the redhead revealed some things viewers don’t necessarily see on television.
AllHipHop: Have you ever been offended onstage at Wild ’N Out?
Justina Valentine: Not really. No. What has happened before to me a number of times is, I’ll battle with someone, I’ll beat them, they’ll want to go again. I’ll beat them again. They’ll want to go again.
It’s like, “All right, I got you four rounds.”
At some point, you are supposed to bow out. You’re not just supposed to keep going all night.
And you’ll see that in the episode, but you’ll just see the first round or the first two rounds. They’ll cut out the third, fourth, because you can’t show the same two people going at it. That’ll be the whole Wildstyle.
So, I’m not offended, but I would just say at some point, like I said, the fat lady’s singing. Go ahead, get the cane and pull them offstage.
AllHipHop: So there are battles where we don’t actually see everything that happened?
Justina Valentine: Yeah. You’ll see the first round or the first two rounds and they’ll cut out the third, fourth. You can’t show the same two people going at it the whole Wildstyle.
AllHipHop: You’ve been rapping for a long time. You’ve got skills, everything.
Justina Valentine: I got skills to pay the bills.
AllHipHop: Don’t take offense, but have you dropped a full album?
Justina Valentine: Yeah, I’ve dropped some full albums. It’s been a minute though because, in recent years, I’ve just been dropping singles.
I definitely dropped an album called Infrared. I dropped an album called Favorite Vibe, an album called Scarlet Letter. I dropped a mixtape called FeminEM where I remixed all Eminem’s classics.
So I’ve definitely dropped some projects, but I would say more so than projects, I just kind of drop singles. I feel like it’s a singles game.
And also, for someone like me, music is not my main thing. It’s more obviously, at this point, TV and etc. I just drop when I want. I drop independently, so I do it when I want. I don’t need to wait on anybody.
I write the stuff myself, distribute it how I want, which is cool.
AllHipHop: Do you value TV more than the music?
Justina Valentine: It’s not about valuing more. It’s about having the self-awareness to know what has worked for me, what has made me rich, what has kept me relevant, kept me hot, kept me lit and what made me famous.
And I know it’s a hater out there who’s going to be like, “B####, you ain’t famous.”
Yes, I am. I’m here with AllHipHop. Okay?
Whatever level on the scale of fame you want to put me, TV is what did it for me, not music. So I think it’s just being self-aware and knowing that’s where I’ve had my greatest success.
I love music. I’ll always love music. It’ll always be my first passion. But it is what it is. You know what I mean?
AllHipHop: What about Nick Cannon? How has he…
Justina Valentine: He’s having another baby.
I’m just kidding. I’m not sure. I’m really not sure.
But it’s like when you play roulette and you bet on red or black. Saying Nick got another baby on the way is like playing roulette. You have a 50 percent chance of being right.
So maybe I just made the announcement. I’m not sure.
AllHipHop: Can we get your Top 5 dead or alive rappers? We’ve never asked you that.
Justina Valentine: My Top 5 dead or alive? Definitely got to go with Pac.
Damn, five is always hard because I get around that six, seven, eight area.
But definitely, 100 percent Pac. We’re going to do Pac and definitely put my boy Jada in there. You know I love Jada. Shout out to Jada.
I’m just going to do guys because girls is a whole other thing. But I grew up on, and a huge inspiration to me was Lil’ Kim. So if it was like that, I’ll definitely put Kim on my list because she was a huge inspiration to me.
Lil’ Kim, the Queen Bee. I used to put my name in all her raps.
AllHipHop: Who did you love growing up?
Justina Valentine: That’s why it’s hard. When you’re doing the Biggie and Pac era, and then you get into the Kendrick and Drake era, it’s a different conversation.
So we’re just going to say Pac, Jada, Kim and Biggie.
I feel like it should be your Top 5 before a certain time and then the Top 5 after. Kendrick is definitely in my Top 5 now at this point.
It gets hard when you’re just like, “Top 5 of all time,” because that’s spanning a long time at this point.
Who’s your Top 5?
AllHipHop: Jay-Z, Nas…
Justina Valentine: Oh, s###. Oh my God!
See, I forgot Jay-Z and Nas!
That’s why I got to do Top 7. Jay-Z and Nas. Like, how you not put Jay-Z and Nas? It’s crazy.
AllHipHop: You have 72 hours to live. What do you do?
Justina Valentine: Seventy-two hours to live? I’ll make sure my s###’s in order.
Might clean out my phone a little something real quick.
Leave the s### open though, so the people that have to get to it can get to it. But clean it out a little bit.
Get everything in order. Just go chill with the people I love, my family.
And make sure you have a good last post.
You don’t want your last post to be some crazy s###. Like your last post is Flat Tummy Tea and s###. It’s like, damn!
So yeah, I think you got to have a good last post.
AllHipHop: You’re naturally funny. Have you considered stand-up comedy?
Justina Valentine: I’ve done some stand-up. I host stand-up shows. I’ve hosted a bunch of stand-up shows and I’ve done some stand-up as well.
It’s definitely in my wheelhouse. You know, Wild ’N Out, we do a lot of college shows where we’ll do our thing, but it’s also talking to the crowd and roasting people.
A lot of what we do when we’re live and dealing with the crowd is improv and has stand-up aspects to it.
So I’ve done some of it and I would do more.
I’m comfortable on the stage no matter what I’m doing.
AllHipHop: Before we go, you’re here for 72 Hours, but you’re not actually in the movie?
Justina Valentine: I’m not!
AllHipHop: We need you in the movie.
Justina Valentine: I want to be in Part 2. I think I would have been great in this movie.
I love Kevin Hart. Kevin Hart definitely is a friend of Wild ’N Out. He was on Wild ’N Out early on.
I just needed a little Kevin Hart-sized feature. Just a little one.
They got a couple chicks in here. They needed a redhead. They definitely needed a redhead. Damn it.
