‘You can hate Ree now’: Q&A with Ree De La Vega (Part I)
January 4th, 2008 by Rodney Carmichael in Music news
FIRESTARTER: Ree De La Vega
(photo by Hannibal M.)
If you don’t know Ree De La Vega, you’re probably old. Or lame. Or way more insignificant than she is among Atlanta’s late-night set.
Then again, starting this post out with that kind of lead is only asking for flak — the kind the cool chick/BangBang party promoter received in megadoses several months ago after we featured her in Real Life Top Five.
The title said it all: “Keys to being an Atlanta ‘it’ girl.” That was followed by Ree’s five tips for living the fab life (“Flash your tits at least once a month”), conveyed in a tone that sounded about as pretentious as Kimora Lee Simmons.
What happened after that is anyone’s guess. Somehow a clusterfuck of those who hate, love and don’t know who the hell Ree is began a virtual message board, posting any and everything randomly associated with Atlanta’s nightlife scene, including Ree’s involvement (or non-involvement) with it, and the kind of career advice only a mother(fucker) would give.
Pretty soon, the number of comments neared 200 — egged on, in large part, by her. She posted her own MySpace bulletin encouraging friends to leave more comments. Sure, it was self-promotional. But that’s what promoters do. That people actually responded made it more intriguing. So I called her up and conducted something resembling an interview.
The following transcript is so old, it came long before some of her BangBang ‘07 highlights, such as the DJ Drama party she threw at MJQ in November. But consider it a leftover from last year. And a harbinger of things to come in ‘08.
Not only does she mention several of Atlanta’s fresh kid stalwarts and party starters, including Caleb Gauge, Fadia Kader, Ian Ford, Al “Papa BangBang,” Preston Craig and taj anwar; she also refers to herself as Megan. That’s Ree’s government name.
But Ree De La Vega isn’t just a club name; it’s an identity that even she struggles against at times, she says. We’ll save that for Part II, though:
So has it hurt your feelings at all, like any of the comments people have made?
Yeah, of course it has.
How so?
There was one that was like, “Oh, she’s the town drunk.” I think that was the only one that hurt my feelings. But I have a feeling I know who wrote that one. And if it is that person, I don’t really care. It didn’t really hurt my feelings that much.
You know Kenny Burns [former party promoter/cultural impresario] called me yesterday and he was like, “Welcome to my world.” And I was like, “What do you mean?” He said people hate on him all the time, and you just get used to it, ya know.
Are you getting used to it?
Yeah, I’m getting used to it but I still feel — like I’m going out tonight, right. And I still kinda feel like people might come up to me and say, “Hey!” And I’ll be like, “Hmmm was that one of the people that hated on me?” I mean, I guess I’m kinda used to it now, unless people say something really personal it might bother me. But nobody really got too personal.
You talk about somebody like Kenny getting hate, and the ultimate person is somebody like Diddy. He even had the song with Nas: “Hate Me Now.” But at the same time, men in your position might get a little of that … but I don’t know if people would have so much negative stuff to say if you were a guy?
Oh, yes! That’s definitely one of the things I always say. Even with party promoting, I forgot what happened a long time ago. Something happened a long time ago at a party and … someone got real mad at me and called me about some shit. And I remember saying to my friend, “If it was J. Carter or Ian [Ford] or someone else, they wouldn’t be calling them with that bullshit.” I think it has a lot to do with being a girl. I think it has a lot to do with that.
Do you and your [female] friends that do this kind of stuff, whether it’s Fadia Kader or even taj [anwar], do y’all talk about that kind of stuff, being females and working in what’s traditionally considered a man’s world?
No — well, me and Fadia never talked about anything like that. Me and taj, I remember us having a conversation like that before. Because the thing for me is it’s not really so much a party. When I started the BangBang thing, I started it because I was so sick of like all the girls hating on each other, and I just kinda felt like when I went out it wasn’t really like that. I just had a good time and I wanted everyone else to have a good time. So that’s kinda like the thing behind BangBang girls: going out and having a good time, and not worrying about dudes or other girls. We want everybody just to have a good time.
I just really do parties ’cause there’s a certain kinda music I wanna hear in the clubs that I don’t get to hear. It’s very rare that you’ll see me just throw a DJ in the club and be like, “Oh, we’re having a party,” you know?
So what about all the people who were trying to give you reality-check advice and saying how you should spin this into career opportunities? How much of that are you already doing, and how did you react to people saying that?
Well, that’s something I already know. It’s kinda like diversifying yourself. Even like Fadia — Fadia’s doing parties and managing [rap group] Proton — she’s doing a lot of things. She doesn’t know exactly what she wants to end up doing, but she’s kinda like getting her hands in a lot of things. I never thought of parties as a career leading to anything, but like right now we’re working on a T-shirt line. But it’s just for fun; it’s just something that came out of it, you know.
But, naw, I’m not really trying to like diversify myself (laughs) — have “BangBang TV” on YouTube or anything like that. That’s the thing with me. That’s probably one of my bad, bad personality traits. I’m not very business-minded. I just am kinda chill and do whatever comes along. … I probably miss a lot of opportunities because of it, but it’s just more [about] having fun for me. I know it sounds really lame but that’s what it is.
But it seems to be working for you.
And that’s what people don’t understand when they’re like, “Oh, she’s a party girl la-da-da-da.” Like me and Al [aka Papa Bang Bang] and Caleb [Gauge] and a lot of people I know, this is the life that we live. … I go out a lot. It’s not like I’m trying to go out to this party to be seen and that party to be seen. We’re just city kids. I always say that about the people that I know like Al and Zosa and Nicci and Zach Wolfe and all these people. We’re like the heart and soul of the city. All the creative shit comes out of people like us. People like Caleb. That’s the way we live. We’re not trying to make celebrities out of ourselves; we’re just trying to bring something new, like add something to the scene.
Stay tuned for Part II.
Read more about some of the people and events mentioned in the following two features by Mosi Reeves: 1) “Fresh kids fizzle”; and 2) “The big bang in 2007.”
January 5th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Congrats chica!!! So proud of you.. can’t wait to read what the hell you have to say on here…. Creative Loafing is about to be the #1 blog spot to go to the minute you start …
love
fk
January 5th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I once saw Ree dancing in a club..As she was dancing, she had her hands kind of behind her back in such a way that when I walked behind her, she unknowingly touched my baloney stick. I did this a few times throughout the night..I never got a chance to thank her for it so Ree, thank you for the memories! In fact, I am about to re-live those intimate moments just as soon as I finish typing this.
January 6th, 2008 at 1:32 am
T-Shirts? What about a BangBang line of douches shaped like guns?
January 6th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
all that name dropping is lame
January 6th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Big ups to everybody doing their own thing. Whether you’re promoting parties, attending law school or directing porn in your grandma’s basement—keep doing what you do and give it 1001% in 08.
There is nothing but air & opportunity between you and your goals.
January 7th, 2008 at 3:51 am
name dropping? are you serious?
January 7th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
seriously, I can respect all the people named in the article they are great people and talented, except the one talking. girl grow up and get a real job you have no talent.
January 7th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
It is better to be hated for who you are, than to be loved for someone you are not.
January 7th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
See that’s the thing, it doesn’t sound like she even has any goals set for herself.
She just moves from one drink to the next drink.
One party to the next party.
Eventually she will wonder why she is still sitting there broke after all these parties with her name attached to them.
Set some monetary goals for yourself, a model and timeline to meet them and make it happen.
Quit selling yourself short.
You are getting publicity. Capitalize on it and make it work for you.
You said yourself that you are not business minded, so on that note, if you need a career advisor let me know and maybe we can work something out.
FeFe
January 8th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Most of these cats out here in East Atlanta/Decatur are too fickle for me. Their friendships are always being fucked up because of who is throwing this party or that party and who can do this and that..who\\\’s idea was this and who on the guestlist here or there..a bunch of fickle bullshit…What they fail to realize is that at the end of the day WE are all we got. Fuck a party. Hell, fuck money too. Friendships are priceless and there is no need to let your overzealous promoting efforts get in the way of that.
January 9th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
You see, the thing is – no one really gives a shit either way.
I’m only commenting so I can see my name on the Internets.
January 9th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I want internets spotlight 2 plz can I has some?
January 9th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Wait, is this turning into one of those LOLcat things?
I’m totally not into furries, but whatever. Run with it. The Internets is everyone’s chance to be a star in their own mind.
Now if only there was a way to turn the Internets into a pornographic material delivery system…
January 9th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
My internet connection IS a bonafied porn delivery system…In fact, I don’t even know how I ended up here on this page..I typed in ” Pee Fetish Gang Bang “…Must have accidentally hit R instead of P….damn it…
January 10th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
no, no, you’re at the right spot.
can one of you ladies help him out?
January 18th, 2008 at 12:27 am
atl sucks anyway
January 20th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Its so cute how these crabs hide behind there little cyber nom de plumes and talk meaningless shit about the few who make moves to get out of the bucket.
While you’re OG hating…we’re planning your future. No need for a thank you card.
Bang on!
Cg
February 8th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Just what kind of “moves” are actually being made here? Parties?
February 19th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Planning my future?!?! HAHAHA My future doesn’t involve night-clubbing fuck boy.
February 21st, 2008 at 5:23 pm
LOL @ planning futures. From partying? I mean do any of yall ma’fuckas have a 401k? Own a home? Money in da bank? LOL
February 24th, 2008 at 11:59 am
imitation, the sincerest form of flattery..
d. is for done.
see you kids in the streets. xo.
February 26th, 2008 at 9:08 am
STOLI O.G.!!! i always got ya back, but you know that already.
if they’re hating, you must be doing something right(eous).
and yes, we all have 401k’s, own homes and money in the bank. some of us are married, have kids, families in other countries we support in addition to businesses we have started off of what we have managed to recoup from our party entities that we put our personal income into starting. for you to think that we would’nt have these things and stashed something away lets me know that you may not understand the method to the madness, but that’s ok.
i’m going to name drop for a second so perhaps you can overstand what is happening in the land of opportunity- Atlanta.
J. Carter, Marco Blue and Kenny Burns- kinda like the O.G.z of this laid the blueprint and are still getting money from parties on almost every day of the week. They all run businesses- example- Marco own Marco’s Pita on Ponce de Leon- an sandwich eartery her started in the early 90’s (which employed an underground DJ by the name of DJ Drama of Gangsta Grillz fame- who got his start as a dj for the underground legendary hip hop crew Binkis Recs). You don’t hear me doe.
See all this shit is connected and it is about people supporting each other and we all can come up. True Crew Love (yes that pun was intended). You don’t hear me doe.
We will continue to do our thang, PLANNING OUR FUTURES with plans already in motion. The moves that are being made are the laying of the foundation for businesses and careers to flourish while building a legacy for our children. All businesses have begun with a seed fund from a hustle. EXAMPLE: John Wieland of John Wieland Homes (that multi billion dollar home building company) began as a carpenter under another home builder. He became so good, he earned his own district. He made his district the flyest in the coorporation. When he outgrew that company, he started his own thang. You don’t hear me doe.
Its the same work ethic that we have put into our parties, that have paved the way for other opportunties that we are all involved in- we are our own bosses. Now we all do paryies not because we have to, but because we love the hip hop underground culture of Atlanta. Using those opporunties to network and build connections is smart. So when Ree drops her t-shirt line, people will already be familiar with her and want to support. What is not respect about that? You don’t hear me doe.
Hating really blows you up more. Why do you think Karrine Steffans book about who she’s fucking in the music industry sold so many books- and in turn gave mor epublicity to the artists she was slamming- who ranto magazines to pleas their cases- and in turn the nosy nature of people made these magazines fly off the racks. Nas vs. Jay-Z era, now they’re almost best friends and gettting even more money together. Take notes here, they teach this shit in the MBA program at Georgia State, but in case you didn’t catch the course, I’m dropping the knowledge on you.
Keep it 100%, stay progressive. The babies gotta eat.
taj anwar
Crew Love!
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:16 pm
It appears that many of you are simply not seeing the bigger picture.
With the current state of the US economy right now, it absolutely blows my mind that many of you are out there blowing your hard-earned money at night clubs.. If you were smart, you would be saving that money and investing in your/your family’s future.
Y’all don’t hear me doe.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
It’s funny to me that this girl is just doing what she likes to do and being herself and all of a sudden all these people come out of the woodwork to try to cut her down. The beauty of the article is that it shows that just because someone can write a comment doesn’t mean that they should.
Do your dance Megan and I hope I get to shake your hand out one day.
March 14th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
wow. not the ree i used to know. whatever.
March 18th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
The so called networking at these events is a floss fest with little to no real networking…just a bunch of pseudo-hipsters getting drunk.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:47 am
not the ree you used to know. if you “used” to know her you would be callin her by her real name
May 9th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
i’m so late. as always.
September 10th, 2008 at 2:00 am
Ree is dope