Excerpt from Ivy Queen interview

I = Ivy Queen
S = Spady

S: Ivy, how are you?

I: Everything’s been real good. Everything’s going good. I’m kinda sick, but you know, I gotta do what I gotta do...

S: I know how that goes. Well, first of all, I want to tell you that people in Philly are still feelin that one you did with Sasha...

I: The song I did with Sasha was a nice combination, ‘cause I love Dancehall, you know. For me, Reggaeton and Dancehall have a little bit of – Reggaeton has a little bit of a mix,
a little bit of Dancehall in it, so, you know, it was nice. It was a nice combination. I’m proud of it, you know. First of all, I did some Dancehall stuff before with Wyclef, but it
was Hip Hop, and you know, he was Haitian and...

S: Right, you did Wyclef first right...Have you done anything with Missy Elliot or anybody like that?
I: I’m dying to do it!
S: I would love to see the two of you guys...

I: Yeah?

S: I would love to see you and Missy together

I: I would love to. I would love to. I would die for that day, yo! Missy, she’s da bomb!

S: What does it feel like being the Queen of Reggaeton?
I: I gotta work harder, [Laughter]...

S: Uh-huh, does it put a certain amount of pressure on you?

I: Basically, I gotta work harder because, you know, it’s an industry that is ruled by the guys and, you know, they think they got it their way. It’s a struggle for me, but I represent, you know, as much as possible and at least they respect me. And, you know, what they
respect is that I give respect for those who give me respect back. I’ve been in this game for eleven years. And when I came in, I came in with powerful lyrics, with a strong type
of voice, you know. I sound like a guy and it was confusing for them, like, “Oh, yeah, she sound like a guy. Let’s go and see this girl, to see if she got the vibe, and you know, to
see if she got it like that.” So, when they went to the show, they know that when I’m on stage I’m like one of them. So, you know, basically, the difference is that I gotta work hard
because there’s this thing like when you’re a lady that you’re gonna shake your booty and make it about that, you know...

S: Do you feel that part of the reason why you’ve gotten such acceptance worldwide among men and women, guys and girls, is that you rhyme right alongside all of the
strongest Reggaeton artists? I mean, in other words, you come with as much force and energy as the guys do...

I: Yeah, I’m blessed like that, yo. I’m blessed with that. That’s the type of voice I have
and...

S: Did you ever rhyme in any ciphers with guys? When you first started out, did you do
any rhyming with guys in cipha?

I: Hell yeah! I did one in Puerto Rico one time...

S: Yeah?

I: Yeah, I did one, but the CD – they got it. They shot it and everything, underground. I didn’t have a chance to get a copy, but I did it. Because, basically when I came in, it was
like everything was about the guys. When I did my thing, it was like, “Yo, she’s serious. She’s takin this thing serious,” so I did it long time ago and I represented. I guess, nobody
wanna disrespect me now, because I got long nails and, you know, I could do it, I could punch somebody.

S: [Laughter] And they know it, right?

I: Hell, yeah, you know, they know – they know what time it is!

S: Some people have even referred to you as, “the Celia Cruz of Reggaeton.” To what extent were you influenced by Celia Cruz, seeing that she was a woman doing what she
did?

I: I don’t compare myself with her. Everybody tell me for some reason that I’m trying to be like Celia Cruz. She was the only female and she did it, and she ripped niggas up, too,
you know...

S: She did, yep...

I: Yeah, they compare me with her. I’m blessed by that, yo, and I’m blessed that they compare me with her. I think that what they see is the strong female that I am when I go on stage and I do my thing and I do everything like regular guys, you know

S: Like, do their thing...

I: Right.

S: Who are some of the African American or Latino women performers that impacted you?

I: Oh, of course, Celia Cruz this other salsera that was like da bomb, too. And basically, it was, my father was a guitar player and I heard the oldies that the older folks were listening to. And when I saw my father compete for the first time, he was rhyming and I was doing the same thing but for some different type of people, you know. Like, my father, he played guitar and I’d sit down and I start to do the rhymes, which in Puerto Rico we call trovas...

S: And they’re rhymes, right?

I: It’s the same thing, but it’s like old school ibarito [‘bar droppin’], you know, so we’d do that, and I used to do that with my dad. So, one day I was watchin the TV and I saw this guy Vico C who was rhyming all over. So, I said, “Dad! That’s what I need to do! And
I’m doin it for old people, and I’m so young doin that.” And he said, “That’s what you wanna do?” I said, “Yeah, daddy, I’m in love with that. I’m gonna do that.” So, I leave my house – I packed everything and I just went and worked hard, yo! Everywhere that I saw a
studio, I’d go in, drop some bars and make it happen, yo.

S: So, you saw Vico C first, right?

I: I saw Vico C first – I fell in love. I told my dad, “Yo, he’s doin what I’m doin, but I’m doin it for old people. I need to do it for the right age that I am,” you know.

S: Did you write poetry at all when you were in school?

I: Yes, I did, I did. I was writing rhymes, too, ‘cause in Puerto Rico, first, when I went to school, I had to quit. I quit the day school to go to the night school ‘cause I had to help my mom to raise my brothers...
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