Tonight Oxygen will air the season finale of Sisterhood of Hip Hop, which means it’s the last time we’ll see Siya on our TV screens every Tuesday evening. Luckily, the out MC is premiering her new music video for “Real MVP” during the episode, which also seems to include a dramatic end for her relationship with on-again, off-again girlfriend Renaye.
Through the last seven episodes, viewers have watched as Siya tried to balance her personal and professional relationships and build a team of supportive people around her so that she can get her career off the ground. As a masculine-presenting lesbian-identified artist, she’s struggled with others who might not want her identity to be so abnormal, wanting her to be more feminine like castmates Bia, Brianna Perry, Nyemiah Supreme and Diamond. But Siya has proven that not only is she headstrong when she’s in the recording studio, but also when it comes to her personal style. That kind of bravado has gotten the attention of hip hop heavy hitters like T.I. and Irv Gotti, and tonight, she’ll receive similar praise from the likes of Ja Rule and Eve.
We spoke with Siya about the premiere of “Real MVP,” the season finale of Sisterhood of Hip Hop and how she’s managed to be a class act every step of the way.
AfterEllen.com: I’m so sad that Sisterhood of Hip Hop is ending. I love it! Siya: You think you’re sad! I’m devastated. I really just pray that we end up getting a second season. The show itself was such a blessing to be a part of. That’s Oxygen-they opened up the doors and gave all of us a cool platform to break into this industry. So for that, I’m grateful.
AE: How did you end up on the show in the first place? It seems like you knew some of the other women beforehand, too. Siya: T.I. actually knew about me prior to the show. He was doing an interview and randomly he started talking about me and talking about how dope I was. Literally a couple months later I got a phone call from him saying, “I’m putting together this show, Siya should be a part of it.” I did a Skype interview. As far as the other females, I knew Diamond prior to and I knew Nyemiah prior to the show. I actually met Diamond at a passport office in Detroit because we both had a show in Canada-separate shows but we ran into each other and met each other at that time. Later on found out we were both on Sisterhood of Hip Hop together. All of those girls were all amazing women.
AE: I love how the show never makes an issue of your being gay. The hip hop industry has been known to be somewhat homophobic-have you had any personal issues with people being anti-gay? Siya: No, I can’t say that I’ve had homophobic run-ins with anybody in the industry. Unless they were just very quiet about it. The only thing that has ever been an issue is my image. “OK Siya we love you as a rapper but can we put you in some heels and a tutu?” Things that I hate. For me, it was never even about my sexuality-I just wanted to be heard and be known as a dope MC in general. So that’s what I was breaking in the game to do. I had no intentions of begin the first openly gay rapper. It just so happens I enjoy women. [laughs] I think on the show my talent was focused on, and I couldn’t ask for anything else. And yeah, I’m breaking down doors with the fact I’m the first openly gay MC. I’m happy about it. AE: I’m excited about your video premiere for “Real MVP.” Why did you choose this song to make the video for? Siya: It’s a song for women all over the world. Celebrating women as amazing creatures; independent women, people that stick by their partners, support them, so on and so forth. And women love records about them. It’s very rare, in this industry, to hear artists celebrating women instead of degrading them, you know what I mean? I wanted to do that with this record.
AE: It looks like the finale has a lot of drama between you and Renaye. Are you still together? Siya: We’re not together. Let me clarify that. As far as the finale, ooh you can expect a whole lot of drama. But yeah, I look forward to it. Besides the drama, the fact that my scene with Ja Rule, the whole Eve situation, it’s really going to shed light on my music. That’s what I look forward to. The drama is good TV though so we’re making it work. … We both went our separate ways.
AE: Now that the show is ending, what can we expect from you while we wait to hear if there will be a Season 2? Siya: Oh, everything! Going to dabble in everything. The “MVP” record we’re actually pushing to radio week. We’re dropping the video tomorrow but we’re going to straight to radio-we’re not playing around. We’re gonna really push it. And if I end up on somebody’s tour, that’d be amazing too. But I’m still in the studio, focusing on creating more music and more content to keep people interested in. I actually just did a record with Chris Brown that he said I could push if I want to, so we’ll just see what happens. I’m really just keeping my fingers crossed for a Season 2. The fans want a Season 2.
AE: I love that you have never wavered in who you were, even when others tried to change you. Siya: Man, I couldn’t see myself doing anything besides that. I’ve always been like that. I’ve always been the type to stick to my guns as far as my image and who I am as a person. I’m not ashamed of who I am or what I represent. I’m not ashamed of living my life in my own skin. I’m completely comfortable and content. I would never change for anybody and damn sure not for a check.
AE: Lastly, you’ve always been the peacekeeper on the show. Where does that come from? Siya: Honestly, I didn’t come on this show anticipating any type of drama. But of course when you put a bunch of females in a room, some women can become a little catty. But my thing was, I didn’t want us to be portrayed like that. So anytime that a issue was brought up or something like that, I would be the one to help the girls walk away from the situation. Because none of us needed to be looked at like that. First of all, this is the first all-female hip hop show ever on television. And second of all, we’re all women of color, which makes it 10 times better. But at the same time, people expect from black women on TV acting a ratchet mess and that wasn’t us.
Tune in tonight for the Season 1 finale of Sisterhood of Hip Hop on Oxygen at 9 pm ET.
