I love her energy! I love her spirit! I love her FACE! I really love hearing her voice when I’m radio-surfing back and forth from DC to Baltimore (Rickey Smiley and Russ Parr Morning Show), shuffling through traffic on my way to work.
Alfredas give me so much life every morning with her no holds barred commentary and celebrity gossip every morning on the Russ Parr Morning Show.
We met (for the first time) in LA at a movie junket and JUST LIKE THAT, a sisterhood was made! She’s mad cool and I’m honored that she agreed to set aside some time from her busy schedule to grant me this one on one interview.
How long have you been in the radio business? Since I was 19…(so about 10 years 😉
Who helped you get your start in radio? I started interning w Russ Parr in Dallas, Texas as a junior in college. I became his co-host at 20.
Are females harder to get along with in radio? In my experience, it’s not about females being harder to get along with; it’s about females typically being less secure than men. Insecurity in a male or female makes them hard to get along with! I love my co-workers because we don’t take ourselves too seriously so we’re able to have fun without getting our panties in a wad. And yes, I’m sure Russ, Abbut and probably SupaKen ALL wear panties!
Do you think it’s a lot of competition? Of course there’s competition, but there’s competition in every field. I generally see it as friendly competition ‘cause it’s just not that serious.
What is your “LET IT GO” song? I’m a really big musical and band fan, but since I work in the hip hop and R&B industry, I’ll be safe and say Award Tour.
You’ve interviewed a lot of celebrities, was there ever a time you had an uncomfortable interview where it went terribly wrong? During my infamous Aretha Franklin interview. She treated me like a child and I was a grown (ass) woman w/two kids who had already been in the business for over 15 years when I interviewed her!
Who was the best celebrity encounter and why? Definitely an encounter w Whoopi Goldberg. I was only 20 and had gone to LA to cover the Soul Train Awards. I was fine w/being on the red carpet but I saw Goldberg outside my hotel and thought I’d be all TMZ-before-there-was-TMZ. Soooo I ran over to her w/my little raggedy mic in my hand ANNND I was so star struck I couldn’t think of anything to ask her! I must have looked like a deer caught between the headlights! She was awesome. She took the mic and just started talking.
What’s the biggest misconception about you? I don’t trouble myself with misconceptions. Wait. I shouldn’t say that cause people will think I’m conceited. But honestly, I’ve just never cared too much about what people think of me. I’m really authentic, from my hair to my personality. I couldn’t be fake if I wanted to, and I know that some people just don’t get that, and I’m cool with that.
Why don’t people get about music when it comes to radio? People don’t get that radio personalities don’t get to choose what gets played, unfortunately research usually does.
Who do you most admire in the radio industry and why? Russ Parr. Not because I work with him. Not because he started me and countless others in the business. Not because he’s my best friend. I admire Russ for so many other reasons. I don’t even know where to start. He is so good at what he does. He really is a genius at his craft. Russ can make anyone sound good and unlike many morning men, he doesn’t have a problem doing that. Russ doesn’t mind being the butt of jokes and letting other people shine. Russ NEVER takes credit for giving, counseling, parenting – he really is selfless. That is NOT a trait of most morning men. Russ goes to bat for his crew and treats everyone from the parking attendant to our CEO the same. He might actually be nicer to the parking attendant! Russ is an old school broadcaster in that he doesn’t consider himself a celeb and actually LIKES people and their stories.
What was the best advice anyone ever gave you? Fake it till you make it. Dress, talk and act the part/person/job until you become it!
If given the chance, I’ve always wanted to try: Flying a plane…except I’m afraid of heights. Go figure.
What’s the biggest misconception about women in radio? I think people assume women can’t be women i.e. have babies and marriages and still do their jobs fully. Trust me, it’s not easy but it’s definitely doable!
Where do you see urban radio in the next 10-15 years? I think the lines will blur and urban radio will include more and more artists and djs who aren’t so urban. Urban radio is still caught up in color and I think that will change.
What do you think is wrong, if you do, with hip hop and R&B? Simply put: it tries too hard to be hard.
Who do you think is the most underappreciated artist out there right now? Jhene Aiko, Chance the rapper, and Logic.
Who’s in your iPod/radar? Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Common, Prince, Dave Matthews, Erica Campbell. Not a fair question. I have thousands of songs. I could put my iPod on shuffle and not hear the same song for months!
What do you want your legacy to be? I don’t want to sound flippant, but for me, right now, my legacy only matters for my kids. I hope they see me the same way I see my parents; as fair, selfless, wise, inspirational, fun and loving.
Biggest regret is: Not moving to LA out of college.
How can people reach out to you?
IG: Alfredas
Twitter: fredasflicks
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER/IG @JustKiKiBrown
FAN ME ON FACEBOOK @MsKiKiBrown
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