Being the single mother
of four sons and one daughter was a hard mountain to climb, but with that friends like faith, mercy, and grace, all given
to her she says by the Lord, she made it. While interviewing this extremely strong woman, I could sense that she really had
a story to tell, she referred to this story as her testimony.
Just Valerie the CEO of the Dallas based Independent Record Label B4 Reel Records, the editor and publisher of
Rap-Soul Urban Magazine, and Filmmaker. I asked Valerie the reason she uses Just Valerie she replied, when releasing
her first album, she was preparing the credits and was about to insert the executive producer name, she said to herself it’s
Just Valerie. So she inserted Just Valerie and lots of prayers. Valerie says that her greatest accomplishment isn’t
the fact that her music received rave reviews in national magazines, but that her children turned out great. She went on to
say that against all odds none of them are not in prison nor on drugs, instead her oldest son is a Computer Engineer, her
second son is an education major, her third son is a customer service representative, her fourth and youngest son received
a his degree in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University, and her youngest child her daughter is a straight A student
and a perfect little lady, and like her older brothers good character with lots of love in her heart for all.
She says that like
Jackie Kennedy once said “Your success is measured by your children”. She said regardless of the many mistakes
she’s made in her life raising up good children has erased them all, she added I did something right. I always explained
to my children my actions the reasons why I did what it was that I did, good or bad. I kept it real with them; children are
smart creatures they understand as well as they misunderstand. If you explain and respect your children, which means, being
able to say you are sorry when wrong, as a parent is a good start. Telling them thank you, and not only to say it to others.
In other words, practice what you preach.
When asked about what influenced her toward the Entertainment Industry, her reply was that she always loved the arts,
she particularly loved dance, but her grandmother looked at that as being taboo so she went into accounting in college. She
said that accounting helped raise her sons but she felt she could have done better in the Entertainment Business. She met
Jay-Ski of the Quad City DJ’s and the CEO of Quadra-Sounds Records on the plane and exchanged numbers and the rest is
history. She said that she learned a lot about the business from working with them. It was the push I needed in the direction
I had always wanted to go into. I started my faith based record label with no money but a dream and the determination that
if I could raise five children alone, HE could help me with this. Lots of people asked me how I could deal with all those
rappers they cuss and they aren’t a good influence on the young people, and the people saying this used more drugs and
had more sex, when they were young and half of them still are. I looked at them and looked at the so-called thugs who were
real and not hypocrisies, I decided on the thugs.
The people who say
that I have demons in me, because I deal with artist that cuss, I cuss and so do they. I was in the church when they were
in the clubs, they found the Lord at an older age I been knowing HIM longer and long enough to know that HE loves me and none
of us deserve HIS love. The entertainment business is filled with a lot of crooks as any business, but there are a lot of
good people as well. If you have faith, cry but get back up. Pray without stopping, and learn to endure whatever, you will
make it. It’s not easy but when you love what you do, it helps. You need to surround yourself around professional and
know and acknowledge your weaknesses and place individuals that strengths are your weakness, and whatever you do have people
that you trust around and that’s not always your family it could be a friend. Stay humble and remember all the bridges
that you crossed some you don’t see anymore, but you still send prayers to them or whatever. Basically the principle
in the Music Industry is basically the principles you use in life be fair and never bite the hand that feed you. In closing
she said that The Lord took nothing and she pointed at herself and made something out of it. She sends a message to all that
Judge others by saying Justice and Mercy has a fight and Mercy won. Gossiping
and back biting is not of God at least not the God I know and love. HE said how could you love me who you never seen, and
hate your brother, and to all the Haters "If you can't see my dreams than you ain't in them". She then said interview over “Picture me ROLLIN now where my THUGS at?”
Just Valerie has added
Author and Film Director to her list, as her freshman book entitled "The Day I Stood Up to my Past" is scheduled
to be released January 2010 and her second film entitled "The Game won't let me go" will start production Spring 2010... Just
Valerie says that she has just committed to Co-Director of (3) three featured films in Jamaica beginning January 2009.
She was also appointed one of the Official Promoter of the 10th Annual Roots Festival in The Gambia 2010. She headed
a U.S. Delegation as the invited guests of His Excellency President Dr. Yahya Jammeh. Just Valerie says that her trip
to the Gambia was life altering.
