Legendary hip hop DJ and rapper DJ Spinderella, who rose to fame with the iconic rap group Salt-N-Pepa, will be joining AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s 20th year celebration of the Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival sponsored by AHF Pharmacy at Fort Lauderdale Beach on March 15.
“We are excited to have DJ Spinderella’s talent on stage once again here in South Florida as we celebrate our 20th annual Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival,” said Tracy Jones, AHF Southern Bureau Chief. “Her commitment to safer sex awareness dates back decades, and her talent is timeless. In addition, as we celebrate 20 years of Florida AIDS Walk, we are proud to expand our beneficiaries this year to include organizations whose work is directly helping to address the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in this community. Ending the HIV epidemic means meeting people where they are to get them the care they need in all the ways they need it most.”
The site opens at 8 a.m. and the walk starts at 10 a.m. The festival starts at 11 a.m. For more information, visit FloridaAidsWalk.org.
OutSFL had the pleasure of catching up with her as she prepares for the festival.
You are opening up for Rita Ora this Saturday for the 20th anniversary of the AIDS Festival and Walk. We are so excited to have you back in Florida. You also opened up for Rickey Martin for World Aids Day that was held in Miami this past December. How does it feel to be the opener for Rita Ora for this festival?
Yes, Miami was awesome! High Energy and party with a purpose! This is a cause that is very dear to me, that's what my career has touched on, recognizing the needs and raising awareness. We’ve been using our platform, myself and Salt N Peppa for many years, and it's kind of like going back into our old bag and raising awareness and help with resources and just being a part of something amazing to help bring some change.
It’s been 35 years since the release of one of your signature songs “Let’s Talk About Sex,” what does that song mean to you today, especially considering the festival?
(Laughs) I am still here! It's been a long journey, but I'm proud of it and “Let's Talk About Sex” was one of the songs that you know kind of took us to new heights. There was a purpose for that song, it was a meaningful song for us, and it helped in our journey and our career. It also provided information to our peers and those that were our fans about the taboo of sex, and then we ushered in the whole idea of HIV awareness. We learned a lot along the way, we were using our platform back then and having a good time and I think that primarily was the goal to enjoy the ride. Plus, back then 35 years ago, I think what really pushed us over the top was that people were talking about HIV, but did not have information back then so we learned the basics, and we searched to incorporate that in our music and share that with our audience. So, it was pivotal for us to sum it all up.
