DJ Spinderella answered questions from Professor Manon Voice and the audience before performing a set on her turntables. Photo courtesy of C.S. Bindner Photography.
KATE NORROD | STAFF REPORTER | knorrod@butler.edu
DJ Spinderella, a former member of hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, hosted a Q&A session and live DJ performance on Jan. 21 at Shelton Auditorium. The Fireside Chat was day one of three in the musician’s residency at Butler. It was a free event open to the broader Indianapolis area, as well as Butler faculty, staff and students. She was joined by DJ Jay Clipp.
Making history as the first female rap group to win a Grammy and go platinum with Salt-N-Pepa, Spinderella put a bow on her boundary-breaking career by becoming the first female DJ to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last November.
The event was made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Black Affairs Hub, the Jordan College of Arts, the Diversity Program Council and Butler Arts and Events.
Manon Voice, a lecturer of music and hip-hop studies, got the opportunity to welcome her to campus and interview her during the first night.
“The Fireside Chat was this opportunity to really hear from a legend about what this moment meant to her on a professional and personal level, and also to really ask her questions about how she’s been able to remain dedicated to her craft all of these years, traveling internationally, impacting the culture and impacting so many people that have come after her,” Voice said.
Voice prepared questions about Spinderella’s background and upbringing, as well as the obstacles she has faced in her career. After 30 minutes, the floor opened up to questions from the audience.
Madison Adams-Bailey, a first-year psychology major, appreciated the chance to hear from someone she had grown up listening to alongside her mother and grandmother.
“The advice she gave could be taken not just from a DJ standpoint, but also as a woman [and] a person of color,” Adams-Bailey said.
Voice had also grown up admiring Spinderella.
“I grew up literally running home from school, dropping my backpack on the ground, turning on the television and watching DJ Spinderella, watching Salt-N-Pepa,” Voice said.
First-year political science major Olivia Lacke and Adams-Bailey both discussed the inspiration they took from hearing about the challenges Spinderella has faced in her career.
“She talked about being a pioneer in her industry and all the challenges she faced and how she grew up, which was really interesting,” Lacke said.
Following the Q&A session, Spinderella performed a live DJ set on stage. Fans from the audience were able to sing along to Salt-N-Pepa hits, and two audience members even volunteered to go up on stage.
Lacke noted the ‘good vibes’ of the crowd.
“There was a lot of good community around [the event] and a lot of support, and people who were there to have a good time and meet somebody cool,” Lacke said.
After the set, Spinderella opened up the event into an opportunity for the audience to meet her personally and take photos.
Spinderella is also a member of the historically Black sorority Sigma Gamma Rho, which was founded at Butler University in 1922. Many sisters of the sorority were in the audience at the Fireside Chat. During her residency on campus, Spinderella got to learn about the history of the sorority from Dr. Khalilah Marbury, the vice president for DEI and student affairs, and saw the various monuments across campus.
The School of Music was also given a master class performance from Spinderella in Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall, discussing her career and skill set as a DJ. Students were able to try their hand at DJing and learn more about Hip Hop culture.
“That knowledge and education is something that encompasses all of the other elements and pillars of hip hop,” Voice said. “The pioneers are now in this beautiful and unique position where they are passing the torch to the next generation of musicians, hip hop enthusiasts and artists.”
