Fly As A Lady Part 3

What is it that truly defines an artist as unique? Is it their movement of Godly moments set to stage in an array of what the public would call art or the multifacets of their character that sets them apart from the regulars? Inspired into a movement of life is what puts together an artist and also it’s what brings them to the next level.


“You bled my Mama! You bled my Papa! You won’t bleed me! You won’t bleed me!” The statement meant much to the year 1971 as pride and sacrifice were given in the name of Art. The infamous words that rang throughout the art form of the Van Peebles legacy ring long and hard in my ears. As I figure out what comes out of fighting for your beliefs, my answers reign loud and clear through the grandiose people I meet. Fighting for yourself to survive, achieve and inspire is what I find every time I get to meet someone new and enter into their world for a day or a week or a month of just understanding who they are.


Is it circumstance or coincidence? Not really sure which one you call the happenstance of meeting Mario Van Peebles in a restaurant and finding the might to actually approach him comes from but whatever works… worked. Di used to work at a trendy little hot spot in the city called Lotus. She walked in for her shift and she’d just come off the high of watching his masterpiece bio-pic of his father’s classic Sweet Sweetback’s Bad Ass Song and there he was. Already seated in the restaurant sat her new idol. The dynamic of the autobiographical movie based off the making of what Blacks would look like and how they would be portrayed FOREVER, changed the view and inspiration of Diana to become a better artist and intricate person. Baaadasssss was a movie that set the standard for what Blacks in the 70’s really looked like and what they really felt about the injustice of their lives, history and representations on television and off. After being nudged by her co worker to go and tell him how much of an inspiration he was for her, the rest became history.


A year later Mario is Diana's mentor and he supports her work in every aspect of art she’s focused on. I chose to watch BaaadAsssss to get an idea of what was the inspiration that came out of her. And sure enough, I understood a whole different dynamic about what it takes to live your dreams and believe in yourself when the whole world is telling you “NO”.


BaaadAsssss is Mario Van Peebles rendition of his father, Melvin Van Peebles movie, Sweet Sweetback’s Badass Song. The 1971 movie was the first to spark the revolution of what would now be called blaxploitation films. It was before Superfly, The Mack, Shaft, Foxy Brown and the likings of what we called black culture when it became televised in the 1970’s. It was the introduction to Earth Wind and Fire (who got there break doing the soundtrack of the movie). It was what struggle and a vision looked like in the face of colored people. It’s also the biggest hit movie for 1971 that was tagged the underdog film before it was even released.



Being able to have a mentor who is the renowned Mario Van Peebles is an honor and a privilege all on its own. She gets to hang out with him and meet his father and just shoot the breeze about regular things. It’s a chance to be invited into the mind of a brilliant artist. In all these things she’s able to shine as bright as she possibly can off the inspiration of the Sun.

Fly Lady Di Interview Pt 3 by Jwastar*