HoodCelebritty, the ‘Walking Trophy’ she spits fire which matches her Jamaican influence and background, with her character and persona she has everyone talking.
HoodCelebrityy, whose Instagram freestyles went viral. She was born Tina Pinnock. Hood spent her early childhood in St. Catherine Portmore, Jamaica.
Gussy: How has your stay in the UK been so far?
Hood Celebritty: It has been good. Having a good time.
Gussy: You took in the Carnival, Notting Hill Carnival, the biggest street party in Europe?
Hood Celebritty: Yes. The crowd was turn up even in the rain. I was performing at the Red Bull stage and the people just drew their umbrellas and enjoyed the day.
Gussy: What energy did you get at the carnival?
Hood Celebritty: I got a great energy. My energy was up, and the people’s energy was good as well. Just to see the feedback from the audience and their reaction to the music because I had seen the requests in Instagram of how many of the fans wanted me to perform in UK, they really could not wait for me to come here and perform. Like they knew the music word for word.
Gussy: From the time ‘Walking Trophy’ hit the streets it was fire.
Hood Celebritty: It is crazy because people were telling me the tune started fights in parties too where the main chick and the side chick would try to outdo each other on the dance floor.
Gussy: Your EP is now available.
Hood Celebritty: The EP is called “Inna Real Life” I actually have a record on it called “Inna Real Life.” The EP is going to show my hardcore fans just how much I’ve grown as an artist and my new fans who Hood Celebritty is. The EP is very versatile. I have some Reggae. I have some Dancehall and I got some strictly English records.
Gussy: What do you mean by strictly English records?
Hood Celebritty: Like English records where everybody can understand. Because that is what it is. what am saying is I have some strictly RnB tune on the EP. Am a true artist and with my influences, born in Jamaica and relocating to the States at the age of 12, raised in the Bronx till now, Hip Hop, RnB and Spanish influences is there on the EP. When you love music, you branch off!
Gussy: Where did the name Hood Celebrity come from?
Hood Celebritty: I used to work in a clothing store in Bronx Fordham Road and everybody in the hood knew me and so one day my manager goes, “everyone in the hood knows you. So, you are a Hood Celebritty”. I put it on Instagram and when I released my first freestyle on Instagram and it went viral, everybody just started referring me as Hood Celebritty.
Gussy: Any collaborations on the EP?
Hood Celebritty: Yes, Trey Songz and Fabulous. Everything else I kept myself because I want people to know what and who Hood Celebrity is all about.
Gussy: If you look at the Dancehall and Reggae space, who would you love to collab with?
Hood Celebritty: My dream collab would be Vybz Kartel because of his big influence on my music, being the fact that am a Portmore native as well. Popcaan, Alkaline, I did a collab with Mavado, which was dope for me because I love Mavado. Those are like my top dream collab artists.
Gussy: who were some of your influences growing up? Who did you listen to?
Hood Celebritty: My inspirations were Vybz Kartel, Lady Saw, Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston. I have an old soul. Growing up in a Caribbean house definitely Whitney Houston, Vandross and Celine Dion every Sunday. Those are the type of music I grew up listening to.
Gussy: What is on your playlist now?
Hood Celebritty: Still these acts I grew up listening to. Am the type of person who if I like a song, it never gets old for me. Like ‘Dance with My Father Again’, never gets old for me. Timeless classic. Real music has no expiration date. It is like “Walking Trophy”.
Written by Vincent Libosso