One of the more iconic rappers in hip-hop history, The Lady of Rage now stars as Miss Cleo in the upcoming Lifetime film, Miss Cleo: Her Rise and Fall.
Portrayed by actress Youree Harris, Miss Cleo gave live psychic readings on television in the late 1990s and early 2000s. When it was exposed that the Cleo character was following a script at times, Harris received a large amount of public criticism.
Rage, a Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg-affiliated artist, is best known for her 1994 single “Afro Puffs.”
Ahead of the Feb. 10 premiere of the Miss Cleo film, Rage discussed intersecting the two worlds of her career and Cleo on screen.
Did you ever feel pressured to always wear Afro puffs publicly?
Yes. I tried to do other styles, and every time I showed up with a different style, it was, “Where are the puffs? Where are the puffs?” So, I just started wearing the puffs everywhere when I had to perform.
Even before that, I told Dre I wanted to lock my hair. He was like, “No, you can’t do that. This is what you have to look like. This is your style. This is what it is.”
So I stuck with them. I stuck with the puffs. On my Instagram page a couple of months ago, I was talking to the audience while doing my hair, and said, “Well, this may be the last time I rock the puffs because I want to try something new.”
People were like, “No, don’t do it.” And some people were like, “Well, you have that option. You can change your style, you can do this and that, and you’re a woman, and that’s what we do.” This is a new look, and one of many I will present.
What message do you have for Ice Spice, who initially stood out for having the orange Afro, but has now gone away from that?
I liked her natural hair because it stood out, but I also appreciated her versatility in showing different looks.
It was hard for me to get out of rocking the Afro puffs. People who see me without them always ask where my afro puffs are. They’ve become more popular than me. So, for her to show different styles, more power to her.
What similarities did you see in the battles you and Miss Cleo fought as prominent Black women in the ’90s?
She was scolded for being herself, while I was told I needed to be a certain way … People wanted to tame us. In terms of being attacked, that’s not just Black women, that’s Black men as well. We just saw it in real-time with Sonya Massey … let me reel it back in.
With Miss Cleo being called a scammer, no one looked at the two White men who were behind the Psychic Readers Network, the powers that be and the ones who were controlling things. It was Cleo who carried that weight because she was the face.
What else are you doing right now?
I’m touring with Snoop. I may be back on the road with Katt Williams on his next comedy tour. I’m doing auditions, press and have some shows next week.
I’m just striving toward getting more roles because I’ve always wanted to act. … Rap was a stepping stone to get into acting.
Karrahbooo also said that about acting. What advice do you have for her?
It may have some pitfalls, but she can’t let the first “no” or negative response deter her. You have to have the will and drive. If she’s already been successful in rap, she already has the blueprint. She knows what to do.
