By Odeisel

Claudette Ortiz had it all out the gate. Hit record in her late teens, Maxim Magazine covers, acting gigs and duets with Grammy Award winning artists. Then came love and Marriage with former bandmate Ryan Toby. Soon the love was lost and the marriage was gone and Claudette was there to pick up the pieces as a mother of three and no room for the tours and the road warrior lifestyle that accompanies being a hot artist. She remained unbowed even with the drama of her ex band member(not the baby father) shitting on her name on an episode of A&E’s Intervention. Now that the children are a bit older, Claudette Ortiz returns as a cast mate on the popular R&B Divas L.A. On the night of the shows first seaosn reunion, Planet Ill sat down with the lovely Miss Ortiz to talk love, life, lies and the power of truth in an industry full of fakes. Enjoy.

Planet Ill: There has always been a mystery about you in terms of the business and then all of a sudden your Ex is on Intervention and put you out there. Did that have any bearing on getting on R&B Divas to get you out in front and get your story out there?

Claudette Ortiz: No. His Intervention was bull; there were a lot of lies involved. I was going through things that were a little more important to me as far as my life is concerned than having to deal with something that I had dealt with in the past, a few years ago. No that wasn’t the reason. My reason for R&B Divas was because of the opportunity that was…the possible opportunities that could come from being on there and the experience.

Planet Ill: I watched a few episodes and it seems like you are generally at peace. But with Reality shows, a lot of the more successful ones involve people getting out of character or getting crazy. Did you have any pressure on you to destabilize or were you just fully prepared to be exposed on that level?

Claudette Ortiz: Well yeah there was definitely pressure to be a little more “entertaining,” which would be the drama, but that’s not what I came on there for and I believed and I had faith and said I didn’t have to go out of character to still have my fans love who I am and still gain new fans. My thought was always my children and my mother and they were going to see it eventually and I didn’t want to behave any way that I didn’t want to set an example for my children like that. So I tried to stay observant and just kind of peep the scene, so to say, and just stay myself and be myself and not get into anything too crazy. Most of the ladies I got along with; all of the ladies, actually so it wasn’t too difficult for me to maintain that integrity as far as that is concerned.

Planet Ill: It never appeared that you were out of character or crazy so I guess that’s mission accomplished on your end. What did you hope to accomplish from R&B Divas?

Claudette Ortiz: Well there were a few things I hoped to accomplish. One was to possibly touch some people from my story and from what I’ve been through and possibly inspire some people. Also to create and to expand on the opportunities that could come from it. And to gain a new experience and I think that all of those things have been accomplished and I’m thankful for that.

Planet Ill: The media marketplace is very different from when you had you first run. Now we have things like Twitter and social networking where the fans are closer in proximity to the artist and they are able to more directly get involved with them for better or for worse. Before you had to read a magazine they have the photo shoot you wait a month and it comes out. On Twitter you can react to some event and all of a sudden people are retweeting you and those retweets become a story on blog. How do you deal with that kind of proximity?

Claudette Ortiz: It’s only different as far as the…you still had a close proximity with your fans when you would perform and things like that.Being in the music industry and performing like that it’s a lot more hustle and bustle and very very tiring. With film it’s a lot more calm and structured. But with the new media and the way that fans can get in touch with the artists that they like, they difference wold just be that your typing it. As opposed to being in person. Now if I was back on the road, I guess that would be the extra on the end. I guess they could get to know you better and see what you’re doing every day, retweet what you’re doing and see your personality a little more as opposed to having to watch you on something or read something about you. I think it’s wonderful.

Planet Ill: So what happens when you see an even on TV and you say something. And all of a sudden there are 12 people going, “Claudette are you fucking crazy?” Or they star getting a little flagrant. How do you deal with that?

Claudette Ortiz: Well that’s going to come regardless. Sometimes there’s too many to respond directly so some things, you try to find the important things to reply to, because there’s no way to reply to 12,000 messages.

You try to run through and things that catch your eye you try to reply to the best way you can and sometimes I’ll just message out a general thing saying thank you for the support from the people. Sorry I can’t say thank you to everybody [individually]. As far as any negativity, you just kinda ignore that because that’s going to come regardless. There’s good and there’s bad. It can be hurtful at times but you just gotta keep it moving.

Planet Ill: Everyone on your show can actually sing. In a marketplace now, where you don’t necessarily have to be able to do that, how do you find your way when all you have to do now is have a hot beat? Do you find yourself trying to change the way that you perform?

Claudette Ortiz: I think to each, his own. If somebody gets on that way then God bless them. I don’t have no problem with that. The gift I was given is the gift I was given. The way I record, and I don’t do anything super old school but it doesn’t affect how I record at all.  I think that It may affect others, depending on the artist; it depends on that person. But I think whatever is meant for you is meant for you. Sometimes it’s funny but it still entertains me and if the song is good then you know. Sometimes I hear a song and think such and such would have sounded great on this song like you might hear another artist in your head singing it but I’ll still enjoy the song and te writer I still enjoy it. It doesn’t bother me.

Planet Ill: When we grow up, they tell us all kinds of fantastic things about love. Unicorns and butterflies and all that shit but once you grow up and you feel it, there’s so much drama attached to it; so much pain attached to it. As an adult, as someone with kids who has been in and out of love, how has that defined who you are as a person and how have you been able to handle it throughout your life?

Claudette Ortiz: I think that for me personally I’ve just learned what I do and don’t deserve and as a woman going through different relationships you have to decide what is it that you are willing to accept and what is it that you’re not.  And what is it that you want and what is it that you don’t want. It’s affected my life obviously because I’ve been married and divorced and everything else but as a person I have actually learned to be a lot more understanding and I think sometimes in relationships we will expect more from someone than people are willing to give in some cases and we forget that your partner is human and friendship is a very important aspect of a relationship, I’ve learned. And I know that sounds cliché but it’s very true: friendship is really important at the end of the day,  and I think that has helped me to grow.

Planet Ill: In an image driven industry, how important is the truth?

Claudette Ortiz: I think that the truth is the most important only because the truth comes out anyway, eventually. And that’s what I learned. There’s been all kinds of lies and slander about me in the past. I’m okay because I know that the truth is always revealed. It’s stronger than a lie or anything else. If you’re built off a bunch of lies, it’s only going to last but so long.

I’m a strong believer in that you should always be honest. I’m not one to lie about my age or lie about what I’ve been through or anything else because at the end of the day, regardless of anybody’s opinion is, it doesn’t matter. So I’m going to be real from the door about whatever and I know that there are going to be some people that disagree with that but everybody is entitled to what they think it should be but I think you should always be honest from the door because the truth comes out anyway.

Planet Ill: And when your children grow older and when they see these things on television or when they read about you, what would you like them to take from your experience in the public as a famous person?

Claudette Ortiz: You know, I’ve never thought about that. I think I would like my children to understand that honesty is important and that you can get through anything and use your testimony to help people at the end of the day.

Planet Ill: This ain’t the friendliest industry to young women. As a woman in this industry, and a good looking one, has anyone ever “tried” you? Tried to make things uncomfortable for you or make you do something you didn’t want to do?

Claudette Ortiz: You know what? I actually didn’t have any problems with that in the beginning of my career because I was married and I had protection. So nobody would try anything because I always had my man with me. It wasn’t until later, when I was divorced and I was trying to get back on, then I would be out in some awkward situations, like “What? Hold on a second!”

It’s definitely hurtful; it makes things hard because you have to work harder. I’ve had someone say to me, you know well maybe you would be in a higher place in your career if you bla bla bla. I completely cut that person off and then I had to start from the ground up all that work again. I don’t know if that’s something that men have to deal with. But if you’re a woman of integrity, it makes it harder.

Planet Ill: What would you like at the end of your career, for your career to have said about you?

Claudette Ortiz: I think I would want really I would want to have moved people, definitely helped people and inspire people. That’s my ultimate goal with my career as far as that is concerned.

Claudette Ortiz:Love Lies & Life – Planet Ill by Illsideradiopodcast on Mixcloud