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Fourteen year old rapper Priscilla Diaz aka P-Star greeted us outside the ROM
after the Toronto screening of her documentary P-Star Rising on Thursday night for Hot Docs . This was the first screening of the film outside of New York, so she and dad,
Jesse literally rushed from the airport, but didn't make it until the film was over. The crowd outside on University Ave. greeted her with cheers as she and Jesse moved right in to talk to us up close.
This amazing young lady has managed, against all odds to perservere in a harsh New York entertainment climate, thanks to Dad ducking her into night clubs through the back door at nine years old and never
letting go of the dream, that's now become a reality. Through incredible hard work, lots of fun and a whole lot of rapping, dancing and just throwin' it down, alongside the best in the business. P-Star's rap lyrics focus on getting "A's" in school, respect for her pops and his guidance and making the right choices with dignity and pride. She has been fortunate to have some great co-writers to help express her ideas including Brian Sax. Now she writes a lot of her own lyrics.
P-Star Rising, title of the five year account of her life at home, on stage and in studio, presents a daunting open intimacy of the reality of their family struggles, unstaged, no fluff,
true to life, outstanding and trusting footage filmed by Gabriel Noble and later edited by David Abelson, funded by Indiepix. Over 300 hours of footage, down to 80 minutes was no doubt a work of dedication,
with absolutely no funding for Gabriel's years of filming. He truly saw the magnitude, not only of Priscilla's talent, but her huge presence. When standing directly in front of this tiny fourteen year old
you can mistake her for an adult as she commands attention, speaks confidently with wit, grace and intelligence. When asked how she felt after seeing the film she laughs that too bad there was no makeup or wardrobe
available - a diva rising perhaps?.
P-Star's story is unique in its tenderness and sincerity because it is amazingly still unfolding. This is not a documentary about a talented young lady rising to the top but about a single parent family,
including older sister Solsky, who keeps to herself and allows her younger sibling to embrace public life as is her destiny. Sis also becomes the catalyst to search for thier mother, an addict consumed by the inner city streets. The sister,
who Noble calls the 'silent jewel' of the family becomes more important later on during editing. Even the conflict between father and producer was somewhat sensitive as loyalties were at stake over the young starlet's care.
Noble says he knew when to stop shooting when Priscilla and dad have a heart to heart about him letting go of the past. Father Jesse, sister Solsky and Priscilla allow the world, through Gabriel to take a peek at them through a continuous open window. The family struggle
of daily survival and the demands of the entertainment industry takes it toll on them and they are not afraid of their humanity in front of the camera. Noble is a fly on the wall who translated all that
reality into a beautifully constructed victory story.
One is bound to be touched by the level of trust endowed to a cameraman present for the delicate moments he managed to capture. Noble admits he was attracted to P-Star's presence and the conflict, finally
the resolution naturally found its way into their lives and the camera was there for it. He ads that only twice in 5 years, was he asked to stop shooting and once was Priscilla's request for his assistance in a conflict.
P-Star has won several awards and competitions, has appeared on numerous television shows, performed for the Latino Grammy Awards, performed in front of a crowd of 250,000 in Monterey Mexico, MTV's MADE, has a
video on Much Choice, has interviewed Bow Wow and Amarion on teendiaries.com and performs with "The Electric Company". She's been featured in several front line publications including New York Daily, Right On,
and Teen Magazine and now has a teen workout DVD. The DVD and her debut album Welcome To My Show are available at www.huncrecords.com. Check her out at www.myspace.com/misspstar.
When asked who her favourite female rap stars are she admits, none of them are saying anything to her right now. Among her favourite male rap stars are Rakim and Jay-Z. There you have it.
If you ask me, she's been a star from the get go. If she could throw it down at the age of nine, she can do it anytime !
P-Star Rising has allowed fans to see her from the inside now and support her knowing where she's coming from.
by Eryn Vogn
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