Supreme Being

After verbally destroying nine other female emcees on VH1's Miss Rap Supreme, Rece Steele seemed prepped to wear the crown Foxy Brown left behind. Yet, since the show's finale in June, she's yet to sign with a label or drop a major single (apart from a track called "Little Dick Bastards.” More about that later.) We talked to the Bronx native to find out how reality TV changed her hustle and why her first single targets those men who can't fill a Magnum.

Even though you snagged top honors on Miss Rap Supreme, you didn't become an overnight star. Is your life any different since the show?
Well, everybody knows who I am when I walk down the street now. This is something I prayed for. I've been rapping for 13 years and I finally got a burn and I've been trying to use that to my advantage. Right now, I'm talking to a couple of real good managers and two labels are looking at me. So my life has changed, but it's still a grind. I just feel like it's on a bigger level now.

Does that mean you have more to prove than you did before?
For sure. I'm in a better spot as far as people knowing who I am, but now people are going to think that I'm just a girl that won on a rap show and maybe I can't rap or make songs. I've always worked hard, but I'm working the hardest I've ever worked to prove that women do have a voice and we can do this by ourselves without the help of a man writing our raps. It's all about a woman thing to me right now. There are no women in the game.

Why is that?
Women need to voice their opinions. We have the right to talk just like a 50 Cent will talk in an interview. We go through the same shit that everyone else goes through, but I feel like sometimes we're underrated because we're females. I feel like it'll take a strong female to go against the guys in this game. Women have a lot of power and we need to start showing that. I know sex sells and all that, but always use your mind first. When women start doing that the game could definitely change.

You say females shouldn't rely on sex to get over, but your first single is called "Little Dick Bastards.”
Sex sells. I'm not even going to deny that. The sexy emcees make it, but I don't think that's all you should give them. I don't think you should be an oversexed rapper, because there are so many other issues that women go through day to day besides sex. I mean, I respect Kim, I respect Foxy. When I was younger, I thought they were the shit all the way and that's what a female voice was supposed to be. But it's time for somebody new. I think they need to open the door and let a whole new category of women to come into the game.

How hard is it going to be to get that door open?
I'm going to keep it real with you, people will definitely put you to the side and give more respect to the guys coming than you even though you might be better than them. It's ridiculous. The game is run by men. Women are the little dogs in the game. There's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes with guys trying to sleep with you. There's stuff that needs to be talked about. I feel like all that stuff goes on because people don't talk about it. When things go down with me, I'm going to let people know who did what.

Now's the perfect time to let some people know.
You have the DJ's who want to screw you to play a record. I've had people come to me with all sorts of outrageous stuff to try to get on. Maybe that's why I'm not on yet. I have talent and I feel like that should shine before anything else. I just refuse to do it that way.

Are guys like that the inspiration for "Little Dick Bastards?”
[Laughs] You know, I just wanted to get the ladies. That's a topic I think women discuss all the time.

Damn, I thought size didn't matter.
Size does matter though! I mean it matters to me. It doesn't matter to everybody. I think it was just something I was humming and I was like, "Yeah, I want to make a song about little dick guys that have little dicks.” It was just something I was playing with.

Nice choice of words. So is the song getting a positive male response or is it for women only?
Guys like it. They just say, "I know she's not talking about me.” That's why they feel it. They have to feel it because they don't want to make it seem like they're the little dick bastards.

I guess it's about time the tables were turned.
Yeah, why not? No disrespect, but why not?--Ryan Murphy