Princess Superstar

All Music Guide:

With her long blond hair, wrap-around shades, and style tips taken straight from Debbie Harry, Concetta Kirshner would seem the least likely person to make her name in the world of alternative hip-hop, where authenticity -- especially in Kirshner's native New York City -- means nearly as much as the music. Nevertheless, in 1994, with dreams of giving the music world something innovative, Kirshner named herself Princess Superstar and made her first demo, armed only with a four-track and two tape decks. The demo was called Mitch Better Get My Bunny, a play on words from a popular urban catch phrase (and a rap song by AMG) at the time. The response to demo was immediate and gained a write up in CMJ magazine's "Futures" section that described Princess Superstar's eclectic mixture of hip-hop, punk rock, and outrageous humor. She signed with 5th Beetle Records and recruited a backup band consisting of Kirsten "Pro" Jansen on drums, Doug Pressman on bass, and Art "F" Lavis on guitar. 5th Beetle released Strictly Platinum in 1996. CMJ called the music "super sly hip-hop with jaw droppingly clever lyrics and inventive sampling;" A.P. went even further with its praise: "If you yearn for the days when a rap record was both exciting and innovative, as well as fun, Strictly Platinum has got your name scrawled across it...in neon peach lipstick." The rest of the press response was similarly overwhelming.

Following the buzz, Kirshner moved from her Clinton Street place to Avenue A, where she was christened "The Queen of Avenue A" by CMJ. Strictly Platinum gained momentum, even shooting to the number one spot on some college radio stations in New York and Los Angeles, while also gaining airplay throughout the U.S. and Canada. The band played live shows all over the East Coast and Canada. Strictly Platinum's "Theme Song" and "Flavis Special" were even used on NBC's NBA Roundup and MTV's Slam and Jam. Kirshner took steps toward musical autonomy by the end of 1996 by founding her own record label, the tongue-in-cheek-named A Big Rich Major Label, and vowing never to sign with a "real" major label again. She also assembled a new band: Ski Love Ski on bass, Mike Linn on drums, and DJ Science Center spinning records live. The group recorded the second Princess Superstar album, CEO, which was released in on October 31, 1997. The album again garnered national acclaim.

Following the album's release, Princess Superstar booked the Hostile Takeover Tour '98, a six-week tour through the U.S. and Canada, which included playing to a packed house at the South by Southwest music conference. Playing the Transmusicales de Rennes festival in France with Nashville Pussy followed in December of 1999, as did a mini-jaunt in London. Kirshner also spent the beginning of 1999 working on her third Princess Superstar album, Last of the Great 20th Century Composers, having again assembled a new backing band (Money Mike Linn on drums, DJ Cutless Supreme manning the turntables and playing guitar, and Walter Sipser holding down bass duties). Kirshner also chose to rename A Big Rich Major Label, opting instead for The Corrupt Conglomerate for the release of the third album. By the new millennium, Kirshner hooked up with Curtis Curtis for a fourth album. Princess Superstar Is, which was issued in early 2002, featured collaborations with Kool Keith, the X-Ecutioners' Mista Sinista, Beth Orton, and others. My Machine from 2005 was a concept album set in the year 2080 with high-profile dance producers Jacques Lu Cont, Junior Sanchez, Armand Van Helden, and Arthur Baker all lending a hand.

Wikipedia:

Concetta Kirschner, better known as Princess Superstar (born February 25, 1971 in Spanish Harlem, New York) is an American rapper and DJ.

Her musical style, as she describes it, is flip-flop — a mixture of 'hip hop, electroclash and electronica'.

Background

Kirschner was born in Spanish Harlem, New York to a Jewish father of Russian and Polish descent and a Sicilian-American mother who converted to Judaism. Kirschner identifies herself as a "spiritual Jew". Her parents were psychologists. When Kirschner was a child, the family moved to rural Pennsylvania and then to the suburbs of Philadelphia. She attended school at the Germantown Academy, a private high school, where she was a member of the Theatre Club and the Black Student Union. She moved to New York City at the age of 17 and went to NYU, where she got her BFA in drama. She is a vegan, active in the animal rights movement and a member of Mensa.

Career

In New York City she took up the guitar, and her interest in music surpassed her interest in acting. She joined the Gamma Rays, an all-girl power psychedelic band that recorded a 7" single called "Lovely" for TeenBeat Records. Their other recordings appeared on various compilations. Around the same time, Kirschner was composing hip hop-styled songs on a 4-track recorder.

Princess Superstar

In 1994, Kirschner made a demo tape called, Mitch Better Get My Bunny, under the name "Princess Superstar". She sent the tape to the College Music Journal and to the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal Records. While she got callbacks from CMJ and Grand Royal, she went on to sign with Dark Beloved Cloud Records, who released her song "I'm White" on their Sympathy for Count Pococurante compilation.

In 1995, she teamed up with three backing musicians and signed with 5th Beetle Records. They recorded her debut album, Strictly Platinum, which gained her some notoriety as being one of very few white female rappers.

In 1997, Kirschner went on to launch her own record label, first calling it "A Big Rich Major Label", but then eventually settling on "Corrupt Conglomerate". She recruited a new crew of backing musicians and recorded CEO, a concept album about corporate culture.

Her next album, 2000's Last of the Great 20th Century Composers, was co-produced by Curtis Curtis and contains the song "Kool Keith's Ass", and a remix of "Do It Like a Robot" by Blues Explosion.

Kirschner went on to collaborate with Kool Keith on "Keith and Me" for the 2001 Princess Superstar Is LP released on Ruthless Records/Studio !K7. The album, co-produced Curtis Curtis, has guest appearances by Beth Orton and Bahamadia. The single "Bad Babysitter" was #11 on the UK charts.

For 2005's My Machine a futuristic hip-hopera concept double album, she collaborated with various producers such as Arthur Baker, Jacques Lu Cont, Junior Sanchez, Armand Van Helden, Todd Terry, and DJ Mighty Mi. This went to #3 on the UK charts in 2007.

In 2008, Kirschner sang on the "Licky" single by long-time associate Larry Tee which was featured in Get Him To the Greek and other movies and TV shows.

In 2009 Kirschner was featured on Grandmaster Flash's record The Bridge, alongside Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes.

Kirschner produced New York rapper Kalae All Day's debut album, released March 17, 2010.

In 2011 Kirschner released "Xmas Swagger" produced by the Rural.

Princess Superstar will release her sixth studio album The New Evolution in 2012. The album was funded by Superstar's fans, using Pledge Music.

DJ

Kirschner is also a DJ. She has released DJ recordings, such as Princess Is a DJ in 2002, Now Is the Winter of Our Discothèque in 2005, and American Gigolo III on International DeeJay Gigolo Records in 2007.