I fell madly in love, instantly, with Tokyo Diiva, and her indescribable, uncommon talent and tantalizing pop, rap, R&B and just pure fun. I don’t even know what genre to tag them as the duo called Rich White Ladies, who will be performing on June 27 at Pier 26 for New York City Pride. They have just come off of doing Detroit Pride and will also be performing for LA Pride and San Diego Pride as well, and if you check out their YouTube you will see why! By the way, the other half of the duo, Scotty Rebel, can really sing her heart out. Aside from all of their scheduled Pride performances, they have just released a brand-new “Wimbledon” remix bundle, featuring remixes from Johnny Vicious, Dirty Pop and more via Motown Records and will be touring clubs all summer long. Speaking with Diiva was refreshing and just a blast.
Tokyo, where did that name come from?
I got it from the stars and the moon and the galaxy. I didn’t choose the name, the name chose me.
I bet it did. So you will be performing at NYC Pride.
Yes, Pride in New York. We’re actually doing a couple different Prides, but we’re excited about NY. We’re from NY, so this is like a big deal for us.
Where in New York are you girls from?
The Bronx.
The Bronx. I lived there for a minute.
Are you OK?
Haha, yeah. What high school did you attend?
I went to Jane Addams and Roosevelt, but I don’t think either one exists anymore.
Well, your songs are amazing.
Thank you.
Where at Pride will you be? I thought the Pier Teaze at Pier 26.
Yeah, we’re performing at Pier 26. Some of my good friends from New York told me it’s a really classy port, so I’m excited. When I went to Pride before, I always liked being on Christopher Street to watch the parade. There is a pier at the end of that, but I don’t know if that’s the pier. It will be Saturday, June 27.
How long have the two of you been a duo?
Dating, or just…? That was a joke; we’re not dating. Well we’ve been friends forever. The Rich White Lady project was born about three years ago with Semi Precious Weapons. You probably don’t know about them. They were performing all over the Lower East Side. They’re actually really part of us, because we write everything together, they produce, and they are a major part of it. It’s just been a genuine fun project, and we’re just glad that people are just starting to understand it.
I watched you do a red carpet event for the I Heart Radio Awards. You interviewed Katy Tiz, whom we love at Get Out! Magazine.
Yes, the British girl. She was full of personality. She was very, very happy to be there. That was one of my favorite ones, and Boy George of course.
You girls did an amazing job with that and Boy George.
Maybe we’re in the wrong profession.
What is that you’re working on right now, besides all of those Prides?
We just released our EP. We have so much music done already, so we have an album. We will be releasing an actual single soon. I’m thinking by the end of the summer. I’m excited about that. I feel like the EP is the appetizer, and the album is the main course, but the songs on the EP as compared to the songs on the album is like epic – really big music, and no one can tell me we won’t have a billboard hit for that album, and I’m excited to put that out. There’s not that much singing on the EP. It’s just epic radio pop, crazy Billboard hits, and I’m excited to put that out ASAP.
Well after all those Prides, people are sure to be talking.
I’m trying to be famous for a long time, so I’m looking forward to it.
Who thought of the name Rich White Ladies?
It was a collective thing. We were at a party, and somebody basically started calling us rich white ladies. That was the name of the EP, and then people started calling us the Rich White Ladies. I mean, I think we’re all like rich white ladies.
You are touring, correct?
We’re touring. We’ve been doing a lot of really, really cool clubs, and now it’s mostly Pride. We did Detroit Pride, LA Pride this weekend, NY Pride. We have New Orleans, and we have San Diego. I mean, it is fun. I wouldn’t care if we didn’t perform anywhere else but Pride. They get it, they’re cool, and they’re dressed to impress. Everybody is excited about us performing. It’s just so inspiring, all the Pride events. You know they support. They are there to have a good time, but they also support. Especially in New York, because everybody has that demeanor in NY where they are the famous person, they are the star. Whereas in Pride, they show love. If they like your outfit, they say they like your outfit. It’s just a good time at Pride. I’m really looking forward to doing all these shows.
You are going to have the best time ever. And everyone watching you will also have the best time ever.
I hope I survive. We’re also going to the after-parties.
Are you?
Well, we are really going. We take our bottle of Jack. We drink our Jack. We don’t drink anything else but Jack, and we party afterwards. We’re still young, so we still have a lot of like fun in us.
Anything else that you wish to talk about or promote?
Our EP is out, and you could say that you really love me. I don’t wanna push it. I don’t wanna take it too far.
But I do really love you.
