Streets Is Talkin’: STAR Speaks On “Objective Hate” & The Gossip Game - Page 3

Few personalities have had the impact on urban media that Troi “Star” Torain of “Star & Buc Wild” infamy has created through his unique brand of objective hate.

From his Reality Check column in The Source (and Around The Way Connections before that) to several high profile terrestrial syndicated radio morning show slots, The Hater has challenged and scrutinized Hip-Hop’s elite with no fear of the consequences. Since then he has faced off with rappers, actors, rival DJ’s, NYPD and the F.C.C.

Recently Star has enjoyed a resurgence through live stream shows and a recurring role on the VH1’s drama filled The Gossip Game. Now with a slot on a weekly television series and his Shot97.com site as his dual platforms, The Hater’s fire is hotter than ever.

Star recently caught up with Hip-Hop Wired to discuss his come up and sets the record straight on the hate and reality television.

HipHopWired.com: How would you define objective hate?

Star: Objective hate is the total belief in one’s self with the full understanding of man’s nature. That’s my personal belief philosophy. That’s what has driven me over the years and that’s what I have revealed to the masses.

HHW: You really made a name for yourself on terrestrial radio. The Star & Buc Wild brand has seen a recent resurgence if you will through online media. How has that transition been for you?

Star: It’s been nice – I say nice because the last terrestrial radio [show] for us was WPHI 100.3 The Beat with the good colored folks at Radio One. We had a one year deal with the understanding that the market was in real trouble before I even got there so we were trying to figure it out. They just cleaned house because just like other corporations they don’t understand PPM – the personal people meter. But I’ve always had my eye on the Internet and new media since 2003. I’ve realigned myself with this new culture, and applied a lot of my business methods to today’s frontier – so it’s nice. I still have the fire and I still have the energy so there is nothing slowing me down.

Now you have people who are more outspoken and talk very reckless but have no philosophy behind it. There has always been a philosophy to what I do – that’s the difference.

HHW: So Shot97.com is your online platform for urban media?

Star: Shot97.com is more than a platform for myself. It’s at the forefront of being a part of this new powerful tool that is at our fingertips. We just cracked the top 22,000 sites on Alexa.com in terms of traffic and have over 130 sites linking to us so we are a forced to be reckoned with.

HHW: Before Star & Buc Wild, DJ’s and radio personalities didn’t really get at artists, athletes and celebrities. What do you consider your impact on radio considering now it seems that is the only thing that is done on the airwaves?

Star: Clearly we were at forefront of the urban culture and a large part was due to the fact I didn’t come out of the womb of Hip-Hop. I was never a fan or even an admirer of this culture or its music. I really had issues with Hip-Hop. I’m not a comedian; I’m not trying to make people laugh. What I was saying on the microphone was real. So while people were very upset about rogue tactics a lot of other people were like, “Wow, someone is finally critiquing this insanity.”

When I got on terrestrial radio in March of 2000, it was insane. It was everyone was just fabricating their background. We were just coming out of the whole Bad Boy era with the shiny suits and people were scrambling. Jay-Z was talking about “Big Pimpin” and all this other stuff so I really had issues with it. So prior to that, you just had people who were fans of the music – no one dared say anything that extreme because we are talking about New York. Now you have people who are more outspoken and talk very reckless but have no philosophy behind it. There has always been a philosophy to what I do – that’s the difference.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

—

Photos: Star

HHW: You’ve recently appeared on VH1’s The Gossip Game and for the most part the reaction was that the villain has returned.

Star:  The Gossip Game happened at the right time. I’m very excited to be a part of that show and work with those people.  It’s something I am really enjoying right now, I’m exploring it more. People have always reached out to me as far as radio – they always have been. I’m going to do radio again but I don’t feel like a rapper, I don’t need to make a comeback as far as radio. I am focused on television.

HHW: Nevertheless, you are still The Hater and that is presented on The Gossip Game. Can you define what a sewer rat is?

Star: You are referring to Angela Yee of Power 105?

K. Foxx [is] on Flop 97 in the mornings as they struggle to find some way to stay afloat in the game. But I don’t have anything negative to say towards her.

HHW: Well that is what you referred to her as, correct?

Star: As far as that I’m not going to equate Angela Yee to a sewer rat because I like Angela Yee as a person. I’ve met her two or three times. She has always been nice to me. I know how to push people’s buttons. I know what to say to get a reaction. I don’t dislike Angela Yee – I said what I said to get a reaction that I got. Television is about formula and you have to know how to use certain formulas to get a certain response from people whether it’s the person you made the statement about or the audience. Angela Yee is the sweetheart of morning radio of New York City. When you take a shot at her someone’s got to respond. So it was a calculated shot – it’s not because I think she is some type of trifling trash. You feel me? I just wanted to get her attention.

HHW: So there is no tangible malice with you and some of the other cast members?

Star: Again she is a nice person so are the other cast members of The Gossip Game. Angela and I actually shot a scene together. It didn’t make it to final edit. I will say this about the show – it has been a great experience. Some people become salty on how the scenes are edited. I have no problem on how any of my scenes were edited. I went in there knowing what it is and what the situation called for. I actually wanted to get a scene with K. Foxx in hopes that she would throw a drink in my face but it didn’t happen. I really don’t think she even wanted to film with me and you can print that. And I can just go down the list.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

HHW: Surely.

Star: Kim Osorio was and still is a hot b-tch. And I say that respectfully because her husband and I are very cool. It’s an honor to be working along Kim Osorio – she is one of your pioneer journalists. She paved the way for a lot of Hip-Hop journalists. Now you have a lot of bloggers, and I respect what they do, but Kim used to fly around the country to get the story. She had to meet people face to face when there was no Twitter feel me?

I like JasFly – I’ve never met her but I think she is a classy girl. I think she is good for the game. Ms. Drama is a very funny person. Me and her have had some great scenes together. I’ve never met Sharon Carpenter but she seems to be very passionate about the culture and what it is she is in the midst of.

Aside from being my cousin, Viv is one of the nicest people you will meet and a great mother – that’s why people connect with her. You can really see how genuine she is. Am I forgetting someone?

HHW: Last but not least K. Foxx.

Star: I have never met K. Foxx. She’s there on Flop 97 in the mornings as they struggle to find some way to stay afloat in the game. But I don’t have anything negative to say towards her. While we were filming I used to light her up like a Christmas tree on Shot97.com because I wanted to get a reaction out of them and I clearly did. I got that reaction and they had to acknowledge The Hater so mission accomplished. The Gossip Game has been a great experience and I am looking to do more stuff along those lines.

HipHopWired.com: So what’s next for The Hater?

Star: I’m hustling to get more television work. It doesn’t have to be Star necessarily but it could be Troi Torain. I’d like to do more television. I don’t have an agent and I’m trying to get representation. I’m not afraid to go on auditions and stand in line. I would love to do feature films. I want to play a dirty coked out cop – someone who really does something f-cked up in the hood. You know shooting an unarmed teen in the back or plant some drugs on someone.

If you ask me radio has always been in the way of what I wanted to do. I grew up on Abbott and Lou Costello; I wanted to get on television. That’s how we got Star & Buc Wild on MTV to host a show called Beat Suite. So I saw myself as successful way before we got to radio.