Former "Pump It Up!" host Dee Barnes is reveling in gratitude after she was able to save her archives from auction. The trailblazing journalist, who was not only the first Black woman but first woman (period) to host a Hip Hop video show on a major network, notified her fans her collection was in peril earlier this month.
Speaking to RAPstation's Kyle Eustice for ROCK THE BELLS, Barnes explained she was minutes away from losing three years of archival footage.
"A lot of people started off there,” she said. “Like Queen Latifah, LL COOL J—we were walking in the street. The footage is incredible. It’s really good stuff that I have. The Beastie Boys footage I have is rare because Adam [MCA] is gone and we just lost Biz [Markie], I have that. We lost Shock G, I have that. MC Breed, he’s gone. I have that. Trouble. I have that. It’s like I have all these people that are becoming ghosts now."
Barnes has been struggling to find someone willing to produce a "Pump It Up!" documentary, which she'd hoped would be out in time to celebrate Hip Hop's 50th birthday next year. On Tuesday (October 18), Barnes shared via Twitter just how committed she is to making it happen.
"A Huge THANK YOU to everyone that supported helping save the archives," she wrote. "The historical #HipHop content is important to the #culture & as #gatekeeper, I’m going to protect it! The silence I’m receiving for the #PumpItUp❤️💛💚🖤 documentary is deafening, so I am going to be LOUDER."
