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Thinking
about throwing in the towel? Don't! See how the
persistence of one college grad-turned celeb paid
off.
It's Really
Kittie's World!
By Feona Sharhran
Huff
January 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- Ms. Cita
is the topic of conversation from cyberspace to
Wall Street. Maybe it's because the host of BET's
Cita's World tells it like it is. She gives
it to you straight -- an ear full of current events
with doses of gossip and jokes on the who's who
of the entertainment industry, plus she delivers
60 minutes of the hottest R&B and hip-hop videos.
Then again, it could be
that the curve-a-licious virtual diva knows how
to get her dance on. She can back that thang up
like Juvenile; tootsie roll like The 69 Boys;
bounce with it like Lil' Bow Wow and Jay Z; and
shake it fast like Mystikal.
So, what is Ms. Cita's
secret? Where does she get the energy to tickle
our TV funny bones oh so hard, five times a week?
The answer is simple: K-I-T-T-I-E!
Kittie, 29, is the voice,
personality, and movements behind one of television's
most-watched music show veejays. She credits college
as the foundation of her celebrity success.
"It amazes me to meet
people in this [entertainment] field who minimize
their education," Kittie ponders. "College is
just too great of an experience."
Although Kittie had not
found a permannet job in her field after earning
a degree in print journalism from the University
of the District of Columbia in '96, she never
felt that her education was a waste of time. She
learned that there was power and influence in
media. She discovered that she could make a difference
in the world with her career. Plus, writing and
reporting were passions she wasn't willing to
put on the shelf just to work 9 to 5. Kittie continued
on the job-hunting track.
In late July '99, Kittie
went to visit a long-time friend Tracye Kinzer,
who was recently promoted to producer at BET.
"When I walked into Tracye's office, she said
'Where have you been? I've been thinking about
you, but I didn't have any numbers. Quick, I need
you to follow me,'" Kittie recalls. She didn't
know what was going on, but she followed Kinzer
anyway. Stephen Hill, BET's vice president of
music, was in his office when they walked in.
Without prior warning,
Kinzer told Kittie to 'get ghetto' -- a phrase
used to flip the script from speaking proper English
and standing with erect posture to lip smacking,
head rolling, hands twirling, ebonic-speaking
mode. Like a transformer, Kittie got into character
and wooed Hill, who had already come up with a
cast for a new virtual show -- he just hadn't
found the right person to bring Ms. Cita to life.
"By the end of the day,
I was signing a contract," Kittie laughs, still
amazed at what happened to her a little over a
year ago.
"And just to think, I wasn't
even going to go up to the studio," Kittie giggles.
She is thankful for the opportunity that her job
has given her, and puts 100 percent into every
show -- whether she's feeling great or lousy.
"I like to think of myself
as an actress. I have a job to do," she explains.
"Whatever is going on inside, I tune it out
when I have to perform."
Kittie says Ms. Cita has
become bigger than what everyone expected. In
fact, beginning this month, you can hear Ms. Cita
on the Doug Banks morning show in New York (WBLS
107.5) as she gives her weekly top three video
countdown -- a major accomplishment for her.
She also says responses
to the character have been phenomenal. However,
she sometimes gets letters from viewers who think
Ms. Cita's too hard on entertainers, gossips too
much, and doesn't talk enough about real issues.
"People who hate Ms. Cita are the ones who turn
to the show one time and make a judgement that
the show is trash. But, that's one-sided. There
is so much more to Ms. Cita. We pumped the 2001
Presidential Election and The Isis Papers, for
example. Ms. Cita is quite intelligent. She's
just a girl from around the way. This means she
can do different stuff."
Kittie says her college
experience has helped to mold and develop her
into the professional hard-worker that she is
today. Her hands-on
career experience has been a good teacher as well.
She interned at WUSA TV in D.C. while in high
school, and advises anyone going into any field
to do the same. "Intern. Intern. Intern," she
says.
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