Interview with Prima J

Prima J is quickly becoming a very big deal. Their hit song, Rockstar was the lead single for the Bratz movie soundtrack. The colorful video garnered six million-plus hits on You Tube. In a current MTV tres poll, the adorable Geffen/Universal Records duo ties Jennifer Lopez as the most fashionable Latinas in the industry. They have a 16 part series entitled "Inside Out" on Telemundo television and they are currently on tour with Jordin Sparks and Jesse McCartney. With a million-plus grassroots following and attractive high energy performances, Janelle and Jessica Martinez are far from just pretty studio singers. The beautiful cousins are a talented Urban-Pop sensation that is ready to share their flavor with the world.

Janelle "Nelly" and Jessica "Jesse" Martinez were born cheerleaders and trained to dance by their cousin, Veronica. As toddlers, they choreographed their own routines during the halftime shows of the Dallas Cowboys games. Performing in front of their large close-knit family gave Jesse and Nelly the confidence to sing and dance in front of anyone. They later became back-up dancers and were developed by Wild Orchid group member, Stefanie Ridel. Ridel introduced them to Geffen Records Chairman, Ron Fair.

Ron Fair has overseen the careers of Sting, Macy Gray, The Black-Eyed Peas and the Pussycat Dolls. He also signed Christina Aguilera and Keyshia Cole. After hearing Prima J, Fair immediately added the duo to his roster. Jesse and Nelly say they were already content with their lives but getting a record deal was like icing on the cake. On "Inside Out," Jesse said that "Usually people want money and success for happiness but we already had that with our family and friends, so everything else is just a bonus." Taking time out from their hectic schedule, Prima J conversed about their career, Chilosa and Ron Fair.

What do you think Prima J represents in terms of America being so diverse?

It means that no matter where you come from or what your background is, if you work hard and believe in yourself you can make it . There are times when we didn't think we would become the artists we are because of where we came from, and people saying we couldn't do it because we're Latin. We were raised to not separate ourselves so we don't look at people and divide because of culture or color. At the same time we embrace our culture and are very proud of it. You only live once so you have to reach out for your goals, be accepting of others, love, and just be happy.

Because of the exposure and enormous reception you're getting, do you feel a lot of pressure to represent Hispanic America at its best and in a truer light?

Oh definitely. We understand why the pressure is there. There isn't a lot of female Latina singers out right now. We want to be positive role models for all the young Latinas and all young people in general. A lot of people are looking up to us. It may be hard but we're ready to take that on.

Ron Fair said that when he signed you he hadn't felt that sort of excitement about signing an act since he signed Christina Aguilera. He put you on a roster with Christina, Mary J Blige, Gwen Stefanie, Keyshia Cole, Pussycat Dolls and a lot of great female acts, so for him to say that is huge. How does that make you feel?

Wow, It's a blessing! Its amazing to just work with him. For us it means that he {Ron Fair} knows that we are different and in our own lane. There is no one out there like us so we're excited to have found him too and have him work with us in the studio. We are so happy because even though he's such a legend and knows what he's doing, he gives us the freedom to be a part of the creative process. We really appreciate that so much.

Prima J has a wide artistic range. The song Rockstar and Corazon showcase this. The video for Rockstar depicted you as colorful wig-pulling assailants answering jealous female haters. The teasing lyrics shouted,"You hate on me cause I'm everything you ever wanted to be and I don't mind...now I'm stuck inside your memory that's why its so hard to get rid of me." Everyone embraced Rockstar and it rightfully became the theme for the Bratz movie. Corazon (which means heart in Spanish) is an inspiring song about walking away from bad relationships with the promise that "things will get better." Who has influenced your music, persona and creativity?

We grew up listening to TLC, Aaliyah and Mariah Carey. We really love Janet Jackson and Ciara too. To us they are all strong independent women, especially TLC because they're about female empowerment. That's what we call Chilosa. Chilosa is a sassy hot and feisty girl whose original and independent with a little spice. We look up to all of these women because of their confidence and the messages that they represent. They worked their butts off and got to where they wanted to be and looking at that is so inspiring to us. We try to incorporate what we learn from them into our own songs and performances.

Do you have a favorite song on the album?

Yeah. One through thirteen. (laughing) No, really we love the entire album and it really varies from day to day. It depends on the mood we're in. We're just happy that we were able to work with so many amazing producers and writers and finally get the album done. We have so much support and feel really blessed.