The Queen of Drama talks to me about her time in prison, her relationship with Tupac, clears up rumors about her with Genuwine and Nelly
In this exclusive interview, Philadelphia Native and Houston raised Dahlia McCutchen comes clean for the first time publicly about all of the rumors and explains why she prefers being a hustler over being a ‘Gold Digger’. This interview got very heated with the Queen of Drama Scene Magazine as she shared with me , the advice Tupac gave her, why she almost served 30 years in prison, and her reasoning behind the tattoo of singer Genuwine on her left bosom. She also explains why her upcoming book, I Testify, is in no way comparable to that of Karrine “Superhead” Steffans.
A.D.- Just tell me a little bit about yourself, where you’re from, how you were raised, family…..
Dahlia- Well, I’m originally from South Philadelphia….I actually moved to Houston when I was about 14 or 15 years old. I come from a strong line of hustlers, money makers. I’m not from your typical down to earth regular middle class family. I come from the ghetto streets of Philadelphia where everybody stood on the porch and braided hair. I went from that to moving to Texas to where we were the average middle class family. My mother was really abusive and after which I really pretty much got fed up and was like “I really can’t take this, it’s time for me to go” I never had a really great bond with my mom. I’ve always had a great bond with my family in Philadelphia and New York. But I’ve never had a strong bond with my mom. At 14 going on 15 years old I actually left home and I guess you could say that my family became the people that I met out in the streets you know out in the world and stuff like that.
A.D.- Where did you go at 14? Did you live with your extended family?
Dahlia- I went and stayed with a friend of mine who actually became one of my really good friends. Her mom was a minister at this time and were heavily, heavily into the church and they lived in the same apartment complex with us and they saw that my mom was really abusive- verbally, mentally, and physically. Her name is Artista Hicks and her sister Kaya Hicks who is actually one of Houston’s hottest singers right now. Around that time they moved me into their house…..I’ve actually been in that family since then. But I’d go and I’d come and I’d go and I’d come. I lived with them and from there, I’ve never been the type of person to like abide by the rules, I’ve always wanted to make my own rules so…I left that house around 16 so I started stripping….
A.D.- So you were in Houston at this time?
Dahlia- I was in Houston at this time…
A.D.-At 15 or 16 is that even a legal age to start stripping?
Dahlia- You know what? It’s not. And you know what? The club that I danced at, they got raided because someone found out that there were underage girls in there dancing it was…in Third Ward off Dowling and they got busted and when my mom saw me she was like “Oh you kn
ow I knew she was gonna end up doing this and I knew she was gonna end up doing that’ and it went really bad. Everybody in the family knew and I wasn’t ashamed. I wasn’t upset about it. I just said I gotta do what I gotta do cause I’m out here by myself. And then I had one guy who knew that I was living with my God mom and that I was out on the street and he was like you can come stay with me. And then come to find out, he was a pimp. So I was like “Oh no”. I’ve always had street smarts so I’ve always been the type of person, I’m not giving out my money. So I packed up my stuff and pretty much lived with everybody. Literally.
A.D. -So at some point in your life you started getting into meeting the celebrities and basketball players. How did that all get started?
Dahlia- Wow. That actually started when I was like 17 or 18 years old and I was with a friend of mine that was dancer that I used to hang with all the time and she said hey lets go to New York. Good. You know, I’m ready. Because I’m from Philadelphia so I know people from the East Coast and I knew I had family in New York and Philadelphia so we went to New York and we went to the strip club.And I was too skinny. I didn’t have the big boobs the big ass or anything like that. So we went to this one club and all the celebrities hung out there. So this particular day, Tupac, Shock G, Treach and a couple of other people were at this particular club. She was dancing and I was just like the watch out girl cause I wasn’t really built for this particular club. And its so funny cause I wrote Tupac while he was in prison about this story. They were interested in her but they were more interested in her to pretty much f**k with her. So they invited us back to their hotel and so she’s like ‘Hey we about to make some money I can do this and I can do that’ and I’m like 17 or 18 years old and I’m like no…I’m good. And so Tupac actually made a comment and was like “What the f**k are you gonna do, sit here and watch or are you gonna get the f**k out?” So we (began) verbally battling each other ending up with me sitting outside the hotel room until 7 o’clock the next morning.
A.D. -Wow!
Dahlia- And it was so crazy because when she came out of the room the next morning, I was really upset. I was mad cause I slept outside of the hotel room…in front of the door. You know she did what she did and whatever went on behind those closed doors is what she did. We ended up not being friends. We still see each other to this day we’re not friends. But from that day, I think like a week or two later, Pac and I ended up corresponding its kind of a long story and Im turning it into a very, very short story….We ended up hooking up….
A.D.- How did yall end up talking after that ordeal?
Dahlia - Where we were staying at in New York, he had a friend of a friend that lived in that area and they knew Poochie, which was my nickname, was over there. So they were you I know this girl named Poochie yeah whatever, whatever. I think what attracted (Tupac)to me or what clinged him to me or what clinged us to each other was my attitude cause I had a really funky attitude. I’ve always been picked on, talked about so I built myself to not care. So when I met him….I was like “Who are you? You’re nobody. Just cause ya’ll know celebrities ya’ll in videos and all this and that, I don’t care” And I think that’s what triggered something in his mind that was like she really got something, she really got something. So he came to my aunt’s house and I was like going off….and we started talking and he kept coming and he kept coming until finally I gave in. And so he was like, I really like you, you’re a cool person. And this crazy person that everybody was like he’s crazy, he’s loony…he wasn’t like that. He was like that in the beginning when I first met him but when I got to know him it was like ’wow’ this is a really heartfelt person he really has a lot to talk about. I endeded up, a couple of months later, I think about 9 months later I ended up moving to Atlanta with him they called it Thug Mansion. We ended up living in this house. And around the time he was with Keisha Morris, which was his wife, (she) wasn’t his wife at the time but his girlfriend, as well as myself. And it was hard cause I didn’t know (about the marriage)until it hit the media when he went to jail and we were both there for him. Both of us were there for him.
A.D. -What year was this because he’d been to jail so many times?
Dahlia (laughs) I met him in 93 and actually around the time he went to jail was around 95. I hold my letters so dear to me. I’ve had people steal letters, steal pictures that he’d written to me that he’d taken for me….pictures that I had of him even marrying Keisha. I wasn’t there but I have the letter that he wrote to his cousin about why he wanted to marry her because she was there. Both of us were there but she was there before me and I was younger than Keisha. It was crazy because I’m not gonna say he built me, but I guesss he molded me because everything that goes on in the music industry now, I know.I know stuff that people don’t know. I see stuff that people are about to go through that I watched him go through and that transition that he made. That transition that he made, I made right with him. And he told me stuff like, “you’re not gonna live life until you actually fight this war called life and you’re not gonna be a soldier until you lose” and I was like what are you talking about and he was like “You’re gonna go to jail, you’re gonna get in trouble.” And everything that I’ve gone through, I’m not saying he was a psychic or anything but he actually knew because I think we connected as friends. It was crazy. That’s actually how I ended up being in the celebrity realm because he took me around it….
A.D.- So he was pretty much the first one that you dated…
Dahlia- Yeah
A.D.- Now you were telling me that you also served some time…
Dahlia -I did
A.D.- For what? when was this? Was it around the Tupac time?
Dahlia- Actually around the Tupac time I did get in trouble but it wasn’t more like the case I just recently got. Ive been to jail several times. I’ve probably been to jail about 8 times and I have one federal case. I started going to jail when I was about 17 or 18 years old. You know dancing in the clubs and stuff like that and then it went from that to writing hot checks to it got bigger and bigger and bigger. To where it was like I’m not making money and I didn’t want to be a stripper any more so I was like ‘What do you do’. So I started hanging around people that had money. And by them having money I wanted to make money so I met somebody, I can’t really disclose her name,,,,,,,that worked at a bank and she was like, I can make you a millionaire. And I was like ”Really? What do I need to do?” And I went to prison for identity theft, money laundering and bank fraud. And I went to prison for Nine and a half million dollars.
A.D.- Whoa for how long?
Dahlia- I went for 2 and half years. They offered me 30 but I had a really good lawyer, big up to Mark Carter who is now a judge. But my case is I think is actually what my case, and a couple of other cases is what put him on that seat cause he was awesome. I was supposed to spend 30 years in prison, I got 2 and a half. I got 5 but I ended up doing 2 and a half because of different programs that the federal facility had. And I had already had a lot of stuff going on but I never finished them. I had started a magazine, Id started doing different stuff, I wanted to model but I was caught up in the hype of what the industry was about cause I was brought into it by Tupac so I was like I want that I want to drive those cars, I want to live that lifestyle….
A.D. -By any means necessary
Dahlia -And I did. I didn’t care. It was like, I’ve been shot at, I’ve been stabbed all of that. I face book about it I Twitter about Im still standing. I mean all of that you know those are my trophy scars cause they just remind me of where I came from and the struggles of what I had to go through to get where I’m going cause I’m not there yet.
A.D.- Now when I first met you Dahlia, one of the first conversations that we had over the phone you told me “I’m gonna tell you now, people might be saying things about me I have past they may say I’m a groupie or this and that but that’s behind me” you really just put it out there in the beginning. Do you do that with everybody that you meet that comes into your circle and why do you feel that its important to do that?
Dahlia- Its important because people say evil stuff. And I’m a firm believer that if you say something evil about me if its true, I’m gonna correct it. If its not true, I’m just gonna laugh at you and I feel that I have to tell people that because I’m an open book. First of all I love to talk but I don’t want to give anybody room to lie when I’d rather put it out there myself. I’m working on my book right now and its about my life. My life is an open book and I tell people because I never know who’s gonna say something. The business that I’m in you know the industry, music industry, the magazine industry, editorial, you being a journalist….You pretty much have to do a lot of talking to people. If people don’t take you serious, if you and I are talking and I want to venture off and do business with you…..if we’re trying to make this business happen then after our conversation you walk out of the door and someone says ’oh you can’t believe anything that she says, she’s just talking or she’s a joke.’ I feel like I need to put it out there before anybody else has the opportunity to slander my name. Why let someone slander my name when I’ve already done it myself?
A.D.- Back to the time or around the 2 and half years that you spent in jail what were some of the things going through your mind and what were your plans for when you got out? How have you changed since then? Or did the change immediately happened when you walked out of those doors?
Dahlia -(exhales) I didn’t have any plans. My plans were to hit the ground running and when I got out that’s what I did. I started doing illegal activity again. Because I didn’t have a car. I was going back to my boyfriend in his little one bedroom apartment, he was a teacher. But he supported me. And that’s not the lifestyle I wanted to live. I’m accustomed to Fendi, Prada…I went from wearing Payless to Prada, from Guess to Gucci. I was so materialistic to the point where I couldn’t distinguish between reality and this façade. I couldn’t do it.
What actually changed me…I got pregnant. That was by God. Caus
e I got out I was making money, I had three cell phones….straight out of the penitentiary….I got my hair done, I’m tryna to get a car everything, I can’t be broke. But my child is what grounded me. If it wasn’t for me having that baby, I’d probably be in a federal penitentiary.
A.D. And your child is by the teacher that you were living with?
Dahlia Yes. My little girl was a blessing and it was like she came out of nowhere cause I didn’t think I could have kids. I had done so in the world that…it was so crazy cause I was like I got have a baby by a basketball player, I got have a baby with somebody that got some money. That’s not who I really wanted to be it was because I saw so many people that had it going on. I hung with the it girls, the go to girls of Houston. Im not gonna name no names but I hung with the go to girls and it was like I want what they got how do they get to hang with celebrities, how are they doing this how are they doing that? But when I got behind closed doors, and I saw what really goes on I was like uh-uh. I had this clock in my brain that was like tick-tick-tick-tick stop. Let’s start over. And that’s pretty much what I did. I had to look at the fact that had this little bitty beautiful baby…. And I said ok ‘you’re either going to be a mommy or your gonna be a hoe.’ So which one are you gonna be? I don’t think I was a groupie cause I never, never approached any celebrity any person that I’ve ever dated or talked to, slept, whatever, they’ve approached me. I’ve never been the type of person to approach them. I’ve always been at the right place at the right time to be approachable. But I’ve never been the type of person to be a groupie to rush to their door, bang on their door or you know run up to them. I was always the one that stood out. I wore something that would stand out….I was approachable.
A.D. How do you feel about the possible comparisons to Karrine Steffans once your book comes out and what do you feel the difference between you two is?
Dahlia I knew you was gonna ask that question because its been asked so many times by people that know I’m writing this book. I don’t feel that Karrine and I are comparable. Because number one, I know her son’s father, Coogie Rap and his wife. I’m not gonna talk about her and her book but we’re very different. I don’t know what she really went through but people around me here in Houston know and can vouch for the things that I’ve gone through. What makes us different is that I didn’t sleep with the entire industry. I’m not here to display who I slept with, how I slept with them, how big of a hoe I thought I was, or how big of a hoe everybody else thought I was. That’s what makes us different because she’s displaying all of her celebrity business when I’m actually turning my situation around and turning it into a positive situation so somebody else can say ‘You know what, she went through something. And I don’t want my daughter, my mother, my cousin, to go through that.’ I’m not trying to get recognition for the people that I know. I’m not trying to get kudos or big points or stars for the people that I slept with cause that’s not what its about. What it’s about is learning what somebody else went through because when we lay down with people whether they’re celebrities….first of all celebrities are real men. They have real dreams, they have real goals, they have real lives. I’m not displaying, how I did it. I’m simply speaking on what I learned out of that experience. What makes us completely different, number one I’m older than she is, number two I’m not a hoe and that’s what makes us different. We have hoes and we have hoe types and we have people that just happen to be in the right place at the right time.
A.D. -So how do you define the word hoe? Everyone has a different definition, I’ve heard them all….What is Dahlia’s definition of a hoe?
Dahlia- There are several different definitions of a hoe. You can be hoe on the street prostituting. Number one if you’re sleeping with three guys at one time, you a hoe! I don’t feel like you’re a hoe if you put on something sleazy and slutty. That’s not being a hoe, you’re just trying to get attention. So I truly feel like the whole definition of a hoe is if you’re just putting yourself out there in a really nasty, slutty way. You can be hoe with your boyfriend. You can go behind your own closed doors and be a hoe with your man. So it’s not necessarily saying that everybody else thinks you’re a hoe but you may be that behind closed doors.
A.D.- Would you consider yourself, in the past, a gold digger?
Dahlia- No. I’ve always been on my own grind.
A.D. -So how is it that most of the men that you’ve dated, have all had money?
(both laugh)
A.D.- I’ve never been that lucky Dahlia.
Dahlia- Because I’ve always been introduced to them by somebody else. It wasn’t by force. I’ve never forced myself to meet this basketball player, or I’ve never forced myself into somebody’s room. It’s always been a homeboy like Tupac’s cousin introduced me to this one particular basketball player who I have been knowing and still been talking to, we’re not dating, but we’re still friends for ten years….I met him, everybody in Houston knows who he is. I though he was awesome, now don’t get me wrong that big ass house attracted me. But I think that once he and I started hanging out…I mean I have a nurturing spirit. I’m the type of person that loves to cook, I love to clean, I love to cater to the person that I’m with. This person has never really given me anything. I lost a car once, he didn’t buy me a new car but he gave me down payment on a car. I almost lost my apartment once, he didn’t buy me a house, he gave me the money to get an apartment . So the people that I’ve dated were never men who just spent, spent, spent money on me. It was moreso like, I was a hustler. I was doing illegal activity I had my own money so I’m not with you cause you have money. If anybody digs up my past they’ll know I started from the entertainment business as far as stripping, I dated Tupac Shakur. I mean I’ve dated people…I mean I dated them before they were anybody. I mean the basketball player I didn’t date him before he was anybody but I dated Pac before he was really anybody. I dated a couple of other people before they were actually singers or….they didn’t have anything. I contributed to a few causes, studio time, stuff like that. Gold digger? I’ve never been. I’ve always been a grinder. I’ve always been the type of person, I gotta go get it myself because you can always take it back from me (if it’s given).
A.D. -Now another infamous relationship that we discussed on your show was with Ginuwine. Tell me how you met him and how long ago that was.
Dahlia- That was many, many, many years ago. That was when Pony actually first came out. And I guess you can say, it was o.k. I can’t really say it was a relationship because how can you have a relationship with somebody that when you see each other you pretty much just….you know what I’m saying….see each other. (laughs)
A.D.- “Know each other”
Dahlia- Know each other(laughs). He’s a really good friend and I really can’t speak on that right now because he and I have had a talk and I promised I would never say anything ever again because I have to respect his marriage. We are really good friends. We were really good friends. Things did happen between us, I write about it in my book. But out of respect for him and his family and the fact that some of his children….
A.D.- But at the time “Pony” came out he wasn’t married was he?
Dahlia- Noooo. We met in Florida at a club called Liquids and it was on South Beach…..he was with Missy, Timbaland and Magoo, you know the crew, and he had somebody walk over to me. I was real skinny, I didn’t have no breasts, I was frail build.
A.D.- So the breasts must be bought then…
Dahlia- They’re store bought (laughs). I did bring you a picture of that actual day. (Dahlia opens wallet and shows picture of her and Genuwine looking very happy together)
A.D.- Oh look at you, you were skinny!
Dahlia -Yes both of us were skinny.
A.D. -You two look cute.
Dahlia- And he looks nothing like that now.
A.D. -No he doesn’t.
Dahlia-…..Everytime he comes to Houston we keep it strictly business, strictly friends. I’m not gonna say, Oh my God that was my boyfriend. When really when reality kicks in, they’re not really our boyfriend they’re just guys that we meet that just happen to be in the industry. A true relationship is someone you can call on the phone and kick it with. (With Genuwine) it was always I see you when I see you , we hang out. I think that we moreso had a good friendship. A good stable friendship. Like when he came to Houston recently I was like ‘Oh my God’ and people were looking like “Is she a groupie?” I literally had to turn around, but before I could say anything, he had grapped me and just embraced me like ‘Oh my God its good to see you’ and I asked him how are the kids how’s the wife. And I have to respect the fact that people are gonna be asking about that and I’m like ummmm….uhhhhh. It’s nothing. It’s strictly, strictly innocent. I recently posted up some pictures of us, when he came here to Houston and I got a call like “D…ummm. We know you’re doing a magazine….but.” In certain pictures things can be taken out of context . I think that the pictures that I posted were taken out of context. Like I told him, I don’t want to be in media takeout because there were people taking pictures of us cause I actually hugged him in his truck while they were leaving. So instead of standing outside of the truck, I actually got in and hugged him and the door was still open and the way that we were sitting if you’re taking pictures from an angle, it actually did not look like that was appropriate. So I had to take the pictures down and people started asking and I was like I can’t answer that question for you just out of respect. I can’t say who I got the call from…….Because he was going through something with Lisa Raye people making accusations and speculating that he and Lisa Raye had something going on. So I had to respect that. We’re cool.
A..D.- Now lets talk about Drama Scene Magazine now. How did that get started? Now you’re doing a blog talk radio show now but it started out just being a blog right?
Dahlia- What Drama Scene Magazine?
A.D.- Yeah
Dahlia- Nooo. Drama Scene Magazine actually started in January of 2000. It was around the time that I was starting to make some money and I was dating this particular basketball player. And I wanted to do something different. Because you can’t see this particular basketball player and be a stripper, be a groupie. You know you can’t be out there like that. So I was like I had to change my image. So I started Drama Scene Magazine and it did good. I got a issue, one issue cause I wanted to complete something. So I started it and was like ‘O.K. whatever.’ So I did a few parties, I did something with 97.9 The Box when we had Lil Zane come……But we threw a few parties and that was before a lot of the promoters here in Houston were really promoting and I was just like bam this is really my time to shine. But again, I’m in Houston. People don’t want to see other people succeed. So I was so scared of what other people were going to think if I failed, I started doing other stuff. I went out and started making me some real money. I went out and got me a BMW, went and bought me some nice clothes, started traveling, going out of the country going to New York. And I was doing it really, really big cause I was like if I’m gonna step out, I’m gonna step out right. And I felt like I had something to prove to other people. So it was like Drama Scene Magazine came…and I was like ‘whatever.’ But now, I’m at a point now where it’s like ‘Dahlia you’ve had this magazine since January of 2000, what are you gonna do with it?’ So I have friend of mine who is one of the big girl’s over there at Groove’s and she stay’s on me, she’s younger than me but she was like ‘look you have to clean up your image….you have a multi-million dollar company.’ I have Drama Scene Magazine, I have Drama Scene Live which is on blog talk radio I have Drama Scene Live which is on YouTube and also have Platinum Touch Publishing which is my publishing company…..It actually started as a publication in 2000 and I’m just rebuilding from where I left off.
A.D.- So your book…Have you come up with a title?
Dahlia- I actually just re-titled my book. The name of the book was called The Coin’s Edge and the subtitle was Black and White is easy but it’s the shades of grey that change me. I actually changed the name of the book to ‘I Testify’ because I feel like what I’ve gone through is a testimony. I’m not talking about me being a ‘Superhead’ I’m not talking about me being a Superhoe. I’m talking about me being a Superwoman. And so I testify is talking about where I am now because I feel like I have something to testify about because I’m not supposed to be here. Literally, I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not at the point where I’m at a finishing point because I haven’t reached the end. I’m a testimony that you can walk out of this industry, out of the entertainment business, walk out of that strip club, you can walk out of that drug house, you can walk away from that abusive relationship, you can walk away from your mother and still live and that’s what I Testify is about. It’s not me talking about me talking about who I know as a celebrity, who I’ve been with, how I met them, I mean I talk about it, but I talk about what I gained from it. I learned from certain people. I met Nelly and I heard some really, really bad things about that meeting with Nelly. And I had to come out and say, ‘I did. I slept with Nelly.’ But in no way shape, form, or fashion was it like that, how it came back to me. Because it came back from DMX and DMX’s D.J. like ‘did this happen?’ I was like ‘no.’
A.D. -What did they say happened?
Dahlia- Oh My God. They were saying that I pretty much was hookin up with everybody. And Tupac taught me the game so I can’t really say what I told their bodyguard, but I said, this is what would happen, and I promise if I hear it again, we’ll be in court. So you can only imagine what I said to them for me to say, we’ll be in court if I hear that I supposedly knew all of ya’ll like that. I never heard it again from that day. Tupac taught me, if someone says something about you, turn it into an experience where they’ll have to pay for it. I’ve taught myself not to be in those situations anymore cause I’d hate to have to take someone to jail for something that I lied about because if you lie on me, I’ll lie on you.
A.D. -Can you talk about your negotiations with B.E.T. and your reality show?
Dahlia -We sent over a synopsis through my V.P. and was like this is what I want to do, this is my idea. Right now, everybody on reality tv are celebrities and I really feel like we need a reality show of a real person. So we’re building from the ground up. So we sent over a synopsis and we’ve spoken to several people nothing has been concrete nothing is set in stone.
A.D. -What do you think would make Dahlia happy?
Dahlia -I’m happy with the fact that I have a beautiful, beautiful daughter. That’s a touchy subject. I think if I’m going to learn to be happy, I have to be happy with myself. I haven’t truly learned to look in the mirror and say, “I love you.” I get to a point where, I look at myself and I’m not happy with where I’ve been and I feel like its gonna crumble in but every time I feel like it’s gonna cave in God says ‘Wait a minute, I got your back.” I’ve always felt that I’ve needed a man to make me happy. Like I’m in a relationship right now and it’s like I’m trying to build this empire but it’s like, ‘How can I build this empire when the person that I’m dating is in the industry and their numb and every time I turn around my phone is ringing off of the hook because he’s in the strip club, or he’s in the club or he’s out of town doing something.’ And it’s like ‘What do you do Dahlia, to get to that level of happiness?” That point of I can be happy without all of this and sit at home and be o.k. and I’m not there yet. But I’m getting there.
A.D. -Wow!
Dahlia- And it was so crazy because when she came out of the room the next morning, I was really upset. I was mad cause I slept outside of the hotel room…in front of the door. You know she did what she did and whatever went on behind those closed doors is what she did. We ended up not being friends. We still see each other to this day we’re not friends. But from that day, I think like a week or two later, Pac and I ended up corresponding its kind of a long story and Im turning it into a very, very short story….We ended up hooking up….
A.D.- How did yall end up talking after that ordeal?
Dahlia - Where we were staying at in New York, he had a friend of a friend that lived in that area and they knew Poochie, which was my nickname, was over there. So they were you I know this girl named Poochie yeah whatever, whatever. I think what attracted (Tupac)to me or what clinged him to me or what clinged us to each other was my attitude cause I had a really funky attitude. I’ve always been picked on, talked about so I built myself to not care. So when I met him….I was like “Who are you? You’re nobody. Just cause ya’ll know celebrities ya’ll in videos and all this and that, I don’t care” And I think that’s what triggered something in his mind that was like she really got something, she really got something. So he came to my aunt’s house and I was like going off….and we started talking and he kept coming and he kept coming until finally I gave in. And so he was like, I really like you, you’re a cool person. And this crazy person that everybody was like he’s crazy, he’s loony…he wasn’t like that. He was like that in the beginning when I first met him but when I got to know him it was like ’wow’ this is a really heartfelt person he really has a lot to talk about. I endeded up, a couple of months later, I think about 9 months later I ended up moving to Atlanta with him they called it Thug Mansion. We ended up living in this house. And around the time he was with Keisha Morris, which was his wife, (she) wasn’t his wife at the time but his girlfriend, as well as myself. And it was hard cause I didn’t know (about the marriage)until it hit the media when he went to jail and we were both there for him. Both of us were there for him.
A.D. -What year was this because he’d been to jail so many times?
Dahlia (laughs) I met him in 93 and actually around the time he went to jail was around 95. I hold my letters so dear to me. I’ve had people steal letters, steal pictures that he’d written to me that he’d taken for me….pictures that I had of him even marrying Keisha. I wasn’t there but I have the letter that he wrote to his cousin about why he wanted to marry her because she was there. Both of us were there but she was there before me and I was younger than Keisha. It was crazy because I’m not gonna say he built me, but I guesss he molded me because everything that goes on in the music industry now, I know.I know stuff that people don’t know. I see stuff that people are about to go through that I watched him go through and that transition that he made. That transition that he made, I made right with him. And he told me stuff like, “you’re not gonna live life until you actually fight this war called life and you’re not gonna be a soldier until you lose” and I was like what are you talking about and he was like “You’re gonna go to jail, you’re gonna get in trouble.” And everything that I’ve gone through, I’m not saying he was a psychic or anything but he actually knew because I think we connected as friends. It was crazy. That’s actually how I ended up being in the celebrity realm because he took me around it….
A.D.- So he was pretty much the first one that you dated…
Dahlia- Yeah
A.D.- Now you were telling me that you also served some time…
Dahlia -I did
A.D.- For what? when was this? Was it around the Tupac time?
Dahlia- Actually around the Tupac time I did get in trouble but it wasn’t more like the case I just recently got. Ive been to jail several times. I’ve probably been to jail about 8 times and I have one federal case. I started going to jail when I was about 17 or 18 years old. You know dancing in the clubs and stuff like that and then it went from that to writing hot checks to it got bigger and bigger and bigger. To where it was like I’m not making money and I didn’t want to be a stripper any more so I was like ‘What do you do’. So I started hanging around people that had money. And by them having money I wanted to make money so I met somebody, I can’t really disclose her name,,,,,,,that worked at a bank and she was like, I can make you a millionaire. And I was like ”Really? What do I need to do?” And I went to prison for identity theft, money laundering and bank fraud. And I went to prison for Nine and a half million dollars.
A.D.- Whoa for how long?
Dahlia- I went for 2 and half years. They offered me 30 but I had a really good lawyer, big up to Mark Carter who is now a judge. But my case is I think is actually what my case, and a couple of other cases is what put him on that seat cause he was awesome. I was supposed to spend 30 years in prison, I got 2 and a half. I got 5 but I ended up doing 2 and a half because of different programs that the federal facility had. And I had already had a lot of stuff going on but I never finished them. I had started a magazine, Id started doing different stuff, I wanted to model but I was caught up in the hype of what the industry was about cause I was brought into it by Tupac so I was like I want that I want to drive those cars, I want to live that lifestyle….
A.D. -By any means necessary
Dahlia -And I did. I didn’t care. It was like, I’ve been shot at, I’ve been stabbed all of that. I face book about it I Twitter about Im still standing. I mean all of that you know those are my trophy scars cause they just remind me of where I came from and the struggles of what I had to go through to get where I’m going cause I’m not there yet.
A.D.- Now when I first met you Dahlia, one of the first conversations that we had over the phone you told me “I’m gonna tell you now, people might be saying things about me I have past they may say I’m a groupie or this and that but that’s behind me” you really just put it out there in the beginning. Do you do that with everybody that you meet that comes into your circle and why do you feel that its important to do that?
Dahlia- Its important because people say evil stuff. And I’m a firm believer that if you say something evil about me if its true, I’m gonna correct it. If its not true, I’m just gonna laugh at you and I feel that I have to tell people that because I’m an open book. First of all I love to talk but I don’t want to give anybody room to lie when I’d rather put it out there myself. I’m working on my book right now and its about my life. My life is an open book and I tell people because I never know who’s gonna say something. The business that I’m in you know the industry, music industry, the magazine industry, editorial, you being a journalist….You pretty much have to do a lot of talking to people. If people don’t take you serious, if you and I are talking and I want to venture off and do business with you…..if we’re trying to make this business happen then after our conversation you walk out of the door and someone says ’oh you can’t believe anything that she says, she’s just talking or she’s a joke.’ I feel like I need to put it out there before anybody else has the opportunity to slander my name. Why let someone slander my name when I’ve already done it myself?
A.D.- Back to the time or around the 2 and half years that you spent in jail what were some of the things going through your mind and what were your plans for when you got out? How have you changed since then? Or did the change immediately happened when you walked out of those doors?
Dahlia -(exhales) I didn’t have any plans. My plans were to hit the ground running and when I got out that’s what I did. I started doing illegal activity again. Because I didn’t have a car. I was going back to my boyfriend in his little one bedroom apartment, he was a teacher. But he supported me. And that’s not the lifestyle I wanted to live. I’m accustomed to Fendi, Prada…I went from wearing Payless to Prada, from Guess to Gucci. I was so materialistic to the point where I couldn’t distinguish between reality and this façade. I couldn’t do it.
What actually changed me…I got pregnant. That was by God. Caus
e I got out I was making money, I had three cell phones….straight out of the penitentiary….I got my hair done, I’m tryna to get a car everything, I can’t be broke. But my child is what grounded me. If it wasn’t for me having that baby, I’d probably be in a federal penitentiary. A.D. And your child is by the teacher that you were living with?
Dahlia Yes. My little girl was a blessing and it was like she came out of nowhere cause I didn’t think I could have kids. I had done so in the world that…it was so crazy cause I was like I got have a baby by a basketball player, I got have a baby with somebody that got some money. That’s not who I really wanted to be it was because I saw so many people that had it going on. I hung with the it girls, the go to girls of Houston. Im not gonna name no names but I hung with the go to girls and it was like I want what they got how do they get to hang with celebrities, how are they doing this how are they doing that? But when I got behind closed doors, and I saw what really goes on I was like uh-uh. I had this clock in my brain that was like tick-tick-tick-tick stop. Let’s start over. And that’s pretty much what I did. I had to look at the fact that had this little bitty beautiful baby…. And I said ok ‘you’re either going to be a mommy or your gonna be a hoe.’ So which one are you gonna be? I don’t think I was a groupie cause I never, never approached any celebrity any person that I’ve ever dated or talked to, slept, whatever, they’ve approached me. I’ve never been the type of person to approach them. I’ve always been at the right place at the right time to be approachable. But I’ve never been the type of person to be a groupie to rush to their door, bang on their door or you know run up to them. I was always the one that stood out. I wore something that would stand out….I was approachable.
A.D. How do you feel about the possible comparisons to Karrine Steffans once your book comes out and what do you feel the difference between you two is?
Dahlia I knew you was gonna ask that question because its been asked so many times by people that know I’m writing this book. I don’t feel that Karrine and I are comparable. Because number one, I know her son’s father, Coogie Rap and his wife. I’m not gonna talk about her and her book but we’re very different. I don’t know what she really went through but people around me here in Houston know and can vouch for the things that I’ve gone through. What makes us different is that I didn’t sleep with the entire industry. I’m not here to display who I slept with, how I slept with them, how big of a hoe I thought I was, or how big of a hoe everybody else thought I was. That’s what makes us different because she’s displaying all of her celebrity business when I’m actually turning my situation around and turning it into a positive situation so somebody else can say ‘You know what, she went through something. And I don’t want my daughter, my mother, my cousin, to go through that.’ I’m not trying to get recognition for the people that I know. I’m not trying to get kudos or big points or stars for the people that I slept with cause that’s not what its about. What it’s about is learning what somebody else went through because when we lay down with people whether they’re celebrities….first of all celebrities are real men. They have real dreams, they have real goals, they have real lives. I’m not displaying, how I did it. I’m simply speaking on what I learned out of that experience. What makes us completely different, number one I’m older than she is, number two I’m not a hoe and that’s what makes us different. We have hoes and we have hoe types and we have people that just happen to be in the right place at the right time.
A.D. -So how do you define the word hoe? Everyone has a different definition, I’ve heard them all….What is Dahlia’s definition of a hoe?
Dahlia- There are several different definitions of a hoe. You can be hoe on the street prostituting. Number one if you’re sleeping with three guys at one time, you a hoe! I don’t feel like you’re a hoe if you put on something sleazy and slutty. That’s not being a hoe, you’re just trying to get attention. So I truly feel like the whole definition of a hoe is if you’re just putting yourself out there in a really nasty, slutty way. You can be hoe with your boyfriend. You can go behind your own closed doors and be a hoe with your man. So it’s not necessarily saying that everybody else thinks you’re a hoe but you may be that behind closed doors.
A.D.- Would you consider yourself, in the past, a gold digger?
Dahlia- No. I’ve always been on my own grind.
A.D. -So how is it that most of the men that you’ve dated, have all had money?
(both laugh)
A.D.- I’ve never been that lucky Dahlia.
Dahlia- Because I’ve always been introduced to them by somebody else. It wasn’t by force. I’ve never forced myself to meet this basketball player, or I’ve never forced myself into somebody’s room. It’s always been a homeboy like Tupac’s cousin introduced me to this one particular basketball player who I have been knowing and still been talking to, we’re not dating, but we’re still friends for ten years….I met him, everybody in Houston knows who he is. I though he was awesome, now don’t get me wrong that big ass house attracted me. But I think that once he and I started hanging out…I mean I have a nurturing spirit. I’m the type of person that loves to cook, I love to clean, I love to cater to the person that I’m with. This person has never really given me anything. I lost a car once, he didn’t buy me a new car but he gave me down payment on a car. I almost lost my apartment once, he didn’t buy me a house, he gave me the money to get an apartment . So the people that I’ve dated were never men who just spent, spent, spent money on me. It was moreso like, I was a hustler. I was doing illegal activity I had my own money so I’m not with you cause you have money. If anybody digs up my past they’ll know I started from the entertainment business as far as stripping, I dated Tupac Shakur. I mean I’ve dated people…I mean I dated them before they were anybody. I mean the basketball player I didn’t date him before he was anybody but I dated Pac before he was really anybody. I dated a couple of other people before they were actually singers or….they didn’t have anything. I contributed to a few causes, studio time, stuff like that. Gold digger? I’ve never been. I’ve always been a grinder. I’ve always been the type of person, I gotta go get it myself because you can always take it back from me (if it’s given).
A.D. -Now another infamous relationship that we discussed on your show was with Ginuwine. Tell me how you met him and how long ago that was.
Dahlia- That was many, many, many years ago. That was when Pony actually first came out. And I guess you can say, it was o.k. I can’t really say it was a relationship because how can you have a relationship with somebody that when you see each other you pretty much just….you know what I’m saying….see each other. (laughs)
A.D.- “Know each other”
Dahlia- Know each other(laughs). He’s a really good friend and I really can’t speak on that right now because he and I have had a talk and I promised I would never say anything ever again because I have to respect his marriage. We are really good friends. We were really good friends. Things did happen between us, I write about it in my book. But out of respect for him and his family and the fact that some of his children….
A.D.- But at the time “Pony” came out he wasn’t married was he?
Dahlia- Noooo. We met in Florida at a club called Liquids and it was on South Beach…..he was with Missy, Timbaland and Magoo, you know the crew, and he had somebody walk over to me. I was real skinny, I didn’t have no breasts, I was frail build.
A.D.- So the breasts must be bought then…
Dahlia- They’re store bought (laughs). I did bring you a picture of that actual day. (Dahlia opens wallet and shows picture of her and Genuwine looking very happy together)
A.D.- Oh look at you, you were skinny!
Dahlia -Yes both of us were skinny.
A.D. -You two look cute.
Dahlia- And he looks nothing like that now.
A.D. -No he doesn’t.
Dahlia-…..Everytime he comes to Houston we keep it strictly business, strictly friends. I’m not gonna say, Oh my God that was my boyfriend. When really when reality kicks in, they’re not really our boyfriend they’re just guys that we meet that just happen to be in the industry. A true relationship is someone you can call on the phone and kick it with. (With Genuwine) it was always I see you when I see you , we hang out. I think that we moreso had a good friendship. A good stable friendship. Like when he came to Houston recently I was like ‘Oh my God’ and people were looking like “Is she a groupie?” I literally had to turn around, but before I could say anything, he had grapped me and just embraced me like ‘Oh my God its good to see you’ and I asked him how are the kids how’s the wife. And I have to respect the fact that people are gonna be asking about that and I’m like ummmm….uhhhhh. It’s nothing. It’s strictly, strictly innocent. I recently posted up some pictures of us, when he came here to Houston and I got a call like “D…ummm. We know you’re doing a magazine….but.” In certain pictures things can be taken out of context . I think that the pictures that I posted were taken out of context. Like I told him, I don’t want to be in media takeout because there were people taking pictures of us cause I actually hugged him in his truck while they were leaving. So instead of standing outside of the truck, I actually got in and hugged him and the door was still open and the way that we were sitting if you’re taking pictures from an angle, it actually did not look like that was appropriate. So I had to take the pictures down and people started asking and I was like I can’t answer that question for you just out of respect. I can’t say who I got the call from…….Because he was going through something with Lisa Raye people making accusations and speculating that he and Lisa Raye had something going on. So I had to respect that. We’re cool.
A..D.- Now lets talk about Drama Scene Magazine now. How did that get started? Now you’re doing a blog talk radio show now but it started out just being a blog right?
Dahlia- What Drama Scene Magazine?
A.D.- Yeah
Dahlia- Nooo. Drama Scene Magazine actually started in January of 2000. It was around the time that I was starting to make some money and I was dating this particular basketball player. And I wanted to do something different. Because you can’t see this particular basketball player and be a stripper, be a groupie. You know you can’t be out there like that. So I was like I had to change my image. So I started Drama Scene Magazine and it did good. I got a issue, one issue cause I wanted to complete something. So I started it and was like ‘O.K. whatever.’ So I did a few parties, I did something with 97.9 The Box when we had Lil Zane come……But we threw a few parties and that was before a lot of the promoters here in Houston were really promoting and I was just like bam this is really my time to shine. But again, I’m in Houston. People don’t want to see other people succeed. So I was so scared of what other people were going to think if I failed, I started doing other stuff. I went out and started making me some real money. I went out and got me a BMW, went and bought me some nice clothes, started traveling, going out of the country going to New York. And I was doing it really, really big cause I was like if I’m gonna step out, I’m gonna step out right. And I felt like I had something to prove to other people. So it was like Drama Scene Magazine came…and I was like ‘whatever.’ But now, I’m at a point now where it’s like ‘Dahlia you’ve had this magazine since January of 2000, what are you gonna do with it?’ So I have friend of mine who is one of the big girl’s over there at Groove’s and she stay’s on me, she’s younger than me but she was like ‘look you have to clean up your image….you have a multi-million dollar company.’ I have Drama Scene Magazine, I have Drama Scene Live which is on blog talk radio I have Drama Scene Live which is on YouTube and also have Platinum Touch Publishing which is my publishing company…..It actually started as a publication in 2000 and I’m just rebuilding from where I left off.
A.D.- So your book…Have you come up with a title?
Dahlia- I actually just re-titled my book. The name of the book was called The Coin’s Edge and the subtitle was Black and White is easy but it’s the shades of grey that change me. I actually changed the name of the book to ‘I Testify’ because I feel like what I’ve gone through is a testimony. I’m not talking about me being a ‘Superhead’ I’m not talking about me being a Superhoe. I’m talking about me being a Superwoman. And so I testify is talking about where I am now because I feel like I have something to testify about because I’m not supposed to be here. Literally, I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not at the point where I’m at a finishing point because I haven’t reached the end. I’m a testimony that you can walk out of this industry, out of the entertainment business, walk out of that strip club, you can walk out of that drug house, you can walk away from that abusive relationship, you can walk away from your mother and still live and that’s what I Testify is about. It’s not me talking about me talking about who I know as a celebrity, who I’ve been with, how I met them, I mean I talk about it, but I talk about what I gained from it. I learned from certain people. I met Nelly and I heard some really, really bad things about that meeting with Nelly. And I had to come out and say, ‘I did. I slept with Nelly.’ But in no way shape, form, or fashion was it like that, how it came back to me. Because it came back from DMX and DMX’s D.J. like ‘did this happen?’ I was like ‘no.’
A.D. -What did they say happened?
Dahlia- Oh My God. They were saying that I pretty much was hookin up with everybody. And Tupac taught me the game so I can’t really say what I told their bodyguard, but I said, this is what would happen, and I promise if I hear it again, we’ll be in court. So you can only imagine what I said to them for me to say, we’ll be in court if I hear that I supposedly knew all of ya’ll like that. I never heard it again from that day. Tupac taught me, if someone says something about you, turn it into an experience where they’ll have to pay for it. I’ve taught myself not to be in those situations anymore cause I’d hate to have to take someone to jail for something that I lied about because if you lie on me, I’ll lie on you.
A.D. -Can you talk about your negotiations with B.E.T. and your reality show?
Dahlia -We sent over a synopsis through my V.P. and was like this is what I want to do, this is my idea. Right now, everybody on reality tv are celebrities and I really feel like we need a reality show of a real person. So we’re building from the ground up. So we sent over a synopsis and we’ve spoken to several people nothing has been concrete nothing is set in stone.
A.D. -What do you think would make Dahlia happy?
Dahlia -I’m happy with the fact that I have a beautiful, beautiful daughter. That’s a touchy subject. I think if I’m going to learn to be happy, I have to be happy with myself. I haven’t truly learned to look in the mirror and say, “I love you.” I get to a point where, I look at myself and I’m not happy with where I’ve been and I feel like its gonna crumble in but every time I feel like it’s gonna cave in God says ‘Wait a minute, I got your back.” I’ve always felt that I’ve needed a man to make me happy. Like I’m in a relationship right now and it’s like I’m trying to build this empire but it’s like, ‘How can I build this empire when the person that I’m dating is in the industry and their numb and every time I turn around my phone is ringing off of the hook because he’s in the strip club, or he’s in the club or he’s out of town doing something.’ And it’s like ‘What do you do Dahlia, to get to that level of happiness?” That point of I can be happy without all of this and sit at home and be o.k. and I’m not there yet. But I’m getting there.
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