Boston University senior Dory Greenberg is known for her outgoing and larger-than-life personality as a DJ at BU’s radio station, WTBU. Greenberg began her radio career with an on-air stint on “BU in the Morning” and she eventually developed her own show two years ago, “White Chocolate Drizzle.” Greenberg was recently crowned the “Hip-Hop Czar” of WTBU, and she won the station’s “Best DJ of the Year” award in 2009.
Q: How did you get into the hip-hop genre?
D: The first memory I have of listening to hip-hop was watching Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s “Crossroads” video in the 6th grade. I also did a break-dance routine to “Rapper’s Delight” at summer camp in the 7th grade. It probably wasn’t until about junior year of high school when I started to do some more research and seriously start listening to hip-hop. And once I got to Boston and was exposed to all the different kinds of hip-hop, it was all over from there. I was hooked.
Q: How has WTBU shaped your college experience?
D: WTBU has been the perfect medium for me to express myself. When my parents made me quit rugby, I didn’t really know what I was going to do with myself. But once I became an intern on “BU in the Morning,” it was like something clicked. I felt comfortable in front of the microphone, and the fact that I didn’t have to look my best to be entertaining was also very comforting. Joining WTBU made me much more confident in myself, and that confidence has influenced a lot of the successes I’ve had in my life.
Q: What does being a DJ mean to you?
D: Being a DJ means that you are the voice of entertainment. It’s not as easy as being a TV host, because your audience can be distracted by visuals when they watch you speak. When you are on the radio, you have to be able to grab the listeners attention in a way that makes them not want to stop listening. As much as you prepare for a show, you need to be interesting and entertaining otherwise nobody is going to give a crap.
Q: What is “White Chocolate Drizzle” like? What kind of music do you play?
D: “White Chocolate Drizzle” is like “Yo! MTV Raps” meets “Howard Stern.” It’s primarily an underground hip-hop program, but occasionally we throw in an old school jam or a song we find particularly hilarious. We try to bring a lighter side to a genre that is generally viewed as being “hard” all the time. We pride ourselves on the quality of our witty banter, both with guests and amongst ourselves.
Q: How has “White Chocolate Drizzle” [WCD] grown since its creation?
D: The best thing to say is that WCD has matured since fall semester of junior year. Networking has definitely played an important role in its growth. Nobody is going to know about you unless you go to the shows, you go to the release parties, you go to the break-dancing events and allow people to see your face. I don’t think enough college radio DJs realize that we are now the hot market to promote towards, and so not as many students take their show as seriously as they should. By networking, people have become interested in making appearances on my show and people generally spread it around through word of mouth. It’s a little crazy when I meet someone and they have heard my show before. It’s one of the best feelings in the world. I’m very proud of my baby, so why wouldn’t I want to flaunt her about town?
Q: What can you tell me about your new co-host on “White Chocolate Drizzle”?
D: Christina Putz (aka CiCi, aka XXXTina, aka CTP) joined WCD at the beginning of senior year. We became friends freshman year and now we [are] just like peas and carrots. Christina is Austrian and has a very European upbringing, and it’s funny when she doesn’t pick up on American pop culture references. She shares the same sense of humor and the same taste in music as me, but on air you can definitely tell that we have very different personalities. Having a co-host like Christina brings another point of view to WCD, which makes the show all the more interesting.
Q: Who are your favorite artists?
D: Diplo – my ultimate celebrity crush. He is a brilliant DJ and producer and his music has influenced me a ton. He is also from Florida like me! (Favorite song: Indian Thick Jawns ft. P.E.A.C.E. / also: check out Mad Decent Worldwide Radio podcast)
Peaches – I sincerely respect how strong and sexually charged she is. She’s inspiring, and her music gets me going.
Cunninlynguists – They are so consistent with the quality of their music, and their sound is very distinct. Hailing from Kentucky, they have a southern feel and they also have fun with their lyrics, which I appreciate. (Favorite Song: Thugged Out Since Cub Scouts)
The Pharcyde – I wish I had gotten into hip-hop in elementary school so I could have listened to the Pharcyde earlier on. They are everything I look for in a group: great beats, recognizable lyricists, just a little bit of humor, and dopeness. (Favorite song: She Said (Jay Dee Remix) or Runnin’)
Weird Al Yancovic – He had a very large influence on me when I was little. I think you can probably see how. He is an inspiration to us all.
