BODY & SOUL

Dee Barnes is the former host of Fox network’s influential music video show Pump It Up! This nationally syndicated series, which showcased on-location content, included interviews by Barnes with high profile musical guests such as, the legendary Curtis Mayfield, Teddy Riley and Guy, Boys II Men, Bell Biv Devoe, Ziggy Marley, Queen Latifah, Ice Cube, LL Cool J, and Will Smith.

Prior to gaining wider fame as the host, Dee was a recording artist performing with Body And Soul on the Delicious Vinyl record label alongside The Brand New Heavies, Pharcyde, Def Jef, Tone Loc, and Young MC. The group went on to participate in The West Coast All Stars, a project to promote peace in the community, which earned a Grammy Nomination.

Barnes, a native New Yorker, started her radio career as an intern on The DJ Red Alert show at 98.7 Kiss FM NY. Moving to Los Angeles in the late 80’s to broaden her career in media broadcasting, Dee worked with radio personality Greg Mack on the legendary hip hop radio station 1580 KDAY. This provided acting opportunities in music videos for artists like Lenny Kravitz and Mary J. Blige, and movies such as House Party.

Dee took a break from radio and television to form the production company Eastside Entertainment. Here, Barnes worked behind the scenes creating and producing national commercials and music videos for artists such as Snoop Dogg, Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac. In May 2008, after recording a celebrity radio drop with Arsenio Hall, Barnes interviewed Sean “Diddy” Combs as he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.