Lex on the Decks is a DJ, Presenter and the founder of Cleopatra’s – a women’s magazine created for ambitious women. Laurel Jade chats with Lex, the creator of the Hot Girls podcast about all things music, female empowerment, and the vital importance of conversation.
The name Lex On Decks just rolls of tongue, I love it. How did you get the name?
So it comes from my name, Alexandra. I’ve always been called Lexy, then I kind of wanted to put ‘Lex’ and ‘Decks’ together somehow. My friends put the suggestion of ‘Sexy Lexy on the Decksy’, which I found pretty lame but then I just shortened it.
‘Sexy Lexy on the Decksy’ sounds like a bar! What are some of your favourite genres & artists at the moment?
I really couldn’t pick a favourite genre. I just love music. It depends on the day, different days and different moods put me in space for different genres. If I were to pick my three favourite artists, one of them would be Enya, one would be Rihanna and then I would probably say someone like Diplo because of what he did with electronic music and Hip Hop and the way he brought those genres together.
What made you want to start the Hot Girls podcast?
As a DJ, I was looking at my sets thinking “these are really male skewed.” Then T.I. shared his list of the Top 50 Rappers and there were only 3 women on there! There were all these debates saying that Nicki Minaj shouldn’t be that high on the list and it really began to bug me. There was a whole perception that women who rap aren’t as credible as men that rap. I then had the desire to understand why people had accepted the huge gender imbalance, especially in Rap and Hip Hop. That’s where my desire came from, I feel like once you understand something, you are in a better position to impact it. I just really wanted to create a space that was targeted towards women and look back at the careers of incredible female artist, also to learn lessons from them. That’s where I would say the whole idea came from.
What has been your favourite episode of the podcast since you started?
That’s a really good question. From a research point of view, I think the most important episode that I did was the episode on Lauryn Hill. She created one of possibly the best albums of all time, it had such a great influence, then she went quiet. I think her story is full of threads showing how you could be great but then also, the warning signs of the importance of protecting yourself emotionally. The episode was also a great opportunity to learn about someone who is both fascinating and very remarkable.
What about your favourite episode from a personal point of view?
I couldn’t actually pick, because people literally share their stories and their hearts with you. But I would say that I have learned so much from every single interview, there is something about creating space to have really intimate conversations.
That’s lovely. Who would be your dream guest to have on the Hot Girls podcast?
Nicki Minaj! I think she’s a queen. Also, she’s so smart and I would love to hear things from her point of view.
On the topic of female Rappers, I know that this is a hard one, but if you had to pick just one female rapper who would you say is your favourite girl?
It’s is so hard, because I’m so in awe of so many of these women. They don’t just rap incredibly, they also dance incredibly and they also have this amazing confidence. But to pick one person, I’d say Missy Elliot. Missy has a creativity and individuality that I love.
March was Women’s History Month. In your opinion, how important is it to celebrate women – not only in the month of March – but all year round?
I think it’s really powerful. As we all know, history as we are told it isn’t always history as it is. It’s incredibly important for women’s stories to be shared and celebrated in Women’s History Month and all year around. Especially since, as women, we can always learn from one another.
The past year has been a pretty absurd time for the world and has opened doors for many conversations. How important do you think podcasts have been during this time?
I think podcasts are like being a part of a passive conversation when you’re listening to them. It’s company, company that you’ve specifically chosen, and that’s the difference between podcasts and listening to a radio station. Podcasts have a role to play in making people feeling less lonely. They can be entertainment, and also really educational because you can learn so much from listening to a podcast whilst going about your daily life. For me, as a listener and creative, podcasts add a lot to my life.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to start a podcast but might not know where to start?
I would say, just start it. I know it might sound very unhelpful but trust me, the best way to learn is by starting and figuring it out step by step. From there you can always create your perfect version, so I’d always say the best way to learn is by doing.
Talking about advice, if you could meet with teenage Lex, what would you tell her?
I would tell her, you can do everything you think you can but you have to work 5 times harder than you think you do.
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