By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY Associated Press writer
April 25, 2003

'106 & Park' host finding best things in life for Free


NEW YORK - A little girl's excited scream in a grocery store was the first time that Free, the effervescent, fashionable host of BET's "106 & Park," realized she was morphing into a celebrity.

Free was shopping for spaghetti sauce when the child spotted her and started screaming. "I dropped the tomato sauce on the floor," she said with a laugh. "I was like, 'What is wrong with her? Is she OK?'"

A twentysomething who's known for her fashionable threads and orange-tinted hair, Free has been causing a commotion since she and co-host A.J. debuted on "106 & Park" in 2000.

Their playful banter, plus a mix of celebrity guests and live performances, has made the nightly program the most popular show on BET; it even bests MTV's "Total Request Live" in the ratings.

Free's path to success wasn't scripted; the Boston native, who studied dance and attended a high school for performing arts, had worked to become a rapper.

"Music was just always in me. I used to get in trouble for dancing on the table. I wanted to be Debbie Allen; I wanted to be Irene Cara. I watched 'Fame' every day."

Her rap career was promising; she even had two record deals, including one with Wyclef Jean. But those opportunities fizzled.

"I was a little sad - just about everything not going right - but I still was here in New York," recalled Free, whose real name is Marie Wright. "I was like, 'OK, I'm going to get me a job; I'm staying here."'

Her decision paid off. At a party, she met a BET executive with whom she'd worked while an intern at a Boston radio station. He suggested she audition for "106 & Park," and in less than a month, she was on the air.

Free now has come full circle; she'll release an album, a mixture of rap and song, on Elektra Records this summer.

She's also launching her own line of boots and has started the Free for Life Foundation for underprivileged children in Boston.

What's the hardest part of being on "106 & Park"?

"The hardest thing is interviewing people who don't like to talk. It's a challenge. But that's the fun thing about the job; that some days it's going to be hard. ... (But) you interview some people sometimes and you're like, 'Can you say more than two words?'"

What did you learn from BET's training?

"The most important thing I learned from the training (was) no matter what's going on in your life, if you have this show to do, you have to be able to be separate from it. The teacher ... she said, 'Like, Free, if you have a dog, and your dog dies at 5:50 and you have a show at 6, you have to be able to do your show.' And at the time, I was looking at her, like, 'Yeah, right - my dog dies, I'm going home!' But then as you start to do the show, it is a responsibility and it is something you have to focus on."

Are you enjoying the perks of being a celebrity?

"Yeah, I love not having to stand in line going to the club, and I love that you go somewhere and people know who you are and they acknowledge it; it's a beautiful thing. But I'm also smart enough to know that when you're in the light, that's how it is, and you have to be prepared for when that light is not on you. Because anything can happen. I may not be popular next year."

The Afro you often sport on your show seems to have become your trademark. Why did you choose that style?

"That's my favorite hairdo ever. Because it's just my hair. Some pieces are curly, some pieces are a little more coarse, whatever, and I consider my hair to be my mom and dad. My father has curly, curly hair; my mother has thicker, stronger hair. So I consider my hair to be my mom and dad."

What's the most important thing you've learned from your success?

"It's really odd how things happen. God - you know he has a sense of humor. You ask for something, and he'll give you something tenfold to see if you can handle it."