Hillary Crosley

For EBONY: Nicki Minaj Out for Pop or Hip Hop?

Me … I can’t listen to “Starships.” I am happiest when Ms. Minaj raps and literally eats the microphone. With her lyrics, voice inflection, beauty and kooky imagination, Nicki Minaj could’ve become the biggest female emcee in history but her path shows that she’d rather emulate former tour mate Britney Spears over Foxy Brown. I don’t begrudge Ms. Minaj her fame and fortune, I just want an album I can play all the way through. 

For The Root: The Making of ‘Love Jones’ - Fifteen years later, director Theodore Witcher discusses his first film and why he’s never made another:

The last scene was supposed to be raining! The original version took place outside of the club. Nina’s standing in the downpour waiting for Darius and they have their last moment together. We tested the movie, and most of the women in the audience didn’t believe a black woman would stand in the rain with her hair uncovered. This mortified me because we’re going for the big finish and you’re absorbed in this detail of whether her hair would get messed up? The studio [New Line Cinema] said, “Reshoot,” and we shot the scene under an L train track. I wanted to present a woman protagonist without vanity, which I thought would be refreshing, but I guess I failed. - Witcher

My VIBE column “Lose Some, Win Some” with Ice-T talking about the lowest point in his career:

When I went through that “Cop Killer” shit, I was cast out of hip-hop. The Source shitted on me, saying I’d given in to the powers. When the president is coming after you, it’s no longer rap. -Ice-T

As a VIBE columnist, I handle the “Lose Some, Win Some” section each month. Here’s Common on his very public relationship with Erykah Badu:

Some people say you curse your relationship when you put it out there. Erykah [Badu] told me, “We shouldn’t talk about our relationship.” I wouldn’t do that again. When something is sacred to you, you don’t use it for exploitation. -Common

As a VIBE columnist, I handle the “Lose Some, Win Some” section each month. Here’s Kim Wayans of the 2011 indie film darling Pariah and of course, “In Living Color”:

When I was coming up, I’d watch Lucille Ball and Audrey Hepburn and dream about those complicated, funny, romantic roles. In Living Color and In the House ended, and every script I got was the same sassy Black mama with no life asking her white costars what their boyfriends kissed like. I don’t want to look back and be embarrassed by my work.

For EBONY: Beyonce Made Me Cry

For HipHopWired: Which White Girl Rapper Will Win?

For EBONY: Nigerian MC D’Banj Makes G.O.O.D Music With Kanye West

For EBONY: ESPERANZA: Our Black and Golden Jazz Lady

Understanding Jazz isn’t quick. It’s like a quote Duke Ellington told a listener who said she didn’t get his music. ‘I’ve been working on this for 20 years, why should you expect to get it in five minutes?’ I like that, because it does take time to receive all that’s being given in a Jazz context. - Spalding