Q&A: Torri L. Holmes Author of The Leading Lady of Rap

Recently I was one of five winners of a Hip Hop Trivia contest sponsored by Kredible Alerts. The prize was an autographed copy a new book called The Leading Lady of Rap by literary newcomer, Torri L. Holmes. The day it arrived on my doorstep I couldn't wait to crack it open after looking at the cover and with the recent snowstorm, I had nothing but time to read. The Leading Lady of Rap is one of those books you can't put down. I finished it in one day. I immediately emailed Torri to let him know how I much I enjoyed reading the book and he agreed to be featured in the HHM Spotlight Q&A.

HHM: What inspired you to make your main character a female rapper?


Torri: I am a fan of female rap. Always have been. I was watching the movie 8-mile starring Eminem in 2005, which is one of my favorite movies, and the movie was deep. I thought to myself, why not make a movie about a female rapper??? I had just graduated from college, and was at home waiting to start my 1st job at BellSouth (now known as AT&T). I was also attempting to get a record deal at the time because I sing R&B (I've now decided on being an author). I had nothing but time on my hands. The movie 8-mile inspired me greatly. Female rappers don't get the proper notoriety as they should, so my goal for the script was to salute female rappers and give them something that is for "them." Now that the script has been converted into a 17 chapter novel, this is still my goal.

HHM: The novel is based on a screenplay you finished in 2005, but after reading this book its hard not to compare the fictional characters Lo-is and Satin to what is currently going with Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim. What were your thoughts releasing this book while Nicki and Kim were beefing?

Torri: It has been 5 years since I originally wrote it, so of course I had to modernize some of the screenplay to 2010 (when I wrote the novel). Initially, I wanted Remy Ma as my lead character, and Lo-is and Satin were still both the same characters. Satin and Lo-is were rivals. I wanted a sex symbol as the veteran rival, and unfortunately people have identified that to be Lil Kim. I made her assistant aware of it, and hopefully when she reads it she will love it. I honestly wasn't aware of the beef between the two ladies until my novel was released, but it makes my novel more interesting now that you think about it. Nicki Minaj's Hot 97 interview with Angie Martinez in late November is when I found out about the beef. My novel was released on November 11, 2010. Many of my readers have said the fight scene at the award show in Chapter 7: "It's about to show down" reminds them of the two ladies, and I sure as hell hope they don't fight at the BET Awards (laughs). Lil Kim is a Queen in her own right, and so is Nicki Minaj. Lil Kim has sold over 7 million records, and Nicki Minaj is now platinum in a short amount of time. I want to work with them both some day, hopefully in the same room.


Author Torri L. Holmes with Natalie Nunn of Oxygen's Bad Girls Club

 HHM: What made you decide to self-publish as opposed to going the traditional publishing route? How has the experience been for you? Would you recommend it?


Torri: Waiting on a book deal can take months, sometimes years. I felt that 5 years had already been too long, and my life's work needed to be out into the world as soon as possible. I honestly never knew what self-publishing was. I graduated from college, but I believe I may have slept through that part in my English classes (laughs). I was watching "The Mo'Nique Show" on BET in early 2010, and Mo had Triple Crown's Vickie Stringer on as one of her guests. I saw the episode, and that is when I learned about the idea of self-publishing. I kept it in the back of my mind for a few months, and in May 2010 while cleaning my bedroom and packing up clothes to donate to Haiti, I picked the script up, got to my laptop computer, and the rest is history. The experience has been wonderful. I have received nothing but excellent reviews from my readers, including a 92 year old who my mom plays bingo with (laughs). In addition, I've had the opportunity to reach out to certain celebrities and provide them with a book, including Natalie Nunn from the Bad Girls Club. I now have direct contact with Mo'Nique's co-host, Rodney Perry, and he did me the favor of letting her know what the show did for me. Also, most of the female rappers are aware that a novel exists dedicated to them, and that is a blessing for your work to be known. I'm sending them all this link, so I must acknowledge them. Shout out to Lil Kim, Missy, Jacki-O, Shawnna, Foxy Brown, and Free Remy Ma. I emailed Remy's husband, Papoose's management to let them know about the book, and hopefully they passed the message along. I plan to send her a copy in prison. I would recommend self-publishing ONLY if your book stands out. When you self-publish, it means that everything is 100% funded by the author. Many people are watching me and thinking that it is easy. It is not.


HHM: Do you still want to make The Leading Lady of Rap a movie?

Torri: Yes. I have to make a movie. My readers will kill me if a don't (laughs). I'm actually reviewing movie and stage play offers. I'm looking for the best situation. I have a couple of opportunities for "straight to DVD", but I'll pass. I want the movie to be filmed right, and I want a bomb ass soundtrack with every last female rapper. Sapphire who wrote the novel "Precious" said that she turned 3 people down to film "Precious" before making her selection, because she wanted to choose the right person. I feel her on that, and I won't stop until the right person picks it up. All you movie producers that want to get these Oscars, get at me!


HHM: What other projects are you currently working on and our their plans for more books or a possible sequel?

Torri: I am currently writing 2 books at one time, one is for teens, and the other is for adults. I have been asked about a sequel to this, and if I do so, it will be a few years. The book ends pretty solid, and I didn't leave any cliffhangers, so it would have to be one of those "10 years later" situations. In addition to that, I am open to any other projects/collaborations. Anyone wanting to work with me on anything, feel free to hit me up authortorri@yahoo.com, follow me on twitter @authortorri and add me as a friend www.facebook.com/authortorri. I'm putting it out there, but no psychos please (laughs).


HHM: Which Hip Hop Mogul has inspired you the most and why?

Torri: Diddy inspires me the most. We have a lot of similarities. Similar to him, my father was a hustler, and he died when I was very young. He was raised by a strong woman, and so was I. He continues to push the envelope, and isn't scared to take chances, and I am the same way. What you will get from me each and every time you see me is something new. I have always received that from Diddy.


Thanks Torri for a great interview. Make sure to pick up your copy of The Leading Lady of Rap, available now on Amazon (Click Here).