I'm a fan of almost everyone, and there isn't one artist who doesn't have at least one single that I love. If I stan for anyone, it would have to be the underdog. Letoya Luckett, Kelly Rowland, Ameriie, Bobby V, Lloyd, Bow Wow, Tyga, Nicole Scherzinger, Ciara, and of course Keri Hilson. In 2009 the Decatur-native broke through with the club-banger "Turnin Me On, for which upon the release of a remix, the singer/songwriter was on the verge of becoming the next big thing in urban music. However the Bey-Hive took offense to what they perceived to be personal digs directed towards their queen, and ever since then she has been under constant attack.
Having been out of the spotlight for a while since her sophomore album No Boys Allowed, Keri is back, hoping that all will be forgiven, and thus her forthcoming album will be received with open arms. Recently the 30 year-old took the time to explain her hiatus, discuss her new album, and becoming a spokesperson for HIV, in XXL magazine:
XXL: IT'S NATIONAL HIV TESTING DAY. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A SPOKESPERSON?
KERI HILSON: It’s kind of just natural for me. I always feel compelled to lend my voice to things I strongly believe in. Knowing that AIDS is the number one killer of African American women, as young as 16 to as old as 34, that’s what inspired me. That’s what really inspired me. Robi Reed of the Reed For Hope Foundation, she tapped me. She sees me as an influence on girls. She sees me as someone who lives healthy. She thought I’d be good to spread the message.
XXL: YOU WANTED TO OFFER YOUR CELEBRITY FOR A BIGGER CAUSE?
KH: Absolutely. I always love doing that. HIV and AIDS is something that a lot of people don’t talk about. A lot of people don’t like to be preached to, but it needs to happen. We need to talk about it. We need to continue eradicating its taboo-ness. People talk openly about cancer, but they don’t talk openly about—at least in my community—the number one killer. More likely we would die from HIV and AIDS than a car accident or a plane crash or cancer. It’s something that we need to continue talking about. We need to keep [it] in the forefront of our thoughts.
XXL: DO YOU THINK IT'S A BIGGER PROBLEM WITHIN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY?
KH: We as African American women are 20 times more likely to contract HIV and AIDS. Not 20 percent, 20 times more likely. I can’t believe that statistic. It’s something that hits the African American community harder. We make poor decisions and that has to change.
XXL: IS THIS YOUR FOCUS NOW? HAVE YOU PUT YOU MUSIC CAREER ON HOLD?
KH: Musically, I did take a break. It seemed long to everyone, but it was a pretty brief hiatus. But I’m back in the studio, putting together my album. We are pretty close to choosing the single. We’ve thought we have chosen the single. We are almost there.
XXL: YOU FEEL THIS SINGLE WILL BE BIG FOR YOU?
KH: I think so. It’s my comeback. It has to be. I feel confident about it. I like it. That’s all I can control. How it feels to me. It feels like I am gearing up to be back. I’m really excited for my fans. They’ve held me down. I almost feel like I didn’t take a break because they held me down. They still cared about me. They stuck by me and supported me through it when they had no clue what I was doing or why I wasn’t releasing music. But I really do appreciate that.
XXL: WHEN DO YOU THINK YOU'LL DROP YOUR SINGLE?
KH: Definitely this year, but I can’t say. When you say something, people hold you to it. I never know what’s going to happen. I could go to the studio tonight—and I will—I could top it. I might feel more confident about a record than I do after it. Even if we think we chose a single, anything could happen. I just want to make sure. People have been waiting my re-arrival. I just want to make sure I give them my best. I don’t want to rush. I don’t want to release something that I don’t feel wholeheartedly about. I feel that I am there. I just want to be sure. I want to take my time and make sure this comeback is just that.
XXL: DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO RE-INTRODUCE YOURSELF WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR RETURN?
KH: I feel like people are just going to know. The music is going to speak for itself. I don’t think I need to re-introduce myself to the world. I’ve been blessed to have fans all over the world. I know that they will hold me down and spread the word. My entrance into the industry was so organic. I love that. It was kind of word of mouth driven. Social networking driven to tell people. It’s driven all by the music. It’s not from my fashion. It’s not from anything but my lyrics. Just the songs. The music and the feeling people get from it. I’m most proud about that. I think this time around it will be the same way with a bigger impact.
Read full interview [XXL]