Keri Hilson is not a conceited rude bitch!
The “Pretty Girl Rock” singer has just finished up the “I Am Still Music Tour,” but has been keeping busy helping young girls learn the importance of self esteem and fitness.
PHOTOS: Keri Hilson In Sin City!
GlobalGrind caught up with Keri to talk about touring with Weezy, college life, sexiness and letting people know she’s not even close to conceited! Check it out below.
When did you realize that what everyone else thinks of you doesn’t matter?
Honestly, I learned that probably very early on because I remember in high school everyone would follow trends like Reebok Classics and high socks, or this, that and the other. I always went against the grain and I just wore different stuff. I wasn’t the heel wearing, make-up wearing (girl). I didn’t really get into that early because I was like, ‘Who am I impressing? For who? For what?’ I was a tomboy and a jock, anyway.
That was something I learned very early and I’m glad I did. I think also my mother had something to do with it. My mom raised four girls and one boy, he’s the baby, and so she set the tone for how we grew up. None of us grew up reaching for acceptance and being in all of the in-crowds, none of that was important to us. Yeah, we knew a lot of people, but it didn’t validate us. We just did us.
With the whole Pretty Girl Rock movement you talked about loving and embracing yourself, and sending that message to women. How do you balance that in an industry that’s so visually stimulating?
It is about balance. I’m not going to say that some days I don’t feel sexy, I’m a woman. It’s the reason you do it. If I genuinely feel that way I’m going to throw on a pair of pumps, or I’m going to want to show a little cleavage. I’m multi-dimensional. Some days I’m in tennis shoes and that’s how I’m feeling, other days I’m in pumps, if that’s how I’m feeling.
You just wrapped up the “I Am Still Music Tour” with Lil Wayne. What was the most fun moment from that? Did anything crazy happen?
I know one show, one of my dancer’s got food poisoning. She still wanted to perform but we told her no, (she) should go take care of that and get better. So I had to do the show by myself. I have two dancers, so instead of using one dancer I did the show by myself. It was a rush. It was very different for me on stage because at that point we had become so comfortable with each other and it just felt weird not having them there. But I still ripped the show and no one noticed.
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When you were in college you made denim pillows. What advice would you give to young girls just entering college and what’s the worst thing you had to deal with, like, with a roommate for instance?
Man what’s the worst thing I had to deal with … Luckily I had really, really good roommates. I had studious roommates who were really goal-oriented. They didn’t have a lot of friends, but I lived among other girls who had different experiences. Their roommates always had friends over, things like that. In college you learn to be assertive when it comes to your dorm life, because it’s not your personal space. When you grew up you might’ve had your own bedroom and nobody really telling you what to do, or where to place things. So it’s all about compromise and being assertive.
If you’re trying to study and you don’t want to be displaced from your normal study space, then it’s about that. But like I said it’s also about compromise and learning to adjust. Going to the library, doing whatever. That’s what I remember about my college life.
You said a few months ago, you made a change, a commitment. How do you feel? Are you happy?
I’m happy, I know my tweets go emo sometimes, but overall I’m very happy. I have to say my deepest feelings are just —I’m super inspired. I can’t wait to get back in the studio — I can’t wait. I’m just thankful. I’m in a good space. I’m glad it’s radiating, but from inside I feel like I’m in a good space and things are changing in my career for the better.
So I only have this thankful attitude and I’m ready to take on whatever comes my way.
How do you deal with the hate that people give you for no apparent reason?
Everyone has a reason, whether it’s validated or not and it used to effect me when I first started Twitter. That was the only time, that’s the only time were we as celebrities are exposed to hatred and negativity other than certain blogs creating rumors and things like that. But other than that, when it comes to consumers, that’s the only way we experience that or unless you read comments which I don’t, so I just looked at it like, these people have strong opinions about me. They never met me, if they did meet me, they would see me in a completely different light because whoever they perceive me to be, this conceited rude bitch … that’s a preconceived notion of everybody who does what I do.
Being a woman in this industry, being a boss, running my own business, me being my own business, that’s the preconceived notion that you’re this bitch and I know if they had the opportunity to meet me, I wouldn’t even have to try. I’m just me. They would see me in a different light and they would probably like me, they would probably say, ‘Wow I had her all wrong.’ The comfort of knowing who I really am — it doesn’t matter to me, however they feel is based upon what they see, and whatever they perceive me to be, it’s not based upon reality.
