STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Queen Latifah Wishes Hip Hop Was More Like the Blues

The actress and rap icon talks her new film, Bessie.

Nearly twenty years after Queen Latifah caused a stir when she shared an on-screen kiss with a woman in Set It Off, the Newark native is proving to be every bit an artistic risk taker today as she was back then.
The rapper, actress and producer takes on her most challenging role yet as Bessie Smith in the HBO film Bessie, premiering on May 16. We sat down with the icon to talk about Smith, the blues and the same-sex love scenes.
"I hope it doesn't become the sole issue," Latifah tells us about the provocative scene, which she says she agreed to do because she "had to tell the story honestly."

"People feel a type of way when they see any type of sexuality on screen," she says, recalling the reaction from the hip hop community at the premiere of Set It Off. "People are so fascinated by it."

Latifah adds that she feels a great kinship with blues artists, who used music to express their pain and as a medium for social commentary. She even tells us she wishes hip hop would take a few cues from the blues. "Honestly, I wish more rappers now would speak to all the things that are going on in the world," she says, adding that the hip hop movement used to be about more than just creating club bangers. "This was an art form, when I came along, that allowed us to speak to a lot of things. I completely relate to the blues, and I'd like to see more of that come into hip hop."
Watch our interview with Queen Latifah below and check your local listings to see Bessie on HBO.

BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

 (Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Variety)

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.