JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Marcus Damone Henry, author of Nicki: A Hip Hop Love Story
(Urban Life Entertainment)

Nicki is a feel good story about a young girl coming of age as she enters a whole new world when leaves Houston to go to college in Atlanta. Even as a freshman on campus, Nicki stands out because of her beauty and the “it” girls who have close ties with rap world elite want her as a part of their crew.

With the new friends comes new experiences that takes Nicki’s life on a roller coaster ride she never would have imagined. Faced with peer pressure and wanting to be accepted, the question arises: will she be able to stay on the right track? Or will the alluring world of hip hop and college life take Nicki down the wrong road?

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Nicki: A Hip Hop Love Story?

Marcus Damone Henry: My inspiration to write Nicki came from my love and desire to create exciting stories. Nicki is one of my favorite characters out of all the stories I have written. Initially, the title was going to be A Good Girl Gone Bad. But the more I wrote, the more I became emotionally attached to my character Nicki and did not want to see her go too far to the left.

JP: What sets Nicki: A Hip Hop Love Story apart from other books in the same genre?

MDH: What sets Nicki apart from other books in the same genre is that I have characters that many people can relate to. At the same time, I have characters who do away with stereotypes, such as the rapper SP. While rugged on his core, SP turns out to be truly refined in many ways. A lot of my female readers fall in love with his character.

This story deals with many issues, such as peer pressure, young adult pregnancies, family rejection, devious friends and a host of other issues ending in triumph for some and sadness for others.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to Nicki: A Hip Hop Love Story getting out to the public?

MDH: I feel that I was successful in getting Nicki out to the public because I was determined and dedicated to getting my story out. To write a story is a wonderful feeling. But to hear others relate scenes, events, and moments from something you created in your mind is one of the greatest feelings in the world to me. It is surreal.

Those are some of the things that gave me energy to push as hard as I did. Bottom line, I would not take no for an answer and still won’t today. When one door closes, another door opens.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish Nicki: A Hip Hop Love Story?

MDH: I’m not for sure what an orthodox writing style is or if there is certain standard process to writing. What I do know is that I imagine my characters, what they look like, how old they are, and what they are going to go through in my story. I write a little back story on my main characters to be a guide for me, and then I just let the story flow from there.

JP: What’s next for Marcus Damone Henry?

MDH: The next step for me is to take my story and turn it into a full feature-length film. Nicki the movie will be out summer 2012. I have already started to film the movie and was blessed to bring in Mr. Clifton Powell to play the role of Mr. Walter Jamison, Nicki’s dad. Clifton Powell is best known for his roles in the movie Ray with Jamie Foxx, as Pinky in the movie Friday with Ice Cube, and Chauncy in Menance II Society along with long list of other movies. So as you read the story, just know that the movie will be coming soon.

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I would also like to add that I have other books out for your enjoyment as well. Please check out my books: As I Die Slowly, The City of Saintz, and Four Corner Hustlers, all written by Marcus Damone Henry.

I have conveniently priced my books at 99 cents on all e-readers so that my readers can truly enjoy the experience of my stories. Thanks.

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