KRISTINA D. – Some in the African American community support and encourage street lit while others disapprove of it. Why do you think some people are critical of street lit? Do you think their fears are founded in truth in any way? What would you say to make them understand your goals with the GHETTOHEAT® MOVEMENT?

HICKSON – There’s been a lot of controversy swarming around urban/street lit for various reasons, and for some time now. Within the industry you have some contemporary writers who frown upon urban/street lit, discrediting it, some even blatantly saying it isn’t real literature, due to the nature of the stories, in addition to putting some writers of urban/street lit down because most of the writers are self-taught and didn’t go to college for four years to study journalism, or even take creative writing classes. Some contemporary writers don’t feel that a person writing about their own experiences within the inner streets warrants them as a professional writer, which I totally disagree with. If you’re capable of crafting great works without having journalism as a level of concentration in college, does that mean you’re not able to create magnificent works? I think not.

In my opinion, I think the negative lashing against urban street writers is due to the success of urban/street lit, its growth, the huge book sales behind it, as well as the attention many writers have gotten from this genre, some contemporary writers sharing less of the spotlight and profits than urban/street writers. Also, there’s a lot of truth within urban/street lit—truth that’s brutally honest at times, and unfortunately, the truth hurts.

Yet, I personally don’t agree with all of urban/street lit, some of it is poorly written at times, have weak storylines as well as the writings can be extremely reckless at times. Yet, on a positive note, this genre is also getting many who weren’t normally reading books, interested. At GHETTOHEAT® I make sure that all works produced serve a purpose, gives messages for the readers to draw upon, and produce great quality material that doesn’t glamorize street life. Even with it being urban/street lit, it deals with the real issues at hand. For instance, in HARDER, it deals with a young girl’s involvement within inner-city street trappings, yet it’s a cautionary tale, one that deters many from taking the wrong path. The GHETTOHEAT® MOVEMENT is all about promoting literacy worldwide, getting many to read more. From a business and personal standpoint, my mission is to have a great writing team to execute many types of works from different genres that have jewels for many to take, ones that will help readers with their own personal journey in life.

KRISTINA D. – What books influenced you in your personal life and as an author?

HICKSON – My all time favorite writer is Langston Hughes. Anything he produced I make sure to read. I love how he made something so complex appear to be so simple, which is very hard to do—a skill in itself. I love how he dealt with social commentary, bringing forth real issues of the people in poetry, as well as in his “Simple” scenarios. I’ve been compared to Langston Hughes as a writer, which I don’t feel worthy of because he was an absolute genius, yet in my poetry book, GHETTOHEAT®, I also deal with issues of race, violence, love, teen pregnancy, economic factors within the urban community, sexuality, HIV/AIDS awareness, etc, so I can understand the comparison, as well as we’re both Harlemites.

Yet I’m highly motivated by Gordon Parks, he being the true Renaissance man, having many talents. I have different gifts and talents, some which are reflected in my productions at GHETTOHEAT®. I wear many hats here, doing everything from A to Z. I’m fully hands on with all executions at my company. But, it wasn’t until the success of Teri Woods’ True To The Game and Sister Souljah’s The Coldest Winter Ever that raised my eyebrow, which encouraged me to not only write GHETTOHEAT® after quitting the fashion industry, but to also start my own business and create, market, sell and distribute my own works, later signing other writers. To date I have fifteen authors signed to the company, many with multiple book deals here. I’m also an independent publisher with no intentions of partnering up with a major publishing house, yet producing on the same level as one.

KRISTINA D. What is your perception of the way homosexuality functions in the genre of urban fiction?  Do you feel LGBT characters achieve visibility in many urban fiction books, or are they most often depicted as characters that are deeply flawed and tragic?

HICKSON – Like television and film, homosexuality isn’t portrayed in a positive light in urban fiction, also. There are rarely any masculine, affluent, progressive, leading gay characters in urban fiction, most being overly flamboyant, reflected as a buffoon, or extremely promiscuous, many lacking stability. Which isn’t the real case. Yet, I fully understand why this has happened/happening. Hip-Hop and urban/street lit are synonymous, and being gay in Hip-Hop is taboo within the inner city and Hip-Hop community. It’s troublesome for many to view a strong, masculine man gay man the same way as a heterosexual man. Yet, there’s no real difference, other than the sexual preference.

In CONVICT’S CANDY, one of the characters “allegedly” is one of the biggest stars in Hip-Hop, having liaisons with a beautiful transgender while in prison, before making it big within the music industry. A very masculine man nonetheless, a hard pill for many to swallow, those who have figured out the character’s identity. Yet, it’s not a tell-all book. It’s an expose on what really goes on behind the prison walls, enlightening many on the daily environment of the prisons, and HIV/AIDS awareness. Even if you had no intentions of learning about the different ways of getting the deadly disease, it’s told in such a salacious way that keeps the reader intrigued and engrossed. CONVICT’S CANDY is my bestseller to date, many sending letters and e-mails on how the book is saving lives. Yet, until Hollywood changes how gay characters are depicted within the media, and the urban community is less informed about gay culture, there will continue to be a vicious cycle of gay characters lacking strength and power within the media.

KRISTINA D. – Race is a touchy subject…when ‘suburban’ Caucasian people started listening to Hip-Hop and trying to buy Hip-Hop labels, many previously empowering rap lyrics turned violent. How do you feel about White people – many of whom have not experienced inner-city life – reading urban fiction?

HICKSON – I absolutely love the fact that Hip-Hop has become a universal language, enjoyed by many of different ethnicities, backgrounds, and ones from different economic classes and structures. In Japan alone, many don’t speak English, yet will chant rap lyrics of platinum rap artists. I find this fascinating. I have no problem with people learning about other cultures—I have a problem with others stealing from one’s culture then claiming it as their own, which has been going on for years. Going back to the 50s, there were many Black singers who were robbed of fame and fortune, due to the music industry not wanting to market and promote Black artists on their own records, instead, opting to credit Black artists works with White singers. Yet, I promote diversity at GHETTOHEAT®. I would love to come across a writer coming other from a Black and Hispanic background who wrote with the same level of passion, intensity and creativity. So personally, I don’t discriminate, I embrace.

Hip-Hop is highly appreciated by Caucasians: the rapper Eminem alone has clearly proved this. Most rap concerts are thick with a White audience. I think it’s great that Caucasians are becoming more intrigued with urban/street lit, giving them better understanding of our experiences within the urban community, as well as Black/Latin culture in the process.

KRISTINA D. – What role should libraries/librarians play in empowering urban people? How is street lit related to this process? What could we be doing better?

HICKSON – By stocking more Black literature on your shelves, including urban/street fiction, so readers can get more understanding, as well provide an outlet for those who already relate to urban/street fiction, as it’s a great need for it. You can have more Black and Latino writers come in and do readings, Q & A’s, and book signings, so a connection can be made between the writers and readers, other than the reader reading the books. Create book clubs, one that’s even multicultural, and get the readers involved in Black literature. Of course also by logging on to GHETTOHEAT.COM—see what’s going on in our world, and inquire about aiding in helping GHETTOHEAT® continue its mission to promote literacy, not just within the urban streets, but worldwide; this simply is done by e-mailing me at HICKSON@GHETTOHEAT.COM.

KRISTINA D. – What do you want us to know about the GHETTOHEAT® MOVEMENT…is there anything that you think might surprise us?

HICKSON – The GHETTOHEAT® MOVEMENT is a growing network of everyday people who have joined forces with GHETTOHEAT® worldwide in the fight of eliminating illiteracy. People who enjoy great books about urban life and street culture, relationships, sexuality, women’s issues, politics, science fiction, poetry, erotica, as well as contemporary urban classics, that as I said before, serve a purpose, have relevance, and will educate, empower and enliven, all through entertainment.

I’m very proud of this movement. Originally I started it to become an entrepreneur and to make a living, after my decision of leaving the fashion industry. In the midst, I discovered that by starting the company, I was also giving opportunities to other writers who would not normally be signed at major publishing houses, due to discrimination. Yet in all of this, I also realized that I’ve given voices to the voiceless, a platform for many worldwide who need not only to be heard, recognized and respected, but also appreciated. That’s what’s happening at GHETTOHEAT®. I’ve created a creative outlet, a platform for many to delve into the experience, not just urban, but the entire GHETTOHEAT® experience, one that has become bigger than me, my original idea, as well as the company—The GHETTOHEAT® MOVEMENT.