Jamilla D. Ali

When my editor at ProfanityMagazine (now closed) asked me to interview Meek Mills, I couldn't wait to hop on the bus and get to know the up and comer. At the time, his music was buzzing up and down the northeast which led to him being featured as an artist to watch on the infamous XXL magazine 'freshman class' cover. Now, Meek is known all over the world and I couldn't have been more grateful to have met him. Meek and I chatted on South Street when this photo was taken. He was admirably laidback and even sent his assistant to grab new camera batteries for me. Imagine, life before iPhone photos!

Anyone and everyone knows the heart of the up and coming hip hop artists lives at SOB's (Sounds of Brazil) in lower Manhattan, NYC. After the long lines and press clearance, I was introduced and able to interview B.o.B. "Can I ask you one question" I nicely asked, "sure," he said. As I proceeded to ask another question after my initial one, he replied, "I thought you said only one question"? I will always remember this interaction! Nonetheless, I enjoyed watching B.o.B perform, and his classic track "Nothin on You" with Bruno Mars will make any club move to this day.

When I was asked to attend SOBs (Sound of Brazil) in New York for yet another showcase, I never thought I'd have the opportunity to meet and interview J.Cole. At the time of this photo, I was working with a hip hop music blog that gave me access to different events however, because the blog was still unknown, I was never granted VIP access to the talent. I think it is profound when someone defies the law of boundaries in order to better themselves and this picture is evidence of that. I remember jumping over an insane amount of people in order to follow Cole into the back of the venue. Luckily, I had some help from one of the ladies working that night. She secretly opened the door to allow me into the VIP section. One thing I noticed about Cole was his deeply affectionate-almost romantic eyes. He has a down to earth way about him and I could tell he was following his heart in music. When this photo was taken, Cole was still underground but has since flourished as an artist, activ...

My freshman year at Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY was quite exciting. Not only had I been given the opportunity to work as one of the editors of the student newspaper, but I also had opportunities to interview, write, and publish exciting stories. The most memorable event during my tenure was the university's charity basketball game. The school invited Chris Brown, Fat Joe and Remy Ma to perform and I was granted full access to them pre-show! As a "baby" reporter I found the media room intimidating. There were reporters far more experienced than I and it was quite the frenzy. With all that being said, my time had arrived to ask Chris questions for the school paper and I couldn't believe how polite, friendly, and humble he was. Though this was during his early career ( he just released 'Run it') my first impression of him will always remain the same! How cute is this photo of us?