Can confirm, @johnboyega just has that energy about him. I had the pleasure of speaking to him for @Esquire ’s August cover during these hopefully transformative times, right before the SAG strike. Talked about his new film They Cloned Tyrone, love & Hollywood tings.
S/o to my editor @scoutstout for another one ✨
Editor in Chief: @michaelisebastian
Photos: @photodre
Stylist: @taylor_mcneill
Groomer: @paintedbyjeremy
Barber: @barberbyblood
Design Director: @rw3ll
Visuals Director: @justinsoneill
Executive Producer, Video: @dorennanew
Executive Director, Entertainment: @randipeck
This is a dope look. Thank you to Evan Nicole Brown @ The New York Times for hearing the intention behind my Audible audiobook and feeling all the love and sweat we put into it. Great writeup. Link in bio 🙏🏾🙂
I had the pleasure of working in the studio with Jazmine Sullivan (@jazminesullivan ) as a writer and editorial director on this edition of @Audible ’s Words & Music series. From Philly to the church to finding a love like her parents’, she talks about what it’s taken for her to open herself up and do that good R&B. The Art of Confessing is out tomorrow, save and listen on Audible at the link in bio. Happy Black History Month every day.
(Third slide is a Complex interview by the wonderful Ecleen @eluzmi )
s/o @colabottlebaby , @geeeeeeef_@regine_rising 🙏🏾
May 14th we’re hosting a free women’s mixer and panel at @loudmouthbk with @marissa.dul & @clovito , journalist & author of “The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop” for a cross-generational Q&A!
Sounds by @maryjaynee___ & @ashlleygill
Community support by @thatgoodsht@bakplay.ground & @iamskaiz
Limited copies of “The Motherlode” and Music She Wrote Issue No. 1 will be available. All women and femmes welcome, RSVP in bio!
This was a real full circle moment over the weekend, moderating a conversation with the brilliant Yaya Bey and hip-hop legend Roxanne Shanté about Yaya’s new album Fidelity and what it means for women to own their stories, from one generation to the next. Just three music lovers from Queens. Of course, I had to give @imroxanneshante a (signed, per her request) copy of my book The Motherlode. Thank you @yayabeybay + @hannahtraore 🫶🏾
For @elleusa ’s March cover, I traveled to subzero Montreal to interview the effusive, newly omnipresent, chaotic-good actress Odessa A’zion, from Marty Supreme and I Love L.A. We talked about her rising stardom & anxiety and the consequences of keeping it real. Read for the cameo from thee Sarah Paulson. Link in bio and on Elle.com.
ELLE: @elleusa
Editor-in-chief: Nina Garcia @ninagarcia
Photographer: Carin Backoff @carinbackoffphoto
Stylist: Alex White @alexwhiteedits
Writer: Clover Hope (me)
Hair: Teddy Charles at Nevermind @teddycharles35@nevermindagency_
Makeup: Kennedy at Streeters @kalikennedy@streetersagency Manicure: Stephanie Stone at Forward Artists @stephstonenails@forwardartists
Set design: Lauren Machen at Lalaland @machenmachen@lalalandartists
Production: GTS Productions @gtsprod
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to THE MOTHERLODE!!! 🎈Feb 2 marked 5 YEARS since I published my first book. Every time I pop it open and re-read, it feels like a treasure and forever relevant. And a reminder of how important it is to archive Black music. If you don’t own it yet, links are in bio. You can buy some of the art prints by the wonderful @indoorcatgirl here: /gallery/indoorcatgirl/
I am *still* thinking about ‘Sinners.’ Thrilled that I got to speak with Wunmi, Hailee, and Jayme about Ryan Coogler’s horror masterpiece for ELLE’s 2025 Women in Hollywood issue. We met on the rooftop of Fouquet’s New York hotel in Tribeca and talked fan theories, eroticism onscreen, and what ‘Sinners’ can teach the industry.
Read the full interview at the link in bio. #ELLEWIH.
ELLE: @elleusa
Editor-in-chief: Nina Garcia @ninagarcia
Photographer: Jason Nocito @jason_nocito_studio
Stylist: Jan-Michael Quammie @jan.quammie
Writer: Me
Hair for Lawson: Laini Reeves for Burgeon Hair @cheryltbergamyhair@burgeon.hair
Makeup for Lawson: Billie Gene for Charlotte Tilbury @billieegene@charlottetilbury
Hair for Mosaku: Hair by Vernon François at The Visionaries @vernonfrancois@thevisionariesagency
Makeup for Mosaku: Keita Moore at The Only Agency @kilprity@theonly.agency
Hair for Steinfeld: Renato Campora @renatocampora Makeup for Steinfeld: Carolina Gonzalez for Velour @cgonzalezbeauty@velourbeautyofficial
Manicure for all: Julie Kandalec for Aprés Nail @julieknailsnyc@apresnailofficial
Set Design for all: Bette Adams for MHS Artists @betteradams @@mhs_artists
Production for all: Dana Brockman at Viewfinders @dbrock324 @@viewfindersnyla
A few stories I wrote: I chilled with your favorite actor’s fav actor André Holland for @readhammerandhope . We spoke about his efforts to carve space in Hollywood while being perceived as “picky” / / ✨✨Also did a close read of Missy’s “The Rain” for @orion_magazine ’s nature & culture issue. A fun challenge / / And spoke to Jon Batiste about his ninth studio album & roots music for Sotheby’s Creators & Collectors issue. (📸: @tyrellhampton ) Reading is fundamental!!
