Keri Hilson Dishes On Her New Movie Lust - Exclusive Interview

Lust is the first film made from the Seven Deadly Sins books series, right?

Yeah.

How did your participation end up coming around to do the project?

Oh, good question. Hmm. We just got the call, honestly. It wasn't one of the ones that I had to audition for. We got the call. They were very sure. I had a lot of different things going on and they fought really hard to have me be a part of this project. And I'm just super grateful. I mean, because I really wanted to work with [Jumping the Broom producer] T.D. Jakes. It really was painstaking but I honestly thought that it would conflict with another project. Well, due to COVID delays on another project, I was able to accept this. So I was really excited because it's a dream to work with him. I respect what he does, spiritually, a lot. And I think that he's one of those humans that's really socially responsible, and I love doing socially responsible work. I knew it would stretch me, but I was excited for the challenge.

Were you familiar with the Victoria Christopher Murray novels that the films are based on?

Not at all. I learned that they were there as I was reading the script and having the conversations with my agents. And I still have not read them, but I think that it would be a really good thing to do, honestly.

I think sometimes maybe, when you're doing a project that's based on a book you might not really want to read the book, right? It's like, you want to just approach it, coming from your perspective on the material.

There's that. And honestly, the script wasn't the kind that made you feel like that was necessary to do. Because it was so, mind you, I haven't read the book, but the story told itself, right? There wasn't any prior understanding that you needed to have to be able to portray these roles or tell the story. So I think that's why. But I have done a book, you're right, I have done a film that was based off of a book. This is a film that just aired a couple of weeks ago.

Right. Don't Waste Your Pretty.

Don't Waste Your Pretty. And I found it best to not be swayed, so I did not... Actually, I was also encouraged not to. But I did, I [thought], "I think you guys are right. I don't want to be swayed one way or the other based on how I perceive or how I am internalizing the role."

Speaking of that, now with that film, it's a 2021 film. And now with Lust coming out, you're transitioning into these lead acting roles. Is that something that feels pretty natural for you to be exploring in your career?

Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I would say the way that they are happening has been very natural, so it must have been. Because all I had to do was say yes.

It sounds like you didn't have to audition.

Well, in some cases it is, I'm saying yes to the audition, sometimes I'm saying yes to just, try it out. If nothing else, it's great practice. It's great, You know, if nothing else, even if it doesn't even come out ever, that happens sometimes. Then it's like, I just look at it, 2020 taught me, just say yes to the universe because it's trying to provide you opportunity.

In Lust, you play opposite Durell "Tank" Babbs. You both share backgrounds in the R&B and pop and songwriting worlds. Was he someone that you had worked with before, like in a music context?

Uh-huh, yes. I've known him like 20 years. I've worked, when I was just songwriting we had worked together on one of his projects.

Yeah. It struck me that your career arcs have sort of started in a similar manner and sort of, right around the same time. So it's like in those worlds there's got to be a lot of mashing of talent and creativity.

Yeah. Well, he was out some years before me, but he really started to kind of catapult, I guess. He's kind of one of those artists that like will kind of fluctuate in his, I guess, popularity, but he's super solid in what he does. The music is always great. It's just, for some reason, people aren't always aware of his projects. They just might, every few years, hear a single that they're like, 'Oh, that's Tank,' and it skyrockets. So I'm always rooting for him. He's a great, great, great guy, really good spirit. Just an honest, funny, charismatic, super talented genius guy.

So, it must have been cool to work with them directly in this field then, too?

Absolutely. Absolutely. That was full circle though. It was weird. Like kissing someone—

Right. All of a sudden it's like, "Oh look where we found ourselves," right?

"Okay, we've got to do this."

Well, that's, that's the nature of the Lifetime movie, right, it's got to be sizzling.

Got to be, yeah.

They allude to quite a bit of that in the trailer, that's for sure.

They do, it's quite salacious. But this film really does, it really gives you what you think you're getting. You know how some trailers are just, and then you see the film and it's so underwhelming because you were just so built up by the... This is one that actually delivers, and I can confidently say that. I haven't said that about many films that I've done.

Would you call it a cautionary tale?

Ultimately yes, it will be a cautionary tale. You get to learn from our mistakes, our mishaps, shortcomings.

So, it sounds like for now, certainly, acting is on the front burner for sure. You described the worlds being different from filming a movie to writing a record. But I think there's probably some similarities in that collaborative spirit as well, right?

Very true. I hadn't thought of that, because all I can think, normally, are the differences, but you're right. You're absolutely right. It's a collaborative effort. We're all there. We're creatives. There are some liberties you'll take, and sometimes you have to just trust someone-else's expertise and take the back seat, and do what you're told or whatever. Not what you're told, but do what you feel is best for the project that you're working on. And there are times where in music you have that same collaborative spirit. So yeah, absolutely.

You made me think of something I had never considered.

That's what we do here at Nicki Swift, we make people think. Obviously hackers, German or otherwise, internet chatter — social media is a minefield, right? It's just like, come on.

Yeah.

You took a break, a conscious break from social media, right?

Years, yeah.

That must have affected your mindset in a very real way, right, in a palpable way.

In a positive way.

So you would call it a positive thing to have taken that step back, that conscious step back?

Very much so. It allowed me to realize that the criticism, both the criticism and the praise, can be equally damaging, equally dangerous.

That's a great point.

You're inheriting these ideas that people have about you, these opinions that people have about you. You inherit them into your subconscious. And that can be a very dangerous thing, whether it's good or bad. So while you're developing your confidence, your ideas about yourself, trying to find some stability and structure in your life or whatever that is for you, I think it's really good to put the peanut gallery on mute.

Peanut gallery is a good term for all of that, for sure. And everybody always seems like they have the right idea about something that they don't understand. Breaks are probably something that more people should think about taking when it comes to social media.

I think so.

On your Twitter these days, you speak a lot about being present, present and positive thinking, and meditative practices, versus prayer. It strikes me that-

Not versus prayer.

Well not versus prayer, pardon me.

For me it's both. Yeah.

But that, those both existing in time, as being pursuits, right? That has to be something that is positive for your wellbeing. Who you see as who you are. All things being said about the internet gossip, and everything else, you want to be who your best person is.

Right. Exactly. And if that's what you strive to do, there are ways to go about it. You just want to have mental clarity and spiritual clarity to make decisions for yourself, to form ideas about yourself, for yourself. Your core beliefs, well, you got to be malleable in those, because a lot of the things that we feel are true are not true. But yeah, I think it's really, those practices have been life-changing for me and a lot of friends that I had around. There's no going backwards. Once you feel what being dialed in to the universe really feels like you're never, you're unable to go backwards, really. It's just up from there.