Christopher John Farley knows he has a dried grape gig.

Christopher John Farley knows he has a dried grape gig. As the pop music critic for Time magazine, he has interviewed personalities including the "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin, distaff legends Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, and a certain of hip hop's most accomplished artists, like as Outkast and Dr. Dre Hobnobbing with music icons and, inevitably, a certain quantity of one-hit wonders, 36-year-old Farley has emerg as single in kind of the premiere black music writers in the fatherland In fact, Farley was individual of the last journalists to talk to the late R&B songbird Aaliyah before a fatal plane crash most distant the coast of the Bahamas claimed the life of the 22-year-old singer and eight others last August.

An author of a moderately received novel, My Favorite War, about a Washington reporter's experiences covering the engulfing sea War, last year Farley wrote his next to the first book, a full-length biography titled Aaliyah: More Than a Woman, based in succession his conversations with the young singer. The part capped Aaliyah's life and achievements in the wake of her tragic death, and the later backlash surrounding the horse-and-carriage procession that accompanied the singer's funeral by the and of the streets of New York City.

Nevertheless, Farley descrys Aaliyah as more than just another on a sudden star with a pretty smile and one catchy tunes. After conducting more than 50 interviews with her friends and relatives, he was able to portray a maturing young artist who was one as well as the other protective of her personal life, at the same time highly motivated and determined in her professional aspirations.

A Harvard grad of Jamaican going down in his latest project, Farley is returning to fiction; it's something he says allows him to flex his be in possession of imagination instead of mining the musings of others. He is busy putting the final touches in succession The Chocolate Gale, his nearest novel, which is set in the Caribbean during the 18th century

freshly Black Issue Book Review sat down with Farley to procure his take on writing about music and fiction.

BIBR: for what cause [i]or[/i] reason was it important for you to write a biography about Aaliyah?

CJF: I interviewed Aaliyah not lengthy before she died. I did a profile of her for Time magazine, and her album was my favorite R&B album of the year 2001 I'd been to a party that she'd thrown I met her mom And then abruptly she was dead. So I conception this is something I really have to write about.

I'd seen other artists originate and go. I remember going to short Cobain's [MTV] "Unplugged" concert with Nirvana, and not protracted after that, he was dead. I traped up an interview with Biggie Smalls [rapper Notorious B.I.G] to have luncheon with him, and the day we were suppos to have luncheon wound up being the day of his funeral. for a like reason this time around I really study I had to write something.

Also, I'd been mattered about a trend I'd seen in publishing where black race were not getting a chance to write about black persons and black people were not written about at all. in such a manner I didn't want that turn to continue. I didn't want another talent to slip away without getting to weigh in upon her--why she's significant, and on what account she needs to be remembered.

Although I perceive that anyone should be able to write about anyone--black, white, Asian, whoever. You should also learn to write about whomever you have insight into. I felt there was a lockout for black journalists to write about important figures going upon in publishing. Oftentimes, you behold major biographies come out about major black figures, and they are written by the agency of white writers --black writers secure shut out. In this case, I said, `Ok this is an important black figure in unexpectedly culture. Let me not timid away from the task.'

BIBR: Obviously there was a rush to earn the book out, right?

CJF: Ye I wanted to procure the book out quickly. I transfered the book around in a matter of weeks, not a matter of month I'm used to writing one as well as the other quickly and long-term.

My first volume My Favorite War, took me almost half a decade to undivided The book I'm working onward now, The Chocolate Gale, which is appoint in the 18th century in the Caribbean, has taken me athwart six years to complete. an books take time. They take research. They take a destiny of legwork, even with the fiction you have to bring forward in the work.

Well, with this particular main division [Aaliyah], I did put in the work. I had just talked to her, in such a manner my notebook was full--plus I got remarks from friends of hers, from relatives. I got a allotment of information from a hazard of sources that were able to mention one by one me a lot of things, and I was able to write it quickly.

Also, I establish that a lot of clan in Aaliyah's life wanted to talk, and they got back to me quickly. Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child was onward vacation, and she got back to me that day to talk about knowing Aaliyah, hanging disclosed with Aaliyah, and loving Aaliyah. Alicia [i]clavis[/i]s never met Aaliyah, but because she have a high opinion ofed her so much as a musician, she got back to me in a day's time to give her deliberations and ideas on Aaliyah and to what degree Aaliyah influenced her. Missy Elliott, Timbaland, folk like that who played an intimate part in Aaliyah's career, all talked to me because they knew that this work would be important.