Written by: @yomegs
Shot by : @tyrenredd
I got the chance to have an intimate talk with one of Hip-Hop’s rising moguls, Karen Civil. This blossoming business woman wears a few different hats. She is the Online Marketing Coordinator for Young Money Records, she runs her own marketing company called Always Civil Enterprise, and she runs a hip-hop tastemaker’s site, www.karencivil.com.
Her support behind the new generation of lyrical phenomenons like Drake and J-Cole, and even the old school heavy hitters like Lil Wayne, and The Clipse has been a wild ride for the bubbling beauty who started in the industry interning for Funkmaster Flex at Hot 97 FM. Karen talks family, being a businesswoman and Hip-Hop . The young entreprenuer gives young women genuine words of encouragement and talks turning your hobby into a career.
Arriving to the set, Karen welcomed us in her home along with her Yorkshire terrier, Faith. After setting up, Karen’s quiet and peaceful demeanor began to shed once I noticed she was rocking Cupcake Mafia and we ignited a conversation. After an hour or so Melanesia is finally done with make up, now it’s time to shoot. Photographer Tyren Redd captured Karen effortlessly, and before we knew it we were done with the two looks and wrapped. After the shoot, we sat down to have a chat.
M: So, for your growing fan base…where you from?
K: “Born in Brooklyn, raised in Jersey, now living in L.A.”
M: How did you find the transition from the East Coast to the West Coast?
K: “The transition was not the best, I am not even gonna to pretend. The first year I think I was crying often. I was upset. I was missing my family, but, I just dealt with it. At the end of the day I knew I moved out here to try something different, to build my brand, to continue to grow. That’s what kept me here.”
M: What’s your sign?
K: (laughing) “Scorpio”.
M: If you could describe yourself as a color what would it be?
K: “Black/Pink
I am very closed…I’m a very closed individual. I’m hard to read… hard to gage… But…I have so much going on, so on the flip side I love pink. When I’m in my happy place it just makes me smile. To me, it feels like it blossoms. Pink always puts me in a great place.”
M: Who was one of your biggest childhood inspirations?
K: “I think, um, seeing my dad work hard. That just always inspired me. When it was vacation times, he was like “Nope, I’m sending you on vacation I’m going to stay and work to pay for this vacation.” There were times I used to be upset because he wouldn’t come, but, I knew he was working hard to provide for us so we had a great life. So I saw, not from a selfish place “Why isn’t my dad here?” I knew he had to sacrifice a lot for us. Now, me being an entrepreneur and being a business woman I know I have to sacrifice. So, being able to see that at a young age and seeing him do what he had to do to make sure we were beyond comfortable, I have to say I appreciate him for that.
So growing up it was just me and my brother. We did everything together. Me and my brother were like, best friends. We had two of everything. We traveled in a pair. We were like Tia and Tamara….well *laughs* you get what im trying to say.”
M: What has been your most memorable interview?
K: “I think getting to see the progression of J-Cole early on. And seeing him start off was great. J Roc is another great one. Sitting with him early on and seeing him develop. Those are big favorites of mine.”
M: Biggest music inspiration growing up?
K: “I loved a little bit of everything. You could find me listening to Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, Immature, Chris Cross and when I got to a certain age I was a Backstreet Boy fanatic. You couldn’t tell me nothing. I loved Backstreet and DMX lol…it was a range.”
M: I noticed your shoe game, what’s your favorite pair?
K: “I love my Giuseppes. I love my Giuseppe sneakers. Those are my babies.”
M: What would you say to young women who want to be their own boss?
K: “We are now in a day and age where we don’t have to have a set job or role. We can create one for ourselves. And we should take advantage of that, because I certainly did. We don’t have to fit a stereotypical roll because there is so much more for us. I’m just excited because now It’s not just say, a make-up artist anymore, it’s a lifestyle consultant now. Things you thought were a hobby, can be your career.”
M: What keeps you motivated and not giving up?
K: “I have no choice. When you give up, it’s just like you have no choice. When you feel like you’re at rock bottom, you have no choice but to go up. There is no fail. There is no going back home to mommy. That was never me. The type of parents I had, I saw them sacrifice and do everything. So if I quit, it would be a disrespect to them and to my dreams.”
Karen is such a hard workingwoman in the entertainment business. I’m sure it goes without saying; It is one of the toughest businesses to break through. But, as we see Civil has continued to grow and pursue her dreams…following her deepest passions and turning it into a successful and lucrative career engine! To keep up with all of Karen’s happenings be sure to follow her on Instagram and Twitter @KarenCivil.
Follow us on twitter and IG: @twenty7magazine @karencivil
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