Kim Osorio became a hip-hop legend in 2003 when she decimated the glass ceiling of one of the most hypermasculine sectors of the music industry. The Bronx, N.Y., native became the first (and so far, only) female editor in chief at The Source magazine, regarded as the Bible of hip-hop.
But when word spread (eventually turning out to be true) that the Latina beauty dated hip-hop superstars 50 Cent and Nas, urban media, artists, and even her own bosses at The Source blasted her talent and reputation.
After unjustly being fired from The Source in 2005, Osorio challenged the toxic machismo of hip-hop by suing the magazine, which resulted in a judgment in her favor to the tune of $7.5 million. The jury found that she was defamed by one of its co-owners, who claimed she slept around with industry bigwigs, and that her termination was retaliation for her complaints about her work environment.
Now, Osorio tells her story in her highly anticipated book Straight From the Source. In a shocking, revelatory, and at times heartbreaking narrative, Osorio recounts her experiences as one of the few successful women in the hip-hop industry.
"I'm not ashamed. No one should be ashamed of their personal life, no matter who you are," insists Osorio to The Advocate.
In Straight From the Source, Osorio states, "Sometimes I think the hip-hop industry is a bit antiquated in its thinking. As if it's 1920 or something. When I look at other industries, what's on television, and what we consume as Americans, I wonder why the hip-hop circle is so damn judgmental."
Osorio was judged, but in revealing her story, she went beyond the confinements in hip-hop, thus resonating with various groups who suffer the same stigmatization (bordering on criminalization) while on the job or in everyday life.
When thinking of sexism in hip-hop, one cannot forget its homophobia, a contagious infection in an art form that once stood for positivity. There are artists who have spoken out against homophobes, including Russell Simmons, Kanye West, and Advocate cover girl Mary J. Blige. But do these select few endorsements change in any way diehard antigay sentiment?
"For Russell, Mary, and Kanye I think it's genuine, but from the rest of the community...I think they're just following," Osorio reasons. "There are very few people who will openly say something homophobic, and if they do...they tend to take it back. They renege on their words because they know how powerful the gay community is."
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