Interview With Blogger Natasha of Young, Black and Fabulous

You've come across Young, Black and Fabulous. This site is one of the most popular celebrity blogs on the internet, and Natasha, the site owner, is using it to drive the interest in black celebrities to the forefront of pop culture. And I for one, can't thank her enough for this.

When did you start your blog, and what inspired you to get into the celeb blogging game?

I started at the end of July 2005. I got inspired because I am a HUGE celebrity gossip and entertainment news fan. I used to buy every single celeb magazine on the racks. Then when I started to discover celeb gossip blogs, I became addicted. So naturally I began to notice that NONE of them were focusing on black celebs and hardly ever included them. So after many ignored requests for them to do so, I decided to do it myself.

Did you have experience with building and promoting websites prior to YBF?

I had NO experience. Well, if you count my INFO 209 class in college where we had to buid a website using Frontpage and Dreamweaver for a grade. But trust me, that was no help here.

Are you in the entertainment industry? What sparked your interest in celebrities?

I am not in the entertainment industry. I actually am a student and am pursuing a career in poitics and lobbying. I have no clue what sparked my interest in celebs since I've had it for so long.

Which celebrities are your favorites? Which ones do you love to hate? Who do you wish would just go away?

I love celebs who I can tell keep it genuinely real and don't give robotic answers to questions. The only exception to that rule of mine is Beyonce. I confess, I am a major Beyonce fan. Others are those who aren't saturating the industry, like Tamia, Kelly Rowland, Halle B., Gabby Union, Sanaa Lathan, and a few up and comers. I love to hate Assie...I mean Cassie...because her "situation" is so painstakingly obvious. She doesn't even try to come to this game with some talent. I alo wish she would just go away. As well as Fergie.

I always see a lot of fashion on your site, you seem to be a shoe freak! What's your personal style and what are some of your favorite brands?

I'm definitely a shoe freak. And I think it's because that's the one size that NEVER changes and that you don't mind shouting across the store for your girl to get you. I actually despise going to the mall because I hate shopping for clothes that a million people already have. So I love boutiques and local stores. But I will knock somebody down to go up in an H&M. If I do go to the mall, I usually make my stops at Aldo, Nine West, Express, Arden B., Up Against The Wall, H and M, and Bebe. I'm preparing to buy my first pair of true designer shoes - Jimmy Choos - and I've been eyeing the Jimmy Choo style for years. That's one of my faves. As well as almost anything designed by Chanel.

Whose closet would you love to raid?

I want to raid Kelis', Gabrielle Union's, and Victoria Beckham's (Posh Spice) closets, then mesh everything into my own closet. I love funkiness mixed with class and a sexy conservative look. I like to dress accrding to my mood.

Have you had any personal run ins with celebrities? Any juicy stories to tell us?

Hmmm not really. I'm never that lucky person who meets a big celeb outside of an interview. I did get to meet Diddy who was 4 hours late to the interview but was strikingly nice to everyone. And I aso met YaYa of Top Model.

What are some of your favorite news stories of the year so far?

Of course this Bobby, Whitney, and Supahead scandal. Pure foolishness. All of the new couples who end up getting uncovered. And my guilty pleasure was Flavor of Love.

Okay, brag a little bit and make us jealous. What kind of perks do you get from the success of your blog?

Well unlike some other mainstream blogs, I don't support myself completely off of the money I make from the blog, but companies definitely make up for it by sending me products for "review". I've received several products from big name companies who shall remain nameless. And of course invitations to celeb parties and trips to movie premieres and press junkets. But most importantly, my fans that don't even know me personally who offer me words of encouragement in my personal life on a constant basis. Those are some of the perks.

How do you feel when celebrities complain about privacy?

I say deal with it. Any publicity is good publicity for a celebrity. It never was a secret that lack of privacy comes with the territory of being a mainstream celeb. So you knew what you were getting into. Besides, you can't sell movie tickets or albums without letting the public know a little about who you are. That's just the times we live in now.

How do you feel about the presence of black owned blogs and blogs aimed at blacks? Do you think we're underrepresented in this area? And what would you like to see change?

Of course we're underrepresented in the blog mainstream. There have been several days at a time (before I started YBF) where I would visit 20 plus blogs and NEVER see mention of a black celeb. But now more and more black owned blogs are popping up and that's all gravy. Definitely a good thing. Black celebs have worked hard to get to where they are and deserve just as much publicity as "other" celebs who do absolutely nothing for their fame. You know what I'm getting at.....

Does owning such a popular blog ever become overwhelming? How do you balance blogging with work/school/social life?

Very overwhelming. I actually don't even realize that my blog is popular. So I just take pople's word for it. It gets overwhelming when all the side projects that I've been offered and that I take on start piling up. But my first love is YBF and it's always a pleasure to do. Never a task.

Do you have a scheduele for updating your site? How long per day do you usually spend blogging?

I don't have a set schedule timewise. But I keep a balance by setting a loose schedule for the blog. If I don't, I'll be blogging all day and all night. I have to make myself take Sundays off so I can have a personal life. I spend quite a while blogging because I am blogging for another large site ( SOHH.com) and will be starting at KING magazine online next week as well. And I am also do articles for print magazines here and there.

Which blogs do YOU read? Do you have any close friends in the blogosphere?

I love Pink is the new Blog. Trent's blog was actually part of the inspiration for my own blog. I hit up randomly a few sites on my blogroll once a week. I rarely visit other blogs though because I barely have time to keep up with all of my own. I have a few "freinds" in the blogosphere. We look out for one another and fill in for each other while one is away. Good times...

What do you think the key to the success of your blog is? What have you done so far to define yourself amongst the thousands of other celebrity blogs?

I'm just me. I'm not purposely doing anything to stand out and it always shocks me that YBF does stand out. I do know that my format is different than almost any other blog out there since I do a couple of long posts with multiple photos/gossip bits per day. Most other blogs do several short posts a day. It's just a small thing that makes me unique, but changes the feel of the blog.

Who in your opinion is the hottest celebrity guy of the moment? And the loveliest lady?

Hottest Guy-Jay-Z hands down. It's Hovember for a reason. Loveliest lady-te between Beyonce and Janet.

What are your future goals, not only for your blog but yourself?

I would love to become a blogger celebrity. That's a new type of celeb breaking into the biz these days. I want to be someone who people like VH-1 and E! are asking to report their red carpet shows, someone who folks want to be at their parties because they know they'll get some good pub, and just known to millions of people. I want the blog to have such a huge following that YBF is a household name. I want it to be that must-have celeb magazine like JET used to be back in the day, but online of course. I want black celebs to come more into the forefront of Hollywood so that others can see successful blacks doing it big.

If someone came up to you and said they planned on opening a celebrity blog, what would you say to them?

Just do it! You'll learn as you go...trust me.

Anything else you would like to add?

Thanks to all of my fabulous readers who have stuck with me through my hiatuses due to school moving after Katrina. I don't think they understand ho much they have helped me get through some rough times.

Thanks Natasha!