Taraji P. Henson's "Cookie" character is one of the biggest reasons why audiences are tuning into Empire in record numbers. The actress recently spoke to Vogue about the outspoken character, and Taraji revealed that Lil Kim influenced the headstrong "Cookie."
She added that Foxy Brown, Salt-N-Pepa, and other strong female Hip-Hop figures were influencers, but Henson says Kim is the "champion."
"[Cookie's] more than hip-hop: She's everywoman, she's a mother, she's a family woman, a wife, a ride-or-die. She made a sacrifice to break the cycle of poverty, and that makes her an everywoman. Is she influenced by Foxy Brown? Certainly. That's where a lot of her style comes from—Salt-N-Pepa, all of that. That era of hip-hop was her heyday, those are the woman she identifies with."
"Kim is everything. Today it's Nicki Minaj, but Nicki Minaj got everything from Kim. Kim came on the scene and made everything change for women—she made it feminine and sexy and hardcore. She was a champion, and she's certainly Cookie's champion."
Source: Vogue
