Heather Keisha Hunter (born October 1, 1969), nicknamed Double H, is an American
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
, painter, author, and
pornographic actress
A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts in video that is usually characterized as a pornographic movie. Such videos tend to be made in a number of dis ...
. She is a member of the
AVN and
XRCO
The X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO) is a group of writers and editors from the American adult entertainment industry who each year present awards in recognition of achievement within the industry. After the controversy and criticism of the ...
Halls of Fame.
Early life
Hunter was born in
The Bronx, New York
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New York ...
, to a
funeral salesman. She left home at 16 and supported herself by working as a clerk at the
Latin Quarter
The Latin Quarter of Paris (french: Quartier latin, ) is an area in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne.
Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistro ...
, one of the first downtown/midtown clubs to play rap. At the age of 18, she answered an ad in ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' for striptease artists. Pictorials in ''Players'' and ''
Swank'' followed. Subsequently, the offers to appear in pornographic films started to emerge.
Career
Film and television
Hunter entered the adult film business in 1988 and her career peaked in the mid-'90s. She was one of the few performers to use her actual name rather than a stage alias. She became known for her
interracial
Interracial topics include:
* Interracial marriage, marriage between two people of different races
** Interracial marriage in the United States
*** 2009 Louisiana interracial marriage incident
* Interracial adoption, placing a child of one raci ...
- and
lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
-themed films. In her hometown she was a mainstay on the ''
Robin Byrd
Robin Byrd (born April 6, 1957) is an American former pornographic actress and the host of ''The Robin Byrd Show'', which has appeared on leased access cable television in New York City since 1977.
Background
Robin Byrd was born and raised in N ...
Show'' and was a frequent performer.
From 1990 to 1992, during her Los Angeles years, Hunter was a dancer on the TV show ''
Soul Train
''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...
''. Hunter has described how she was able to conceal her porn career from ''Soul Train'' producer
Don Cornelius
Donald Cortez Cornelius (September 27, 1936 – February 1, 2012) was an American television show host and producer widely known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance and music show ''Soul Train'', which he hosted from 1971 until 1993 ...
. She also played the role of a hooker in the black comedy horror film
Frankenhooker
''Frankenhooker'' is a 1990 American black comedy horror film directed by Frank Henenlotter. Very loosely inspired by Mary Shelley's 1818 novel ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'', the film stars James Lorinz as medical school drop-out Je ...
as Chartreuse.
She got her start while dancing at the
Latin Quarter
The Latin Quarter of Paris (french: Quartier latin, ) is an area in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne.
Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistro ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, where she met adult film actress
Hyapatia Lee
Vicki Lynch, known professionally as Hyapatia Lee, is an American former adult film actress. As part Cherokee, she was the only Native American in the adult business during her tenure; this contributed to her becoming one of the best-known actr ...
, who suggested she perform in movies. Her first video, ''Heather Hunter On Fire'', came out in 1988. She did a few low-budget movies for New York-based Vidway before moving to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and eventually becoming the first African-American woman to be a
Vivid Entertainment
Vivid Entertainment Group is an American pornographic film production company, contract girl. She has 51 videos and 1 directorial effort to her credit on the
Internet Adult Film Database
The Internet Adult Film Database (IAFD) is an online database of information pertaining to, in United States, the pornography industry: actors, actresses, directors, studios, distributors and pornographic films.
History
The predecessor to I ...
; her final adult video appears to be ''Honeywood'', released in 1999. Old scenes with Hunter continue to be released in numerous compilations.
In 1996, she,
Nina Hartley
Marie Louise Hartman (born March 11, 1959), known professionally as Nina Hartley, is an American pornographic film actress described by CNBC as "a legend in the adult world".
Early life and education
Hartley was born on March 11, 1959 in Ber ...
, and
Angel Kelly
Angel Kelly (born December 7, 1962) is a retired pornographic actress. With Jeannie Pepper and Heather Hunter, Kelly was among the first African-American women to " cross over" into mainstream porn video. She is a member of the AVN Hall of Fame ...
appeared in the music video of
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the Li ...
's ''
How Do U Want It
"How Do U Want It" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his fourth studio album, ''All Eyez on Me'' (1996). It was released on June 4, 1996 as a double a-sided single with " California Love" from the same album and was his final single to be re ...
''.
Hunter was inducted into the
AVN Hall of Fame
The ''AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') Hall of Fame has honored people for their work in the adult entertainment industry since 1995.Ginger Lynn
Ginger Lynn Allen (born December 14, 1962), known professionally as Ginger Lynn, is an American pornographic actress and model who was a premier adult-entertainment star of the 1980s. She also had minor roles in various B movies. '' Adult Vi ...
appeared in non-sex roles in Hustler's ''Can You Be A Pornstar?''
Hunter was inducted into the
XRCO Hall of Fame
The XRCO Hall of Fame lists well-known adult entertainment works and workers. The list is managed by X-Rated Critics Organization and inducted annually during the XRCO Award
The XRCO Awards are given by the American X-Rated Critics Organizat ...
in 2022.
Music career
Hunter has been involved with music professionally since 1993, when she was under contract with
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...
doing House music. She released a song titled "I Want It All Night Long." Hunter later worked for
Tommy Boy Records without much progress, as the company did not know whether to market her as an
R&B or
pop singer.
Hunter released an 18-track
rap music album on July 12, 2005, titled ''Double H: The Unexpected''. She released the music through
Blo Records label, owned by her long-time manager, Dave Copeland. Hunter is the company's
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
. In creating the album, she worked with well-known music producers
DJ Premier
Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966), known professionally as DJ Premier (also known as Preemo), is an American record producer and DJ. He is considered one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time. He was half of the hip hop duo ...
and
Scott Storch
Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots.
Early life
Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Ph ...
. Guests on her album include
Akinyele, Madison Taylor, plus
Chalu and
Erin Yes
Erin is a Hiberno-English word for Ireland originating from the Irish word ''"Éirinn"''. "Éirinn" is the dative case of the Irish word for Ireland, "Éire", genitive "Éireann", the dative being used in prepositional phrases such as ''"go h ...
. Hunter's old adult movie friend Janet Jacme appears on the interlude of "My Toolbox." "So Serious" was the only single released from the album. The single and her album's title refers to Hunter's desire to be taken seriously as a hip-hop musician. Hunter said in a ''
VIBE
''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
'' interview:
[
From 1998 to 2000, Hunter hosted ''The Peep Show'' on ]pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
TV. The program was originally hosted by rapper Luther Campbell
Luther Roderick Campbell (born December 22, 1960), also known as Luke Skyywalker, Uncle Luke and simply Luke, is an American rapper, promoter, record executive, actor, and former leader of the rap group 2 Live Crew. He also starred in a short- ...
as ''Luke's Peep Show.'' It was a raunchy interview show that aired uncensored music videos. On a 1998 episode, she met rapper Akinyele, who encouraged her to pursue a music career after hearing a sample of her raps.[ He later appeared with Mr. Cee on ''Double H: The Unexpected''.
Hunter has recorded with ]Esham
Esham is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. Esham released his debut studio album, '' Boomin' Words from Hell'', in 1989. Since then, he has gone on to release 15 studio albums in total and is best known as a representative of the hip ...
("All Night Everyday" off his album '' Tongues''). Songs also feature Kool Keith
Keith Matthew Thornton (born October 7, 1963), better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper and record producer from The Bronx, New York City, known for his surreal, abstract and often profane or incomprehensible lyrics. Kool ...
("I Wanna Play" off his album ''Spankmaster
''Spankmaster'' is the sixth solo studio album by American rapper and producer Kool Keith. It was released on June 5, 2001, via Overcore with distribution by TVT Records. The record features production and guest appearances from Jacky Jasper and ...
''), N.O.R.E.
Victor James Santiago Jr. (born September 6, 1977), better known by his stage names Noreaga and later N.O.R.E., is an American rapper. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Santiago first rose to prominence as one half of the East Coast hip hop du ...
("Big D" off his album ''God's Favorite
''God's Favorite'' is a play by Neil Simon, loosely based on the Biblical Book of Job. It was produced on Broadway in 1974.
Production
Produced by Emanuel Azenberg, the play opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on December 11, 1974 ...
''. Also features Akinyele & Khia
Khia Shamone Finch ( ; ' Chambers; born November 8, 1976)''U.S. Public Records Index'' Vol 1 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010. is an American rapper, songwriter, singer, media personality, and record producer.
She is best known ...
), Bubba Sparxxx
Warren Anderson Mathis (born March 6, 1977), better known by his stage name Bubba Sparxxx, is an American rapper from Georgia. His singles include "Deliverance", " Ugly" (both featuring Timbaland), and "Ms. New Booty" (featuring Ying Yang Twins a ...
("Would You Like", which was cut from his album ''Deliverance
''Deliverance'' is a 1972 American survival thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman, and starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox, with the latter two making their feature film debuts. The screenplay was adapt ...
''), Above the Law ("Freak In Me" and "Playas, Gangstas And Ballers" from their album ''Sex, Money & Music
''Sex, Money & Music'' is the seventh studio album by American hip hop group Above the Law. It was released on February 27, 2009 as a digital download, on the Beatology label. The record featured guest appearances from Kokane, Heather Hunter, Man ...
'').
Songs
* "I Want It All Night Long" (1993)
* "So Serious" (2005)
* "In Love"
* "Orgasmic"
Painting and writing
Hunter has had an interest in art since she was a child, when she began painting portraits of family members. She furthered this love by majoring in design and illustration at High School of Fashion Industries
High School of Fashion Industries (HSFI) is a secondary school located in Manhattan, New York City, New York. HSFI serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the New York City Department of Education. HSFI has magnet programs related to fashion d ...
in New York City. For a short time during her teenage years, she was involved in illegal graffiti art as Ms. 45, but quit after being cited by the police. She enrolled in a special workshop under the direction of renowned street artist, Keith Haring
Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s. His animated imagery has "become a widely recognized visual language". Much of his wor ...
.[
In June 2006, Hunter opened her own art gallery, Artcore-NYC, in the ]DUMBO
''Dumbo'' is a 1941 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The fourth Disney animated feature film, it is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, a ...
section of Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York. She debuted her "Hunter Collection" paintings as the gallery's first exhibition. The gallery was located at 111 Front Street, and as of 2007 there was an ongoing search for a new location.
She wrote a novel, ''Insatiable: The Rise of a Porn Star'', by Hunter and Michelle Valentine, which was published on July 24, 2007, by St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under si ...
. It purports to tell the story of Simone Young, a young woman with a career and background similar to Hunter's. In an interview, Hunter implied that her story would be fictionalized to protect the privacy of others.[ A plagiarism suit was filed against Hunter by Dianne Miller; Miller claimed she gave a manuscript to Hunter back in 2005 and Hunter used a number of passages verbatim from Miller's manuscript for her own novel. In November 2008, a judge dismissed most of the claims against Hunter.]
References
Interviews
Heather Hunter: Not What You'd Expect
MVRemix, June 2005
Tha Biz, June 2005
Heather Hunter: Life After Porn Stardom
Black Voices, July 2007
Urban Reviews, August 2007
External links
*
*
*
*
Artcore-NYC gallery
Heather Hunter Double H The Unexpected Review
Heather Hunter
on My Space.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunter, Heather
1969 births
21st-century American novelists
21st-century American painters
21st-century American women writers
African-American women artists
African-American female models
Female models from New York (state)
African-American models
20th-century African-American women singers
African-American women writers
African-American novelists
African-American pornographic film actors
American women rappers
African-American women rappers
American female adult models
American pornographic film actresses
American house musicians
American women novelists
American women painters
African-American actresses
Bisexual artists
Bisexual pornographic film actresses
Bisexual musicians
Bisexual writers
Women pornographic film directors
LGBT adult models
LGBT African Americans
American LGBT artists
American LGBT musicians
LGBT people from New York (state)
LGBT rappers
Living people
Pornographic film actors from New York (state)
Rappers from the Bronx
Rappers from Manhattan
Writers from Manhattan
American LGBT novelists
21st-century American women artists
Novelists from New York (state)
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American women musicians
American women in electronic music
African-American painters
20th-century LGBT people
21st-century LGBT people
21st-century African-American women
21st-century African-American artists
21st-century women rappers