Alia

Name: AliaHometown: Douglasville, Georgia by way of New YorkAge: 26Age You First Fell in Love: I want to say I was 18, to the definition I think now, I want to say 18Love Is: I think it's like this feeling of, you know when you first go over a roller coaster and you kind of can't catch your breath and you have a million butterflies in your stomach? I think that's kind of the feeling you get when you're in love. But it's also wanting to be a better person for that individual. Really being a partner with that other person. I know when I was in love or even now when I think I'm in love, I want to learn how to cook for them (laughs), it's really having that partnership and wanting to grow old with somebody; wanting to have kids with somebody, hoping that they have their eyes or smile. Just really, really being a partner and growing old with them. It's that pit in your stomach if you're not here.

Evan

Name: EvanHometown: Tulsa, OklahomaAge: 26 wonderful years old.Age You First Fell in Love: That is yet to be determined.Love Is: I think love is more of a reality thing, of you really being around someone who makes you better, not because they're telling you to be better but because their sheer person forces you to be a better person yourself.Monique: So you've never been in love?Evan: I have never been in love.Monique: Why do you think you've never been in love?Evan: Because I feel like you would know it and you would feel it and I haven't felt it. I love people, I have loved people. I've definitely told somebody I loved them.Monique: Did you mean it?Evan: (looks at Alia) I did not mean to look at you when I said that, that was a fluke. -It was more of a,  "Well, she says she loves me, I love her too.", as a person kind of thing, not from an actual emotional feel.Monique: Now, when she said she loved you, did it come from an "I'm in love with you." and you just kind of reciprocated, like "Yeah, I love you too."?Evan: Yeah, exactly. Instead of saying something like, "Thank you."Monique: That's kind of fucked up a little bit. (laughs)Evan: Well, there's pressure as man. It's like ok, if I don't tell her now she's going to be mad or maybe I do love her, because I do have love for you. So, you know, I was confused for a long time about what love was.Monique: So what is love to you?Evan: You know, it's funny, because I just came back from a wedding today and it's two of my friends that I live in the same apartment complex with and they are 26, no 27 or 28 and they are genuine friends. You know what I mean? Like they genuinely enjoy each other's company and at the same time they are individuals. They love the individual-ness of each other, they appreciate that and respect that. When I heard them say their vows, it was pure. I mean it was just a pure, actual affection for one another. I don't know, I think that's what love is. People compound love into something that Disney has probably put out there and it really confuses a lot of people, because they're out there looking for a knight in shining armor or whatever, and I think it's non existent. I think love is more of a reality thing, of you really being around someone who makes you better, not because they're telling you to be better but because their sheer person forces you to be a better person yourself. And that happens with friends, genuine friends. You know, I've got friends that I've loved dearly, and being around them, being in their presence makes me a better person in some way, shape or form.Monique: So with the people who you've dated before was it something specific with that person that made you think, "You know, I don't think I'm in love." What is it---Evan: They were really ugly.Monique: (laughs) That's a lie, I don't think you date ugly girls.Evan: That's a lie. That is a lie. Um, I don't think it was about them individually, I really think it was about me. I don't think it has anything to do with them. All of my ex-girlfriends are good people, very good people. And they were good girlfriends. But, if I don't feel it, I'm very much self aware, so if I don't feel it, then it's just not there.Monique: What's your sign?Evan: Gemini, is that on the record?Monique: We can take it off. (laughs)

Whitney

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Name: WhitneyHometown: Abia State, NigeriaAge: 23Age You First Fell in Love: 19, he was my first real boyfriend.Love Is: The feeling I had was a feeling of absolute fullness. I felt as if I had found my soulmate. I wanted nothing but to spend all my time with my love. It was a feeling of completeness, having someone to always be with, cuddle with and hold. I felt as if I could give this person the world if he asked for it. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, which I think made me hard on the inside. I became more distant and cold when it came to love, because the feeling of loneliness and emptiness was unbearable. As for being African, I think it made me want to find love and not just settle for anyone. African culture stresses that girls, especially, get married at an early age. So I think that I'm at the age where I feel pressured to find love, but deep down still reluctant to find it.

Nanu

Name: NanuHometown: Loganville, GeorgiaAge: 22Age You First Fell in Love: 21Love Is: Love to me is one plus one equals one. When you think alike, you're on the same page. You know that's your best friend. It's cliche, but your soul mate, you guys understand each other. I don't even have to explain myself , you just know by my silence, what I'm thinking. That we're helping each other grow spiritually, being the best people we can be, you know? That's it! (laughs)

Massa

Name: MassaHometown: Chicago, IllinoisAge: 21Age You First Fell in Love: 19Love Is: Simply, I think it's unconditional. I think it doesn't have an age, it doesn't have a race. (pauses to gather her words and laughs) I guess. . .that's why in the Bible God said the greatest command is love, because it's the hardest thing to feel but it's the strongest emotion out there.Massa: Um, I'm sorry, when you say fell in love, you mean?Monique: Whatever it means to you. If there were more than two times, if there were times maybe you thought you were in love -Massa: Thought.Monique: Yeah, thought, or. . .it doesn't mean the real thing, maybe you thought it was real and later learned it was not.Massa: Well, I thought the first time was 19. But I don't think, I've experienced what I know it to be now. I don't think I've experienced that -Monique: What was different? How old did you say you are?Massa: I'm 21.Monique: So what makes it different now at 21 than at 19?Massa: Just because when you're young, you grow and learn more when you get older. I've seen love, maybe from someone else, maybe I haven't experienced it personally, but I can see in another person or other people's relationship, what love is supposed to be like and I know when I thought it was love, that wasn't it.

Swanky Ali

Name: Swanky AliHometown: Queens, New YorkAge: 23Age You First Fell in Love: Wow, that's hard to answer. I had a lot of false starts, I think. Probably I was like 7, she had a birthday party and I went over to her birthday party and she ain't pay me no attention, I was so sad. It felt very real. Just looking back on it, it doesn't even seem like it was me, so I seem kind of removed from it, but it was very real at the time. These things don't get any less realer or more realer. As an ad-, well I wouldn't even call myself an adult, as a growing man-boy thing, I think it was really in college, the kind of romantic love and that was 18-19. I've broken a heart many times. I think waking up everyday is a heart break, going to sleep kind of is too. But it all leads to something new and that's the beauty of it. But I get my heart broken by women all the damn time, I'm very sensitive. I'm a Saggittarius.Love Is: Any form of expression of oneness. You make yourself into something that's outside or even inside, just feeling yourself.When Did You Fall in Love with Hip Hop: Yo, that's easy. I started listening to Tupac first, like real heavy. But I didn't really think that I want to do this, until I heard Food & Liquor by Lupe Fiasco and I was like, I didn't even know you could rhyme like that. So I went back and listened to the mixtapes, that motherfucker is dope as shit. The stories he was telling' man- after I heard that I was like, "I want to do that." So that was the moment for me. I was about 16-17.

Plewto Smith

Name: Plewto SmithHometown: Atlanta, GaAge: 21Age You First Fell in Love: Well I was in puppy love a time or two when I was about eight, ten ears old.Love Is: Love to me is pretty much not neccesarily accepting a person for who they are but also not neglecting them for that as well. And doing things selflessly because you just feel that urge to, not because you feel like it will be for your benefit or you feel like it will give you something, but because you want to do the shit.When Did You Fall in Love with Hip Hop: Really hard to call. But I only base off the first song I can remember word for word, That's My Name by Lil Bow Wow, 2000, I was six years old.