From HipHopWiredSo much can be said about the video for Drake's smash hit, Best I Ever Had, but they say a picture is worth 1000 words. But if the pictures aren't enough, we got a chance to catch up with one of the feature models from the video, Shakur, while she was traveling out to the west coast. While you may know the body from the video, you may have heard her single on your local radio station “Nadda Ho” featuring Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. We got the chance to catch up with her about acting, rapping and her romantic rumors with an upstart emcee.HipHopWired: Where are you from?Shakur: I'm from Los Angeles, California.
HipHopWired: So born and raised there or just born?Shakur: Well born and raised but I spend a lot of time on the East Coast and the South because I am recording out there a lot.
HipHopWired: What's your ethnic background?Shakur: Both parents are Egyptian.
HipHopWired: Cool, I was thinking you have a unique look. It's like a European face with an African shape.Shakur: Yeah Egyptians come in all types; all Africans just depends on the ancestry. But people always think I'm Hispanic and I'm fluent in Spanish so it trips them up sometime.
HipHopWired: How did you get your start modeling?Shakur: I started modeling when I was about 13; I did commercial and print work around then so I was real young. My mother made me stop because she wanted me to be more focused on academics. So she pulled me out of entertainment to make sure the number one focus was school. Then when I was of age to do stuff on my own legally I got back into it. Music pulled me back before I could get back into modeling, so I focused on that and put modeling and acting to the back.
HipHopWired: So you say the music pulled you back into entertainment, how'd that come about?Shakur: Well I always had been writing and had a passion for music, I think I get that from my father but I kinda got pulled into it with people saying I have a talent for it and I just started recording and putting things I'd written on wax. It grew from being an interest to a passion to something I wanted to pursue with full force.
HipHopWired: How long have you been recording?Shakur: About 6 years, about 5 or six years I've been recording.
HipHopWired: I read another interview and it said that Kanye West personally called you to be in the Drake video, did you cultivate those relationships via the music or through modeling first?Shakur: Yea definitely the music first, I developed my relationships through the music with people knowing me as an artist, and people just happened to know I'm a pop artist with a good look for modeling. So people often misconstrue what comes first, but it is the music, but if I can gain exposure through the modeling and be able to use it as a means to get my music out there then I'm all for it.
So when Kanye hit me up about it, he had already known me from around the industry for the past couple years. He knows that I'm studying theatrics with a coach, so he was like, “I know you're doing your acting thing and this is a video we're about to shoot it would be a good look for you, not on some video girl stuff.” Not that I am against ‘video girl stuff', its just that as an artist it confuses people like what are you trying to be. He was like there was some acting to it, so when I got to set and saw the treatment and I was like oh okay, this is cool, not your typical stuff.
HipHopWired: Also we caught wind that you may be the best Drake's ever had; any truth to the rumors that you and him are an item?Shakur: The rumors saying that Drake and I have a romantic relationship and it's just not true. I met Drake on the set for “Best I Ever Had”. I only was involved because of Kanye's request as a friend. I've never been romantically involved with either one.
HipHopWired: So no fireworks at all?
Shakur: He is a very talented and very sweet guy, but the relationship has never been like that. I respect his talent but there is no romantic relationship between us. I understand this is all a part of the game as far as rumors go, but if you even look at the pictures posted on the gossip sites you'll see they are all from the set of the video.
For More Of This Interview, And To Hear Shakur's Song "Nadda Hoe" feat Will.I.AM Visit HipHopWired
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