Age
26
Height
5'2"
Weight
125
34-26-40
Zodiac Sign
Sagittarius
Education
BA in Social Communications (University of Memphis)
user rating
turn ons
Humor
Demeanor
Confidence
turn offs
Liars
Insecurity
Non-Spiritual
It’s sometime outrageous how much the hate can brood on this section at HipHopDX.com. But with that being a strong part of life [and it could be said a part of Black experience] – it doesn’t seem to phase the 26-year-old St. Louis beauty by the name of Lena Artis. The holder of a Bachelors of Social Communications from the University of Memphis
The Midwest vixen has worked hard to carve out a niche for herself in the world of academia and only looks at urban modeling as a small blip on her radar. Truly, this very smart woman is blessed for bigger things. The former stylist is looking towards the future, as it has a name – “California.” The place of screen writers and Hollywood actresses is the next home-to-be for Ms. Artis. As she sits down with Beauty & Brains, she talks about getting rid of negativity, how thick the hate is in St. Louis and how her and Plies have a little bit in common.
B&B: On your MySpace page, you say that it’s wonderful feeling when you let go of all the negative, unpromising individuals and relationships. What brought you to that realization in your life?
LA: The reason why I had that heading and that blog was because you know how certain people in your life or how you’re going backwards in your life. My goal has always been to be an actor. In reality, when I was in school, it was either that or be broke and try and make it in Los Angeles. I was trying to do what I can do. Most people are in your life to help you out with your goals, but there are always those negative forces. I was always blind about them. But I learned if I let go of these negative forces that I could make it and accomplish my dreams. I just thought that my blessing would come when I let go of certain friends and relationships. I lost my focus when I was in that circle. Someone had to tell me that I had to let go in order to be blessed. I’ve had these individuals around for a while. They were not haters, but it’s just about letting go of certain people.
B&B: So, how can you tell when someone is leading you down the wrong path?
LA: For instance… in St. Louis, it’s not a reality to be an actor. I always had those friends who said that I’m not in Los Angeles and I couldn’t make it if I weren’t there. Even for a female who wants to do modeling, you don’t have to be a certain size or weight to be a model. But you don’t have to be a video model… there are other ways to get paid. But people don’t know that if they don’t tell you that. I realized that I was being led down the wrong path when I kept hitting the same wall.
B&B: How have you used that ability within the urban modeling profession?
LA: Honestly, I wasn’t into modeling. Someone introduced me into that world. So, I know that there are certain things that won’t help you. I put myself on the backburner, I didn’t know which way was good. The politics within that are the worst. I’m not going to do certain things. I have common sense. I’m not trying to be exploited. I’m not going to let this person use my photos for free. I think that with modeling, hell… in business, you have to have common sense. You’re going to pull references of photographers and not go blindly into things.
B&B: Living in St. Louis must have been a trying experience. There isn’t much of a venue of exposure for models to get seen out there. So, do you plan on moving? If so, where?
LA: I came back to St. Louis in 2004. The only reason why I came back was because my car was swept in a flood and I was in it. I ended up staying longer than I should stay. In 2008, I’m moving out to California. I am moving to continue to pursue my graduate degree, but I’m also going to get into more acting.
B&B: Being a model, involved in a here today-gone tomorrow business – how do you continue to keep yourself relevant in a business?
LA: You got to know what your market is. You have to know what you can do and what you can’t do. I know that there’s more to me than just modeling. I’m not knocking it; it just wasn’t an aspiration of mines. I knew that I wanted to do acting more than a 9-to-5 gig. That’s my goal in my life. That’s what I’m here for. I keep myself refreshed on everything. When you get older, you learn stuff everyday. I know that there are certain things that I can get involved in. I network now and I also style artists and whatnot. I try to do everything that’ll put my face out there. My main love is acting. More people know me in St. Louis from doing choreography and styling.
B&B: I read one of your blog posts about women not only in St. Louis, but any woman who this applied to. Care to talk about it?
LA: I’m not speaking for the whole city, but in general anybody that’s never been outside of where they live has a different mindset. Some people are used to being told that they’re the star. For that particular situation, I’m cool with guys. I’m like a tomboy. I have a few homegirls. MySpace is like a virtual phonebook. So, I don’t do anything that’s out of character. But I was number one on my boy’s friend list. This girl was confused and she put a heading on her page and it was subliminal shot to me. Another situation was where I was cool with just a guy and this was a girl that he was just messing with and she put up a blog that sounded somewhat contradictory. She was talking all this stuff about what a woman wouldn’t do to get a man, but she was doing the same stuff. One girl put that she wanted a Godly man, but she threw herself at a guy. It shows people’s insecurity. In the South, if people didn’t like you, they won’t let you know that. But in St. Louis, there’s a certain hatred that goes on there. I can’t pinpoint what it is, but I know that people act a certain way.
B&B: Men are ultimately trying to impress a woman – so what gets your attention?
LA: What gets my attention? It is truly hard to get my attention, but… I don’t try to be mean. In the South, you just try to be cordial to a guy. But if a guy approaches me and makes me laugh, hell, if you can make me say more than one sentence – I’ll continue the conversation. That’ll get my attention. If they can say more to get more out of me, I like to smile, I love to laugh. I’m not saying that I’m the Queen and they’re the Joker, but just be humorous.
B&B: Have you ever met a man who had all of your turn-ons but couldn’t keep you happy?
LA: Yes. He had all my turn-on’s but he was the first person to make me go out of my character. He was kind of promiscuous. He wasn’t the guy that I usually go for. I had never had another woman come up to me and all that. He had all the characteristics, but he had a different understanding of his faith. He felt a certain view on religion and it differed from mines. If a dude is not right with God or themselves, then they’re not going to be right for me. He had two flaws and those flaws overweighed everything else.
B&B: Last question for you, Ms. Artis. The hot song of the moment is Plies – Shawty featuring T-Pain. Have you ever had a similar experience?
LA: From my understanding of the song… honestly, the only part that I could really relate to is the hook. Most dudes now, they don’t really want a girl[friend]. They want a representative of that. They don’t want the actual-factual. The only thing that I can think of that was so true was the line where he [Plies] said, “I exposed to real and now she ain’t lame/remember when she used to run from it, now she likes pain.” That was my quote for a long time. It takes a real dude to expose certain females to things. A woman takes down that wall and become exposed to it and appreciates the difference.
The Midwest vixen has worked hard to carve out a niche for herself in the world of academia and only looks at urban modeling as a small blip on her radar. Truly, this very smart woman is blessed for bigger things. The former stylist is looking towards the future, as it has a name – “California.” The place of screen writers and Hollywood actresses is the next home-to-be for Ms. Artis. As she sits down with Beauty & Brains, she talks about getting rid of negativity, how thick the hate is in St. Louis and how her and Plies have a little bit in common.
B&B: On your MySpace page, you say that it’s wonderful feeling when you let go of all the negative, unpromising individuals and relationships. What brought you to that realization in your life?
LA: The reason why I had that heading and that blog was because you know how certain people in your life or how you’re going backwards in your life. My goal has always been to be an actor. In reality, when I was in school, it was either that or be broke and try and make it in Los Angeles. I was trying to do what I can do. Most people are in your life to help you out with your goals, but there are always those negative forces. I was always blind about them. But I learned if I let go of these negative forces that I could make it and accomplish my dreams. I just thought that my blessing would come when I let go of certain friends and relationships. I lost my focus when I was in that circle. Someone had to tell me that I had to let go in order to be blessed. I’ve had these individuals around for a while. They were not haters, but it’s just about letting go of certain people.
B&B: So, how can you tell when someone is leading you down the wrong path?
LA: For instance… in St. Louis, it’s not a reality to be an actor. I always had those friends who said that I’m not in Los Angeles and I couldn’t make it if I weren’t there. Even for a female who wants to do modeling, you don’t have to be a certain size or weight to be a model. But you don’t have to be a video model… there are other ways to get paid. But people don’t know that if they don’t tell you that. I realized that I was being led down the wrong path when I kept hitting the same wall.
B&B: How have you used that ability within the urban modeling profession?
LA: Honestly, I wasn’t into modeling. Someone introduced me into that world. So, I know that there are certain things that won’t help you. I put myself on the backburner, I didn’t know which way was good. The politics within that are the worst. I’m not going to do certain things. I have common sense. I’m not trying to be exploited. I’m not going to let this person use my photos for free. I think that with modeling, hell… in business, you have to have common sense. You’re going to pull references of photographers and not go blindly into things.
B&B: Living in St. Louis must have been a trying experience. There isn’t much of a venue of exposure for models to get seen out there. So, do you plan on moving? If so, where?
LA: I came back to St. Louis in 2004. The only reason why I came back was because my car was swept in a flood and I was in it. I ended up staying longer than I should stay. In 2008, I’m moving out to California. I am moving to continue to pursue my graduate degree, but I’m also going to get into more acting.
B&B: Being a model, involved in a here today-gone tomorrow business – how do you continue to keep yourself relevant in a business?
LA: You got to know what your market is. You have to know what you can do and what you can’t do. I know that there’s more to me than just modeling. I’m not knocking it; it just wasn’t an aspiration of mines. I knew that I wanted to do acting more than a 9-to-5 gig. That’s my goal in my life. That’s what I’m here for. I keep myself refreshed on everything. When you get older, you learn stuff everyday. I know that there are certain things that I can get involved in. I network now and I also style artists and whatnot. I try to do everything that’ll put my face out there. My main love is acting. More people know me in St. Louis from doing choreography and styling.
B&B: I read one of your blog posts about women not only in St. Louis, but any woman who this applied to. Care to talk about it?
LA: I’m not speaking for the whole city, but in general anybody that’s never been outside of where they live has a different mindset. Some people are used to being told that they’re the star. For that particular situation, I’m cool with guys. I’m like a tomboy. I have a few homegirls. MySpace is like a virtual phonebook. So, I don’t do anything that’s out of character. But I was number one on my boy’s friend list. This girl was confused and she put a heading on her page and it was subliminal shot to me. Another situation was where I was cool with just a guy and this was a girl that he was just messing with and she put up a blog that sounded somewhat contradictory. She was talking all this stuff about what a woman wouldn’t do to get a man, but she was doing the same stuff. One girl put that she wanted a Godly man, but she threw herself at a guy. It shows people’s insecurity. In the South, if people didn’t like you, they won’t let you know that. But in St. Louis, there’s a certain hatred that goes on there. I can’t pinpoint what it is, but I know that people act a certain way.
B&B: Men are ultimately trying to impress a woman – so what gets your attention?
LA: What gets my attention? It is truly hard to get my attention, but… I don’t try to be mean. In the South, you just try to be cordial to a guy. But if a guy approaches me and makes me laugh, hell, if you can make me say more than one sentence – I’ll continue the conversation. That’ll get my attention. If they can say more to get more out of me, I like to smile, I love to laugh. I’m not saying that I’m the Queen and they’re the Joker, but just be humorous.
B&B: Have you ever met a man who had all of your turn-ons but couldn’t keep you happy?
LA: Yes. He had all my turn-on’s but he was the first person to make me go out of my character. He was kind of promiscuous. He wasn’t the guy that I usually go for. I had never had another woman come up to me and all that. He had all the characteristics, but he had a different understanding of his faith. He felt a certain view on religion and it differed from mines. If a dude is not right with God or themselves, then they’re not going to be right for me. He had two flaws and those flaws overweighed everything else.
B&B: Last question for you, Ms. Artis. The hot song of the moment is Plies – Shawty featuring T-Pain. Have you ever had a similar experience?
LA: From my understanding of the song… honestly, the only part that I could really relate to is the hook. Most dudes now, they don’t really want a girl[friend]. They want a representative of that. They don’t want the actual-factual. The only thing that I can think of that was so true was the line where he [Plies] said, “I exposed to real and now she ain’t lame/remember when she used to run from it, now she likes pain.” That was my quote for a long time. It takes a real dude to expose certain females to things. A woman takes down that wall and become exposed to it and appreciates the difference.
