Beanie Sigel said it best when he rhymed, “Came from high school and went straight to the league.” The same could be said for the 25-year-old beauty known as Tangee. You may have seen her in XXL's 100th issue or on the cover of Straight Stuntin’ magazine, and if not there, surely the "Roc Boys" video [click to view].

For all of the mountain climbers out there, the 5’11” New Yorker isn’t really focused on modeling. While women from all the boroughs try to do what Tangee seems to do with ease, the leggy Capricorn is more so focused on her charitable endeavors. As the humble seductress sits down with Beauty & Brains, Ms. Tangee discusses her reluctance to be in the entertainment game, explains who would win a fist fight between Jay-Z and 50 Cent and shares some jewels for women really trying to make a come up.

Beauty & Brains: Can you sum up your experience as a model in one word?
Tangee: If I had to sum it all up in one word, then I’d have to say…interesting.

B&B: Why that word?
T: The experience was just that. It was one that I came away learning more about myself, if anything. As far as entertainment wise, it taught me about what I wanted and didn’t want as a person.

B&B: What did/didn’t you want?
T: I wanted privacy, honesty – those were the two things that I wanted. I thought I wanted the same as most girls, you know?

B&B: What’s that?
T: …You know, people knowing you and all that. But that was the main thing that I don’t want. People get into the business to get the notoriety and I don’t want that at all. I didn’t like the lies or the games that were played in this business. It seemed like it was associated with it and I’m not with that. I’m more of an upfront, say-what-it-is type of person and I’ve met a lot of people who weren’t like that.

B&B: But New York seems like it’s that type of place to say what’s really on its mind – so what was the problem?
T: Sometimes. But in the industry that I’m in, people lie a lot and I do mean a lot. They hold things back and that’s not really how I am. I’m used to people being upfront and people who can talk to me.

B&B: So, why be a part of it?
T: It was something that I kind of fell into. I didn’t necessarily go after it, it just came to me. I just figured that it was something that God put into my life and it took me to different places. I’m not going as hard into it as I should or could be, but it’s because of all the negative things that I got from it that I haven’t had the time to really get myself deeply involved in it.

B&B: What were a few negative things that happened to you?
T: I was dealing with a few people, agent-wise, who told me anything that came to mind. They were holding money from me. They would tell me about castings that were different. I just didn’t want to be involved in one area of modeling, I wanted to have more than just that and it wasn’t. It was a little bit deeper than what I’m telling you now, but I’m not going to get into that.

B&B: But you have the right height to be a model outside of urban entertainment…
T: …but I don’t have the right weight. I have to be a little bit slimmer to get into editorial work and runway work. There was a time when I was smaller and it was cool. I’d book jobs here and there, but I wasn’t comfortable. When I went into the urban place, it was different. I was always in-between.

B&B: So, are you in-between with your social life?
T: [Laughs] I’m not in-between now! I’m kind of urban now. [Laughs] At that time, it was cool. I got some mixed reviews. Friends and family didn’t like what I was doing. They thought I was too skinny and that it didn’t fit the person who I was. So, I just started to do me; I ended up gaining a few pounds, but at the end of the day, I was comfortable.

B&B: How easy/hard has it been for you to create these opportunities?
T: It’s been a little bit of both. I work two jobs and that hasn’t allowed me the time to be able to be booked for work or for whatever is out there. When I get off work, my time is really tight. I could be doing a lot more, but like I said before, I got a little bit lazy with it. There are women who are trying to do this full time and it’s just cool to me. I’ve learned a lot of life lessons from this, but it’s not what I want to be known as.

B&B: So, then aside from the modeling, what is your true passion? What else do you want to do?
T: Now, I’m getting into a lot of charity work. Obviously, I want to have my own businesses, but that’s what’s in my head for the next five years. I want to get involved with young women and I want to show them and myself that I can be my own boss. The urban world and the mainstream world are two different things. The mainstream requires a lot more work. My focus is different. I want to put that money in the savings and I want to build.

B&B: You were in the "Roc Boys" video, right?
T: Yeah, it was a lot of fun. Everyone was there and they were cool. I had a lot of fun doing it. I was very tired and I had a killer headache. When I’m on set, I always get a migraine. I don’t know why I do, I was trying to enjoy myself there, but I was not in a place where I want to be because of the migraine.

B&B: That’s a big celebratory record, right there… We know who Jay’s “boys” are, but who are a few of your “Roc Girls” in the game that you always kick it with?
T: I don’t really kick it with girls in the industry. I have my girlfriends who I’m close with; that I spend time with. It’s always the same group that I hang with. I have home girls in the game that I know. They’re cool. I wish them much success and give them plenty of respect. Right now, they’re going harder in being an actress/model and I applaud them. We all started around the same time.

B&B: It’s not hard to get along with women in this game?
T: No. I wouldn’t say that. You get the “I’m-the-shit girls,” but at the end of the day, there are a lot of girls that you can just talk to. It’s pretty much 50/50 what type of women you meet here. I’m cool. I can talk to anyone and will say hello to anyone. But people don’t want to get to know who I am, they just assume that they know me.

B&B: Who would win in a fight between 50 Cent vs. Jay-Z?
T: [Laughs] In a fist fight, I’d have to say 50 Cent. He’s bigger. 50 has more muscles than Jay. I feel like he’s more aggressive than Jay would be.

B&B: What about in a rap battle?
T: In a rap battle, hmm… I can’t really say. I like them both. Jay has been around a little bit longer, but 50 always has something slick to say which always gets a laugh. 50 is funnier than Jay because he has a sarcastic appeal to himself and I’m a sarcastic person too. Most people think that he’s being an asshole, but he’s really just being funny.

B&B: Are there truly any differences between modeling and trying to be a rapper?
T: A difference? I don’t think so. If you have the will and the aggression and the power to do it, then your passion will take you there. As far as rapping, you get more respect because you’re putting your skills out there for people to listen to. With modeling, people don’t understand how hard it is to have to look good and pose. It really is hard. People think it’s just one thing, but you have a million people watching you and criticizing you.

B&B: Do you think it’s hard to break outside of black entertainment?
T: I can’t say because I haven’t really attempted to do it. I won’t do it. It’s harder because I’m older than a lot of women in the Hip Hop industry. Body-wise, they want 105 lbs. If you’re 5’11”, you’re naturally not going to be 105 pounds, you know? In Hip Hop, though, the motto goes – the curvier, the better! There is a difference, like I said earlier, but I had put a lot of pressure on myself. At the moment, that pressure was worth it, but it’s not really my thing. People tell me that age doesn’t matter, which is true that you never know, but they’ll tell you that 14-21 is the best age to be. But if you’re 23 and up, you’ll be considered for other things besides urban work. Modeling is cool, but it hasn’t really paid off for me, as far as breaking into that other part of the world; the mainstream.

B&B: With all the work you’ve put in during the last few years, what was your worst moment, why and what did you learn from it?
T: I didn’t really have too many terrible moments. It’s coming up on two years and I’ve never had a bad experience with booking a job. Everyone has been friendly and nice, but it was more so just a lesson as to who I was and how I needed to ground myself over anything else. I learned more so about myself while being in this industry.

You gotta love that cover girl, right fellas? Want to know more about Tangee? [Click here]