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. Continued on page 2 »