WORDSPJ Some
封面明星 - Prettyboy 做
創意總監 - Derrick Odafi & Jessica Rushforth
創意製作人 - Jessica Rushforth 和 Derrick Odafi
攝影師 - 芭芭拉普雷莫
視覺總監 - John Serunjogi
造型師 - Malcolm Yaeng
造型師助理 - Gloria Iyare
佈景設計師 - 傑西卡·拉什福斯
MUA - 祝福 Kambanga
STUDIO - 拍攝更多照片工作室
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我們覺得你身上有一種好戰的光環，你認為它來自你爸爸嗎？
P：是啊，我爸爸是個硬漢，他第一次對我說我愛你是在今年。我和他的關係總是要向他證明我是值得的。在去年之前，我們已經有 5 年沒有說過話了，只是為了讓你知道他有多努力。我覺得我去年從他那裡得到了驕傲。
我談到它。我仍然做商業的東西，但我覺得人們需要聽到真實的東西。我之前在我的歌曲中提到過，我們從來沒有說過話，我經常覺得人們不會在尼日利亞音樂中談論它或說那些東西。我的父母不想讓我聽音樂，但我必須通過向上帝祈禱和工作來向他們證明我值得這樣做。
就像在你的一首歌“Deh Go Hear Weh”中一樣，你會聽到關於我的意識形態。
P：是的，就是這個想法，基本上是整個國家。你在這裡看到我的兄弟 - 指著他的經理 - 他是一個大人物，乾淨的數字音樂大亨。但是如果他穿成這樣來到尼日利亞，他們就會像這個人在做什麼，他在做欺詐嗎？因為在尼日利亞，他們只知道醫生/律師。
這就是我為之奮鬥的目標，在尼日利亞，他們並不真正尊重音樂可以帶你去哪裡的工藝。前幾天我告訴他他們只相信醫生和律師很聰明，我他媽的很聰明。
下一個問題，漂亮男孩的名字從何而來？
P：DO 是我的首字母縮寫，漂亮男孩來自我媽媽和姐姐，因為他們曾經這樣稱呼我，我也是搖滾樂的忠實粉絲，他也經常使用它。
你希望女性伴侶具備哪些特質？
P：忠誠……她只需要為某事而努力，不管是什麼，她必須對它有熱情。
Full Look: Lanvin
Prettyboy DO 的星光熠熠
就像第九期的“野火”一樣
當您想到 Afrobeats 時，尼日利亞藝術家很可能是您心目中的形象，我們知道他們擁有許多強大而有影響力的名字。開創性人物 Prettyboy DO 是當前來自非洲音樂強國的有影響力的藝術家名單中不容錯過的人物。這位出生於新澤西州的突破性藝術家提供了一種充滿活力和活力的聲音，不會讓您坐以待斃。這些聲音與他古怪的風格無縫匹配，從他在 COLORS 上的“Jungle Justice”和其他非常成功的單曲（例如“Same Energy”和“Chop Elbow”）的表演中，您可以清楚地看到這種創造力的反映。 Prettyboy DO 是一位走鋼絲的社會評論和實驗音樂的藝術家，將這些性格特徵歸功於他的環境和個人影響。 Prettyboy 本人和他的音樂一樣有趣，受 Dennis Rodman 和 Sisqo 等人的影響，他的個人風格和能量從頭到腳都與眾不同，從他五顏六色的頭髮到他富有表現力的風格感。
在他最近發布的最新項目之後，受聖經啟示錄啟發的名為“野火”的 EP； Prettyboy DO 已經能夠在 Afro-Pop 和 Rap 之間產生分歧，炫耀他的多才多藝，這使他與眾不同！被稱為 Alte 界的王者，毫不奇怪，他的影響力隨著音樂傳播，營造出迷人的氛圍。繼續他的旅程，這位歌手/說唱歌手似乎有一個明確的目標，那就是成為最偉大的人，一路上激勵人們，鋪平自己的道路。
WORDS Charlene Foreman
“音樂讓我成為一個男人。我一直熱愛音樂，即使是在孩提時代，但更喜歡音樂的時尚方面。大吉、馬斯、圖帕克…… ”
NW: Going into writing is that something which is a big part of your life? What made you so interested in writing in the first place?
LA: I have always enjoyed English; I’ve always enjoyed reading and being able to express myself with words. When I was younger, I had stories published while in secondary school and primary school, so from a young age, I liked writing and I saw it as a field where you can work and be respected, and I really respected the craft. Of course, it's still a big part of my life, because part of the brand is an online magazine so it’s a platform for women to able to share their stories and perspectives on anything albeit relationships, mental health, politics, pop culture, whatever it is, as long as your self-identifying woman you can write for the platform.
I wanted to basically give the gift of being able to tell a story and express yourself to be heard by other women because it was something that was a very important part of my life. I have written articles before that have gone viral, which have inspired me to start in the first place, so I feel like writing is something that is very consistent in my life. I’m currently writing a script as well so completely new format of writing, I’m enjoying it a lot. I probably will write a book in my life, but maybe not now.
NW: As a young black model starting out at the age of fourteen, what was the first initial thought going through your mind when you were given the opportunity for your first show to walk the catwalk for Marc Jacobs?
I was very nervous, it was very nerve-racking and I just knew the runway was really really long, but luckily the shoes were high but not crazy. I had a bag and one thing that is always a lifesaver for a new model when they are walking is to have a handbag or something they have to hold in their hands, because when your nervous when you walk, you often get a stiff arm. You’ll see if you ever watch runway videos, you can tell who the new models are because their arms are really stiff because we are so nervous that we put all our energy into our arms.
I was lucky enough at Marc Jacobs, I had good shoes and a handbag, so I felt quite good. I walked out after Karlie Kloss which was very nerve-racking as she has an amazing walk, but once you are out there, you don’t feel nervous anymore because you’re focusing on getting to the end of the runway and back in one piece. Once you get off the stage, you feel so happy and relieved, and you just want to do it more and more.
跳投：3 Paradis
珠寶：Rathel Wolf
帽子：卡拉
太陽鏡：造型師自備
NW: How did you find the balance during your career journey as a fashion model, fashion designer, and activist?
Honestly, I like all of it, so you just find time for everything, I find time for everything I enjoy. Obviously, there are times when one thing could be going well and something else could not be going well or all of it could be going bad like that’s always bad, that’s hard to deal with. I enjoy the challenge; I like things that are my own.
With modelling, if people are not picking up the phone to get you to work, then you’re not going to work, but if you have your brand and you have all your other passions and pursuits, as much time as you put in is as much as what you're going to get out of it, so that’s why I like the balance actually. With modelling I have been working now for over half my life, I’m established enough now that I don’t have to go to castings as much or I don’t have to do long stays in New York to get jobs, so I can focus on my other things but at the same token, modelling also helps me fund my other projects. Without modelling, I would have been able to do that. All of them are just as important to me as they bleed into one another and their all-different avenues of expression for me. I just find the time because, without one of those things, I wouldn’t feel like a complete person, I couldn’t just model. I couldn’t just have my brand because I wouldn’t have capital for it.
Full Look: AREA
Stockings: Atsuko Kudo
Shoes: Versace
Jewellery: Swarovksi
這有點注定，這是一個過程，但你不知道這個過程是什麼。
P：是的，你不知道在遇到人的過程中會發現什麼。事情變大了。是上帝。這是上帝和工作。
除了音樂，你還會做哪些有創意的事情？
P：電影，我導演了很多音樂視頻。我可能會進入電影，這取決於我去那裡的雄心和意願。我真的很想現在開始。
你有造型師嗎？如果不是，它從哪裡來？
P：我只是在 Instagram 上，保存東西然後混合起來。
我們最喜歡你的項目之一是你的 2018 項目，你最喜歡創造它的時刻是什麼。
P：當我回到拉各斯時，我去了伯明翰和洛杉磯，那一次我決定放棄一個項目。然後我和我的表弟進行了一次談話，他告訴我“你必須放棄一個項目，放棄一些東西並了解你的聲音，就像你的單身人士正在流行一樣，你很興奮，但需要了解你的聲音”。太好了，一旦他說我很酷，讓我們走吧，讓我們開始吧。我有一堆我已經錄製好的音樂，去倫敦錄製 2 首歌。去拉各斯，開始和我的孩子們一起錄音，雨果，然後我們有兩個。現在我們可以舉辦一場表演了……我很生氣，我討厭行業政治，如果我們努力工作，你就能努力工作，讓我們去吧，讓我們抓住這個機會。我和我一起去參加一個表演行業 n****s tryna f**K 我很生氣。但演出結束後，我很生氣，我去了他的工作室，告訴他給我演奏一些東西，那個節拍讓我感到最快樂。拉起
“ 平等，一切都應該平等。沒有階級主義、部落主義、種族主義——沒有主義。 ”
NW: In a past video, you have highlighted concerns regarding makeup artists and hair stylists struggling with black models’ hair and skin. From your own opinion, do you think this is an issue that requires further training and encouragement to educate the realities of these roles that do not have enough experience with black models’ hair and skin?
LA: I would, honestly just want the industry to hire more black hair and makeup to then be able to just spread the awareness and educate people. That’s what I would change in that aspect of things because already the industry is very white-washed. I feel like if they want to become more knowledgeable on black models and other minority models' hair and makeup and how we should be treated then I think at this point in time that they just stop gatekeeping the industry. I feel like the industry is very gate-kept and very much about nepotism and I think they need to just allow more black creatives in at this point. I don’t think it’s really about giving the tools to people that are already in there, but I think they need to understand they need new people in, new blood in and allow them to educate people instead. I’m passed that point of trying to educate the same people. I’m passed that because the tools have been there and they still didn’t want to do it so forget it, lets's just move on from that.
NW: Backstage at Fashion Week can be the most chaotic and frustrating space to be in if all does not go to plan. From getting your makeup and hair perfect to ensuring you have the right garments plus accessories to wear, do you have rituals or a formula before you go out on stage?
LA: No, I don’t have anything, I just go out, I just do it. I’m thinking about what I’m gonna be eating when I get home [Laughs]. Or literally, I have done it so many times at this point, I have to be wearing something super amazing for me to feel like, omg, can’t wait to just step out and kill it. Other than that, I’m good at what I do, I go out there and do my best and go home, I don’t really have a ritual or anything that I do beforehand anymore because I just feel comfortable with it, but maybe if I was doing something was completely new or different then I might try a different technique, I might say a few prayers but is something I have done a lot of times before, I feel very comfortable. It's like a second home.
Top: David Koma
Skirt AREA via FLANNELS
Latex Stockings: Atsuko Kudo
Jewellery: Swarovksi
“如果我還在做音樂，我認為自己是在尼日利亞從事音樂工作的山羊之一。”
為什麼您認為來自尼日利亞的新音樂家保持聯繫和經常合作很重要。
P：對我們來說賺錢很重要，第一。我們是同時來的，這讓我們走到了一起。我們肩負著同樣的使命，將人們與非洲音樂聯繫起來，向他們展示這是我們國家的一個新時代，我們都互相支持，也激勵著彼此和其他藝術家。
你們中的很多人現在都在發光，但有些人可能會迷失其中，那就是製作人。您經常合作的製作人有哪些？
P：Higo、DARE、Adey……很多與我合作的製作人都是我上台時遇到的，他們所說的製作人迷路或落後是真的，但這一代的製作人，他們正在為之奮鬥他們的權利......他們都太棒了，我覺得他們的名字和品牌將在全球傳播。隨著我的成長，我的人會和我一起成長。
你的另一個元素是你的視覺效果，你說你了解你的電影。告訴我們像 TSE 這樣的人以及你喜歡和他一起工作的原因。
P：我從他們開始，他們了解我的願景，不僅僅是圖片和視覺，而是一切，一切的外觀和感覺……我是我們國家的藝術鬥士，我的人民、視覺團隊、製作人都擁有那同樣的心思也為之而戰。
離我們很近的人是 Chuka Nwobi，他也和你一起工作，和他一起工作感覺如何？
他是我的兄弟，對藝術最有熱情的人之一，我認識的人中最有熱情的人之一。他是最年輕的人之一，但即便如此，我仍然和他說話。我們合作過很多項目，他在“Dey Go Hear Weh”視頻中發揮了重要作用。
你是一個很有表現力的人，你多久換一次頭髮顏色？
P：每個月
你談到製作音樂來觸及政治話題等。對你來說最重要的一些社交事情是什麼？
平等，一切都應該平等。沒有階級主義、部落主義、種族主義——沒有主義。每個人的機會均等是我最喜歡的事情。
NW: Where would you say is your favourite place to visit or take a break?
I haven’t taken a break in a long time [Laughs]. Probably, The Caribbean, I’m Jamaican so going back to Jamaica is always beautiful. I took my mum to Barbados. Anywhere in the Caribbean, I think is somewhere that I feel the most at home and where I can really really relax.
NW: You have a YouTube channel that you’ve had for 9 years now which is a really good insight into who you are as an individual, your ambitions as well as giving people advice on things, what would you say throughout that process is your main challenges with that channel or letting people know about yourself which can be nerve-racking?
I’ve never been nervous about letting people know who I am and what I’m about. I’ve never been that person. When I say I don’t care what people think, I really don’t. I think I am very aware, and I think everyone has to have self-awareness. I will always accept if someone is telling me something about myself that is true or constructive criticism because that is also a part of modelling, I take that very very well, but who I am as a person, I don’t mind people seeing the real me, the ups and the downs because I feel like it would be more draining for me to hide my personality then just to let people know what it is, so I’ve never felt nervous showing people who I am.
Generally, with YouTube, it’s really time-consuming, and the editing process…I use to enjoy it when I was younger but once I started working on other things like LAPP, my blog, and all those sorts of things, I preferred the return that I got on that. Doing YouTube video and spending 4 days to edit the video and then at this point I couldn’t really monetise. YouTubers, even if they have been on YouTube for 10-12 years, the first 4-5 years they’re not making any money and that was not something that sat well with me. I can’t be editing and staying up until the crack of dawn and there is no money in site while I had modelling and I knew there is other ways to get the same thing. I could reach out to people through modelling as much as I could through YouTube, I just chose my other outlets, chose to write for publications, and I chose to become more established in the industry as a voice as opposed to focusing on putting out regular content on YouTube. Sometimes, I wished I carried it on because I like looking back at it and I definitely from my personality see to like video. Like I want my own TV show. I don’t want to have to edit myself [Laughs]
Dress: Christopher Kane
Leggings: Atsuko Kudo
Boots: Balenciaga
NW: One of your videos on YouTube, you speak about the value of personal and public life so are there any personal things that are getting too public?
Not really as nobody knows anything that’s going on in my life, only people that I know in real life really know what is going on in my life, I have just been that way for a very long time. Not since I was 17 and I had my first relationship, was I very open. I’m very fine with people not knowing what is going on in my life and it’s interesting because I know for a fact that if I was open about my private life maybe I would have more supporters or more of something else that comes with so much other stuff that I don’t want and is not valuable to me.
You could have a million people supporting you but with how our society is set up, there is definitely like more than 50% of those people are waiting for something bad to happen to you so rather just have my genuine supporters and people that support my work and what I decide to put out there as opposed to them supporting me for my personal life. Realistically, I don’t want my personal life to be entertainment to people and that’s my main thing. I’m happy for people to know things about my downfalls in business, work, and those sorts of things that a lot of people don’t want to speak about but one thing I’m never gonna have is my personal life to be entertainment to someone.
NW: Going back to two people that you hold dear to your heart, two people I would say is Bree Runway who is one of your best friends and Lancey Foux, what is your opinion on how they have grown since your profession to now?
Both of them are very amazing and unique artists and I feel like with Bree, it’s been beautiful to watch her journey, her blossom into the star that she is because I always saw it in her, even if in times she didn’t always see it in herself. When we were younger, I always knew she was it and she always secretly knew she was it too but we have known each other from 16 till now so we have literally watched each other grow up which has been amazing. With Lancey, we have been together for 7 years this year so I’ve been there from the beginning of his career till now. He again same thing, I always knew he was a star from when I first saw him perform before we had even spoken, I knew that he was going to be a star. I have this thing about people, always see when someone is a star.
I can remove my emotions from it and be like that person is going to make it regardless of whatever happens around them because they are just the package, both of those two are the perfect packages in my eyes so to watch their growth has been beautiful and watch people see what I have seen in them from when they were kids is amazing. Same with me, we always believed in each other and now we’ve been there through some of the most, our biggest successes together so it’s been amazing, it’s been a really beautiful experience to have those two people so close to me, I feel very blessed.
“如果我還在做音樂，我認為自己是在尼日利亞從事音樂工作的山羊之一。”
我們看到您擁有很長的職業生涯並領導著新的藝術家。在接下來的 10 到 15 年裡，你在哪裡看到你自己和你的手藝？
P：10 年後我想在哪裡……該死，我會老[笑] 我看到不同的東西，但我認為自己是在尼日利亞在音樂上做這件事的山羊之一，如果我還在做音樂的話.如果我不是，我將擁有一位藝術家，但仍然是有史以來最偉大的藝術家之一。 10 年後我可能會拍電影。也許在我的腦海裡，我可能會試圖獲得奧斯卡獎。那時我認為自己是泰坦，一個家喻戶曉的名字——它甚至不會是我的藝名，而是我的真名。
令人驚嘆，希望製作能被世界記住的一代電影？
P：是的，只是想成為娛樂界的巨人。我不認為自己在商業上有什麼表現，但我會把手伸進去，我知道我會去拍電影。到那時，我認為我不會成為焦點，但我的電影會。
