Marissa Jade Exclusive Interview
CHAMP MAGAZINE
Nathan “The Boy Hollywood
CHAMP: Now I definitely gotta compliment your beauty, and I'm interested in how long you have been doing the modeling thing for?
Marissa Jade: Hey Hollywood. My name is Marissa Jade. I've been in the modeling industry for the last 7 years. My ethnicity is Chinese and Italian but people assume I'm Spanish all day every day and sometimes Hawaiian, Brazilian. I am 24 years old. I've lived in Staten Island all my life but honestly it's just a place to rest my head. As much as one can bash Staten Island and believe me, I am one to bash it, you definitely miss it when you're away from it for a long time. The food is excellent and the properties are beautiful. You won't find a deli cleaner or better then the ones here. Night life…well let's just say a true Staten islander always heads their way towards Manhattan and Jersey during the summer. We are probably the only Island that doesn't like to stay on the island. Manhattan or Atlantic City is like a second home to us. We just pick up and leave and come home after the night is over. It's somewhat cluttered but look a lot more spacious and relaxed compared to the rest of the boroughs in NY. Just know Staten Island lives in our own world and there’s so nothing like it at all!
CHAMP: Now you definitely got a beef. You were on the Tyra Banks casting for Top Model Season 13 and didn't make it and was called back again and still didn't make it. That definitely didn't make any sense to me and I see the girls they have on the show and a lot of the time they ain't hot. What was going through your mind when that happened and has this changed your thought and views about Tyra since?
Marissa Jade: Ahhh yes, the beef. Well besides me venting via blog all I have to say is I've learned that show is for entertainment purposes and shock value and I find that to be a damn shame because not only me, but I'm sure girls who are in the same category as me feel they deserve top be on the show. The show should be about real models trying to pursue their career. Not models who don't know if they want it or not. Yes there are a lot of girls out there that say oh I want to be a model, but you need to know what you are doing. I don't know…it's just a true disappointment. I guess what really upset me was the fact I've been saying this since I was a little girl that I always wanted to be the first short model to ever make it. Top model Season 13 is technically the first time ever introducing short models to the industry and I'm not apart of it. The girls that they are choosing are no winners neither. Like seriously odd. The world loves odd people these days. I don't know but no matter what, the new "odd", most definitely isn't the new "black".
I know my craft; I've done it for a while. I'm against all the odds and I'm still hear standing tall promising you I will make it to where I want to be and my time will come! As far as knowing what really happened to me during the casting. Jump on myspace.com/mrissajade and consume the details of what I felt ;). Lol
CHAMP: Would you ever try out for another season again?
Marissa Jade: As far as trying out for another season, apart of me feels if I keep showing my face, Michelle would hopefully, eventually give in. And don't get me wrong I'm extremely persistent but I do have pride and I feel what was done to me was wrong. For me to have been shunned 2 times, I don't feel a 3rd time is necessary. She had her chance to pick me and she knows who I am, I mean she took interest. So, if she really wants me on the show, she would ask me herself.
CHAMP: What are your thoughts and views on what’s playing on the radio these days lol?
Marissa Jade: Radio sucks lol. Until my man gets on there (and yes he will be there real soon), so for all you fans that have been waiting to hear from him, the long awaited, anticipated, is coming very soon.
CHAMP: If you were given your own radio show, what type of music could we hear on Marissa's Radio show?
Marissa Jade: If I was a given my own radio show I would honestly be like 105.1, but I wouldn't be afraid to put out new artists and new music the people have not heard but would love to hear. The radio recycles the same 10 songs over and over and over. It gets so played out after a while. Change it up, have a couple of throw backs as well. I don't think I can stand to tolerate listening to the same 5 artists anymore.
CHAMP: You're an R&B head. What are your top 5 R&B joints of all time?
Marissa Jade: R&B... I don't know about joints, I can't think off the top of my head right now. But I love Ne-Yo. There’s not one song he can make that I can't like. It's very impressive. Other than him, I love groups like Az-yet, Jodeci, and artists like Lauren Hill, Mary J Blige.
CHAMP: I'm pretty sure there's a few cats looking at your pics right now and asking where do I know this chick from? Where can people recognize some of your work from?
Marissa Jade: Right now I've been getting a lot of mail because of this reality show I did in Nevada over a year ago. Unfortunately it's on a main mid state channel so I didn't even see it myself. To be honest with you I'm not even crazy about it because I went into something I didn't really know anything about. Yes, it gave me publicity but it wasn't MTV. I've been on MTV as well a while back for an interview on sex education actually. I've done a video or two also. The latest was Kevin Michaels, "One love" featuring Wyclef. I'm not going to lie; a lot of decent things come my way. Things that definitely would put me on the charts and have me seen a lot more than I am now but I had to shy away from them. I have and had plenty of reasons on doing so. Mostly because I just don't want it to hurt my image. If I was in every video, that would make me huge but to have that label of being a "VIDEO VIXEN", really doesn't move me much. I’d rather be the face of Neutrogena or Pantene Pro-V to be honest with you. I've also hosted several night clubs in Manhattan and one or two in P.A and NJ. I've been on Billboards for Uno Mas, which is an energy drink, which was in Texas, California, NJ, NY. An Ecko billboard was in NY, a little one. I've done several Law and Orders, Ed TV’s, Queen of the Media, been in several Maxim contests etc.
CHAMP: Now you and the big homey Jo Jo Pellegrino are dating correct?
Marissa Jade: Yes, me and JoJo Pellegrino are together. For the most part, if you don't know me as Marissa Jade, you know me as Miss Pella.
CHAMP: You're crushing hearts here. How's everything going with him and when can we expect some more work from him?
Marissa Jade: Lol Crushing hearts is a cute way of putting it. I could always meet new friends.You will hear Jojo soon, I promise.
CHAMP: How'd you guys meet?
Marissa Jade: Me and Joe met in '02. It was actually the day his manager got shot. He's doing fine thank god but let's not get into that one. So I happen to be fighting with my bf at the time. I jumped out of his car and began strolling up the block and a car passing me decided to reverse back. So they did and started talking to me. Joe was in the passenger seat spittin' his game l
(lol)but I wasn't hearing it. I was fighting with a boy at the same time so I definitely wasn't interested in another. Mind you, he had blood all over him too, which was soooo attractive!! It didn't scare me though. I just wasn't into the whole bad ass thug at the moment. Haha. So he gave me his number and I left it at that. We reunited 4 years later and have been together ever since.
CHAMP: Now we're in the 2nd quarter of 09. What else can we expect from Marissa?
Marissa Jade: I'm not going to lie, I wrote a book. My lazy ass has to find an agent right now to represent it though. The sooner I do that, the faster you'd see my face all over the place. I also incorporated a business; products are being made for me in China now. Don't want to talk about it much until it's ready and here though.
CHAMP: When are you coming up to Canada?!
Marissa Jade: Don't know when I'll be visiting Canada, but I would love to soon! I'd be more ecstatic if I had something going on over there in my name. We might have to work something out.
CHAMP: Where can we catch more things poppin in the world of Marissa Jade and be able to catch up with you?
Marissa Jade: My space and my official Marissa Jade web site is being done as we speak. Things will be way more official and you will be able to purchase things as well. I know its been taking a while but please, Stay Tuned.
MARISSA JADE
