Charelle - the Hip Hop Honey!

Yes, that's right my moment has finally come. I came to London to live the life, work in the creative industries and dreamt that I would get my three minutes of fame. Well, last November, which seems a lifetime ago now I went on set for King Kash's H.O.T. - King Kash is an unsigned rap/hip hop artist, who on Monday released his EP 'Worth The Wait', which features H.O.T. So on a cold morning I dragged myself to a warehouse in Bermondsey (for those of you are not from London. There is NOTHING glamorous about Bermondsey) and met with my good friend Lennisha who was going to join me to dance for the day. Arriving on set there was lots of children 'street' dancers and I wondered whether I was at the right place. Then it was revealed that there would be the children dancing, alongside shots of Kash with the more mature lady, Kash with the guys and Kash doing his thing and then the girls alone. It was a long day and the girls would be the last to be shoot. The day was long, I was cold and hungry and realised quickly that I am glad I gave up the dream of being a dancer when I left University. 

Then it was finally my moment. First all of the girls danced together and then the videographer decided she wanted us to dance alone. I wasn't prepared to dance alone and the thought of everyone looking at me made me nervous. Now normally I am not shy about dancing. Anyone who has ever seen me on a night out will know that you stick a Beyonce track and I am shocking out in the middle of the floor and I just don't care. However, with everyone looking at you on set it is scary. It is artificial. You are not having a great time with your girls on a Saturday night in a sweatbox. In fact, you are in a freezing warehouse with a videographer telling you to look this way, touch your hair, touch your body.  There are lights on you and a windmachine! Well, I can't lie that I didn't enjoy that bit. Seriously, if it was up to me I would have a windmachine follow me around 24/7! But other than that I found it a bit too much to cope with. But then something clicked I forgot about everything around me and for the last take I was just Charelle, dancing to a H.O.T. tune. 

The scariest thing about being in a video is the wait. I have spent the last 9 months thinking it will be the moment that I forgot everyone was watching that will be on the video. I was so scared it would be cringe-worthy and then I would have to go on set again to get my evidence that I was proud to show of me as a hip hop honey. Well, the video is here and I am happy to say I am happy with it. It is more like 3 seconds, than 3 minutes of fame but I can say I did it. I am a video girl!! Charelle is a hip hop honey! I will have my body on YouTube for the whole of eternity. So check out King Kash's H.O.T and remember, don't blink otherwise you will miss me.

Being in a music video

I have always loved music videos. I am constantly being told off because I just watch them all the time. I can remember as a teenager watching videos over and over again trying to learn every move and it was my ambition when I moved to London to be in one music video. So when in January this year, I went on a date with a guy who managed music artists and could get me in a video I was very interested. 11 months later my dream finally came true. 


The story starts on a cold Saturday morning in Bermondsey, which wasn't quite as glamorous as I had always imagined. I arrived at studio along with children street dancers and other women models/dancers. We all waited in anticipation for the arrival of the artist King Kash. All morning I waited for us to finally get on set, whilst I froze myself off in the process. By the time I got on set I was starving having not eaten all day and managing to pull enthusiasm and energy from somewhere took some work.


Track on, Lights on, Fan on...it was time for me to work it. It was weird how in a club, at a tube platform, on the pavement I have no problem dancing but in a studio with all eyes on me if was a different story. I was so scared, I could feel my body shaking and my heart pumping out my chest. I was HOT, but not the type I needed to be for the video. The wonderful Videographer Danielle Da Silva encouraged me and after a take I forgot everyone else was in the room and just performed. By the time I was done I didn't want to stop and I really hope I get the chance to be in another video one day.


But the story doesn't end there. Now I have to wait patiently for the footage to be edited to see if I even make the final cut and if I do exactly what sections of me get used. So now I wait in anticipation for King Kash's H.O.T. 

S&M - Rihanna making her claim for the queen of pop?

Now I have always liked Rihanna don't get me wrong. She has come out with some great tunes over the years but she was never Beyonce or Lady Gaga. Other than Umbrella she hadn't had a big tune and since Umbrella resulted in the UK being drowned in rain all summer we shouldn't really mention it. 


Only a few months ago a music channel said she was one of the unluckiest women in pop. She had a string of Number 2s and just continually missed out on the top stop. Yet, who knew a few months later that would all change. Was it her Xfactor appearance? Was it the red hair? Was it a different musical feel? Was it clever videos? To be honest does it even matter?


Only girl in the world - What's my name - S&M. 3 big tunes, back to back. What's my name made her the first female artist ever to have a number 1 in five consecutive years. Now that's an achievement. 


I am sure S & M is going to be as big hit, already having had nearly 300,000 hits in less than two days. All I want to know is... when is Rihanna going to be in concert?

Auditioning to be a KISS presenter

Me on the microphone

This weekend Shannon and I went along to Westfields to audition to be 'The Kiss Chosen One'. The purpose of the competition was to be Kiss' next presenter. From a young age I have had an on-off relationship with presenting, as a result of having presented in front of thousands in my local theatre to radio presenting my Top 30 on Trent FM. This passion lay dormant until earlier this year MTV held a competition to become an MTV presenter. However, the competition was more of a popularity contest than talent competition and needless to say I didn't make the top 10.

So standing in the queue trying to decide why I should be the Chosen One I couldn't control my nerves. I felt sick with my stomach churning away, but it made me feel alive. I remembered at that moment why I came to London - to do things I would never get the opportunity to do otherwise.

The outcome of the audition was not what I had hoped for. I was told that I had the right personality and look (not sure you need the 'look' for radio) but my personality didn't come through when reading a script. So I am now trying to unleash my personality through my voice and audition again in a few weeks. Me and the microphone will be reunited.

Hip Hop Honey

Now I spend too much time watching music videos. I love them, infact, I'm obsessed! I don’t want any other channels on my television except MTV and Kiss, but for now I am happy with my free Viva.

I dream of working in the industry I would love to choreograph, write the concepts, direct, edit…and occasional I have considered, would I like to be the other side the Hip Hop Honeyz.

Last night BBC3 present Music, Money and Hip Hop Honeys. This showed the world of music videos and the reality of trying to be a Hip Hop Honey. What I found shocking was the difference between the UK and USA. In America lead women were making up to $12,000 for a single video. That equates to $6,000 a day. Whereas in the UK the majority of women work for free.

Why is there such a difference between the countries. I think it is partially to do with the status of the artists. In America you can be a Hip Hop Honey for Jay-Z, 50 Cent, P-Diddy, whereas the UK example with K.I.G and So Solid Crew. Obviously, they are in different leagues, which has resulted in the poorer working situation this side of the ocean.

What I found most worrying about the documentary was the lengths women would go to, to enhance their body in order to increase their chances of become a Hip Hop Honey. Now I think that music videos are exploitive, but it is a woman’s choice what she does with her body. However, to change your body primarily to try and get into an industry, which for the most part will not actually support you financially seems inconceivable.

Now I am not going to say I would not like to appear in a music video. I would love to say that’s me there, but I am happy to see a glimpse of me in a crowd. There is no way I am going to spend thousands of pounds and years to become a Hip Hop Honey, shake my ass scantily clad in 10 videos and then do what for the rest of my life?