"I feel like people know me," says Cassie Ventura from her corner booth at the London Hotel, "but they don't really know me. And my instinct says, it's time for that to change."
So let's review what's common knowledge about the 29-year old: She's a singer with a platinum record and countless collaborations, including projects with Jay Z, Kanye West, and Nicki Minaj. As a teen model, she appeared in the Delia*s catalog. (Seriously!) And she's often photographed with her boyfriend, who happens to be Sean Combs.
Now the Connecticut native stars in her first rom-com, The Perfect Match. It's about a player [Terrence Jenkins] who finally wants a girlfriend… and a serial monogamist [that's Cassie] who finally wants to play around.
It's also a perfect springboard for some get-to-know-you questions… Game on, Ms. Ventura!
You must get a lot of movie offers. Why pick this one?
I was in the middle of working on music, getting back into that vibe and putting together my new album. Out of the blue, Terrence [Jenkins] called me. We knew each other from way back—like Throwback Thursday back!—because I was a guest host on 106 and Park with him. And Terrence said, "Can you act?" I was like, "Well, I've worked with acting coaches, I've been going out on auditions and meeting with casting directors. But I'm not known as an actress, you know?"
You still have to audition?
You've got to audition! It's tough out there, no matter how well-known you are. And I was fortunate at the audition for The Perfect Match, because Terrence and I already had a great rapport. Plus, I loved the script. I liked the character and what she represented for women.
In the trailer, your character says, "When women have sex for fun, they're a bad person."
Praise god somebody said that in a movie, right?!
Have you found, as a celebrity, that you're held to that double standard?
Of course. Double standards exist. They do. And I hope it'll be extinct soon, but unfortunately, I think the double standard is like racism. It's never going to go away; it's only going to get better or get worse. When it comes down to sex and intimate relationships, this idea that a woman has to be in love with a man in order to have sex with him—in order to enjoy sex with him—it's ridiculous… And one of the reasons I took the role is because in the script, there's a line early on where she says, "I'll be with you, but I don't want a relationship." And when do you hear that, from a woman, in a rom-com?! That doesn't happen normally!
In your experience in the public eye, is the double standard getting better or worse?
The game is crazy, obviously. But I feel like women are in this powerful moment in time, right? We've got Hillary. At least running for president, we have her. That's huge. And the double standard is floating around her, too—you know, men are leaders but women are "bossy." But she's not abiding by it, and we shouldn't either. I mean, how resilient can we be?
A few pop stars have started endorsing Hillary. Are you planning to get involved with the upcoming election?
I haven't yet. But the crazier it gets, the more I want to get involved and speak for my generation. We're all going to have to move if Donald Trump becomes president. What are we going to do? It's gone too far. It's not a joke anymore. Watching CNN now—it gets me depressed. It's cutting it close now, but there's still time. There are still kids out there who want to know what to do in this situation. They want to understand; how can I vote? Will I actually make a difference in any way? And I need to tell them "yes." We all do.
Let's get them registered to vote!
It's so easy! You know, I voted for the first time when Barack Obama went into office for the first time, which was so empowering. And you know what's crazy? Yesterday, he asked for a screening of our movie. How crazy is that?! Do you think Michelle asked him for it? I mean, it's a Queen Latifah-produced movie. It's all about girl power.
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🍫A photo posted by Casandra (@cassie) on Mar 13, 2016 at 6:17pm PDT
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How do you think fans will react to a feminist rom-com?
I remember I was sitting for the screening with Puff in LA, and he leans over after the story really gets going, and he goes, "Did women write this?" I was like, "That's a really weird, really generalized question. But yes, just so you know, women did write this. And a woman, Queen Latifah, produced it. And I'm in it. It's all women; how'd we do?" [Laughing.]
Well?
Oh, he liked it! He'd better like it! [Laughing.]
Totally random, but I heard Puff is really good at giving pep talks. Like, it's his secret calling.
You know what? It's so funny. A couple of artists on his label will low-key record him when he's going off on a topic. [His talks] become incredible. You could put music over them, and they could become these motivational mixtapes you listen to at the gym. I'm going to tell him you asked about that. Maybe he should start doing them, if people are that excited about it.
You've collaborated with almost every great hip-hop artist of your generation. Have any of them influenced you?
Nicki Minaj, for sure. I love her. She's talented; she's a great businesswoman… and watching her work, I saw she doesn't take shit. I hate to say it like that, but that's what I admire about her. Unfortunately, music is a male-dominated industry. It's not that there aren't plenty of women working in the industry, it's just, the higher up you go… it's like how women who play in the WNBA make so little, compared to men in the NBA. Why? It's disgusting. They're just as equal. They're exceptional athletes. They get paid less. And what is that?! So Nicki's approach—she gets it done her way, and the guys are a little bit intimidated by her—I really admire that. I don't want to be like that all the time, but I think in this world, you have to stand up for yourself. And I love seeing her do that.
What was it like to work with Kanye?
The word for that is just "wow." He flew me to Japan to film [the video for] "Stronger" with him. I remember that my hair was golden brown. It took him forever to get it to that point. And as soon as I get off the plane, [director] Hype Williams goes, "So, we're gonna dye your hair black! Kanye wants you to look like an Anime character!"
Were you mad he wanted to change your hair?
No way. I'm so glad they did, because one, I think we achieved the vision—I did look like an Anime character, and that was awesome. Two, black hair is my roots—literally. So I was basically saying "yes" to myself. And three, it was like being a part of art. We were making art. We were in Tokyo, and while we were there, there were riots going on. Hype shot a lot of the video guerilla-style, so the riots were incorporated into the video. It was incredible.
You've also done studio work with Kanye, right?
Yeah, and watching him work is inspiring. Kanye can take a music sample and turn it into absolutely anything. Sonically, he's amazing. And people say they don't "get" him, because of his persona or his exterior or whatever it is. But they do, because we listen to Kanye songs, or songs Kanye has created behind-the-scenes, all the time. He's a genius. Everyone who works with him comes away better for it.
Last week, you were photographed in a green Balmain dress straight off the runway.
Oh, did you like it?!
Loved it. How did you choose it?
So here's how I work: Puff has stylists that work with him every day. They refresh his closet. They put the newest stuff in. He actually really likes to shop on his own—and I hate to shop! I love fashion, obviously, but I hate trying on clothes. We went to Zara yesterday, and I'm like, "I know what size I am," and I just grabbed a bunch of stuff. That's why Zara's so great. And honestly, I need to shop because generally, I really do style myself. It's easier to wear clothes that are true to who you are. But if it's a headache, I'll ask for help.
I'm guessing you didn't find the Balmain dress at Zara.
Ha! I wish. No, my friend Derek [Roche], who's a stylist, pulled it for me. It was borrowed, obviously. And I changed into it in the back of a [movie theater], in a big closet where they kept all the hot dog buns.
What?!
Yeah, I had on another dress for the movie premiere. The Balmain was for the after party. But I couldn't change into it in the car, because those dresses are really tight, and really heavy because the beading's intense… So I got zipped into that dress in a storage room for hot dogs. It was worth it.
