More Than Meets The Eye: An Interview With Keani Cochelle

True physical beauty can be both a blessing and curse for those who possess it, especially if they possess a unique form of it.  A beautiful face and a shapely body can be valuable assets, but they can also serve as a distraction from the real person.  Attractive people are often defined by their looks, and aren’t afforded the luxury of people expressing genuine interest in them.  In such a case, it’s good to be well grounded and have a sense of humor.  You may not be able to change how the world reacts to you, but you can always alter how you react to the world.

Keani Cochelle is truly blessed in more ways than one.  She’s stunningly attractive, possessing both height and measurements that would make her stand out in just about any crowd.  She’s so unique in that regard, that many in the modeling industry don’t quite know what the make of her.  If they ever came to their senses, they’d realize that it’s virtually impossible for any heterosexual male to keep his eyes off of this lovely amazon.  Keani takes other people’s reactions to her physical attributes in stride.  That outlook makes her an absolute joy to talk to as well as look at.  She doesn’t mind if you stare, just as long as you remember to say hi.  

      

Scott "Tre" Wilson: Keani, have you ever been asked to do anything during a photo or video shoot that you thought was inappropriate?  Where do you draw the line as far as that sort of thing is concerned?

Keani Cochelle: I have been asked to pose nude.   I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that as long as it’s tasteful and classy, but I would rather go in a different direction. I’m really firm and people have approached me and asked me to do certain “things”.  If I’m not comfortable with it I just don’t do it.  So that’s where I stand.  

Scott "Tre" Wilson: What’s the biggest misconception that people have about you?

Keani Cochelle:  The biggest misconception is that I’m boogie or stuck up and I’m far from that.  I’m really down to earth and approachable and really nice.  I’m the biggest goofball.  I like playing around with people and if they come up to me and seem a little afraid to approach me I’ll just joke around with them.  I’m not boogie,  I’m real cool.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: In the entertainment industry, the word urban is often used as code for “Black.”  A Black movie becomes an “urban” movie.  Black music becomes “urban” music.  When people refer to you as an urban model, do you find that offensive?

Keani Cochelle: I don’t find it offensive, but I’m more than just an urban model.  I think I portray a lot of different things.  I think I’m a mainstream model.  When I of urban I think of ass models (Laughs).  So I’m more than just an ass model.  I’ve got more than just an ass (Laughs). 

Scott "Tre" Wilson: So you think of video chicks when they say urban model (laughs). 

Keani Cochelle:  Right.  I think I bring more to the table than just urban qualities.  I think I’m more than that, but I don’t take offense to it.  It’s where I started out and it’s gotten me a lot of great exposure, so I appreciate the urban/video vixen model game.  I’m not mad at it.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: Have you confronted a lot of racism in the modeling industry?  If so, how have you reacted to it?  

Keani Cochelle:  Not really racism.  When it comes to modeling, of course they look for all ethnicities and races.  I think beauty comes in all different races, but with my height, I’m 6’1”-- it’s been pretty difficult booking music videos and things like that where a lot of artists are shorter than me (Laughs).  So I would say that’s been pretty difficult, but at the same time it’s been a plus because I’m so unique and different.  For someone to say “Oh my gosh!  She’s 6’1”!”  With my measurements I guess it’s really rare.  I had no idea how unique it was until I started modeling.  I don’t see racism so much, but more so people don’t know how to react to the uniqueness of my measurements.  

Scott Tre: Being that you’re so tall, and being that you have the figure that you have, and you’re so beautiful, do you find that the women that you work around are intimidated by you?  

Keani Cochelle: Thank you for that little compliment (Laughs).  I thought they would be, and I think there probably are some like that out there.  But since I’ve been modeling a lot of models have just complimented me, been reaching out, been showing me mad love.  It’s weird because I thought the game would be totally different.  I’ve been receiving love and girls always say “I want to squeeze your butt…and hug your butt” and stuff like that (Laughs).

Scott "Tre" Wilson: Wow!  

Keani Cochelle: Yeah, I guess they love it too!  I don’t know.   

Scott "Tre" Wilson: Okay…    

Keani Cochelle: I know, right?

Scott "Tre" Wilson: Maybe for your next YouTube video you can film that.  I’d bet you’d get a lot of views.

 

Keani Cochelle: Right, I bet guys would like to see that too.  

Scott "Tre" Wilson: Are the guys that approach you intimidated by your looks and your height?

Keani Cochelle:  Yes.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: They are… 

Keani Cochelle: Yeah!

Scott "Tre" Wilson: So the women aren’t, but the men are.  

Keani Cochelle:  Exactly, right?  Yeah, they just like to stare.  I don’t know.  They don’t say much.  Surprisingly, A lot of smaller guys, shorter guys, are not afraid to approach me and they come at me in different ways.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: People can be very superficial.  Do people have a hard time seeing past your looks when they are trying to get to know you?

Keani Cochelle: Yeah.  Most people think that pretty women can’t have brains (Laughs) and so they just want to talk about superficial stuff.  Sometimes those conversations are great but I like talking about different things as well.  Just having fun and not thinking about the outer appearance I guess.  I don’t know.  Does that sound corny?

Scott "Tre" Wilson: No, it makes sense.   It’s direct and to the point.  You’re originally from Eugene, Oregon, right?

Keani Cochelle: Right, Yeah.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: Now you live in Los Angeles.

Keani Cochelle: Right.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: How did you adapt to that change?

Keani Cochelle: Well In between that time I went to North Carolina for a couple of years, so I had a chance to live around some different cultures, mainly some black people (Laughs).  You don’t see that very often in Oregon.  Oregon is kind of a slow paced smaller city, so being able to go to school in North Carolina was totally different.  It was a faster pace of lifestyle but at the same time it wasn’t L.A.  So I think I kind of gradually prepared myself for L.A..  When I moved to L.A. I was playing basketball, going to school.  So I had to be disciplined, focused show up to practice and stuff.  I couldn’t just run wild in L.A.  So I think that was a good thing to.  I had coaches on my ass with curfews and all that other stuff so I think that worked out.  I love L.A.  I think it’s one of the best cities.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: What is it that you hate the most about your profession?  

Keani Cochelle: One thing I don’t like is people trying to get over on you all the time.  That gets annoying.  What I mean by get over on you is that they want stuff for free, they want you to show up to events and everything.  And then the fact that I’m different and unique makes it harder for me to get into magazines and stuff.  I would say just give tall girls a chance! And opportunities!

Scott "Tre" Wilson: Since you’ve become a celebrity, has it changed your perception of the world?  Has it changed your perception of people?  

Keani Cochelle: Nah.  You’ve got good people, you’ve got bad people.  I appreciate and love all the people that have shown me support.  I knew I was special (Laughs), but I never thought I would be receiving so much love and support from people and I really appreciate that.  I went out of state for my regular job and someone noticed me.  That was really weird, but it was a cool feeling at the same time.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: What’s the easiest way for a guy to turn you off?

Keani Cochelle: The biggest turn off is when they try to crowd your space and just all up in your face all the time talking.  Not even really trying to get know me but more so trying to get on me or get at me.  

The biggest turn on?  Good hygiene is a plus.  Just be yourself.  Be cool.  Come up and say hi.  Don’t be all nervous and uncomfortable, and smell good.  It’s always good to smell good too.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: You know as soon as I publish this interview, you’re never going to have a guy crowding your space again.

Keani Cochelle:  Wait…(Laughs)

Scott "Tre" Wilson: You’re never going to have that again.  They’re going to be like “If she doesn’t like that, then I won’t do that.”

Keani Cochelle: Just be yourself.  Don’t try to rush.   Take your time.  Get to know me, say hi.  You know?  Don’t come up and try to grab my ass, stuff like that…

Scott "Tre" Wilson: I’d think only an idiot would do that, but stranger things have happened.  

Keani Cochelle: Yeah, there are some idiots out there.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: Is it your interest in sports that keeps you in shape, or are you just blessed with a fast metabolism and a shapely body?

Keani Cochelle: I think it’s a mixture of both.  Just playing sports since the third grade, my body has always been in shape.  I stay working out, but at the same time I have really good genes.  My mom has as very nice, shapely body.  My dad’s tall.  They have good metabolism, so I think it’s a little bit of both.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: What magazine would you like to be on the cover of that you haven’t been on already?

Keani Cochelle:  King, Smooth, Black Men, Straight Stuntin’.  All of the major ones (Laughs).

Scott "Tre" Wilson: All of the above, even Newsweek and Time if you can get on there.

Keani Cochelle: Exactly, and I’m trying to go mainstream too, so even like Vogue, Glamor.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: If you weren’t modeling, what would you be doing right now?

Keani Cochelle: I went to school for production and directing and I loved that.  I love film, so that’s probably the area that I would go into: entertainment with an emphasis on directing. 

                  

Scott "Tre" Wilson: Do you ever plan on having a family and having kids?  

Keani Cochelle: Yes I do.  I would like to.  Right now I’m really enjoying life, living it up and experiencing everything I can while I don’t have kids.  I’m really focused on following dreams and chasing goals right now, but I do plan on having kids in the future. 

Scott "Tre" Wilson: What would you like to pass on to them?  What would you want them to take away from the life you’ve lived and the career you’ve had?

Keani Cochelle: Follow your dreams and never give up.  Try everything once.  When I say try everything once I mean in moderation.

Scott "Tre" Wilson: You had to specify that one.

Keani Cochelle: I know (Laughs).  I mean just really live life and enjoy life.  It’s short, so live with no regrets.  I don’t ever want to look back and say “I wish I would’ve,” instead I would rather just say at least I tried or I did it.  That’s what I would leave with them (her children).