Miami is easily considered one of the most beautiful places in the country; it’s often referred to as the “6th Borough.” When you head out on Miami’s Ocean Drive, make sure you hit up Fat Tuesdays or Wet Willies for a drink just to get you started before you take on the night life.

During the Spring Break season, you’ll never have to worry about being bored to death, and it’s a perfect location to literally fly south for the winter. As the tourists’ come and go, you can still count on Dru Baltimore being in the vicinity all year round turning heads.

This Southern Belle has been making her impression felt in the world of modeling, and soon to add acting, and singing to her repertoire (all while being a mommy).

But don’t let the smile fool, she’s strictly about her business, and once you have a chance to speak to her, you’ll be fully aware of that. Maneuvering through a male dominated industry sure comes natural for the woman that was born and raised in the county of Dade.

Where are you from originally?

I was born and raised in Miami, but my family is from the Cayman Islands.

How was it like growing up in Miami?

It’s okay; its just like how some people can’t wait to leave New York. It’s basically the same thing.

When did you first get into the modeling industry?

Um, I’m gonna say—March of ’06. I went to school to be a medical assistant, but that really wasn’t for me. Modeling was always something that I wanted to do, but being that I’m from the South and with that “Southern 20lbs thing,” I never pursued it. But as I got older, the urban community started opening the doors for African American women like me to model. 

You’re also involved with singing and acting. What are you most comfortable with?

I love modeling, that’s me. That’s what I want to do forever. But in modeling, you have to act a lot of the time, and be able to put in those different facial features. You got to able to switch up your style while you’re modeling. I’m looking to expand to acting and singing because in this industry the more you do, the more successful you’ll be. I’m trying to get to that Beyonce level, she does it all. 

Do you find any one of them difficult?

Um. I mean everything is difficult. If it wasn’t difficult, then it wouldn’t be worth having. Modeling is very competitive. There are girls out there who are younger than me, and don’t have any kids and don’t have the same responsibilities. And they can model fulltime. It’s a competitive world regardless of anything you do, there’s always going to be competition. So it’s worth the struggle for me. 

What qualities do you have that make you stand out more than other models out there?

Well I’m only 20-years-old, but I’m a lot smarter than most models. I’m trying to make myself seem like I’m a “wizard,” but I’ve been through a lot in my short years. I know a lot of people in the industry, and how they view women. And I know the female aspect of it, and how females view other females. I don’t know everything, but I feel that my knowledge sets me apart. Because I can easily say that I’m “this and that,” but there’s probably one thousand other girls out there that look just as good as me. So when it’s all said and done, the way I look doesn’t really have anything to do about it. It’s about how you grind, and about how you work that into action. 

Are there any other models in the business that you admire right now?

I love Eva Pickford and Esther Baxter too—I got mad respect for her. But I think she retired, she said she was going back to school. Those are the only two that I really like. Just because they’re examples, and the way [they] handled it. They’re not the usual girls that don’t know how to act when they get to the top. When Esther came into the game, she was already married. I’m pretty sure she did her dirt, but she knew where to take it, and where not to take it. If you search around, you really won’t find any negative gossip about her. She accomplished a lot in her short years. She’s done a lot of videos, and she’s only like 23-24.

She’s that young?

Yeah she’s real young. Like Melyssa Ford, she’s like 30-something. And Esther Baxter has done just as many videos as she has. Melyssa Ford is a very successful and a smart woman. I’m not knocking her, but she just got her movie role. And its been like ten years since she’s been in the game. So that’s why I respect Esther Baxter, because with her short time, she’s accomplished a lot. And she was very successful in the time that she was modeling. And I respect her even more for quitting modeling to go back to school, because not a lot of people would do that.     

Speaking of which, what would you be doing if you weren’t modeling?

I graduated from school when I was 16, and I did my little medical assistant thing, and that was my fall back plan. If modeling doesn’t work, then I’ll go back to school. People tell me all the time that I’m always on the scene, and that I’m always grinding. So I think personally, I’ve been very successful at modeling because I handle it differently than a lot of other girls do. And I do 90% of the work myself; I like to be hands-on because that’s the only way that you’re going to learn. But modeling is the only thing I can see myself doing, and be happy doing. I mean I can go back to school if it doesn’t work out, but that’s not what I want to do.  

A lot of people think that the model life is really glamorous. What’s it really like?

People think its all glitz and glamour. A lot of people see these girls in the videos and they got on “ice” or whatever. But a lot of them don’t know that when the video is over, that stuff is gone. Them jewelers are waiting for that! A lot of the artists that people see, they don’t have any money. A lot of them get suckered into a deal, and people don’t realize that a deal is like a loan from the bank. It’s the same as getting a loan for a house, you gotta pay that sh*t back.

When they sign those deals, they’re like, “Oh I got me $100,000.00 advance!” But if you don’t sell them records, you’re going to go bankrupt, and that’s how TLC went bankrupt. A lot of these people have hit records, and they’re flopping. Like the guy from “Hey Bay Bay,” he flopped, and he was on point. There are very few people in the industry that I respect, and that got money. A lot of people don’t know—modeling is just like going to school, you have to do your research. You can’t step into modeling not knowing anything. Girls come in all the time and be like, “What should I do to get here?” First thing I tell them is that you need to do your research. They want to be a model, but they don’t know what type of modeling they wanna do! There’s foot models, hair models, commercial models, etc. You gotta figure out what suits you the best. A lot of people don’t realize that, they just think, “Oh yeah!” “I’m gonna be a video model!”

Video modeling is good and it opens a lot of doors, but you don’t want to limit yourself to that, because video models don’t get paid that much. Buffie The Body don’t do videos anymore more because I think she wants like $15,000.00 a video or something like that. That’s when you know you’re on top when you can demand a price, she won’t do videos under a certain amount. A lot of video girls probably get like $1,000.00 a video, and that’s to be the lead role, and that’s not a lot of money. Your rent could be $1,000.00 a month, so that’s not even a lot.    

What’s the hardest part about your job?

I would the say hardest part is all the girls that will “F**k-N-Suck” to get somewhere and you won’t.

[Laughs] Wow…

No seriously. Lets say that you go to a casting, and ten of those girls done f**ked somebody and sucked somebody in there, and you’re the only one that hasn’t. Who do you think they’re going to choose?

Yeah, I guess you have a point there.

Look at how Superhead got to the top. It damn sure ain’t because she can dance. I ain’t knocking Superhead because she’s on the grind, but I mean—that’s the truth. A lot of theses girls—that’s how they get to the top, so I would say that’s the hardest part. I’m not like that, and I’m not about the bullsh*t. If you wanna talk business, then we can talk business. We can be cool, but we won’t be dating, we won’t be seen in public or none of that bullsh*t, because I don’t have time for it. I really don’t.  

What do you love about your job the most?

I love to be in front of the camera and just do my thing. Sometimes I look at my own pictures, and I’ll be like, “Damn that’s me!” To see myself on something, I’m like, “Damn that’s me!” You know?

Do you find it hard keeping in shape?

Um, I’m blessed to be honest. I done had a baby, and I got my body back in like six weeks. I would walk around with my baby, and people would be like, “Oh, that baby is so cute!” “Who’s is it?” and I’d tell them it was mine. Then people would be like, “GET THE F**K OUTTA HERE!” “THAT’S NOT YOUR BABY!”

I think it had a lot to do with me breast-feeding. As soon as I had my baby, my stomach went down, and I just had “jelly-belly.” And that took like six weeks for it to be firm again. Me, I can eat and eat and eat, and I’ll always be the same size. I’ve always been like that.   

Is it hard being a mom and a model?

Um, no I’m blessed, because I got my grandmother, and she watches my baby a lot. Some women don’t have that where they can just drop their child off all the time, but I have that.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Basically I just like to spend time with my baby.

Are you currently dating right now?

Right now I’m single. Just because I’ve been through a lot, so I have very high standards. Not to make myself look like I’m the “Dime Diva,” but I don’t have a boyfriend because guys be on the bullsh*t a lot. And I don’t play games, because I don’t have time for issues and drama. I have enough stress and drama in my life now, and I don’t need a guy that’s going to add to it. I’d rather be alone and happy, then be with someone and miserable. I was with my ex, and that’s one of the reasons I started taking modeling so serious. I haven’t met anybody that knocked it, besides my baby’s father.

He wasn’t supportive of your career?

He wouldn’t really discourage it, but he’d be like, “I know you’re trying to do your little modeling-thing.” He would be like—be like…

Like he was trying to downplay it?

Yeah! Downplay it. Because he knows when I’m successful doing it, he’s still going to be in the same place. And I think that is what bothers him.

What kind of guy is more likely to stick out to you in a group of guys?

To be honest—none. Because I already programmed myself not to see guys. Guys don’t stand out to me, because so many guys try to talk to me. Usually if I do notice a guy, it’s the cute one who’s chilling. And ain’t really talking to nobody, and the one that’s not trying to talk to me, and follow me around. But the ones that I am attracted to—I like muscular built guys. I don’t like dirty ghetto n***as, that’s just nasty. I’m not trying to be shallow, but you gotta be cute too. I’m not trying to have any ugly babies. [Laughing] If you’re cute, and something happens to you, and you end up looking f**ked up I’m not going to be like, “Oh I can’t be with you, because you’re ugly now.” I’ll still stay with you, but I don’t want any ugly babies.

Oh so you just have to start off cute in the beginning huh? [Laughing]

Yeah you gotta be something! I mean c’mon now! [Laughing]  I’m just joking…  

For more pics of Dru Baltimore, Check out Sixshot's Photo Gallery or www.DruBaltimore.com