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“Bad” Brad Berkwitt earlier this year interviews Imani Rose at www.newzbreaker.com
“I am not knocking people who believe in religion. I think if many people look at religion and how you limit yourself from trying something because of a certain religious belief, you really are holding yourself back from many things.”—Imani Rose
Imani Rose is a young lady who, in just a short time, is trying to be a trailblazer in the adult movie industry. As you will read, she possesses a keen business sense, is a straight forward thinker and didn’t pull any punches in this exclusive NewzBreaker interview.
If you were not aware of her name before, take notice. Imani will change your way of thinking……
NB: Let’s catch the NewzBreaker readers up on what you are doing today.
I am really busy right now compared to a year ago this time. Being in the adult business, I have seen you have to do a lot of stuff on your own, or you wait around for the next person to do it for you. I am very independent and I don’t like people doing stuff for me unless I ask. I started to shoot my own content and I have designers building my website. I just got off the phone with my editor so I can start getting the exclusive content ready for my website and another editor who is helping me get my content together for my first DVD.
NB: How did you break into the Adult Movie Industry?
I was helping my friend who wanted to be in the adult business. He needed pretty girls to bring to the director and he brought me to Black Ice and then, West Coast Productions. When I performed, they thought I was attractive just like they think any new girl is attractive. I didn’t understand that at the time and thought I was just very good. (Big laugh) It turned into a situation where my friend didn’t want to do porn. He was like a wolf in sheep’s skin or a Suitcase Pimp. (Funny term – and a new one to me)
Within a month, I caught on quickly and told him I wanted to have a real agency so I would not work under his influence. If I was going to do this, I wanted to do it right. I ask a lot of questions of people. The difference between him and I was, that had a college education. He took me to an agency and after about 3 months, I went out on my own. I was on my own up until this past December when LA Direct Models signed me.
NB: To date, you have been in over 45 adult movies. Is there one role where you think you really had your best performance?
My first anal scene for Director LT was called “BLACK MAMAS 2.” It was very unique for me because you can tell in the film I was new. I played it off and was really into my character – storyline. I was playing a daughter to “Monique,” who goes on a date with LT and I sneak off with my girlfriend. My girlfriend is trying to turn me out and as she is doing that, my step-mom, Monique, comes home and catches me in action and my punishment is to have anal sex with her date, who was LT. A lot of people saw that scene and still love it…
NB: I saw in a video interview you did with Concrete Musik TV at the 2011 Adult Con where you said “you felt that adult movies lacked real sex and you wanted more videos that both women and men could watch.” What did you feel was lacking?
It seems a lot of folks are into that Gonzo phase where they just shoot it and anything happens. You have a scene where this is not enough dialogue for you to build the characters and environment. I was thinking along the lines that there is no storyline or character development. So when you see the scene, you just see the sex.
I think that has been played out…. The only companies that seem to do the storylines are the bigger companies like Wicked and Vivid who have the budgets. The production companies that have the money seem to be the only ones building up the characters.
NB: Do you feel that African American women are equally given movie roles in adult movie productions, which, at times, in the mainstream movies, has been a problem?
Yes, there is. When I am talking to my fans, I try to give them metaphors on how the adult industry is just like the music industry where you have a lot of stereotypes and barriers that people have to go through to get to where they want to be.
What has to be done is for us to have a union for performers so they can determine who are the real performers and people who are not really in the business. However, I don’t think they will ever establish a union because how the money circulates in the adult business, which would mess up a lot of stuff.
NB: In your bio, it said, “you wanted to cross-over into mainstream and give back to the community by promoting sexual health education and sex awareness.” What exactly were you talking about?
Once you are in the adult business, it’s hard to get accepted within a community because many out there look at pornography as a bad thing. I can see why, as I am still learning and gathering information, so I can put those type of projects together. I see where this is an issue of people’s perceptions of how they have dealt with the adult business. Such as, how they can get addicted to it, but at the end of the day, I know that my intentions are not to harm anyway. I want to do stuff that helps people because I feel I have a lot of power of influence over my fans because they are so intimate with me and I can use it for good or bad which I choose to use it for good. I don’t want to be in the industry for a long time, and when I get out, I see myself in the community where I am helping people.
NB: Your bio also said that “you wanted to use your career to invest in opportunities that will help others make better sex choices.” Can you elaborate on that?
I want to help people discover their sexuality and what do to with it. A lot of people look at having a high sexual personality as being a bad thing and I don’t think that it is.
NB: Recently Los Angeles Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, signed into law historic new rules requiring porn performers to wear condoms while acting in areas requiring a city film permit.
The law is believed to be the first in the nation by a local government requiring condom use among porn stars. What are your thoughts about this law?
What was funny about that was they did it when most of the industry was in Las Vegas at the AVN Awards, which was so scandalous. Then when I got back, I saw all the emails and postings that this has taken place. It doesn’t really affect me, but it does the bigger companies. I look at in two ways. Maybe the Mayor did it because elections are coming up to look good, and to do something positive. I don’t think it’s positive to try and stop something that is already established. The industry is smart enough to learn how to work around the law by most likely picking a location outside of LA County.
NB: The Adult Movie industry at this time doesn’t have any union or as in the mainstream where funds are paid into such groups as AFTRA or SAG. Why do you think after all these years of the industry being around and making billions, there still is not something in place for performers in your business?
As I had mentioned before, the adult industry is not going to let it happen because the way the money is circulated. Working in the adult business you really see there are no rules. So if people are good at manipulating situations, they will do it. The adult industry has grown to be too powerful. I would say it’s a metaphor for how the government is. They have it structured so America can only do so much, but at the end of the day, if they really wanted to tweak anything, all they need to do is make an event occur and things change in their favor.
NB: With the advent of free pornography on the internet today, do you feel it helps or hurts your website business because there, they have to pay to see you and of course the video stuff is free?
I have been going to a lot of the adult business conventions. They actually have at the adult movie conventions, sections that do lectures on the business side of the industry. They do workshops on how to retain your audience and keep the traffic loyal to your website along with, how to circulate that money you make.
You really need to be educated because if you’re not paying attention, then people will continue to take money from you(Big Laugh).
NB: OK, let me guess, you were a business major in college?
(Big Laugh) Yes, I actually have two degrees in business.
NB: Do you see yourself coming from in front of the camera to being behind it as a Director?
I have considered doing that. With me shooting my own content, I am basically directing all of it. As far as having my own production company, I don’t see myself doing that. I would like to work for a bigger company and give them my perspective on how the film should be shot.
NB: Do you feel like the adult industry has enough testing to keep the performers safe from diseases?
It depends on the company. I have seen for instance Bangbros do an extensive testing process when you are shooting for them. I found out when I worked for them in Miami and was shocked because we don’t have that type of testing in California. They do “Fresh Tests”. That means I may come there with a good test, but they will test me again, then test me on the set as well. They prick your finger and test it.
NB: I would like you to share your words of wisdom from a business standpoint to any young man or woman who is of the legal age who wants to get into the Adult Movie Industry.
I will pass on what Nyomi Banxxx told me. “Treat it like a business. If you don’t know what a business is, or how to run a business, then you don’t need to be in the adult business.”
Yes, it can be fun and you can have sex all the time, but it can get sloppy real fast. Many performers have burnt out of the business quickly, which I didn’t understand when I first came into it. You have to manage yourself closely.
NB: What is one thing you can share with the NewzBreaker readers that has never been heard before?
Well, as you can tell, I am very business orientated and sometimes people think I am mean when they do business with me. I have a visionary mind which is very helpful to me being in this business.
NB: If you could change one thing in the world, what would that be and why?
Wow, what an interesting question…. I would ban religions! When I went through college, it was like a cleansing period for me to just explore and discover a lot about myself while learning a lot about my life. A lot of limitations I had were because of my religious beliefs growing up. When I got on my own, I thought to myself: Why can’t I have my own religion? I took an Anthropology Class and we had to create our own religion which I thought was real fun. I am not knocking people who believe in religion. I think if many people look at religion and how you limit yourself from trying something because of a certain religious belief, you really are holding yourself back from many things.
NB: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what is the one CD and movie you want to have?
I don’t even listen to CD’s. So I would have to be what I have on Pandora right now. Here are the five stations I would want to take with me to listen to: Whitney Houston Radio, Dazz Band Radio, E-40 Radio, Maxwell Radio and Pitbull Radio.
The movie would be “LIMITLESS” with Bradley Cooper who is very cute!
NB: Finally, do you have a saying you continue to live your life by?
That’s a good question….. “I live my dreams every day.”