Tahiry Jose sat down with Baller Alert and opened up about Joe Budden, her life as one of the hottest models in the game, and why dating has been harder than she expected now that she’s single.
Most people know Tahiry from her years with Joe Budden. The two were together for five years, and a lot of their relationship played out online. That’s where Tahiry got the title she still goes by today, the “internet maven.” She says the raw, uncut clips the couple posted are the real her.
“What you see is what you get,” she said. “I’m loud when I need to be, I’m educated, I have a huge personality. I’m everything that you see online.” She laughed that sometimes she worries people will see her insanity, then remembers it’s just who she is. “Either you love me or you leave me alone.”
Tahiry is not just a pretty face either. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Before modeling, she spent seven years bartending, including in strip clubs. She says people there judged her and were surprised when they found out she had a degree. “We all have choices, and my choice was to love the nightlife and enjoy what I did, even though I had a plan B, which is a college degree,” she said.
Modeling came to her about two years ago. Growing up, she watched women like Melyssa Ford and Coco dominate music videos and thought, “OMG, I want to do that.” Now she’s the one on calendars and magazine spreads. She admits every woman has insecurities on set. She gets ready for a big shoot by hitting the gym at least four days a week, eating clean and drinking a lot of water for two weeks to a month beforehand. “I’m a regular woman,” she said. “I eat a whole lot sometimes.”
Before Joe, there was another well known name in her past. Tahiry revealed she almost married DJ Prostyle. The two met through mutual friends around eight years ago, when she was just finishing college and he was big in Orlando. After a long distance relationship, she moved there and lived with him for two years. It didn’t work out, but she only had love for him. She remembers him talking about wanting to make it in New York. “I drove by the other day and I saw a billboard of his face,” she said. “We would go around and say one day we would conquer the world.”
Now Tahiry is single, and she’s still figuring out how to date. Her past is a string of long relationships: five years with Joe, two years with Prostyle, six years on and off with someone before that. She compares dating now to a kid getting back on a bike after a long time and realizing she needs training wheels.
Her new life makes it even trickier. “Dating a regular guy is a problem because they’re intimidated, or you might end up on WorldStar,” she laughed. “And dating somebody in the industry, they’re too busy, or you’re one of twenty.”
For the men taking notes, here’s what she wants: a great sense of humor first, because laughing is the key to her heart. He also has to be serious about whatever he does, whether that’s music, fixing cars or coaching Little League. “I’m attracted to powerful men, somebody who is very good at their craft,” she said. Looks don’t matter. Her exes have nothing in common except music, and they were all driven, smart and “funny as hell.” Asked about Joe in particular, she said he’s “quite intense,” but he really, really makes her laugh.
When she does have free time, she’s out to eat, making drinks for her friends or running errands. She calls herself a woman living two lives and keeps a huge planner where she even schedules calls to her parents.
Her advice for young women who want to model is simple. Be clear on where you’re trying to go, respect yourself, believe in yourself, “handle your handle,” and always have a plan B.
Next up for Tahiry Jose is a workout line called F.I.T. and a t shirt with Naked Angels.
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