Cultural baggage withstanding, Buffie the Body deserves Vixen Icon status
In an era of commercial excess and overindulgence, Buffie the Body embodied the state of rap.
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UPDATE: Read Ben Westhoff's 2007 CL profile of Buffie the Body and listen to the archived podcast interview.-
In an era of commercial excess and overindulgence, Buffie the Body embodied the state of rap.-
Blessed with an absurdly large, 45-inch wide derriere she showed off in videos for artists like 50 Cent and Tony Yayo, she went on to play "Big Booty Judy" in T.I.'s 2006 cinematic debut ATL and appeared on the covers of urban lad magazines including King, BlackMen and Smooth. In the process, she became more famous than many of the MCs she flanked.-
But her reign as rap's sex symbol seems to be drawing to a close. The Athens native, born Buffie Carruth, is no longer a regular presence in music videos. King has shuttered, and the remaining magazines have largely moved on to younger models.-
Still, Carruth remains in the spotlight, and the release of her anticipated memoir Vixen Icon on June 20 occasions an opportunity to evaluate her impact. Her transition from an anonymous urban model into something of a cultural ambassador has managed to challenge - if not altogether change - the notion of mainstream beauty.-
(Photo courtesy Vickie Stringer Publications)