Trina: A Tale of Sex, Love and Longevity

It’s hard not to be intrigued by Trina. Looking into her eyes for too long will put you in a trance, like the allure of a great conversation. Her voluptuous figure with its well-proportioned and irresistible curves, flawless skin and those remarkable legs that extend themselves in a sensual stride, demand attention and might force you to take a peek, even if you’re holding hands with your significant other. Trina’s charm is that of a real Southern belle, but she will quickly put you in your place if you step to her with nonsense.
On the afternoon of her exclusive interview and photo shoot with rolling out magazine in Atlanta, it was easy to understand why Trina declares herself the “Baddest B–h.” In a span of 10 hours, Trina completed a three-hour photo shoot with rolling out, an hourlong sound check with Ludacris at Philips Arena, and rocked a crowd of over 20,000 at Hot 107.5’s Birthday Bash concert.
Indeed, it takes a bad diva to be that dedicated to perfection.
During one of the few moments that Trina had to sit down at the photo shoot, she slid out of her Victoria G high heels and confidently ticked off her likes and dislikes in a man, the importance of good sex while in a relationship, and how she remains relevant in a male-dominated industry. But our revealing conversation began with her taking me back a decade to illustrate how her life morphed into what it is today.
It’s hard to imagine where Miami’s hip-hop scene would be if Trina had declined the invitation from rapper Trick Daddy Dollars shortly before the beginning of 2000. Trick Daddy invited Trina, who was a real estate student at the time, to a recording studio to “talk [smack]” on one of his songs. Without any previous experience rapping, Trina nailed her verse on “Nann” and the song instantly changed the landscape of Miami hip-hop. “Nann” garnered the city’s hip-hop scene national respect beyond that earned by Luther Campbell and the 2 Live Crew. It made Trick Daddy a marketable rapper outside of Florida, and Trina became the first Southern female rapper to gain superstar status.
Trina honed her rhyming skills, released more hit singles and her prominence paved the way for chart-topping Florida rappers such as Plies, T-Pain, Flo Rida, Pit Bull and DJ Khaled. Rick Ross, arguably Miami’s most renowned rapper, made his debut on Trina’s 2002 hit single, “Told Y’all.”
“It’s a powerful thing to be able to show your true personality,” Trina says. “But you have to be comfortable within your own skin. You have to be comfortable with yourself and your sexuality. If you’re not comfortable talking about sex, you can’t really get your point across. There is a self confidence that you need to exude at all times.”

Trina completes her one-hour sound check with Ludacris and returns to PPR Inc. for her second photo look. She changes into a skimpy black and gray bathing suit designed by Duke & Dutches. Trina gets down on her knees and crawls towards the camera creating the type of seductive pose that fantasies are made of.

As our conversation delved into the intricacies of sex and relationships, Trina divulged that she loves confidence in a man, but hates arrogance; she believes that men should always pay for the first date; a woman must be able to cook, cater and look good for her man; and her ideal wedding would take place on an exotic island with Beyoncé singing.
“When it’s time for us to be romantic, we need 100 percent satisfaction,” Trina says. “[Women] you must make sure that he is doing whatever it takes to please you. A woman must be satisfied or it’s not going to work. An unsatisfied woman is definitely a tiptoeing off situation. If he’s not intimate, the chemistry is off and there isn’t a spark. If you are in a long-term relationship and you and your man are not intimate, get out. It’s your life, you shouldn’t be sad. You shouldn’t limit your emotions or your sexuality because he has issues. You need to get you another situation with someone that will give you great sex and make you feel good because that’s what women need. If he is not doing it, tell him bye. [That’s not happening] with me buddy.”
Trina’s involvement in high-profile relationships with Lil Wayne and NBA player Kenyon Martin made her a hot item on celebrity blogs. Trina and Martin appeared to be inseparable for the last two years. Martin, who currently plays for the Denver Nuggets, even tattooed an imprint of Trina’s lips on his neck. However, their relationship ended earlier this summer. Trina knows how it feels to lose love, but she’s also figured out the most important steps to getting over a broken heart.
“You have to be confident and move on,” she admits. “It’s a difference in really being over somebody and saying that you want to get over somebody. If you want to get over a past lover, put forth the effort and take steps to do it. You have to be strong. You may have to change your number and erase their number out of your phone. You really need to get on with your life. If you don’t have my number, I know you’re not trying to reach me because you can’t reach me.”
Like most high-profile hip-hop celebrities, Trina deals with her share of scandals. There were rumors, which she vehemently denies, that she dated Missy Elliot. And while performing at BET’s “Rip the Runway,” someone stole her cell phone, downloaded private photos and posted them online. The incident devastated Trina and she recently filed a complaint with the FBI. It’s a negative part of the business that she’s learning to cope with.
“It’s really hard being a female in a male-dominated industry,” she says. “I am emotional and women go through different things and experience different emotions. In this business, I’ve learned to discipline myself. But I must say through the whole journey, I’ve learned so much and it’s been a beautiful career. But it hasn’t always been glamour and glitz. I’ve definitely experienced some stumbles and flops along the way.”
Despite the scandals and hardships, Trina remains the most consistent female rapper of the past decade. With the release of her latest album Amazin,’ she’s currently the only female rapper to ever put out five solo albums. Due to the fact that only a few female rappers get an opportunity to release a record on a major label, competition among female rappers can get intense. With the ongoing feud between Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim, Trina hopes that the two women can put their disagreements aside and make music together.
“I know Lil Kim and she is a beautiful and sweet person,” Trina says. “In this game, we all love and respect her. You can’t come into this game without crossing her path. You can’t mention female hip-hop without mentioning Kim. … Nicki is a rebirth to hip-hop. Kim is iconic in this game! I think we need to do ‘Ladies Night Part 2.’  We just need to be fly, bad b—–s and … end the madness.”
Throughout most of her career, Trina stayed away from beefing on wax against other female rappers. Instead, she focuses her time outside of the recording booth on building her company, Diva Enterprises. Under Diva Enterprises, she owns a clothing line (Pink Diamond Couture), and a cosmetic line (Amazin’ Cosmetics).
Amazin’ Cosmetics features lip wear and reusable eyelashes. A portion of the line’s sales will be donated to charities involved in aiding Haiti’s earthquake victims. Trina’s nonprofit organization, the Diamond Foundation, helps inner-city girls develop self-confidence and avoid teenage pregnancy, abuse and alcoholism.
Before that fateful day in the studio with Trick Daddy, Trina never imagined that she would be a rapper or celebrity. In 10 years, she’s turned an impromptu verse into a successful career and a budding enterprise. “You get a job and it becomes a career before you know it,” Trina says. “You evolve as an artist and you become more in touch with your career … you begin to turn yourself into a brand. Now it’s not just about fun and making records anymore. Being an entertainer is a 24-hour job.”

The three-hour photo shoot wraps. Trina checks out a few of her pictures on photographer Allen Cooley’s iPad before giving out hugs to the production crew. Trina walks to her enormous 2010 Black Chevy Tahoe that features 32 percent window tint. She slides into the back seat to go over her itinerary with her assistant. Her day has just begun.