Eye Candy: Cynietra

Blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice is not a truth in the vanity world. Since no Alek Wek–complexioned vixens have gone mainstream, 34-25-40-shaped brownie Cynietra is ready to tint the future. With a résumé of only bit (David Banner’s “Shawty Say”) and even smaller (only her lips made Fabolous’s “Make Me Better”) parts, the 23-year-old Long Beach, California, girl finally scored a leading role in T-Pain’s mesmeric “Can’t Believe It” video. Then XXL sat her down to find out what juice could possibly be sweeter than Godiva liqueur.

“Can’t Believe It” was all effects. What specifically did you do on set?

I spent most of the day in front of a green screen. When it came to the roller-coaster scene, we were sitting in two folding chairs, and the production assistants held a bar across our lap. We had to rotate the chairs and bar in every direction to make it seem like we were really on a roller coaster.

In your two-year modeling career, what is your biggest accomplishment?

My biggest accomplishment [was] having my face on the boxes of Zury hair products. You have to understand, being teased by other Black children as a child—hearing them call me ugly because my skin was darker than theirs—really hurt [my] self-esteem. So to see my image displayed on a “beauty” product or as the woman of a man’s dream in a video is the ultimate validation.

Was constantly being edited down in videos frustrating?

It didn’t bother me much, because girls who were making less than me were being used more than me. At the end of the day, I still received my featured paycheck.

Tell us, what are your favorite edibles for the bedroom?

There are only three [things] needed when it’s bedtime with me, and that’s Cool Whip, massage oil, and me, of course! I love to give full-body massages, [and] as far as the Cool Whip and me… I’ll leave it up to your imagination! -Bonsu Thompson

See more of Cynietra in the December issue of XXL!