Ms. Cat, Open For Business [Eye Candy]

Don’t mistake Catya "Ms. Cat" Washington for your average reality show chick. The former Bad Girls Club cast member may turn heads with her bump, but it’s her non-stop grind that has her five steps ahead of the rest of the chicks in the game. Since getting a taste of the industry while dating Beanie Sigel in college, the Philly native has made a name for herself as a video model, reality star and former XXL Eye Candy. But if her plans for 2011 are any indication, she’s only just begun. By the end of the year, Cat intends to add actress, designer and founder of a modeling agency to her already stacked resumé. The hottie hustler took a quick break from her grind to tell us why regular dudes don’t have a shot with her, who she thinks the baddest bitch in Reality TV is and why she pulled out a box cutter on G-Unit during a video shoot. —Calvin Stovall

XXLMag.com: What have you got coming up for 2011?

Ms. Cat: Right now I’m shooting a feature film - Must be the Music - directed by Charles Dutton starring Jadakiss, Trina, Tariq from the Roots and Snoop from The Wire. It’s like an all-star cast. The movie is actually about the movie industry. It’s awesome. I’m also doing a play called Single Black Female, which I’ll be doing May 7th. I’m [working on] my own reality project, which I won’t talk too much about, I’m writing a book [called], Memoirs of a Bad Girl, which will be being published soon. As well as starting my own modeling agency. I’m doin' a lot of different things these days. I’m also doing music. Somewhere between rap and pop. It’s kinda hip-hop, but you know, not too hardcore. I’m not trapping and all that. I have a single out called “Just Walk,” which they can find on my website, www.catwashington.com.

XXL: A movie and a play? Do you have any kind of acting background or is this something you’re just now dipping into?

Ms. Cat: No, I’ve actually been like in a few indie films. But this is my first major film. The main character Charles Benton, I play his daughter. It’s an awesome script, too. We’ve been shooting for like a month now.

XXL: Your fellow BGC alum Natalie Nunn has been acting out lately. What are your thoughts on her?

Ms. Cat: Well, I don’t know Natalie to really speak on her character. I don’t really know too much about Natalie. So I don’t know. I know we all did the show, but I don’t really address other females. Kind of like a non-factor. Isn’t that what Evelyn said? Bitches are a non-mother-fucking-factor. Yeah, something like that. Now, we can talk about her…

XXL: Oh, you want to talk about Evelyn from Basketball Wives?

Ms. Cat: Yeah, isn’t she gorgeous? I mean if you want to talk about bad bitches we can. But please with the Natalie stuff. That’s like, c’mon really?

XXL: Who are the baddest bitches on reality TV then?

Ms. Cat: On the reality scene, you have to understand...there’s not much to pick from. A lot of times, especially with like the Bad Girls Club, I’m one of the few who actually had a career prior to the show. Prior to the show, I did KING, Smooth, XXL, Black Men and all that kind of stuff. Most of the girls from the BGC, they’re just like scragglers that the producers just walked up on and thought, Maybe you could bring some light to the show. Like they were literally nobodies before the show. Like a lot of them were like waitresses and bartenders and that kind of situation… You know who I like? I like Tamar. Tamar Braxton… I like her, she’s adorable. Just her overall personality. She got that, “I’ma bad bitch, so what?” thing kind of going on. She got a lot of sisters and so do I. She’s dope. Everlyn’s hot. Everybody else: Ehhhh, not so much.

XXL: You’ve been in some high profile videos, what’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you on a set?

Ms. Cat: The craziest thing that’s ever happened to me was on the set of a 50 Cent video. It was called “Feel Good…” And that was like a crazy experience. What happened was, we were all chillin’ - we were at 50’s house. Some of his entourage was throwing girls in the pool— it was like funny, you know. So one of the guys walked up to me and was like, “Say something!” And I was like, “What?” So I went in my bag and I had this box cutter. I pulled it out. But I ain’t say nothing, I just pulled it out. So he was like, “Ohhh, this bitch is crazy!” And he was like, “Where are you from?” And I was like, “I’m from Philly.” And then that whole they day they kept bringing it up like, “She Philly, she crazy. Leave her alone, leave her alone.” And then out of nowhere me and Yayo started talkin’ and he was like, “They got to fuckin’ with you, huh?” And I was like, “Nah, it was cool.” He was like, “I heard you pulled out on somebody.” I was just like, “Yeah.” It was like the funniest thing ever. I had to tell ‘em like, I’m really not for the bullshit. Please don’t touch me because I will cut somebody in this bitch. And ever since then, we all just been super cool. That was my first video, actually.

XXL: What advice can you give to aspiring Eye Candies to not get eaten alive in this game?

Ms. Cat: Only thing I can really say is to not be sidetracked with the rappers. Always know that the money is the motive. You can suck a dick any day, all day, but the money is supposed to be the motive. Stay focused on that. Some of these girls get kinda caught up in the— I just heard a story recently. A chick was saying that a rapper had told her to fly out to do his video. And my thing is this, if you want me to do your video, you’re paying me right? Why would I fly out for free? And they get sidetracked with the fact that, “Oh, well he personally invited me.” If he really likes you, then he’ll cut you a check. People get kind of sidetracked with the whole he personally invited me thing. Well, (he) can personally cut you a check.  [Girls] get caught up in the hype of what’s goin’ on and not what they’re supposed to be focused on, and what they’re supposed to be focused on is the dollar… I don’t do the whole advice. People are grown, you do what you wanna do. Just be able to handle the backlash. And if you’re fucking rappers at least have your rent be paid. Don’t do it and you’re on Section 8. That’s not a good look.

XXL: So what should these ladies be doing to get tight like you for the summer?

Ms. Cat: Work out everyday. If I’m watching TV, every commercial I do crunches. That’s probably the best fitness tip I can tell people because sometimes time doesn’t permit us to work out the way we want to.

XXL: Do regular (non-industry) dudes have a shot when they approach you?

Ms. Cat: Not really. When they say people in the industry only deal with people in the industry, it’s true ‘cause it’s just convenient. If you on set 19 hours a day and you have a boyfriend who works at the bank, he’s not gonna understand. And you’re on set with stars all day. It makes men really insecure. So, like a lot of times no one wants to end up dealing with people in the industry, but you just do because they understand. So it’s sort of like the gift and the curse. They might be just as busy as you, so you don’t really get a chance to enjoy them or your relationship.

XXL: Word is you are coming out with your own line of cat suits. Why?

Ms. Cat: Because I look amazing in cat suits, and every time I wear one I get thousands of people who are like, “Woah, where did that come from?” So, me and my business partner are teaming together to make an entire line of them. They’re hot and sexy and fun. You know, little cute club outfits, for videos, stuff like that. I like fun easy stuff, I don’t like anything too serious.

XXL: Well can we say that you are open to the possibility of being on future reality shows?

Ms. Cat: I am open to everything if it’s about a check.

XXL: You might want to be careful about saying that. You might get some crazy offers when people read that.

Ms. Cat: [Laughs] Well, we’re not talking porn. Let’s put that on the record. You will never see me in porn. Negative. Some people get in this industry just for the fame. But the fame does not pay the bills at the end of the day. So, I’m not saying to take anything just for the sake of being paid, hell no. You supposed to know your worth. That’s one of the things I always used to say on the show. Men know their worth and women, we should know ours. So no, there’s certain things I will not do. I mean, don’t get it twisted, don’t think people have not approached me to do shit like that. Like the craziest stuff.

XXL: What’s the wildest request you’ve gotten?

Ms. Cat: [I] always get the message to my booking e-mail, “We want to book you for a party.” I give them the rate and tell 'em, “Where’s the venue, how many people?” And then they say something crazy like, “The Ritz-Carlton, four people—" and I’m like “What? [Laughs] What did you just say? Listen sir, serious inquiries only. No thank you. C’mon, there’s people you can hire who would love to do that for you, but it’s definitely not me."