To know me is to know I’m a huge Drake fan. I’ve been riding with him since 8th grade and I’ve never wavered. I could talk for hours about my favorite Drake songs and why… I’m not sure I have one favorite, but all of his timestamp records are masterpieces (9AM in Dallas, 5AM in Toronto, 6PM in New York, etc.).

‘4PM in Calabasas’ was on repeat for me when it was released on streaming platforms after X amount of years. I listen to so much music that I often come up with days based on a lyric or I may envision how I’d direct the video/what aesthetic goes with a video to me. (See my SZA ‘Kill Bill’ inspired shoots here and here).

“Look at me now, they look at me like the golden child” was the line that stuck out to me when I repeatedly listened to ‘4PM in Calabasas.’ I knew I was going to incorporate the color gold in some form or fashion.

I was unemployed at the time so everything needed to be completed on a budget. I had given my bedroom a makeover with black paint only a couple months before this shoot, so I knew I had a solid black wall to use and gold and black quickly became the color scheme. I got all of the photo frames I command stripped to the wall from either thrift stores or the Dollar Tree - and that was pretty much the set!

My look was a big focal point for this shoot, given the set design was pretty basic. I made sure my hair was black and “gold,” pulled out all my gold jewelry, did my own makeup with strip lashes, eye shadow, and stick on gems I already had, and I’d owned this black off-shoulder top since 2018… details matter.

I did however make these insane press-ons (also all will materials and supplies I already owned). God bless the women who wear their nails this long regularly - I just did it briefly for the look.

These photos were taken early on in this photography journey so they were taken on my iPhone 13 ProMax and edited on my phone via Photoshop Express. This shoot is still one of my favs to this day and so is the reel I made to go along with it!

Reel:

Behind the Scenes:

Final Images: