Sawtee First Rapper to Cover Maxim, Lensed by Brandon Almengo

Sensual goddess rapper Saweetie covers the July-August 2020 issue of Maxim Magazine, styled by Bryon Javar in images by Brandon Almengo. / Makeup by David Velasquez; hair by JStayReady

In 2019 Saweetie “owned the summer” with her single ‘My Type’, propelling her into Billboard’s Top 100, only the seventh female rapper to scale that wall. ‘My Type’ “proved Saweetie’s bankability. It’s all part of her master plan—an empire dedicated to entertainment, beauty and fashion,” writes Maxim’s Jordan Riefe.

In her new release, ‘Pretty B*tch Music’, the daughter of Trinidad Valentin and Johnny Harper, says that you can’t expect respect from others unless you respect yourself. The rocket-propelled talent makes it clear that even the pandemic won’t stop Saweetie becoming the first rapper to grace the cover of Maxim.

Asked who inspires her, there’s no hesitation: Beyoncé and Jay-Z. “They remind me that all of these things are possible especially for people who look like me. Black excellence,” she says, stressing the glue that binds them. “She always had the eye of the tiger and I feel like that’s what I have, too. Because I’m a woman, people are always trying to make decisions on my behalf. But I always have to step up to the plate and say no, this is my shit, this is my company and we’re going to run it this way. I really love that she’s professional, but she’s the boss. And that’s something I strive to be.” 

“I want to change the meaning of pretty ’cause there’s this model on social media of how a woman looks,” the rapper explains. “I grew up in a house of all shapes and sizes of women. Pretty means different things to different cultures, different groups, different backgrounds and different ages.” 

Complex includes photographer Brandon Almengo on their just out ‘The 30 Best Image Makers Right Now.’

Almengo boasts a long list of photography credits and celebrity subjects. Whether he’s on the ground shooting for New York Fashion Week, contributing full-page photography for Nylon, Billboard, Forbes, Fader and others, or managing to grab portraits of some of pop culture’s most elusive personalities, Almengo’s work speaks for itself. His photos, guided by bright, tropical colors have featured the likes of Rihanna, YG, Saweetie, Miuccia Prada, and more. Between well-produced editorial or in-the-moment Polaroids, Almengo captures things as they are—and puts his own spin on them. -Skylar Beglr