Tastes Like Candace

Question: What kind of woman rocks a pageant-queen crown, 34C’s and a law degree? Answer: The woman of your dreams. Say hi.

Words: Khalid Salaam
Images: Joaquin Palting

Candace Smith is insatiable. Upon graduating from Northwestern University School of Law in 2002, the Dayton, Ohio-born beauty embarked upon a career as a six-figure-making corporate real estate lawyer. But she wanted more. As a child, Candace always dreamed of pursuing a life in entertainment. So while practicing law, she competed for and won the title of Miss Ohio USA 2003. Still that wasn’t enough. Fed up with the career that others wanted her to have (being a lawyer), she abruptly left Ohio and moved to L.A. to pursue her acting/modeling/writing career. It didn’t take the human trophy long to start shining in Tinseltown. She quickly landed a Barker Beauty gig on The Price Is Right and a commercial for Coors Light, and scene-stealing video appearances soon followed.

While her acting skills were highlighted in the video “Groupie Luv,” for West Coast rap outfit 213 (Snoop, Nate Dogg and Warren G), her most noticeable moment came in Lloyd Banks’ “On Fire” video, where she left jaws across the country ajar by simply stepping out of a Jacuzzi dripping wet. While she defends her video spots, she warns that those who think the video world is all glamour will soon discover its insidious underbelly. “There’s nothing wrong with being in videos, but you have to not allow yourself to be exploited,” she offers. “What I’ve seen behind the scenes, to be honest with you, is queens not seeing the true value of who they are and looking for affirmations from the wrong places. What I’ve seen on sets is complete degradation.”