
I have been called arrogant when I say that I'm lucky, when in fact, I am just confident. - Djamee Raphael
#HISTORY Some of you new and even old friends don't know what I do HERE, so today I decided to clarify in a few words as a recap of my company ACTIONS: I founded Djamee Management in 2000 with my first model "Rome," Romello Mack
After 911, when I was getting the run around from the modeling agencies; I decided to get castings for him on my own. We were so successful thanks to Claude Grunitzky co-sign; Claude was then TRACE magazine Editor in Chief & Chairman with Fashion Director Stylist, Christine Delassus.
After 2 years persisting bringing that ONE composite card to the redaction; in 2003 Rome booked a TRACE centerfold editorial for the worldwide exclusive debut of #Y3 a story shot by star photographer Ben Watts. Soon Rome booked a Levi's TV ad for their "loose 501 Jeans" which ran in 2004 ; MTV2 TV promos; Jay Z's most memorable videos, Jeremy Scott's first shows at Bryant Park Mercedes Benz; everyone wanted a piece of him.
Fall 2003 Stanley at Stanley Kaplan Talent offered me to open a Modeling Division for his Talent SAG AFTRA Agency licensed after meeting me an afternoon at a Cyber coffee on Ave A where I had been hired to conduct my open calls for models once a week to bring in a beautiful crowd.
There I had built a model board one model at the time until I had a division. I met and helped countless talent book national commercials; movies; music videos; print; catalogs; billboards; principal roles in movies even extra work.
Some bold faces include Toni Belafonte; Frduah Boating , who was featured in "American Gangster," and also booked a "Corona" print ad among other gigs I sent him to.
Leo Luganskiy has had to date the best run for a TV ad by "AT&T." "Techno Twins" He also played the young "Marilyn Manson", in a TV documentary "The Ghost Stories." Tina Lorraine Brown," also was one of our booker she has since relocated to California where she continues working in Hollywood.
In the Fall of 2006 I registered DJAMEE ENTERPRISE at Manhattan's Supreme Court.
One of our best new model ever at the time "Robert Knox," started to book UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON back to back. I believe he booked 6 UCB worldwide campaigns. 112+ countries had his face on the street at the same time lol. He was even booked to fly to Paris for United Colors of Benetton, 40th Anniversary. Because of time constraint and a resulting cancellation at the last minute; Robert was still paid but had to wait until later to fly to Paris to walk for Givenchy's men show.
Another exceptional Djamee Model Jarret, walked the tents for the last time for us at Bryant Park. He also booked a Asics, campaign for NYC Marathon and several fashion editorials and music videos.
In February 2008, I met and signed Shaun Ross, to Djamee Models. I had him booked within 5 days for his first show for "HOOD BY AIR" he did a presentation for Timothy Amilton, a few days before that. He was only 16. That same season Sean John, Diddy Combs Puff... turned Shaun Ross down for his "All black cast" of models for his last fashion show at to date during New York Fashion Week on.
We realized (his mom Shaun and I) this would not be easy to open doors for him due to people ignorance and their love for the status quo in the fashion industry.
Nevertheless The New York Times, ran a huge story by Guy Trebay "Will Is Singularity Lead to Pluralism? about the need for "Models diversity," in which Shaun was featured and myself quoted. Tyra Banks, soon featured him for her new website launch and Shaun became known as the 1st African American albino male model in the world.
Late in the Summer of 2008, we lost a friend a model a brother and son a soon to be father to the streets of #NYC. Barnabe Rivera #RIP, was murdured a night in town. The killer is still at large and the prime suspect was let go by a scared jury. BJ that's how we all called him, was a super booker! If a casting was for blacks; he would still go and book it. He was a Latino from PR, living in LES. He walked twice for Jeremy Scott, during fashion week. He was on TV for the Sucker free MTV 2 promo and when music video were still relevant, he was in plenty of them including one with Jennifer Lopez.
During Fall 2010 Stanley Kaplan Talent, closed its doors to operate from home. Since we were both leaving that office, and I was just starting to work online; I decided to design my website and then Stanley's website; so people would be able to find us. Stanley was generous and gave me $1000,00 for building his site and pays yearly for me to host it. He is still using it up to this day and thousands of people have found him trough it; that was the objective.
With a new business format much on my own now; I needed to regroup and re-focus. I decided to go and learn from highly successful marketers and influencers how I could better help people trough my one of a kind company. I was introduced to Joel Bauer, and I was fortunate to learn from him at 2 events. One was in Boston, and another one at the Hilton in Newark NJ. This turning point happened between 2012 and 2013. Yes, my life changed 360. I went from not having a place to live or to work to, in 2010 to start making a steady income online and building websites that help my clients be found fast and separate their voice; their message from the crowd and the noise.
Flashback to 2004 when Apple, was about to change the music industry forever with iTunes; I jumped in and started learning about the music business. The first album I put on iTunes was in 2006 for the first artist i ever worked with, Young Rahda, who started with me as a model. Later that year on I ran into Kid Cudi, an afternoon in Soho. I invited him to my office and within a week or two he booked a job as a talent trough me but even though he told me he was making beats during our first meeting; we lost contact soon after he got his check. I saw him again he was on MTV at the #VMA..
This fact and missed opportunity actually motivated me to believe more in my instinct. Because I had scouted Kid Cudi on the street and he went on to become a huge star, this raised my level of belief and my confidence in my own flair for finding great talent Models and future stars.
Today I am proud to be in a position to help introduce to the world some of the best new artists I am lucky to come across. Djamee Models is registered with Casting Networks, Inc. as "Djamee Models and Talent," since Fall 2011 some are fairly new. This registration as an agency credited by top Casting Directors allows us to offer all talent free castings here in NYC and even in California and Miami.
You can be on your way to book a Nordstrom campaign like our "one arm model" Lucas or book a principal role on a TV show finale as "The shooter," for The Eric Andre Show like Y Millz, YMILLZ.COM did early in 2015 raising his rate instantly ✅.
I believe in giving opportunities to those that are not the first choice from the mainstream in the music and fashion industry. We are the proud mother modeling agency for Sanele Junior Xaba and despite Shaun's previous successes and proof of marketability; Sanele Junior Xaba also a model with albinism, who is represented by Boss in South Africa still gets much resistance from agency bookers in New York, in Paris... even though a lot of major Casting Directors have emailed me to let me know of their strong interest to work with Sanele. I might have to pull a Rome with Sanele Junior Xaba too (insert confidence here).
My goal is to change that trough my own efforts. My goal is to continue to knock doors wide open that have been kept shut for way too long for people from different backgrounds or minorities like models with albinism and models of other ethnicities including Asians and Latinos not often represented on the catwalk.
Why Is this going on? I think this is either because of prejudice or simply because some people at the gates of major companies are just way too comfortable and sometimes start losing touch with evolution happening right in front of them.
Our work is always felt trough our talent and future stars.
We are rare; proud and different from the MASS. Our appeal is distinctive.
As an individual I am part of a dream that is bigger than me.
In 2016 look for Caos Horris, CAOSHORRIS.COM new music streaming on AppleMusic as well as his work in a "secret" project with ADIDAS as a model. Mighty Da Don, MIGHTYDADON.COM CEO of Independent Music Label Young Boss Life Entertainment, YOUNGBOSSLIFE.COM, is working on his mixtape and has a EP WAR PAIN available on iTunes and Google Play for download.
So here you have it. We grind, we are focussed we believe in contributing in bringing out trough Djamee Models worldwide, resources and selected partnerships the best talent to the world; nothing less.
Check us out: Select Models; Talent; Artists and some the actual bookings trough time in images and videos. You think you have what it takes as a model; talent; musical artist; dancer, then contact us at info@djamee.com to join free. www.DJAMEE.com