Couples Match
Celebrity Who Should Jump the Broom
While the world watched the royal wedding, my wife and I joined in the festivities, sipping Wedgwood tea, eating blueberry scones, and calling everything we saw “brilliant.” In other words, we were frontin’ like British sophisticates, but actually just sitting on our couch, wearin’ pj’s in DC. In between channel surfing to get every angle of what’s being labeled the “wedding of the century” I was also dreaming… dreaming of the Princesses and Princes I’d like to hook up and see married. Being a matchmaker, I pair people professionally. My success rate is high and it’s not because I have some supernatural matchmaking gene. It’s because whether or not we like to admit it, the art of matching is fairly scientific. The key components of a successful match are shared values, complimentary personality, and attraction. The latter is without question the hardest to pre-determine (because so many elements impact attraction), however, the former two are fairly straightforward to figure out. As a result of constantly thinking with this matchmaking formula in my mind,I often cringe when I see various celebrities prancing around at movie premiers or sitting front row at basketball games, knowing with every fiber in my body that the pair is doomed to end up labeled splitsville on one of my favorite gossip blogs. All that said, I did some homework and want to share with you the 10 Black Princesses and Princes I’d like to match (and why I would match them). To keep things simple, I’ve used the classic personality system DISC (Dominant, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance) as my gauge. Side note: If any of these couples end up married, I ask for the Essence audience to lobby for wedding invites for me and my wife to attend.
Princess Angela Simmons
Top Match: John WallAngela is my “li’l sister in my head”, so I put some extra scrutiny on this one.She’s a natural trendsetter with a keen business acumen that appears to run (pun intended) in the family.And speaking of family, hers is very close-knit with God at the center, and no question her top value. Watching how she stood behind her brother and sisters respective careers, I’m willing to put good money that if tested her personality type would come up as a supporter (DISC = Steadiness). The twist here is that this Princess comes from BIG TIME royalty (father is Reverend Rapper Run & uncle is Can’t Hustle Harder Russell, not to forget that step-mom Justine is a jewelry designer and Aunt Kimora is a mega mogul in the fashion and beauty arena). In going through my possible matches for her, all roads kept leading back to my city – Washington, DC and Wizards rookie John Wall.I’ve been impressed with how well he handles himself on and off the court for such a young man with so much at his feet.Reports from former classmates, teammates and fans who have met him all say the same – he’s a genuinely nice guy.He’s also very close with his family.His main objective when he went pro was to provide for his mom so she could finally relax after all the hard work she put in to support him.And while Angela and John excel in different areas, he, too, is a trendsetter.”John Wall Dance,” anyone?His personality appears to border on Compliance/Dominant…perfectly complimentary to the Steadiness personality of Princess Angela.
Princess Niki Minaj
Top Match: Lloyd BanksWhile rumors of “Nicki Nick gettin’ married today” Minaj (Drake voice) being romantically linked to several gentleman (and some ladies) circulate heavy on gossip blogs, I’ve never seen a rumor with my top choice for her – Mr. Lloyd Banks. Nicki often gets labeled for being an absolute creative or ultra ambitious but I’d think we should not be fooled by her blond, Barbie steelo. While she is amazingly talented, it’s clear the top value in her book is achievement. Achievement, not to be confused with ambition, is about not just seeking goals but accomplishing goals (listen to any of her work, from mixtapes to Pink Friday – achievement is 110% what she raps about). This Princess seeks to rack up accolades like Kimora Lee racking up shoes (side note: who saw Kimora’s closet back in the day on MTV Cribs? very niiiiiice). Personality-wise, Nicki is an Influencer, someone that is persuasive and enjoys recognition and prestige. Enter The Rap LeBron James aka Blue Hefner aka Gang Green aka 1/3 of G-G-G-G-UNIT-Lloyd Banks. This guy is one of the very few rappers I would not peg with Dominant or Influencer personality types, rather he has proven on- and off-wax to be the quintessential supporter (DISC = Steadiness). On the low, he’s racked up dinero, awards and admiration, in other words, he knows a thing or two about the value of achievement. Ladies and gentleman, it’s my pleasure to announce the new rap royalty: Nicki Minaj and Lloyd Banks
Princess Taraji P. Henson
Top Match: TyreseSo this one y’all are going to say I let one movie influence me, but’s it’s not just the permanent replay of Taraji yelling “JODYYYYYYY” that has me sold on this relationship. I’ve personally seen her interact with people and while she comes off incredibly warm, she likes logic, order, and appears not to be a big fan of unpredictability, all characteristics of a thinker (DISC = Compliance) personality type. You also can’t be around her for less than 5 seconds and not know she really enjoys life and places a high value on fun. Enter your favorite Baby Boy, Tyrese Gibson. Black-Ty wasn’t always ready to wife-up a lady, but this guy has really matured and it’s conveyed in his new book as well as nearly every tweet that comes from him. I would put him in the Dominant personality category and from the moment he flashed his genuine smile, sitting on the bus in that Coca-Cola commercial, I knew fun was a mainstay in his life. Tyrese is ready for his ‘Sweet Lady’ and Taraji P. Henson is it!
Princess Jill Scott
Top Match: QuestloveNot only does she have an angelic voice, her body of work from 2000’s “Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1” to her current masterpiece, “The Light of the Sun,” undeniably speaks to the soul. It’s clear she holds creativity as a top value and her beau would need to possess this, as well. Her personality appears to be similar to some characters she has portrayed on the screen; Jill is the classic supporter, using DISC means her personality type is Steadiness. Personality types generally compliment with any but your own so in this case we’re not looking for someone else with Steadiness. Enter Questlove! Not only did he discover her talent and share a similar origin to Princess Jill, it’s clear that while he shares some supporter characteristics, his dominant personality is more of a thinker, known on DISC as a Compliance personality. There is no question creativity ranks very high on his values list, as well. I have no doubt Jill and Questlove would make beautiful music together!
Princess Vivica A. Fox
Top Match: Kwame JacksonVivica has been cemented in the minds of many as a cougar, but I think that image is positioned in a bad way. Vivica has, no doubt, an appreciation for youthful energy that matches her own, but more than that, she values ambition (if I could queue up a song right now it would be 50 Cent’s “Hustler’s Ambition”). Any beau of hers needs to be thorough on the business front and youthful. Her personality is labeled under the DISC system as Dominant – which isn’t a bad thing. These types like power and prestige and respond poorly to losing control. Enter everyone’s favorite Apprentice, Kwame Jackson. Kwame is several years her junior and a mogul in the making. He is über ambitious and showed us on NBC’s “The Apprentice” how much of a Compliant personality he has. This is a no-brainer for me. If it was 10 years ago, these two would not work but if their path were to cross now, a wonderful match would be made.
Prince Cory Booker
Top Match: Hoda Kotb So, Mayor Booker is Newark’s hottest property – he’s the most requested Bachelor for me to profile on my twitter matchmaking show (follow me on twitter @PaulCBrunson every Wednesday at Noon EST). I know rumors continue to link him to Gayle King and while I like those two as friends, I believe they are actually too similar for it to be an effective romantic match. Corey talks about valuing integrity and democracy, but to keep it simple, he’s about truth and fairness. He has a hybrid Compliance/Influence personality but I weight him heavier as an Influencer. Enter the only Egyptian better known than Hosni Mubarak, Hoda Kotb. She’s a journalist by training, no question a profession rooted in the pursuit of truth – so she shares that important value with him. Personality-wise, she is clearly a thinker (DISC = Compliance).These two together would epitomize “power couple” and I would not be mad at all seeing Hoda in the Whitehouse with President Booker (see ya in 2020).
Prince Kanye West
Top Match: Tai Beauchamp I’m going to let you finish reading this post but…Kanye is unique…ain’t no question about that.Therefore, he needs to be matched with someone similar to his relationship vitals (values and personality) but also different enough from him to keep him stimulated. His values vary but I have no doubt beauty reigns in the upper rung. His personality type is so obvious that I will retire from Matchmaking if it’s not Dominant – strong willed, large ego, and argumentative. I thought long and hard on this one, perhaps longer than the others on the list and feel I’ve uncovered a diamond for Mr. West. Enter Tai Beauchamp. Known to many in the fashion and magazine industries, Tai is the former beauty and fashion editor at O, The Oprah Magazine, the youngest and first African-American Beauty Director at Seventeen Magazine, a philanthropist, and New York City socialite. Her passion for beauty is apparent and after having met her, I can tell you she is neat, organized, and very detailed, all characteristics ofCompliance – a great pairing with a Dominant personality.If these two get together, I predict they’ll birth a fashion empire to rival Chanel.
Prince Hill Harper
Top Match: Kimberly EliseThis is the one guy we all want to see married. He’s given us so much in terms of his books, outreach to youth, and entertainment through television and the big screen. Seeing him jump the broom would just be a good feeling – knowing our bro found love. So here’s my part to make that happen! Hill is 200% about communication – which is actually a value. He’s also a proud Harvard guy that prides himself on being conscientious and correct – all Compliance personality characteristics. Enter the beautiful actress Kimberly Elise. Her background screams perfect match. She’s the daughter of a schoolteacher and from a family that underscored the importance of education. Kimberly studied non other than communication in college and through her roles in movies from Set It Off to For Colored Girls we see she has mastered the art of communication.Her balanced and supportive demeanor is indication that she falls into the Steadiness category – a compliment to Hill’s Compliance. Elise has 2 children — can’t you see Hill being a great step-daddy?
Prince Lance Gross
Top Match: Meagan GoodI’ve met Prince Lance several times and because I’m secure in my masculinity, I must say, dude looks good. So good that I remember counting how many seconds my wife hugged him when we all met (11…slightly longer than the average hug which is 3 seconds). On top of the looks, he’s straight up nice…one of those guys that seems appreciative just because and keeps a permanent positive spirit. This leads me to believe happiness is a top value. Personality wise, he’s a supporter (DISC = Steadiness)! Enter an equally beautiful specimen, Meagan Good. I’m going out on limb a bit here, but every time I see a photo of her it screams…I just want to be happy…I thought I was crazy for thinking this until I saw an interview with her on BET’s Monique show and Meagan echoed my thoughts. That said, there is no mistake why she’s a paparazzi favorite, she’s a promoter (and a very good one) (DISC = Influencer). I love these two together. Just imagine the cuteness of the babies…enough said.
Prince Romeo
Top Match: Lauren LondonWe’ve watched Li’l Romeo grow up from mini-rap star protégé and actor to college athlete. And now Romeo is “Li’l” no more and showing us he can cut a rug with the best of ’em on Dancing With the Stars.Romeo has shared that what he looks for in a woman is intelligence, independence and confidence.It’s also known that he’s no stranger to being approached by “cougars”.The balance he appears to value and maintain in his life tells me that he falls into the Compliance personality category.Determining his match was a no-brainer – Lauren London (she’ll always be New-New to me).While she’s no cougar, she is 5 years his senior and can check off the attributes that are important to him.As for Ms. London, I think we all remember when she said in an interview that she was looking for a man that was “honest and a thug… an authentic gangster”.Given her fashion-forwardness I believe she is an Influencer. Romeo strikes me as a good guy and definitely honest… as for the authentic gangster part, well, maybe not.But anyone whose father has a solid gold ceiling in his home, definitely gets gangtsa cred in my book. Imagine the spread Master P will put on for Romeo’s nuptials!