**Da Brat:** Suit by BARABAS
Brooches + Gloves + Scarves by Stylist Own
Shoes by Nike
**Jesseca "Judy" Dupart:** Double Face Satin Gown with Liquid Details by Rubin Singer
Earrings by Nicole Amato
Shoes by Schutz

When hiphop legend Da Brat met her wife Jesseca "Judy" Dupart for the first time, she felt herself unravel. “I tried to get some Hennessy to calm my nerves, missed my whole mouth and poured it all over my shirt,” she says she remembers having a sudden rush of butterflies. “Then I tried to be cool, rolled a little cigar, lit it, and the whole cherry fell and burned a hole in the couch. I had never felt that way before.”

The couple recalls the music industry as once a far more guarded space, where being different was seen as something audiences couldn’t connect with. But today, we can be free.

“When Judy sent that Instagram post and told the world, I felt a weight lift off me,” Da Brat tells PhotoBook. “Being out of the closet is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. I don’t want to hide who I love.”

Whether it's through Judy’s Kaleidoscope Hair Products—a multi-million-dollar brand with national retail success—or their newly launched book “The Way Love Goes”, Da Brat and Judy are using their platforms to inspire others. “Don’t let a bad situation take you out of the game,” Judy says, sharing details about their book. “You can find love in your 50s, your 60s—at any point. It’s going to come when you’re not looking for it.”

**Da Brat:** Romeo Hunte Red Blazer With Black Lapels by Romeo Hunte
Available at www.romeohunte.com
Denim Pants by ROCKET X Denim
Shoes by Nike
**Jesseca "Judy" Dupart:** HANNAH MAXI DRESS by alice + olivia by StaceyBendet
Brooch by Stylist Own
Earrings by Eclat by Oui at Flying Solo

“The Way Love Goes” moves between memoir and manual. At what point did you realize your love story could also function as a guide for other people trying to build something lasting?

Da Brat: I think because we still live and go through things and we’re human. People want to be in love, and people think that love is always easy, but a relationship takes work. A successful relationship, you know, there’s a lot of ups and downs and in-betweens, and you have to realize and figure out how to navigate through those things to stay happy.

Judy: Yeah, agreed, and you said it so eloquently. I’m a person that always tells people, tell it to me in the most digestible way, tell it to me in layman’s terms. So I think it’s trying to put everything together and just give it in the easiest, most digestible way.

Da Brat, you’ve said you once believed you might live ‘in the closet’ forever. What did loving Judy unlock in you that success, legacy, or time alone couldn’t?

Da Brat: Oh my goodness. When I finally met her, she said to me—and it totally threw me off—she said, “I’m interested in you.” She’s such a beautiful person, loving, caring, giving, understanding, and super smart. I was just like, how is this happening to me? And I was just so happy she came along. It felt like a gift from God.

**Da Brat:** Jacket by Laruicci
Pants by Rockstar Original
Plus Size Polka Dot Tunic Shirt, Plus Size Chic Clothing - See Rose Go – See ROSE Go By See Rose Go
Sneakers by TORY BURCH
**Jesseca "Judy" Dupart:** Dress by JENNY PACKHAM
Earrings by Eclat by Oui at Flying Solo

Judy, you’ve grown Kaleidoscope Hair Products into a multi-million-dollar brand with national retail success. What strategies or principles have been key to building such a loyal and inclusive following?

Judy: Transparency. Making sure to listen to my consumers. Inclusivity, not just because it’s a fad, but because I’ve always tried to make sure my brand makes everybody feel welcome. That could be your hair length, whatever your struggles are—chemotherapy, a bad YouTube how-to—whatever it is, there’s no judgment. We support growth in all aspects of life. I come on live with makeup on, with makeup off. I tell people about the good, but I also tell people about the bad. So I think we’ve been able to build a loyal community based off of that.

“The Way Love Goes” preserves your distinct voices—Chicago grit and New Orleans warmth. Where do your communication styles clash the most, and how did learning each other’s love language become part of the work?

Da Brat: I think our relationship clashes the most because my wife can go to sleep if something is unresolved, and I can’t. Her way of coping is to take a beat and walk away and come back to it. My way is to communicate and try to squash it. So communication is key. If she doesn’t want to resolve it before we go to sleep, we resolve it as soon as we wake up. Tomorrow’s not promised, and I hate when we’re upset with each other.

Judy: She’s right, I need time to digest. I don’t want to react immediately, especially if it’s something sensitive or made me angry. I want to be level-headed when we fix a problem, not speak off the heat of the moment.

Da Brat, you were the first female solo rapper to go platinum with Funkdafied. How did breaking that barrier shape your view on love and vulnerability?

Da Brat: With Funkdafied in 1994, I was still very much in the closet. My vulnerability didn’t come until I met my wife. I felt like no one should ever see me cry or know when I’d been hurt. When we did Brat Loves Judy, I didn’t want to show our vulnerability on camera, but my wife said, “This is real life.” I ended up crying on camera and thinking, Oh my God, I’ll never sell another record. But my vulnerability came once I met my wife and we got married. I realized it’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be emotional.

Judy, you’ve built an empire through discipline and faith. How do you stay devoted to ambition without letting it crowd out tenderness in your relationship?

Judy: Staying devoted to discipline is hard sometimes, but keeping your eye on the prize is key. Everything that felt certain a year or two ago isn’t anymore. I take my platform seriously. God gave me these things for a reason, and I try to use them responsibly and let people know anything is possible as long as you have faith. I stay intentional about striving for greater without becoming obsessive.

Metallic Ribbon Jacquard Dress by Rubin Singer
Shoes by Stuart Weitzman
Earrings by Eclat by Oui at Flying Solo

You write openly about jealousy, miscommunication, and repair. What’s one disagreement that taught you more about yourselves than any peaceful moment ever could?

Da Brat: I learned to listen to my wife before responding. Before, I would just defend myself. Now I try to take in what she’s saying and see where she’s coming from instead of jumping in fast trying to prove my point. I think it's really important to listen to your partner and understand their side to try to find a happy medium.

Judy: And I had to learn to stand up for myself. Before her, I turned the other cheek too many times. Being with her taught me I can be stern and still be healthy in a relationship.

Becoming parents to True Legend shifted your dynamic as a couple. What surprised you most about how love changes when it’s seen through the eyes of a child?

Da Brat: Oh my God. I am in love with my son and in love with being a mother. I just want to be the best I can for him. Everything I do now is for him and for the greatness and benefits of him. He’s my first priority. I never knew I could love this way. I feel like it’s made me and my wife closer. She already had children—my bonus children—and she kind of knows what to do. She helps me, but at the same time she lets me make decisions. I love being True’s mom. It’s my favorite thing ever.

Judy: Her morning, noon, and night is our son. And it’s the cutest thing to see. Having co-parenting and then having somebody that’s so excited and warm about it, and knowing they have the best interest of the child—it’s beautiful. I remember the first time he got sick. My wife wanted to talk to every doctor. But he still had to go through the course of the sickness. Watching her go through that with him, yeah—it just shows how deep her love is.

Coat by Laruicci
Jeans by ROCKET X Denim
Shirt by Maison Kash
Jewelry by Sunythejeweler
Shoes by Valentino

Da Brat, you’ve worked with stars like Jermaine Dupri, Mariah Carey, and Jay-Z. In The Way Love Goes, how did those experiences shape your understanding of partnership and collaboration?

Da Brat: I got to watch Jermaine Dupri be with Janet Jackson. I got to watch a lot of Mariah’s relationships from Tommy Mottola on down. You pay attention to your friends and their relationships, because you learn what you don’t want to go through and what you do want. Seeing what they did and didn’t do, what could’ve been better—I add all of that into my life. I just want to be the best wife, best mother, and best person overall that I can be.

Judy, KaleidoKares and your Guinness World Record toy drive show a remarkable commitment to the community. How do you decide which initiatives to champion?

Judy: When I started my nonprofit, they told me I had to have a specific direction, a specific group to help—and I couldn’t figure out just one. It’s not just single moms. It’s not just people with kids. It’s not just people who are struggling. For me, it’s whatever God leads me to do at the time. I don’t take my platform or my blessings irresponsibly. As much as God has given me, I try to give back as much as I can.

You connect with over 7.4 million fans across music, beauty, lifestyle, and LGBTQIA+ communities. How do you balance being visible online with keeping your relationship private and authentic?

Da Brat: I don’t know how much of our relationship is private after doing a show and now doing a book. We’re kind of sharing it all, but we just want to help people. We want people to relate to us. If we can help anybody—with our words, our experiences, our golden rules—if somebody’s going through a difficult time in their relationship and reads something that helps them, that’s what we want to do.

Judy: I think we are very transparent. My wife wasn’t in the beginning, but we are now. We’re just human as well. We don’t want people to think our circumstances or our reach make us any better than anyone else. We’re just trying to figure it out like everybody else.

When readers close “The Way Love Goes”, what do you hope they feel brave enough to try in their own relationships that they might have been avoiding before?

Judy: I want them not to give up. Everybody has stuff that happens to them. Me and my wife both have had bad things happen when it comes to relationships, family, all of that. My hope is that when people read the book, they’re motivated to continue their journey in the search of love and let it happen naturally. Don’t feel pressure.

Da Brat: Keep God first, or whoever your higher power is. Always pray. Try to do the right thing and treat people the way you want to be treated. Listen to your partner. Know when to shut up, know when to bow down, know when to give in. If you love your partner, you’ll meet them halfway in any situation.

CREW CREDITS

Talent: Da Brat and Jesseca "Judy" Dupart
PhotoBook Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
PhotoBook Creative Director + Photographer + Producer: Mike Ruiz
Fashion Stylist: Alison Hernon at Exclusive Artists
Hair + Makeup: Latisha Chancey
Tailor: Shanelle Butler
Set Design: Jasin Cadic
Photo Assistant: Dani Sax
Assistant Fashion Stylist: Sabrina Diaz
Fashion Stylist Intern: Christian Jeanty
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Brya Sheridan, Assistant to Editor-in-Chief, PhotoBook Magazine
Studio: LOFT ELEVEN TEN

“The Way Love Goes” Is Da Brat & Judy’s Debut Book—and Their Most Honest Love Story Yet