Last week, Drake and 21 Savage dropped the visual for their collaboration “Spin Bout U,” marking the first video from the duo’s joint project, Her Loss.
In the video, which was shot by Dave Meyers, Drake and 21 Savage are found lost at sea on a beautiful and luxurious yacht. At first it looks like 21 is the Rose to Drake’s Jack Dawson, but the party of two is quickly interrupted when they save a woman who is seemingly drowning. After wining and dining the mysterious woman back to health, Drake and 21 then find themselves intertwined in the plot of Captain Phillips, as a clan of women board the ship and tear the place apart in search of jewels and loot. The four-minute video is quite comical and entertaining, but the star of the visual wasn’t Drake or 21. It was the leading lady: Precious Lee.
Precious Lee’s name might sound familiar. She is a plus-size model from Atlanta who has walked in shows for Versace, Moschino, Fendi, and many more. Lee began her career at the age of 18 when she was attending HBCU Clark Atlanta University. She is currently signed to modeling agency IMG and over the last few years, has made waves in the fashion industry, appearing in high-end fashion shows and on the covers of magazines. Along the way, she has also made history as a Black woman and curve model, which has led to a more inclusive industry.
Check out some fast facts about Drake and 21 Savage’s leading lady below.
Lee’s introduction to the fashion world wasn’t easy. After moving to New York City to pursue modeling, her agent suggested she change her name “to something more mainstream.” Lee was reluctant, but obliged and selected the name Victoria. “I quickly realized I didn’t connect with the name,” Lee wrote in a personal essay for Time. “I would go into casting and write down “Precious” by mistake—or they would call for ‘Victoria,’ and I wouldn’t answer.” Lee asked her agent if she could revert back to her given name, but they rejected the idea. So, Lee changed agencies a few times before signing to IMG in 2015. It was there that she insisted on going by her birth name and embracing her identity. Although she admits it was hard having people reject her based on her name or how she looks, it ultimately helped her become more confident in who she is. “No matter what industry you work in, a lot of people will try to manipulate you,” she wrote. “It’s so easy to take in everything that you hear and let others’ voices drown out your own. You can be completely manipulated into acting, doing, and saying whatever other people want you to.”
Lee wasn’t always headed down the fashion model path. She revealed in a 2022 cover story for Elle that she initially planned to go to law school. She only decided to change course after a friend persuaded her to go to an open call at a modeling agency in Atlanta. She signed with Ford Models during the second semester of her senior year of college. “That was one of the most spiritual decisions that I feel like I made in my adult life—to really take that leap,” she said. “To say I’m a full-time model after spending thousands of dollars on college. That is a huge risk. Especially being a size 12, 14. Having dark skin, not coming from nepotism. There were so many different things that were aligned for me to have ‘a struggle.’”
In time, Lee worked her way up in the fashion industry, appearing in print advertisements and commercials. After nabbing the Lane Bryant campaign in Vogue, Lee was soon tapped to walk the runway for Christian Siriano’s inclusive fashion brand. Lee has been a recurring model on Siriano’s runway, walking every show from 2016 to 2020. Over the course of her career so far, Lee has walked in some of the biggest shows in the fashion business, including Versace, Etam, Tommy Hilfiger, Lanvin, and many more. She has also appeared in major campaigns for Kim Kardashian’s Skims and Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty show.
In 2015, Lee hit a huge milestone by appearing in the September issue of American Vogue in a campaign ad called #PlusIsEqual for plus-size womenswear company Lane Bryant, becoming the first Black plus-size model to appear in the fashion magazine. Just one year later , Lee made history again, becoming the first Black plus-size model featured in Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue. The high profile model didn’t stop there. In 2021, she checked off another accomplishment, as the first Black curve model to walk in the Versace fashion show. Of the huge feat, she told Good Morning America, “Walking Versace with two other non-traditional sized models was a huge breakthrough… I am the only curve model in the campaign. For me as an African American woman […] to finally be able to break through something that was not set up for me—[the fashion industry] is not set up for someone my size and my color and my background. It is a lot to get through that.”
You can catchLee on the cover of magazines almost as much as on the runway. Since appearing inside of American Vogue, Lee has been tapped as the cover star for the brand’s Italian issue. She has also been featured on the cover of Elle, W, Porter, and more.
In 2021, Lee made her acting debut in the Starz comedy series, Run This World. She appeared in two episodes as the character Cherise. Though it was a small role, it is a solid stepping stone for future acting opportunities.
