“Ball is life” was Jonica “Blu” Booth’s living standard through her schooling, especially at her alma mater Fort Zumwalt South High School. She ate, breathed and slept basketball.
“It’s a whole world out here and we deserve to be in the world as well. We might be big in St. Louis but it’s a whole world. Let’s go see it and explore it. Just try, take that trip, check those flights. It’s an airport in St. Louis for a reason.”
The star athlete was not only popular for her skills on the court, she was also loved by peers for her charismatic, charming personality as the school’s proclaimed class clown.
Her magnetic aura was so infectious that she won numerous votes and was crowned Fort Zumwalt School District’s first Black homecoming queen. During that era, she never pictured herself becoming a recognized face in reality TV history.
“I never thought I would walk into fame that never crossed me,” Booth said. “I was just living my life and being free.”
She attended Missouri Valley College and majored in psychology with a minor in sociology. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she worked for Citi Mortgage and several other companies.
She had applied to be on the reality series, “The Real World” and was interested in being a castmate there. Friends persuaded her to apply to be a cast member on Oxygen’s “Bad Girls Club,” a show that moved seven women into a mansion for several months.
Booth objected because she didn’t see herself as a bad girl. She applied, though, and was selected for Season 12 in Chicago.
“I couldn’t go on there and say ‘Oh I’m fighting, I’m this and I’m that,’’’ she said. “I think they picked me because I was dating women and I wasn’t out yet.”
From her perspective she feels fans perceived her to be a player who was cheating on her girlfriend, but she says in actuality it was the opposite.
She added a lot of what viewers saw on the show was minimized because her and the other women were in the mansion for months and production only shows what they want people to see.
“We didn’t have access to the radio, cellphones, TVs,” she said. “What feels like a month to somebody else, one day felt like a month because you’re literally spending 24 hours with strangers.”
Her manager, Cheryl Martin, CMA Entertainment placed her on Rap Sh!t. The show follows the journey of Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion), two lifelong friends from high school on-the-rise to becoming rap superstars. The HBO Max series is created by “Insecure”’s Issa Rae and executive produced by her and Miami-based hip-hop duo JT and Yung Miami of City Girls.
Booth stars as Chastity in the series also known as the duke of Miami and a party promoter living a double life as a sex work manager. She sees the main similarity between her and Chastity being both are ambitious gogetting types of women.
“Chastity she wants to win, she wants to get there however it looks,” she said. “She’s just trying, that’s where I see the similarities because I want to succeed and I’m ambitious. I’m going for the things that people are scared to go for. I’m excited to see where I can take Chastity in the second season.”
She said working with Rae has been an honor and how she’s seen on screen and in media is true to who she really is.
“Its surreal to work with her,” she said. “I admire her, I’m a fan of her and I aspire to be like her. I’m excited to keep being around her, I learn so much from her.”
Booth encourages St. Louisans who still reside in the city and who aspire to achieve similar accomplishments as her to be fearless and not be afraid to go out there and see the world.
“Can’t be scared, we only know the south side, the north side, Central West End,” Booth said. “It’s a whole world out here. and we deserve to be in the world as well. We might be big in St. Louis but it’s a whole world. Let’s go see it and explore it. Just try, take that trip, check those flights. It’s an airport in St. Louis for a reason.”
Rap Sh!t has been picked up for a second season, no release date has been announced yet. Booth said she plans to have a watch party in St. Louis for the second season. She didn’t reveal a date or any other details yet.
“Thank God we got cleared for season two,” she said. “I hope my city is all tuned in and supports the show. It’s a great show you’re gonna find somebody you can relate to. Issa’s phenomenal. I’m with her we’re rooting for everybody Black, it’s Black Excellence.
Booth currently resides in Los Angeles and can be found on all social media platforms under Jonica Booth.
