Up Close & Personal: Kalia Yu

Me: Hey Ed, I can't think of a title for the model interview.

Ed: Hmm...I don't know, but something will pop up soon. I can't think of anything right now, I'm kinda busy.

Me: What are you doing?

Ed: Reading some article about a 12-second Yugo.

Me: (Bling) Yugo...Yu go, Girl! That'll work right.

Ed: Yeah, I like that one!

Meet Ms. Kaila Yu. She's no stranger to the import show scene. By attending many events in the California area, Kaila is branded as a top notch face in the import scene. She can be found in a few upcoming 2001 calendars, a special edition Playboy issue titled "Girlfriends" and now she can be viewed on the pages of your favorite magazine Import Tuner.

The plan was to go to lunch before the shoot, so once again I was called upon to take our next cover model out. (They twisted my arm again, those dirty bastards!) She arrived at our office wearing a long blue denim skirt with a high slit. She wore a baby blue top that was just the way we like it--tight as can be.

We arrived at Market Broiler and she ordered catfish and an iced tea. I had the halibut and a tall glass of liquid courage (a Heineken), to ease my nerves for the questions that you're about to read.

2NR: So you're a singer? Are you, like, the Britney Spears type?

YU: Almost, but I would say I'm more towards the R&B side and she is more towards pop. Honestly, I like the way Jessica Simpson sings; she seems like she has more of a future than Britney.

2NR: Oh yeah, she's the "proud-to-be-a-virgin" chick, right?

YU: Yeah, but I don't think that she should use that as leverage though. I mean, it's cool to be proud of something like that, but to be known just for that reason would suck. She has a beautiful voice.. It sucks, because it's mainly the media exposing the virgin thing.

2NR: That's true. I think that would just create a bunch of fans that think they have a chance at getting in her pants to claim victory. Personally, I think Christina Aguilera has a dope-ass voice. She has a chance at being a future Diva.

YU: She can sing, but I still think Jessica Simpson is better.

2NR: So what are your latest projects?

YU: I just came out in the "Girlfriends" issue of Playboy, and I just finished a few different calendars. Right now, I'm working on having my whole Website redone.

2NR: You weren't happy with your current one?

YU: Well, I designed my current one! It's alright, but I want it redone. Before I did it myself, I was shopping around for a Webmaster for the longest time, but they either charge tons of money or they want a chunk of what I would get out of it. That's what made me decide to learn how to do it myself. Now, I think I'm gonna go ahead and pay someone else to do it so I have more time to finish up my demo tape.

2NR: Sounds like your hands are full. Do you ever have any time to party?

YU: The last time I partied was about six months ago at a rave.

2NR: Oh, so you're a raver chick?

YU: Not a hard-core raver chick, I just experimented a little bit with the scene. I'll say this much though, you meet interesting people that just like to party. If I had time, I think I would go again.

2NR: When you say experimented, you mean you tried different things right?

YU: Yeah (giggling), I'm normally a shy kinda' person when it comes to meeting new people, but when I went to my first rave, everybody was so friendly and I felt like I could go up to anybody and just talk to them. That was the best part about going. I don't mind listening to the trance music when I'm at a rave, but it isn't my everyday type of music.

2NR: So what type of music do you listen to?

YU: I'm actually open to a lot of different types, but if I were to pick I would have to say alternative is my favorite. As far as groups go, most definitely Korn and Limp Bizkit. They're the bomb!

2NR: Uh...Korn and Bizkit aren't alternative, but I'll let you slide on that one. Do you have a boyfriend?

YU: Yeah.

2NR: Damn, that's the first time I've ever heard a Tuner model say "yes" to that question. Did you know most of the models have no boyfriends?

YU: That's weird. Well, I've been with my boyfriend for about three years now. I met him when I was at the University of California San Diego. You know, one of those friend-of-a-friend kinda' things and ever since then, everything has been all fine and dandy. I never did like being single.

2NR: OK, OK, enough about him. Let's talk about you again.

YU: Wait, I've got a question for you and all your male readers now. What's up with guys and nudie bars?

2NR: I don't know about our readers, but for me, it's the thrill of a naked woman bouncing around me to fast-paced music.

YU: I'm talking about lap dance stuff. I don't think I would want my boyfriend to go to one of those. Just the fact that another girl is flirting with him would kind of piss me off. It just seems like if the girl shows any interest in him, then he would be an easy catch.

2NR: That's the difference between a whorehouse and a nudie bar. You never leave with the girl from a nudie bar-remember, they're professional dancers, not hookers. Look at it this way, these girls get your boyfriend all hot and look who he comes home to.

YU: True, but it still sounds like cheating.

2NR: Are you working a booth at SEMA this year?

YU: Actually, I'm working the A'PEXi booth with Rowena (October '99 Tuner cover model).

Kaila Yu hit the import scene with a bang and since then she has been able to move on to bigger and better things. Actually nothing is bigger and better than our import scene, but you get the picture. From calendars to TV spots and even a Playboy shoot in her resume, this girl has done it all. With her demo tape almost complete, it's only a matter of time before this model makes her dream of being a professional singer come true. As far as we know, Britney Spears and her fake pair can move over, because Kaila Yu comes in OEM trim, baby!