Instagram popular star Raheem Abike Halimah known as Papaya Ex and fondly called “Abike Arab Money” has spoken on love and the kind of man that catches her fancy.
The social media influencer has built a career as an actor, brand influencer, fashion model, content creator and beauty therapist.
She said she believes in love, quoting Davido’s popular lyrical phrase “Love is sweet but when money enter love is sweeter.”
On relationships concerning the kind of man that catches her fancy, Papaya Ex explains that she doesn’t really have rigid criteria for the kind of man she wants in her life and frowns at the prospect of making the first move to start a relationship, saying it just doesn’t cut it for her.
“Actually, I don’t have the type of way I want my lover to look or act, because you can’t force or teach somebody how to love you, unless they learn/study and know one’s worth, but give me a dark-skinned, tall, caring and rich man to hold a body.
“Then on making the first move, for me, it is whatever rocks your boat. I have a friend that asked her man out and they’re still together, but for me, I think it’s a “No” because men can be funny, at a point when he starts misbehaving, he might start with the ‘Sheyb na she ask me out’ kind of game. So, a “No” for me.
On her experience as a fashion model and modeling, Papaya Ex said it all appears as glamour and glitz but it entails so much hard work.
“Experience as a fashion model in Nigeria is hectic but bare-able at least, also time consuming from creating content, posting contents, appearances because sometimes I shoot almost 20 hours in a day then before we now talk about trolls online.
“It’s a long story because people feel like they know me and my personal life too much, so they want to judge all day, and honestly, I just would be chilling and doing my thing how I know to do it, life isn’t that serious.
“Being a fashion model sounds glamorous, but it requires a lot of hard work and consistency. However, spending your day making others feel truly pampered, or looking great can be both fun, exhausting and rewarding,” she explained.
On being a brand influencer, she said: “It takes a lot to be a brand influencer, it’s not just about wearing clothes and taking fine pictures, post, for people to see. It takes a whole village to be; hard work, consistency, prayer, intelligence.
“Brand influencing is a successful business but the rate at which everyone wants to be one is high. First, are you ready for social media heat? There are days you have to question yourself about Fame? Besides, the hatred and jealousy, I think it’s really hard to be a brand influencer/public figure, cause first your business is out there: public, personal or private.”
She is from Oyo State and has lived in Lagos and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Her fan base of over 600 thousand followers on Instagram has turned her into a sensation on Instagram and some brands have felt comfortable to partner with her to promote their brands.
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