Q&A with Crime Mob's "Circles" music video girl
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Justice Marshall. Photo: Courtesy of Justice Marshall
An Atlanta native's tweet about her childhood role in the hip hop video "Circles" by Crime Mob recently went viral — nearly seventeen years after the video's release.
Flashback: An eight-year-old Justice Marshall caught the attention of viewers in the Atlanta group's video as she stood on a TV to grab a mic and sing until a woman pulled her away from the camera.
Flashforward: The now 24-year-old tweeted about it last month, igniting a wave of nostalgia on X. The post has received 2.2 million views and 31,00 likes.
Axios reached out to Marshall to gauge her reaction to being a part of history. Her responses have been edited for clarity and Smart Brevity.
Behind the scenes: I don't think I auditioned. My dad was a Hot 107.9 morning show host and his friend in casting was looking for a small Black girl. I'm a little bit of a "nepo-baby."
- I ended up breaking my flip flop during the shoot. I was so g--damn dramatic, crying to my mom. You would think I was Leonardo DiCaprio. They taped my shoe, so if you watch the video, I'm gripping the TV with my toes.
- I met Princess and Diamond, and Diamond was incredibly nice. Her mom was the one who pulled me off the TV in the video.
Anthony Hamilton: I'm also in Anthony Hamilton's music video for "Struggle No More."
- I play his daughter. There's a scene where he looks at a photo of me before it cuts to a scene of me with the family.
- I didn't meet him, which is upsetting because I sing "Charlene" at every cookout.
Meeting celebrities: Living in South Fulton, most of my classmates had well-to-do families, so I didn't go around telling people. I don't talk about it all because it feels gauche but it was fun.
- I sort of went viral in high school for a few weeks when people recognized me from the Crime Mob video.
Fun fact: I also did a back-to-school ad in Upscale Magazine, so my mom has six copies at home.
- My mom named me after Janet Jackson's character in "Poetic Justice," and I was born on Tupac's birthday.
Final thoughts: I hope Crime Mob can reunite and collaborate with some younger artists. Crime Mob and Latto would go crazy.