Comedian Sommore once shared that every man she meets has revealed to her that they have or have had a crush on her half-sister, Nia Long. This would more than likely be a fact. Ever since her appearance in the 90s film Boyz In The Hood, Nia has Long been the apple of many men’s eyes.
Let’s take a look at a few of the celebrity men that have namedropped Nia Long as their crush. Nia Long is style, grace, and class. From stepping on-screen as “Lisa” in The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air to her recent movies like Fatal Affair, her beauty commands the screen. Dare we not forget to note that the now 50-year-old actress ages like a glass of fine wine. It’s no wonder that the everyday man loves and has loved her for years.
It’s one of the reasons why the often short-haired actress was listed as one of the beautiful women that rapper J Cole crushed on in his 2015 single “No Role Modelz.” In the song, Cole spits that his only regret was that he’s “too young for Nia Long.” The now-married rapper would only later realize that may not have been the case. In an interview with Larry King, Nia Long declared that J Cole “just doesn’t know” that he’s “really not too young” for her.
Another rapper to include Nia Long in the lyrics to their song was Kanye West. In his 2006 single “Touch The Sky”, West references the actress as the type of woman that he thought he needed. “Any girl I cheated on, sheets I [expletive] on, couldn’t keep it at home, thought I needed a Nia Long,” he raps on the song. The video treatment for the single would also get a blessing with a Nia Long appearance. Playing the role of his ex-girlfriend, Long aggressively walks on screen with Tracee Ellis Ross to confront West for not focusing on her.
Also in 2006, Chingy rapped that a woman he was crushing on looked like Nia Long in “Dem Jeans.” Joining the fray of rappers to declare Nia Long’s undeniable beauty is A$ap Ferg. The Harlem rapper named a whole song after the Best Man Holiday actress in 2017. Nia Long’s name also appears in classic songs like Nas’s “Oochie Wally” and A Tribe Called Quest’s “Steve Biko (Stir It Up). During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the actress shared that the lyric “Like Nia Long in a cherry thong with the lights on” inspired her to purchase one. Jay-Z also includes her in his hit single Girls, Girls, Girls. Nia Long revealed in a past interview with Essence that the rapper once approached her in a club and they had a very friendly exchange. It was then that he asked her the question that’s been on everybody’s minds: “How does it feel to be every boy from the hood’s fantasy girlfriend for 20 years?”
An appearance on TV One’s docuseries Uncensored would perhaps help her to reflect on that question a bit more. Nia Long recalled numerous times where she was being courted by many as she was the “It Girl” at the time. She also gave her friend, comedian Chris Rock’s theory as to why she’s constantly being namedropped in songs. “Your name rhymes with everything,” he said, according to her. Nia Long also revealed that before she became friends with Rock, they were set up on a blind date. At the time, they hated one another. However, she reveals that he was the “only dude that has ever given me a false number.”
Now, while Nia Long is aware of her impact and that she is widely admired, she is off the market. For over a decade the actress has been in a relationship with retired NBA player and now Boston Celtics head coach, Ime Udoka. The couple shares one son together, and in 2015 became engaged. However, Nia Long is not a fan of marriage and stated in an interview with Essence that she has no plans to marry.
