Rhyheim Shabazz Exclusive: How He Became The Hottest Gay Porn Newcomer Of 2019, Why He Wore A Mask In His First Scene, And What It Was Like Hooking Up With Sean Zevran
Gay porn newcomer Rhyheim Shabazz burst onto the scene barely two months ago, but he’s already landed an exclusive contract at TimTales, filmed a scorching hot collection of homemade videos with A-list stars, and amassed an army of devoted fans who can’t wait to see what—and who—he’ll be doing next. Get to know a little more about Rhyheim in his first exclusive interview below.
Str8UpGayPorn: Hello, Rhyheim! Let’s start with some basic information. How old are you, where are you based out of, and when did you decide to become a performer? What inspired that decision?
Rhyheim Shabazz: I’m 37 and based in Los Angeles, and originally I’m from a small town in southern New Jersey. Before porn, there really was no work. I kinda just lived. I mean, I escorted in the years between the ages of 21 and 30, but I guess I’ve just spent the last seven years finding myself and becoming more and more comfortable with what I found.
Had you watched a lot of porn before you started, and did you know what you were getting yourself into?
I was never so much into porn as much as I was into actually having sex. A friend would always give me a hard drive with porn that he’d downloaded from his favorite sites, so I don’t think that I was ever the type to really seek it out.
Was there any particular type of porn you preferred to watch?
When I did watch, I preferred it to be as real as possible. My go-to companies were MachoFucker and TimTales. If it had a script, or if the actors were glossed with make-up, the sex scene wouldn’t really do much for me. Nothing against a lot of the studios out there, but watching a lot of their actors perform was kinda like watching bad dancers on the dance floor. No matter how sexy the actor was, when I would hear their fake moans and see their boring movements, I found myself thinking, “What the hell are they doing?” I think I just got bored when it seemed like actors were just going through the motions or taking directions.
You only joined Twitter like two months ago, but you already have over 100,000 followers, which I’ve never seen happen before with a new performer. What’s the best part and the worst part about being on social media and interacting with fans?
I really knew nothing about Twitter except hearing that Donald Trump tweets some crazy shit. When I opened my account, I was pretty surprised at how fast and easily I learned to use it. My favorite thing about it is of course the positive feedback, but I’ve also learned to appreciate the negative as well. Some of it forces me to re-think the things I do and how I do them. The most challenging part of it is probably fighting natural impulses. I’m blunt and brutally honest, but I can’t be that way with folks who don’t really know me.
That’s the hardest part for a lot of people, I think. Knowing when to just not respond to something.
It’s weird to have to stop and think to yourself, “Does this person have a point, even though what they said makes me want to choke them?” Or, “Did this person really mean to be offensive, or am I just too sensitive to the truth? Do I call this bitch—who’s usually a fellow performer—out and create public drama, or do I just sit back and be patient and wait for karma to do its job?” One has to be extremely careful when navigating all the winding roads.
How did you decide to become a TimTales exclusive?
At the time, I was kind of managing performer Leon Reddz’s career and fan pages. I’d been working with him on his OnlyFans/JustForFans sites and they had become pretty successful, so I wanted to keep the ball rolling by having his first professional gig be at a studio that was looked up to. A mutual friend connected me with Tim Kruger, and he invited Leon and I out to do a couple scenes.
So why were you wearing the mask in that first scene, and what made you decide to not wear it in subsequent scenes?
At that point, I’d not shown my face at all. I made an appearance on Leon’s fan pages to help give him a boost, but never revealed my face. I always wanted him to be the focus of the operation. When we got to Barcelona to shoot, I asked to use the mask and TimTales agreed. They showed me that filming a fan video is like a light jog compared to the marathon that they had me run.
The hard work was worth it and has definitely paid off, I think, based on what TimTales has released.
While the work was tough as fuck, I immediately clicked with the team and agreed that if I came back to film with them, I’d do it without a mask. Within a week of our return from that first trip, Leon and I parted ways due to creative differences. But, the money was too good. So, I opened my own Twitter and revealed my face just before they released my first scene. I basically wanted to establish my own brand just before the release.
During filming of the first scene at TimTales, were you nervous? Did everything go as you expected it to?
This is a hilarious question for me because I was so ignorant. I figured I’d walk in and fuck for like an hour and be on my way. That one hour ended up being four, and by the end of it my body felt like it had stepped into the gym and worked out with a trainer for the first time. The first thing that I had to adjust to was sex without music. Then it was adjusting to taking direction, because I’m a control freak. Lastly, TimTales makes you fuck hard and intensely. I’m used to treating my bottoms like we’re on our honeymoon, but TimTales had me fucking like I wanted a divorce. By this time though, I had so much respect and trust for the producers that my only focus was to not disappoint.
So now that you’ve done both, do you prefer filming studio porn or your own homemade porn?
It’s difficult. Something about filming with TimTales reminds me of being the student in school that always wanted to be the best kid in class, and I enjoy the challenges they throw at me. My body appreciates the physical work that they require because it’s better than any workout that I’ve done. I’m learning about the industry and the people in it. Plus, I don’t have to oversee anything the way that I do for my fan pages. So, I can take a more laid back approach as opposed to being in charge. I enjoy the creative freedom that doing my fan videos allows, but when it comes to me, nothing beats a challenge. And TimTales is definitely more of a challenge.
As a viewer, I think all the videos are great for different reasons. Who films and edits your fan videos?
Most of my movies I shoot myself, but my most popular movies are shot by a friend who goes by the name Eagle Eye. For months he saw my content with Leon and would always say “Can I shoot your movies?” When I decided to be front and center, I needed someone to film so that I could focus. I called up Eagle Eye and the rest was history. As for editing, I do it on my own. There really isn’t too much work that goes into it because of the way that my content is shot. Just a matter of piecing things together.
How do you decide when and what you’re going to record for your fan pages, versus when you’re going to have sex off-camera? In other words, is it ever a challenge for you to decide when to turn the camera off?
Anyone that knows me will tell you that I’ve had enough sex in my lifetime for probably 10 lifetimes. I’m honest enough to admit now that sex for me is enjoyed vicariously. Whether through my partner or audience, my pleasure comes more from empathy now than self-gratification. I really don’t have much interest—and, to be honest, much time or energy—in casual sex anymore.
Sounds like it’s more about the creation and the look of the final product than it is about you just getting off.
From the outside looking in, that can seem kinda sad, but for me it’s the opposite. To have so much power taken away from my hormones is kind of freeing. But hey, if I connect with someone on “that” level, fuck a camera. Let’s get naked.
Did you know when you were filming with Sean Zevran that the videos would be as well received as they were? Tell us what led to the collaboration.
Like pretty much everyone else, I was familiar with Sean from his previous work. Before meeting him on the day that we filmed, I’d only come in contact with him once before. It was at a friend’s pool party maybe three years prior, and he had—or has, LOL—the most assertive resting bitch face, I just knew he wasn’t anyone that I needed to introduce myself to. Plus he’s kinda hot, which can be intimidating.
I think most of us in this fan page business have those “gets” that we know would just take us to that next level. The collaboration that’s gonna up your followers, then your subscribers, then your bank account. Sean was obviously that for me, but he was totally unattainable in my mind. I remember wanting to reach out to him on Twitter but couldn’t DM him, since he wasn’t following me. I remember waking in the middle of the night to pee one night and checking my Grindr in the process, and guess who was less than 1000 feet away?
Sean Zevran!
I hit him up, and to my surprise, he was so nice and agreeable. I thought it was too good to be true, but he agreed to come shoot the following weekend. I anticipated his canceling, but homeboy actually showed up. The days leading up to it, I was so nervous.
Why?
So many reasons, but mostly due to expectations that I’d put on myself, and expectations that I knew people would have for us. Yeah, it’s porn, but people be hella passionate. I avoided sex for like a week so that my dick would be at full strength, and I worked out extra hard, cause Sean’s got some muscles. I couldn’t be looking like he should be climbing my back. He arrived as nervous as I was, which immediately changed my composure, because it suddenly became all about taking care of him. In the end, what you saw was us simply having sex. There was no playing to the camera. It was just us and the music. I think what made it so hot was simply the fact that it was genuine.
Has anything about performing been a challenge for you?
I think for me the important thing to remember is not to “perform.” I hate taking photos mainly because I’m so aware of the camera. Posing has always seemed so fake to me. As fake as Photoshop. The challenge for me is ignoring the camera. Even Eagle Eye yells at me when I give him direction during filming. Marijuana helps. It relaxes me and it relaxes my scene partners. It’s become like a third scene partner.
What do you do in your spare time?
I try to tell people how corny and boring I am, but no one seems to believe me. My friends know not to invite me to parties or clubs, because it’s just not me. I’m more of a homebody. I like doing things with my dogs, I like reading and writing, and I like just hanging out with friends undisturbed.
I meant to ask you about the dogs—I’ve seen them in photos and videos and they’re amazing. What are their names, ages, and breeds?
There’s Violet. She’s my 11-year-old Labrador, and she’s my first dog. She’s all about playing fetch and swimming. Then there’s Shiva. She’s my 2-year-old Husky. I call her my spirit animal because we’re just so much alike. She’s all about hunting. She’s usually always by my side, while Violet prefers staying at my friend’s place due to his large yard and swimming pool.
Of everyone you’ve filmed with so far, who have been your favorite co-stars, and why?
Sean of course. I don’t want to call out any specific collaborators because I don’t want to cheapen the fact that a lot of them have been favorites. My upcoming scene partner for TimTales, John Thomas, is a pretty amazing guy. I actually got to spend quality time with him and his boyfriend, which was cool and a sweet way to end the trip.
Finally, what do you have planned in the coming weeks and months for fans to look forward to?
I’m preparing to head back to Los Angeles now after two weeks of filming with TimTales. I’ll rest for a good two days and then start planning future trips and collaborations. The important thing for me is making sure that I put out quality stuff. My subscribers are all vocal in letting me know what they want and that can easily become an issue. I have to remind myself that I’m pulling them into my world, and not letting them create their own. I’ll just say that what I have planned next for Sean Zevran and I has me pretty excited.
I can’t wait! Thanks for chatting, and thank you so much for all the great work so far.
Rhyheim Shabazz in his most recent TimTales scene, co-starring Santi (watch full scene here):
