Fresh Faces: Armani Black

A version of this feature appears in the June issue of AVN magazine. Click here for the digital edition. Armani Black entered the adult industry last year with a caveat. Everything, she vowed to herself, would be done first class. That probably explains why she pursued iconic agent Mark Spiegler as her representation. “He’s the godfather of porn, the Ari Gold of the adult industry,” Black says. “I wanted the best of the best—and I got the best of the best.” Black is making Spiegler look good for his decision to sign her. Less than a year into her newcomer campaign, Black has already shot for A-list studios such as Brazzers, Cherry Pimps and Jules Jordan. Her most memorable experiences thus far include squirting for the first time during a romp with Zac Wild—“It was like opening Narnia,” she says—a showdown with Rob Piper for Jules Jordan Video and a tango with Danny Steele that marked her first on-screen anal. “I took it like a champ,” Black says. The pinnacle for Black thus far, though, occurred in June, when the rookie landed her first shoot for Vixen Media Group—a backdoor romp with Mick Blue that drew rave reviews on the studio’s anal-themed brand Tushy. A 31-year-old brunette, Black has 44 scenes listed in the Internet Adult Film Database (IAFD), and she estimates she’s filmed at least 40 more that have yet to be released. “I love working hard; I love the grind,” says Black, who lives in Florida. “This is my life now. It’s who I am.” As much as any first-year performer, Black indeed appears driven—which is hardly a surprise to anyone familiar with her past. Hard work and ambition, Black says, are inherent traits that began to define her long before she entered porn. A New York native, Black spent her childhood in Queens before moving to Long Island. By her early teens, she had embraced the independent, fast-paced culture of her home state. Black says she developed “street smarts” before she ever reached high school. “There’s nothing better than taking a train into Manhattan and saying, ‘I’m going to go on an adventure today,’” she says. “You’re in a world amongst strangers, and it’s OK. “I’d go to Bryant Park and sit there listening to music, or I’d draw or read a book. I loved the history museums, too. Some days I’d just sit on the steps and people-watch with a good dirty-water dog in my hand. There’s something extra-flavorful about street-cart food.” Not that Black had a ton of extra time. By age 13 she was volunteering at a local veterinary clinic. She spent her summers as a camp counselor and then landed her first “real” job at Chuck E Cheese—although she only lasted two days after being asked to wear the mouse costume. “I scared all the kids,” she chuckles. Before she ever finished high school, Black had earned her cosmetology license. Then it was off to college to study nursing. “I was very diversified,’ Black says. “I had a great education and a great family upbringing. One of the main things my parents instilled in me was a strong work ethic. It’s something I’ve always prided myself in.” Still, even though she was independent and motivated, there was a side of Black that was also quiet and shy. That all changed when she began working at Hooters to help pay her college tuition. Whether it was screaming “Order In!” as she attached a ticket to a metal wire and slung it toward the kitchen, or flirting with the male clientele who ogled her, Black quickly came out of her shell at the famous breastaurant chain. In almost no time, she ascended the Hooters ranks and became a professional “Hooters girl,” traveling across the northeast for appearances and helping train employees when new franchises opened. “I did a 180 at Hooters,” Black says. “Having to be in the position where you have to be bouncy, you have to be bubbly … I got into my comfort zone and was able to mature.” Eventually Black moved to south Florida, where she hopscotched from job to job. She bartended at Hooters and Twin Peaks and was a server at a handful of high-ended restaurants. She was a secretary and an executive assistant and also had a stint in health insurance. Black said she was still trying to find her place in life when her boyfriend introduced her to the swinging lifestyle—an endeavor that would alter the course of her life. Always a loyal partner, Black was hesitant at first. “I was a little nervous about crossing boundaries,” she said. “I didn’t have an understanding of how it worked. But once I dipped my toes into it, I fell in love with it. All of the swingers we met were so happy. They were stable in their relationships. They were confident. “The amazing thing was that my man and I would still go home together at the end of the night. It made our relationship a lot stronger. And we made so many good friends.” One of them was Tony Rubino, a south Florida native who has been starring in and directing adult films for the past 15 years. Initially, Black’s boyfriend contacted Rubino and asked if he could help her set up an OnlyFans account. A meeting was scheduled. “And she flaked,” Rubino laughs. “Then we set up another one and she flaked again. I think she was just nervous and unsure. So I called her boyfriend back and said, ‘If she doesn’t want to do it, fine. But can we at least get together and have a little fun?’” A few days later, Rubino, Black and her boyfriend got together for a threesome, and Rubino pulled out his cell phone and started to film. Black was uninhibited, Rubino said, and it wasn’t long before she contacted him and told him she wanted to try her hand at studio porn. “I told my man, 'If I’m going to do this, I want to do it the whole way,’” Black says. “I’ve always been all about porn. I’ve been watching it since I was [a teenager]. I was like, ‘Let’s go big or go home.’” Rubino was happy to help. He shot several scenes with Black for his website, MyLifeInMiami, and then helped her land scenes with Florida-based studios such as BangBros and Reality Kings. “She was awesome,” Rubino says of Black, who has a 34DD chest. “I knew she was going to be great. I’ve brought a lot of girls into the business and sometimes you just get that feeling of, ‘This girl is going to be a star.’ “The main thing is that she loves to fuck. In the beginning she was over-thinking things. I told her, ’Don’t think about things so much. Once the sex starts, just enjoy it. Don’t think about anything but fucking and having fun.’” Black’s comfortability on camera enhanced with each encounter, and it didn’t take long for word about the buxom brunette to spread. Black shot a scene with AVN Hall of Famer Keiran Lee, who recommended her to Spiegler, who is based in Los Angeles. Black had already done her research on Spiegler and was determined to join his stable. But the super-agent had some reservations about signing someone who lived on other other side of the country. “The important thing for any new performer is to work a lot,” Spiegler says. “You want that initial momentum. When you’re (in LA), a lot of studios have girls cancel on scenes, so you pick up a lot of jobs as fill-ins. Abella Danger, her first couple of years, a third of her scenes came on jobs she picked up. Filling in is important for gaining momentum.” Spiegler, though, was sold on Black after she traveled to California to meet with him at his apartment. He signed her on the spot. “She’s cute,” Spiegler says. “She’s a tremendous performer and she has a great personality. There just isn’t anything not to like.” Although the travel can be cumbersome, it’s hardly been a deterrent for Black. She usually flies to Los Angeles twice a month and stays about a week each time, working as much as she can. This August she plans to be there for the entire month. Now that she’s checked off anal scenes, Black says double-penetration encounters are in her future. She’s also getting better and better and deep-throating—“It was a struggle at first,” she laughs—thanks to some coaching from Mick Blue. So a blowbang may be in her future, too. Whatever the genre, Black is hoping to continue to work with big-name studios and directors such as Vixen and Laurent Sky, who was impressed with the voiceover she did for the Tushy scene with Blue. “He said, ‘You walked in with an associate's degree and walked out with a doctorate,’” Black says of Sky. “The whole thing was a VIP experience. From the wardrobe to the makeup chair to the cast to the crew to the kindness from everyone on set … it couldn’t have gone any better. They are all perfectionists. They didn’t miss a thing.” As striking as she is physically—and as sizzling as her scenes have been—it’s Black’s intangibles that continue to earn her praise. “She likes to smile,” Rubino says, “She’s friendly. All of those things come into play when you’re analyzing whether a girl can get to the very top level. You can’t just be pretty. You’ve got to have a personality and get along with people. “She might be driving to set and the whole time she’s nervous. But as soon as she walks through that door, the nervousness goes away. She walks in with a bubbly demeanor and says hi to everyone in the room. Being nice may sound like something simple, but in this business it goes a long way.” Black says her positive vibes come naturally. “Kindness is free,” Black says. “Why not just give it out. Smile at someone. You may not know who needs it. Energies manifest. It takes a lot less energy to be happy and upbeat than it does to be so negative. I tell myself, ‘Be friendly and kind, and it will come back to you.’” Asked about the whirlwind that has been her past year, Black pauses to reflect. “Initially I was terrified that I’d shoot one or two scenes and be like, ‘Yep. I made a porn video,’ and that would be it,” Black says. “I never expected to be where I’m at now. “I’ve finally found my little niche, my little place in life. I’ve found what works for me and no on can take that away. Life is too short to not do what makes you happy.” Photography by Tushy/Vixen Media Group, Brazzers and Jules Jordan Video