Azah’s plan from the get-go was to target the first HoH of the season. Unfortunately, that plan went awry, as she was put on a team with that very person, as well as Derek Frazier and Britini D’Angelo. Despite the reign of the Mad King of the Jokers, Azah grew incredibly tight and loyal to the members of her team. It even got to the point where she offered to go up on the block in Britini’s place one week, concerned for her friend’s mental state at being a pawn. That being said, she did have some room to play, considering she was part of “The Cookout” alliance. Playing to ensure the first Black Big Brother winner gave Azah some emotional investment, feeling this is why she was picked out of thousands to play. As the weeks went along, the Cookout rolled through its master plan, picking off anyone outside its inner circle. Throughout that, Azah was able to stay off the block, making bonds with people her alliance would soon send off to the jury house. When the Cookout succeeded in their mission and made the final six, Azah won her first (and last) bit of power that season, becoming HoH. Despite a number of pitches from Hannah Chaddha that the men had a deal to get to the end, she chose to target the grad student. She initially looked like a dead woman walking, but Xavier Prather’s choice to boot Kyland Young over her got her to finale night, one competition away from winning the final HoH. Shockingly, going into last night, she had changed her mind about taking Derek to the end, getting infuriated by his continued insistence that she did nothing and he carried her all game. But we never got to see the ramifications of that hypothetical choice, as Xavier won the final competition and sent Azah to the jury, where she turned around and voted for him to win alongside the rest of the eliminated contestants. Now out of the house, Azah talks with Parade.com about what she would have said if she faced the jury, when her game pivoted to one of loyalty and honesty, and how she looks back on her part in such a historic season. It’s been less than 24 hours since you’ve left 85 days of confinement in the Big Brother house. How are you feeling? It’s such a whirlwind. I have freedom, but I’m still waiting for more freedom. I’m really looking forward to going to CVS, my favorite store. I want to go up and down the aisles and do some shopping at CVS. But it’s been a lot to take in. I don’t think I’ve even had time to really process anything. But it’s still been a really fun whirlwind journey so far. Between the last week and your face in response to Big D’s answer, it was abundantly clear you were voting for Xavier to win. What was your reaction to everything that happened in the finale? Being in a final three and having six days in the house with everyone, I had a lot of time to think of different scenarios and where I would vote. So by the time I walked out that door, I knew where my vote would lie. I was also really processing the night as a final juror. You have your sit down with Julie, and then you meet the final jurors. It’s such a whirlwind process for me to be able to process things. I’m the one who in the house is always known for showing my emotions on my face. I was still trying just to process, “Okay, you did not win, you did not win, you did not win.” But it was an easy decision for me because I had already gone through that thought process if that scenario was given to me. That being said, let’s say you had won that final HoH competition and took Xavier to the end. What was the argument you were going to make of why you deserved to win over him? Well, I operate by my faith. So I feel if God had wanted me to win, I would win against anyone. My finale speech was based around the HoH letter that my father gave me that said, “The race is not for the swift, nor is the battle for the strong, but time and chance, it happens to all.” I was going to talk about the fact that I definitely wasn’t a social butterfly. I wasn’t in the Slaughterhouse; I wasn’t in the Royal Flush. But I developed genuine relationships throughout the house that kept me off the block the entire game. I wasn’t the master manipulator; I was honest. And I pretty much told the truth in most of my gameplay. Because of that, I had most of the game information in the house and built trust throughout the entire house. And finally, I wasn’t a competitive threat. But guess what? I won when I absolutely needed to at the final five and final three. I was going to let the jury know that it’s very possible to get to these two chairs by being your genuine self. I was going to ask the jury if it’s your opinion on whether you feel a genuine game can win Big Brother as mine can. I was going to really harp on the fact that I played a genuine game, and I stuck with 100% of my deals. And I was going to try to come up with as many reasons that would differentiate me from both X and Big D. And maybe I’m delusional, but I believe in myself. And I felt I would have been able to get votes to win. On that note of honesty, you came in as a big fan of the show who was ready to make moves and cutthroats. And you end up playing one of the most loyal and honest games of the season, to the point where you’re actually not making many alliances outside of the Cookout to avoid lying. When did that pivot point come in the game? When I came in, I wanted to start a female alliance, which I did in week one with the King Slayers. I was getting ready to take out all the men out of the house. And then, I also joined the Cookout. And then, in week two, a member of my alliance was put on the block and accused of starting a female alliance by a member of the Cookout. And the guilt that I had of someone else being given the blame for something that I did is what literally pivoted my game for the entire season from that point on. I just didn’t feel comfortable for someone else taking the blame for what I did. I always wanted to have accountability for my own actions. That’s where my transparency as a strategy completely evolved, and I started being more transparent in the house. Also, the fact that the mission was to crown an African American winner, I had to put my personal wants and game aside for what was best for this alliance. It’s what really completely evolved my gameplay from what I thought I would play once I came in. To that point, you actually offer to go up on the block in Britini’s place at one point because you felt bad she was being nominated so much. I think it’s safe to say you would never do that coming into the game. Yes. It’s crazy. I’m a huge fan of Big Brother. But I’m not a fan of someone being a scapegoat for something that they did not do. And Britini was just completely confused as to why she had been put up. It made me feel icky to sit and hug her and know that she was a pawn and someone in my alliance put her up. It just didn’t sit right with me, and it made me feel horrible. It was just too difficult for me to continue playing the game, having that achy feeling inside and to make myself feel better. I just did as much as I could to hold myself accountable. When it came down to the Cookout at the end, you seemed to be totally fine going out in third or fourth with the guys. In fact, during the double eviction when you were HoH, you turned down Hannah’s pitch to go after Kyland and Xavier, instead of targeting her. What made you decide to go in that direction? I will say that I played to win. My game plan was to pick a ship, and I stay loyal to it. I would not feel comfortable doing multiple alliances or multiple deals with different people. That could definitely blow up in my face. In my head, I felt that I could win. From what I perceived in the gameplay, X was not a fan of Ky and wanted to take Ky out even if Big D didn’t want to. So if I had a final three with X and Big D and if I won the final HoH, I would be in those final two chairs, and I will build my case to win Big Brother. Me deciding to roll that way was the only reason why I kept that final four with Kyland. I hoped that X or Big D would win at four and take him out. I couldn’t have at five because of the deal that I had made. But I wasn’t fine being in four, and I wasn’t fine being in fifth. I told the boys I was fine being in third, but that was not my plan. I knew it was a do or die; I needed to win the final HoH to get in those final chairs. How do you look back on your participation in the season, given the legacy of what the Cookout was able to accomplish? I’m just completely humbled to be able to be a part of it. I have a mantra outside the house: You haven’t started living until you start living for others. Coming into the house, I thought I would never have to go by that mantra. But it was very interesting to find out how our alliance was able to get to the end was literally not working for yourself but putting others before yourself. And I’m happy that was something I already lived outside this house. Putting that aside and making that sacrifice was difficult, but it was something I was able to do, and I’m happy that I was able to contribute in that way. Next, check out our interview with Big Brother 23 runner-up Derek Frazier.
