Speaker 1: Um borrow with me here. You know BT Solo shout
Speaker 1: oct no real color what we see w getting rid
Speaker 1: of bula something boy can't stand on the home Sufi.
Speaker 1: I already know he can't ball with me because you
Speaker 1: have with a square to me they get they called
Speaker 1: to me by La Baller Alert. Welcome to the ball
Speaker 1: Alert Show podcast available everywhere you get your podcasts. I
Speaker 1: go by the name of Ferrari Simmons and I am
Speaker 1: your best tie s Solo. You know BT oct Or
Speaker 1: that Surrea's in the building. You not just Surreya in
Speaker 1: the building. Man. We got the actress, singer, songwritererver Man.
Speaker 1: Surrea has been in like called classics. I'm gonna just
Speaker 1: say like from Empire, to be a math, to Woo
Speaker 1: Tang saga continue like cowboy, y'all. We got sa in
Speaker 1: the building and I appreciate the intro. Welcome to show.
Speaker 1: I'm good, how y'all doing? Were good though, But it's
Speaker 1: about you. It's all about you a matter of fact,
Speaker 1: Can you take us back? You know we met you
Speaker 1: in twenty fifteen. I'm not sure if that's where you
Speaker 1: exactly started, but we met you on Empire twenty fifteen.
Speaker 1: Like and that was a time like an error, like
Speaker 1: when people was doing watch parties, like everybody was locked
Speaker 1: in the empire and we got to meet you and
Speaker 1: you would sing it dancing. You know. Sometimes people think like,
Speaker 1: you know, you just do that for the role, but
Speaker 1: you are actually doing music you know and everything. So
Speaker 1: can you take us back to that time, Like how
Speaker 1: did you get into acting? Is that's something that you
Speaker 1: always wanted to do? Yeah? Performing in general, it's always
Speaker 1: been a passion of mine and my mom put me
Speaker 1: in dance at four, and I started writing music at
Speaker 1: like around ten. Um, and it's it's always been a
Speaker 1: super passion of mine. And I remember being um, I
Speaker 1: think five or six years old. Uh went I went
Speaker 1: to a Destiny's Child concert and I was just like, yep,
Speaker 1: that's what I'm gonna do. Not even it was like
Speaker 1: I'm a survivor vibes and yeah and so um that
Speaker 1: was like the pivotal moment for me as far as
Speaker 1: I can remember. Um. And then ever since then, it's
Speaker 1: just been you know, a grind, a NonStop you know grind,
Speaker 1: just just always involved in it. In school, yeah, outside
Speaker 1: of school, um, but specifically in twenty fifteen, I had
Speaker 1: just graduated high school WOU a year before, and and
Speaker 1: that was my first opportunity at like a television or
Speaker 1: being on TV. UM and so theatrically it was it
Speaker 1: was just different. It was it was a great opportunity.
Speaker 1: And because I've done modeling and and things like that
Speaker 1: before commercials, but not anything film and TV. So Empire
Speaker 1: was definitely my segue into the world I'm in. Now,
Speaker 1: how did you get that opportunity? My friend Dejean so
Speaker 1: Dejean Butler, I'm gonna just put that out there. That's
Speaker 1: my that's oh my gosh, that's family at this point.
Speaker 1: But so he gave me the tip off of like,
Speaker 1: there's an audition. I know that you're sing, you dance
Speaker 1: this this this character has to sing and dance um,
Speaker 1: and they're looking for this role. See. So his mom
Speaker 1: is Leah Daniels, who is Lee Daniel's sister. She's a
Speaker 1: casting director. So he um, it was in the family,
Speaker 1: and he was kind of like, I'm about to put
Speaker 1: my friend on yeah, and so um, she liked my
Speaker 1: look and then I had to audition a couple of
Speaker 1: times and you know, it made its way through her.
Speaker 1: It made it to Lee Daniels. Then I had to
Speaker 1: audition for Fox again, and and then I was shipped
Speaker 1: off to Chicago foming Empire. So yeah, it was. It
Speaker 1: was really crazy though, because you know, when I knew
Speaker 1: when I got the audition for the show, it didn't exist. Yeah,
Speaker 1: so so it was definitely a whirlwind. I didn't expect.
Speaker 1: How did your life change in that time? So much? Girl,
Speaker 1: so much like three sixty. I mean I grew up.
Speaker 1: I grew up struggling and just kind of like you know,
Speaker 1: it wasn't easy childhood. I moved a lot. I have
Speaker 1: friends all over the country. Where did you start? And then, um, so,
Speaker 1: originally I'm from southern California, moved to La the Valley area.
Speaker 1: Then I moved here actually, and my dad lives in Seattle.
Speaker 1: As I live with my dad. I moved a lot
Speaker 1: as a kid, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot.
Speaker 1: So so it was that. And so when when Empire came,
Speaker 1: I was working, I was going to college and I
Speaker 1: was working at H and M and uh I had
Speaker 1: what college were you at? Community college? And colleagues? Um,
Speaker 1: and and uh I was It's called Pierce Piers call
Speaker 1: it by the way. She didn't have a good time there. No, no, no, yeah, no,
Speaker 1: what I didn't want to. I didn't want to. I
Speaker 1: knew what I wanted to do, so um uh yeah,
Speaker 1: I was doing that working at Each and Them and
Speaker 1: I had just booked um a modeling agent CESD, so
Speaker 1: I was doing that on the side. Um and then yeah,
Speaker 1: once I got that call, I was like, you was like,
Speaker 1: that was your first song acting? Um no, but pretty
Speaker 1: much yeah, pretty much on TV. I was very green
Speaker 1: for your breakout though, for Empire to be your breakout,
Speaker 1: like you did a thing like you was performing, like
Speaker 1: like when you and the Ryan Densities of the world,
Speaker 1: you know, y'all can like really put on and perform.
Speaker 1: When it came on, I'm like, damn, you got everybody
Speaker 1: locked in and y'all had the songs that like Lee
Speaker 1: Daniel should definitely have like a talent agency because drip
Speaker 1: dropping all that stuff that y'all was. She didn't want
Speaker 1: to go back. I love H and M, but listen,
Speaker 1: working there is very different. Um. But No, you're right though,
Speaker 1: because Lee has a special eye for raw talent um
Speaker 1: and that's something that he I mean, it's proven over
Speaker 1: and over. So I'm very you know, grateful to you.
Speaker 1: I've been a part of that process. And other other
Speaker 1: you know, new or green artists were a part of
Speaker 1: the show as well. So it was this whole fresh
Speaker 1: face type of thing. Um and and yeah, so performing is,
Speaker 1: like I said, my thing. But Tianna didn't start off
Speaker 1: as as that. She was actually supposed to be more
Speaker 1: of a Lauren Hill Aliyah type. Yeah that was that
Speaker 1: was the original character role and power. Why did it
Speaker 1: evolve change? So? I um, they had they had a choreographer,
Speaker 1: but once again, it wasn't involved as she was this
Speaker 1: big performer, so it wasn't a big thing until I
Speaker 1: took it upon myself to make up my own dance
Speaker 1: for Keeping Moving, which was one of the first songs
Speaker 1: on the show. And once they saw me perform, and
Speaker 1: some of those moves I made up I choreographed. Once
Speaker 1: they saw me perform, the whole trajectory of Tianna changed.
Speaker 1: They're like, Okay, nope, she's not Elia, She's not this
Speaker 1: no more. We want Hakim and Tiana to be jay
Speaker 1: Z and Beyonce. So it just it changed. And then
Speaker 1: ever since then, it was like Jamaica Craft, who was
Speaker 1: an amazing choreographer came in and she I was like
Speaker 1: in Jamaica's boot Camp. Okay, I got my whole entire
Speaker 1: life with her. Don't touch my body was like I
Speaker 1: can't move, but yeah, so that's how it evolved. You
Speaker 1: steal friends with any of the cast members from Empower,
Speaker 1: I am, I am. I'm friends with a lot of them.
Speaker 1: I mean, we're all moving and working, so I tried
Speaker 1: my best to stay tapped in as much as I can.
Speaker 1: Speaking of friends. And around that time too, Taylor Swift,
Speaker 1: you was like in the Click like you was really popping,
Speaker 1: Like I mean you steal popping, but just starting was
Speaker 1: just like you just took off. I'm trying to tell you.
Speaker 1: Like that time in my life, it was like left
Speaker 1: and right, like I couldn't even Yeah, I couldn't really
Speaker 1: grasp what was really happening because everything happened so fast.
Speaker 1: So yeah, when I got the call to be in
Speaker 1: her video, I was like this cannot be real. Yeah
Speaker 1: I was Taylor Swift. She's great, She's a very she's
Speaker 1: a girly girl. She's a girl's girl. I can think
Speaker 1: that um, and she takes pride in and having girlfriends
Speaker 1: and and women empowerment and all that type of stuff.
Speaker 1: So it was great being around those ladies because once again,
Speaker 1: like we're relatively here group, you know, but um, there
Speaker 1: are people I looked up to, like Taylor Swift, like
Speaker 1: she's a songwriter. I was just kind of sitting sitting
Speaker 1: back like just you know, experiencing it at all. And
Speaker 1: I was nineteen, so rushed out of high school, rush
Speaker 1: of Taylor Swift. You're a cool kid man. Mentally, how
Speaker 1: was that for you? Because you know everything's going so
Speaker 1: fast for you at that particular moment, you're nineteen. I
Speaker 1: know that's a lot to take in mentally. Yeah, I'm
Speaker 1: glad you asked, because, like with something like that drastically changing, um,
Speaker 1: you know, your whole entire like mindset is just like
Speaker 1: being challenged. And I'm fine. You know, friendships are changing,
Speaker 1: families changing, dynamics are changing, and now like you know,
Speaker 1: me finding out like once you get on TV, people
Speaker 1: look at you differently. You don't. I haven't changed, you know,
Speaker 1: I'm the same price asking for money. Yeah, in your pocket,
Speaker 1: you got a million dollars tell you. I just want
Speaker 1: to say I've seen something that Taji put out there,
Speaker 1: and I love that she did this, because this is
Speaker 1: this is real life. When you are a guests are
Speaker 1: on the show, you're getting paid. Maybe I don't know
Speaker 1: what the running rate is anymore, but what I got
Speaker 1: paid was about maybe you know, eight or five in
Speaker 1: the episode five thousand episode. But then once you get
Speaker 1: your check, it's half of that. So and then I'm
Speaker 1: not in every episode. I'm only paid in the episodes
Speaker 1: i'm on. People forget about taxes, okay, and so you know,
Speaker 1: just because you make it on TV, I'm I'm still,
Speaker 1: I'm still. I was doing bookings every weekend the first
Speaker 1: couple of seasons of Empire because I wasn't a regular,
Speaker 1: so I couldn't count on being in every episode. Therefore
Speaker 1: my money, right, rent, I gotta live. So I was
Speaker 1: I was flying, gotta look good, going to these events, makeup, wardrobe,
Speaker 1: you know this. And so it's like, you know, I
Speaker 1: was doing a lot of club appearances for real, Like
Speaker 1: it was great the exposure, but I needed the money.
Speaker 1: So so you know what I mean, It's just it's
Speaker 1: what you said. Once you get on TV, people automatically like, oh,
Speaker 1: you're rich. Not the case, psych I'm arriving. I haven't arrived,
Speaker 1: but I'm arriving. Asking with Michael B. Jordan. He just
Speaker 1: did an interview a million dollars worth the game and
Speaker 1: he was like, you know, they was they was talking
Speaker 1: to him about man, do you feel like you made it?
Speaker 1: And he was like, I finally feel like that I
Speaker 1: made And I'm thirty six and I've been acting for
Speaker 1: you know, fifteen years, and he I finally feel like
Speaker 1: I've made it with this Creed movie. I feel like
Speaker 1: I have arrived. So yeah, that says a lot about
Speaker 1: this business. People just automatically think, you know, because you're
Speaker 1: on TV, you're making all this money and stuff like that,
Speaker 1: and that you could just take care of your whole family. Yeah, instantly, right,
Speaker 1: that's crazy question. So you're nineteen, This is changing, and
Speaker 1: mental is evolving, and relationships are changing. Are you in
Speaker 1: a relationship? Are you single at this particular time. We'll
Speaker 1: be right back with more of The Baller Alert Show.
Speaker 1: You're listening to a special edition of The Baller Alert Show.
Speaker 1: What's up? It's Sireya and you're listening to the Baller
Speaker 1: Alert sh The question I'm trying to ask is everything
Speaker 1: is changing? What about your relationship status? What about if
Speaker 1: you are seeing someone, did that change? You know? I'm Sorea.
Speaker 1: You know everybody knows Srea, but now I'm sorry. On
Speaker 1: TV it's different, right, it gets a little, it just changes,
Speaker 1: you know. And in guys sometimes they feel a little
Speaker 1: the ego be threatened. You're surrounded by celebrities, money and access, right,
Speaker 1: so now they may feel a way, you know, And
Speaker 1: so I've dealt with all of that. I mean, it's
Speaker 1: it's definitely a thing. But um, I was I did date.
Speaker 1: No one just didn't. No one knew. Okay, I'm very
Speaker 1: I'm a private person. You know. Even in my last situation,
Speaker 1: we were together for a year before we went public.
Speaker 1: So yeah, that's it's how did that even happen? How
Speaker 1: last situation did you go where you got somewhere together
Speaker 1: or how did that even? How did y'all get together?
Speaker 1: You and Jacob? When did we meet? Yeah? Like, how
Speaker 1: did you guys connect? Like the point where you decided
Speaker 1: to be together? Oh? Okay, okay, So well, both of
Speaker 1: our shows shoot in Chicago, and I think there was
Speaker 1: just a specific summer where the Shy and some of
Speaker 1: the casts from Empire we all know each other. We
Speaker 1: shoot down the street from each other, by the way,
Speaker 1: on the studio film a lot. So we were just
Speaker 1: all hanging out for a summer, and it just kind
Speaker 1: of happened that way. The friendship built into more. So
Speaker 1: you y'all were there on the summer. Was it a
Speaker 1: break or y'all were shooting? And then well empire always
Speaker 1: started right after fourth of July. Okay, so we were
Speaker 1: we were there shooting during the summer. Yeah, okay, y'all
Speaker 1: got bored and then he was like, yo, let's hang out.
Speaker 1: We don't know. I knew him for years before that,
Speaker 1: but so it just happened to happen that summer. So
Speaker 1: y'all started as like friends, and yes, evolved right, yes,
Speaker 1: Like what's your type? Do you have any type? I
Speaker 1: don't have a type, honestly, I really don't. But I
Speaker 1: could say, um, someone who's confident and sure and evolving
Speaker 1: and uh, you know, is kind of aware of themselves
Speaker 1: and can can reciprocate energy that type of thing. Um,
Speaker 1: obviously doing his own thing, has his own thing going,
Speaker 1: and and I'm good, you know, I don't need to
Speaker 1: jump into someone's already made situation. I'm not interested in that.
Speaker 1: I um, because I'm doing my own thing. You're not
Speaker 1: focused on your bag. But I do think it's important
Speaker 1: for both people to have, you know, their own things.
Speaker 1: Going to have a job, yes people say that, but realistically,
Speaker 1: like you had things that you like, right, Like you
Speaker 1: may like to travel, you may like life thing, So realistically,
Speaker 1: you're gonna want a partner that can appease that. Like, yes,
Speaker 1: you're not saying every day, right, but someone that can
Speaker 1: compliment the lifestyle for sure. For sure. Yeah, I mean
Speaker 1: you're not going to go back to like your old
Speaker 1: neighborhood and just start dating Joe from down the street.
Speaker 1: Like it's got to be someone of some type of
Speaker 1: that for her, never via your neighborhood. So you got
Speaker 1: You didn't come out and say that you guys broke up.
Speaker 1: It was like a mutual decision, I guess, or you
Speaker 1: guys are apart. You said yeah, yeah, so are you
Speaker 1: guys still friends now? Or I wouldn't say friends. Um,
Speaker 1: but we have had, you know, conversations afterwards, and I
Speaker 1: think that it's it's no bad blood. I think it's
Speaker 1: just um, something that we both realized that right now
Speaker 1: at this time, Um, he's focused on what he's doing,
Speaker 1: and I am too, and sometimes you just gotta be
Speaker 1: mature about it and be like, Okay, we're not gonna
Speaker 1: sit here and go back and forth all day. You know,
Speaker 1: I still am rooting for you. I obviously love him
Speaker 1: and I have loved for him, and I want to
Speaker 1: I want him in, you know, a beautiful situation, and
Speaker 1: he's got things going on. Dropped a movie in theaters,
Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So it's just certain things
Speaker 1: where I don't want no bad blood. I didn't we
Speaker 1: didn't say anything on purpose. I didn't. I never wanted that,
Speaker 1: so but I do realize that with me saying nothing
Speaker 1: says a lot. So yeah, well I thought it did.
Speaker 1: I think you guys did it so slightly when it
Speaker 1: was too quick obvious when the pres got deleted, that's
Speaker 1: when that's when I was like, yeah, they it's OK. Well,
Speaker 1: I know guys, when when the when the picture of
Speaker 1: Joey Badass came out there and they're like, oh, it
Speaker 1: seems like they look really good. That's why I was like,
Speaker 1: I was like, where is Jacob? No, So for me,
Speaker 1: I mean, I know Jacob, and you know, of course
Speaker 1: I was able to see you guys. You guys were
Speaker 1: very public like, I mean, you guys went to a
Speaker 1: lot of events together, you shared photos of each other
Speaker 1: on social media. So for me, I did start to
Speaker 1: question at some point like, oh, they're getting a little quiet,
Speaker 1: like what what is happening? And I did not assume
Speaker 1: it was work or anything, because you guys are always working,
Speaker 1: but you still seem to find time to be with
Speaker 1: each other to support each other. So I definitely was like, Okay,
Speaker 1: I don't the relationship is over. They're not all down. First,
Speaker 1: I think we just stopped posting together. Yeah. Yeah, it
Speaker 1: wasn't a bad breakup because I feel like to not.
Speaker 1: Maybe I'm a little different, but I'm friends with all
Speaker 1: my exes, like we are cordial. It's very mature. Listen,
Speaker 1: it ain't working. Doesn't mean that we don't have love
Speaker 1: and respect for each other, but as far as being
Speaker 1: in an intimate relationship, gonna leave that alone. Um, but
Speaker 1: for you to say that you guys are not friends,
Speaker 1: are you friendly? Oh well yeah, like if I see
Speaker 1: him as hey, you know what I'm saying. It's not
Speaker 1: like we have that blood like I said, but um,
Speaker 1: friends with me like we communicate, which we don't. Got it.
Speaker 1: Only thing going on man, she gonna be a man,
Speaker 1: She would say, no so much other things to worry about,
Speaker 1: you know. And sometimes I'm very much like you where
Speaker 1: I can be Core Jones. Yeah, but everyone's not like that.
Speaker 1: You have to also respect that factor too, for sure. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Everybody ain't like that. They might text you them, but
Speaker 1: like you miss me. Hell so the picture of you
Speaker 1: and Joey came out like what was your he don't
Speaker 1: want to he scared. I was very surprised. I um,
Speaker 1: I didn't expect that. He fools, I said, I had
Speaker 1: had me, had all of us fools? I said, she
Speaker 1: don't post them? Then it ain't really Then you posted,
Speaker 1: I said, Oh talking about that, I said, oh, oh gosh,
Speaker 1: I was, and I'm filming right now Kingdom business and
Speaker 1: how was that work? Like god, my phone is own
Speaker 1: fire like I wasn't. I mean, of course, right, but
Speaker 1: I just wasn't expecting that. And then I wasn't expecting
Speaker 1: people to be like saying the things they were saying.
Speaker 1: And you know, I usually don't recomment what I say.
Speaker 1: It surprised you. I didn't know I had so many haters.
Speaker 1: Oh no, I was looking too, I seeing a lot. No,
Speaker 1: I swear listen. I don't know. Look, I didn't look
Speaker 1: at the shade room or maybe the big ones, but
Speaker 1: on his posts it was a lot going on. But
Speaker 1: I think, um, I think it was very interesting. It
Speaker 1: was it was kind of funny. I was laughing a
Speaker 1: little bit. And you know the videos out, did you
Speaker 1: guys watch it? I haven't yet. Is definitely like a
Speaker 1: love story. So it's a really really dope video and concept.
Speaker 1: You had a soulful picture came up, Oh this guy,
Speaker 1: what's going on? See? No, he didn't. I was just like,
Speaker 1: man Jacob Joey Badass, so different, right, And then that's
Speaker 1: why I was like, what's your type? I don't have
Speaker 1: a type. It could be someone who's like super clean cut, fashionable,
Speaker 1: and then it could be someone who might be a
Speaker 1: little edgy. So I believed it. I thought you were
Speaker 1: with him. But he he believes in polygamy. No, he
Speaker 1: believes in multiple girlfriends. Joey Badass. Aquarius is in general
Speaker 1: to me general, we're not met for like one person
Speaker 1: or one thing or one we got to move around.
Speaker 1: Aquarius is are real, like we like an entity. You
Speaker 1: feel like Aquarius can't be monogamous. Well, I can't speak
Speaker 1: for all Aquarius, but you know, I do resonate with
Speaker 1: that person personally. You know, I'm not sure if relationship
Speaker 1: is necessarily for me one percent. I was like, I
Speaker 1: do not see her being a girl from one two three?
Speaker 1: I ask you this was like, we're gonna ask her
Speaker 1: this relationship and Octavia said, I don't think she's into
Speaker 1: that type of definitely not y'all know, girl, But I
Speaker 1: was like, no way, come on. That was for his
Speaker 1: song show me Yes, and now you have a song
Speaker 1: that can we talk about that song? And it just
Speaker 1: fid Sexy went to her single release the other night
Speaker 1: and just hearing the song over and over and seeing
Speaker 1: different types of people vibe to it. Girl did that Yeah,
Speaker 1: I appreciate you, Yes, absolutely, but yeah, like it's one
Speaker 1: of my favorite songs right now. It just feels so good.
Speaker 1: And I'm just in a space where, um, you know,
Speaker 1: releasing more music is upon you know horizons, yes, independently
Speaker 1: and um and yeah, I've been I've been in my bag,
Speaker 1: but I've been just working. I've just been in the lab.
Speaker 1: So yeah, and it's and it's starting to finally like blossom.
Speaker 1: You know, when you like when you plan to seed
Speaker 1: and it's just there, just water in it. I listen
Speaker 1: to a lot, so I'm talking about planning the seed. Um.
Speaker 1: And you know when you first start seeing that little
Speaker 1: bit of something coming off the ground. I feel like
Speaker 1: that's where I'm at right now. And it's been a
Speaker 1: lot of years of just ever since the Empire, I've
Speaker 1: been in the studio for years. I just want to say,
Speaker 1: how do you find the time? Because your schedule is crazy? Yeah,
Speaker 1: I um, now it's super crazy. But like on Empire,
Speaker 1: whatever I had time off or anything, I would just
Speaker 1: be in studio. That's what I was doing. UM. And
Speaker 1: it's also an outlet for me, so it's very natural space.
Speaker 1: But as far as putting music out, I I have
Speaker 1: developed my own vibe and what that is. And you know,
Speaker 1: I'm a performer, so has to be something that we
Speaker 1: can move to. And I happened to, you know, link
Speaker 1: up with this artist, Village Boy Prince in la Um.
Speaker 1: Check him out. Yeah, I gotta check him out and
Speaker 1: um and yeah, we just started vibing and it was
Speaker 1: a great vibe. I'm excited. When when will that be completed?
Speaker 1: Were writing the date and I'm probably gonna be in
Speaker 1: be a minute though, because yeah, yeah, I don't have
Speaker 1: a date yet, but I am gonna put out another
Speaker 1: single in the summer for sure. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1: Stay tuned with more of The Baller Alert Show. You're
Speaker 1: listening to a special edition of The Baller Alert Show.
Speaker 1: What's up? It's Soreya and you're listening to the Baller
Speaker 1: Alert sh I have a personal question in a timeframe
Speaker 1: of tattoos, I don't see any tattoos. You just can't
Speaker 1: say them, no, But I do have tattoos, like one
Speaker 1: here as most sleeves or anything's going to ever come
Speaker 1: probably not. I would. I really would love to do that,
Speaker 1: but I can't stand the pain. So that's why they're kind. Yeah,
Speaker 1: that's why they're little, and because you know, like just
Speaker 1: it's just a lot. When you on TV, you gotta
Speaker 1: get your got to do that every t you know,
Speaker 1: a long time, some of my um some of my peers,
Speaker 1: actor friends have to go through that to come an
Speaker 1: hour early to get the host leave covered up. That's
Speaker 1: just too much. Yeah, why do you feel after all
Speaker 1: this time people are finally gravitating to your music, your sound?
Speaker 1: You know what, for a long time, I was Tiana
Speaker 1: from Empire and hard to detach, I think. So I
Speaker 1: think it was hard and I fought it for a
Speaker 1: while and I was getting frustrated a little bit, but
Speaker 1: you know what, I started to just ride the wave
Speaker 1: and UM, be okay with that. And you know, it's
Speaker 1: a beautiful thing to be recognized for what you're doing.
Speaker 1: So I now I'm starting to feel like now that
Speaker 1: I'm kind of branching myself out of that into all
Speaker 1: these different avenues, people are able to you know, see
Speaker 1: me and kind of just see Sirea for what Sarrea is.
Speaker 1: And you're growing up, like you know, on television and
Speaker 1: people are seeing you in a different light. And speaking
Speaker 1: of um, you're on the series BMF, how was your
Speaker 1: thought process going into something like that? Because with those
Speaker 1: type of shows, those fifty cent power and all that stuff,
Speaker 1: it's a lot of it's it's a little more heavier
Speaker 1: than an empire or a kingdom business. You know, it's
Speaker 1: a you know, you got the nudity, the sex scenes
Speaker 1: and you just never know. I mean because cash Dog
Speaker 1: her first time on the thing was just you know,
Speaker 1: just bow in your face. So like, what was your
Speaker 1: thought process going into BAMF. I was so excited, y'all.
Speaker 1: I love gritty. They said no makeup. I was like, yes, yeah,
Speaker 1: you know, like I love being outside of what I'm
Speaker 1: used to or what people are used to seeing me
Speaker 1: as being a pop star for six years. It felt
Speaker 1: good to just jump into something that felt really grounded
Speaker 1: and real. And I got to you know, Lorie, she's
Speaker 1: a tom tom boy. She plays ball, you know, so
Speaker 1: it was just a whole different thing that I was
Speaker 1: that I can relate to. You know, growing up, I
Speaker 1: played ball growing up. So yeah, so point guard grow
Speaker 1: um so so yeah, it made me feel excited, excited
Speaker 1: to jump into this new this other world. And also, um,
Speaker 1: fifty cent is has amazing content. Yes, like his his
Speaker 1: I mean, but it is and it's so good and
Speaker 1: and it's it's grounded and it's real and um, you know,
Speaker 1: there's so many different avenues now to jump in with
Speaker 1: all the different shows Ye's going on, and I think
Speaker 1: at some point I was I was like, I gotta
Speaker 1: be on one of the shows. All the classics, yeah,
Speaker 1: are definitely a staple. What's crazy is I did a
Speaker 1: vision board some years ago and I always said, uh,
Speaker 1: black classic. Yeah, when the picture was Nia Long and
Speaker 1: Lorenz and Love Jones and that was just so I
Speaker 1: feel like I kind of like, you just know, it's
Speaker 1: not a film, but it's a lot of different black
Speaker 1: classics shows. So I mean I kind of checked that off.
Speaker 1: Now I'm like, Okay, where's my action Yeah, diversify your portfolio,
Speaker 1: da um action packed. I really want to really, Yeah,
Speaker 1: that's that's my dream role that and Mark, are you
Speaker 1: afraid of like being in that bubble of like black actresses,
Speaker 1: actresses who literally stay in that bubble. It's hard for
Speaker 1: some of them to dive versified, like the roles that
Speaker 1: they get or even the publicity they get the media
Speaker 1: outlets to talk about them, Like, are you ever concerned
Speaker 1: about being in that bubble? I think that it's natural
Speaker 1: to be concerned with that, right because I mean I
Speaker 1: can only speak for myself. But there are other things
Speaker 1: I want to do, such as Marvel, such as these things.
Speaker 1: So but but no, I feel like it's beautiful. I mean,
Speaker 1: it's a thing that I feel like you don't realize
Speaker 1: until you get in the industry and you started like, oh,
Speaker 1: there's other things, and there's you know, but for me,
Speaker 1: growing up black Classics was everything, you know, and that's
Speaker 1: what I looked up to. So I take pride in
Speaker 1: being considered amongst the group that we consider, you know,
Speaker 1: black classic actors, because I think it's great work. Personally.
Speaker 1: Before you came in here, VT, we were talking, I
Speaker 1: was just like you kind of like the way that
Speaker 1: you're taking over the screen is kind of like giving
Speaker 1: me near long vibes anyway, So Raz, we had a
Speaker 1: harder vision board because we just put me along here already.
Speaker 1: And I feel like, you know, as you continue to
Speaker 1: grow in your career, you're gonna be right there too,
Speaker 1: and we're just so proud of you. And I'm just
Speaker 1: I just love seeing your face and I can't wait
Speaker 1: to see the more of you, and I just feel
Speaker 1: like we got to know a lot more of you
Speaker 1: in this interview. You know what I'm saying, just from
Speaker 1: where you came from to where you are now, and
Speaker 1: I'm just excited, Thank you, thank you. I appreciate you.
Speaker 1: You're so sweet. And also you know, it's we started
Speaker 1: from the bottom for real. Yeah you know what I'm saying,
Speaker 1: And I think, yeah, thank you, And I take pride
Speaker 1: in that because there's so much that we all have
Speaker 1: to deal with whether where we're from because because of
Speaker 1: you know, our skin color, and you know, we fight.
Speaker 1: We fight all the time. We fight in to do
Speaker 1: whatever it is we want to do. And so I
Speaker 1: try to lead with that and and and stay grateful
Speaker 1: in the process, because there's always another level, there's always
Speaker 1: another role. There's always something bigger and better and more
Speaker 1: money and more accolades and awards and everything, you know
Speaker 1: what I mean. But I love I love being grounded
Speaker 1: and touching the people and and relate and being relatable.
Speaker 1: So real quick, did people ever mess up your name
Speaker 1: all the time? I'm everything in the world, Soria Serena
Speaker 1: Williams Serena. Your real name, Well, it's weird say that's
Speaker 1: my government name, Sia. We appreciate you. Was talking about
Speaker 1: a baller show anytime. Please come back. Thank you for
Speaker 1: having me. Thank you so much. I love it here.
Speaker 1: I can't get enough of baller Alert. Follow us on
Speaker 1: all social media platforms at baller alert. Go on to
Speaker 1: baller alert dot com.