I’ve been a fan of Issa Rae since I watched her web series Awkward Black Girl a few years back and it’s amazing to see how much her career has grown in such a short period of time. Since the success of Awkward Black Girl she has gone on to produce and write several more web series’, has written a book, and has recently partnered with HBO to produce a comedy series.
Issa’s newest project is a narrative podcast called “Fruit”. The audio drama focuses on the life of a gay NFL player who tries to keep his sexual orientation private. During the podcast listeners will hear the story of a football player who is only indentified as X. Throughout each episode X will discuss his journey of self-discovery and sexual exploration. The show will also follow the relationships that X has with his family, friends, and teammates and will reveal how those relationships affect his self-identity.
I’ve recently started listening to the podcast and it is definitely an interesting show! Issa Rae’s approach to telling a story in the form of a podcast is very unique and creative! Fruit is available exclusively on the Howl premium service, available through a mobile app for iOS and Android and online at howl.fm. You can also listen to the show on Issa Rae’s YouTube Channel.
When you decide to pursue your passion or dream, it can cause you to make some serious sacrifices. You might risk losing relationships, stability, income, and even peace of mind. Jay Smith is an upcoming comedian and actor who decided a few years ago he wanted to pursue his passion. He got his start in the industry as a student at Jackson State University when he joined the MADDRAMA Performance Troupe. Over the years he has made a name for himself in his hometown and has also built a pretty large social media following. You can even catch a glimpse of him in the latest James Brown biopic Get on Up.
The Mississippi native recently moved to Atlanta, Georgia to broaden his career, but his journey to chase what he loves has been met with some highs and lows. I caught up with Jay recently to ask him a few questions about his dream chasing journey.
AE: When did you realize you were interested in comedy and acting?
JS: I always liked pretending as a child, making up little stories in my head and acting them out. I played Joseph (Jesus’ father) in a Christmas play when I was five haha..I guess it’s been a while.
AE: Does anyone in your family have a background in either of the two?
JS: My dad and his whole side of the family are funny. My dad has a dry wit/ asshole-ish in a nice way personality. I definitely inherited that personality. I have a cousin who does standup. As far as performing period goes, my dad was in a funk band in the 70’s and 80’s called Freedom so performing is in my blood.
AE: Do you think people underestimate how difficult stand-up comedy can be? I remember seeing you for the first time probably about a year ago at a show and thinking I would be so nervous. You have to stand in front of a room of people and demand their attention. I’m sure a 10 minute show could feel like an hour when all eyes are on you especially if the crowd isn’t feeling you.
JS: DEFINITELY….comedy is so hard, so hard that I don’t even tell people I’m a comedian…I say “I do comedy” lol. When a show is going well every second feels better than sex. Well not better than, but AS good as some good sex…and that’s really all you can ask for. When it’s going bad, the worst part is that you already know it’s going bad. It usually doesn’t get better when it’s bad, and that’s the worst part…knowing that it might get worse.
AE: What has been your worst show so far? I’m pretty sure you feed off of the crowd’s energy so I can imagine if the energy from the crowd is low than your performance isn’t the best.
JS: YEP…I was doing a contest to perform for Katt Williams when he came to Jackson. My material was geared toward people around 25 -40 years old. Everybody in there was way older than that and I wasn’t comfortable enough with my act to deviate from it. They didn’t know nothing about the stuff I was talking about. My neck was burning and voice was shaking. It was like being in a burning house. I just cut it short and said “that’s my time.”
AE: Are there any comedians in particular that influence you?
JS: Yes. Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Louis CK, George Carlin, Paul Mooney…man Paul Mooney is that guy. I listened to Paul Mooney going to sleep every night for like a year and some change.
AE: Explain T.R.U.S.T and F.I.N.E. You use those 2 words a lot in your videos.
JS: So, TRUST is something that came from a crazy teacher at JSU I had. He stuttered severely and had a very smart mouth. After he made a point he would say “TRUST”. It turned into a hashtag on twitter, lol. Me and my classmates all followed each other and made fun of him on twitter and always ended the tweets with #TRUST. It then turned into something deeper after a few life experiences along with people outside of our class wondering what TRUST meant. TRUST then went on to mean having peace and TRUSTing the process of getting down whatever road you’re traveling in life. TRUSTing your intuition, TRUSTing the struggle.
F.I.N.E. is something that started with me and my friends at Hinds Community College in Raymond back in 2005. Basically a daily mantra to live by in acronym form. (Focused Intelligent Negro Excelling).
AE: I watched your most recent you-tube video and I see that this past year was pretty challenging for you. You ran into a lot of obstacles: being broke, not having a job, having to move back in with your parents, a failed relationship, being arrested and moving to a new state are major life events. Do you ever feel discouraged about following your dreams and question if what you’re sacrificing is worth it?
JS: Honestly yes, I don’t know if that’s something that’s going away anytime soon. I have a feeling I’ll be by myself because my dreams aren’t the most secure career path to go about. Chicks don’t really line up for unpredictable situations. Sometimes I wish I’d be happy living a “regular” life but I know I wouldn’t be right now, at this point. I just try to look around and remember how unhappy other people are with everything that society says you should have and it reminds me I’m making the right choice. I pray. I know my personal relationship with God and I feel like I wouldn’t have the urge, gift, or opportunities to do this if it wasn’t meant to happen.
AE: How far do you want to take your comedy and acting career?
JS: I just want to reach my full potential. The goal isn’t to be rich or famous. The goal is to make a living doing what I love to do.
AE: Being that so many people are in those fields of work, do you find it difficult to find a place in the industry?
JS: I think if you truly are yourself and no one else then there can’t be another you. Thinking like that, I don’t really think about trying to find a place.
If you want to know more about Jay and his work check out his sites below.
I met Jamell Richardson on the set of the movie Get On Up a little over a year ago. I was cast as an extra in the movie and he was cast to play Jimmy Nolen, the lead guitarist for James Brown. Jamell had one of those contagious personalities; the type of personality that people are immediately drawn to. He was very personable and funny and was well known among the other cast and crew members. His outgoing personality makes it hard for him to ever meet a stranger so it wasn’t a surprise that we connected on the set. Since the movie ended Jamell’s career has really taken off so Ashley and I decided to catch up with him for an interview so that people who are unaware of the artist can get a better idea of who he is.
Check out our interview below.
TDS: Where are you originally from?
JR: Mobile, Alabama
TDS: What influenced your decision to start playing the guitar?
JR:B.B. King was a big influence. I actually started playing the guitar when I was only two years old and started professionally recording at age 13. I am self taught.
TDS: Being that you are only 26 what made you want to become a blues musician?
JR:I consider myself to be a soul artist more so than a blues musician. I grew up in a traditional Pentecostal church where my grandmother was the church pastor. Blues music reminded me a lot of the music that I heard in church growing up.
TDS: Who are some blues artists that you have worked with during your career?
JR:Bobby Womack, Bobby Bland, and Shirley Brown just to name a few
TDS: You recently released your first EP “Gulf Coast Blues Boy”. How long did you work on it and what is your favorite song off the EP?
JR: I worked on the EP about 2 to 3 months and I would have to say my favorite song is “Can’t hurt me no mo”.
TDS: Last year you were in the James Brown biopic Get On Up and was cast as Jimmy Nolen. Tell us about that experience and how you were cast for the role.
JR: Initially when I submitted for a role in the movie I wasn’t selected. At the time my friend Mike and I were band members for Mel Walters and Mike got a phone call to come in for his final audition for the movie. I ended up riding to the audition with him because he didn’t have time to drive me to my car. At the audition some of the producers walked up to me because they noticed that I resembled some of James Brown’s band members. I was initially cast for the role of Les Bowie but was later cast as Jimmy Nolen after one of the other musicians dropped out. I was shocked that I was cast for the role.
TDS: Initially you didn’t have a speaking line in the movie. How did you end up getting a speaking role?
JR:During the time of filming I was still playing with Mel Walters. There was a conflict between the filming time and the dates I was supposed to play with the band so I decided to quit the band and continue with filming. I definitely took a leap of faith. The day after I quit I woke up and spoke into existence that I would get speaking lines. That same day on set we were filming a scene where James Brown and his band members were arguing about him not paying them. The directors felt that the scene was too dry and missing something so one of them came up to me and told me to say F- you to James Brown. He told me not to tell anyone so when I said it everyone was kind of caught off guard and the moment was very organic.
The overall movie experience was amazing; I had the opportunity to work alongside great actors like Dan Akyroyd, Viola Davis, Jim Scott and Chadwick Boseman. On the set I gave guitar lessons to singer Aloe Blacc to help him prepare for some of his scenes. I’m still on a high from the whole experience. In my career I’ve always felt the need to stay in the background even though I knew I was supposed to be a front man. Being a part of the movie has helped me to see that more clearly.
TDS: Are you interested in pursuing any more acting jobs and do you have any upcoming projects?
JR: I’m not opposed to it but music is my heart. Music got me into acting. I’m currently working on a new album called “Bringing It Back” which I plan to release in late April or May. The title of the album represents bringing back real music, real life and real things. I feel that it is the type of music that everyone can listen to.
TDS: How can people contact you and hear some of your work?
