Please introduce yourself, what you do, why you do it, and what you want people to know about you.
I am a typical teenage boy. I like playing video games. I want to be a producer or director when I get older. I like to play sports. I studied martial arts for 8 years and I have earned a black belt in American Karate. I have also won several sparring and Nunchuk tournaments. Currently, I am studying Jiu-Jitsu. Last summer I earned my open water certification.
I love the arts and performing in front of people. I like making people laugh and I like to entertain. Any chance I get to be on stage, I take it.
I am also passionate about making a difference in my community. I try to get involved with anti-bullying organizations and make a positive impact. I was bullied in class for having long hair and bullied online with the release of my first song “Headshot” inspired by Fortnite. People were posting horrible comments on YouTube.
After researching why people post negative comments and I learned it is because they are hurting and in a bad place. It was a video conversation between Gary Vaynerchuk and Charli D’Amelio where I learned this. I even mention Gary Vee in the song.
So, my mom, my voice coach, and I started putting verses together and wrote, “Warrior.” The song is about being kind to everyone even if we don’t look like them or have the same views and beliefs. I also sing about being an upstander to stop bullying and if you are a victim of bullying, know to focus on supporters, follow your dreams, and not let anyone keep you from your destiny.
“Warrior” won Song of the Year at the Atlanta Kidz Choice Awardz. I even have a Warrior merchandise store.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
Not many artists are interested in several areas of the performing arts.
I dance, sing, and act. I started out dancing and have performed at the Knock Music House, for the Atlanta Dream basketball team, and the Tower of Talent which is a fundraiser for the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. I won 1st place at the Kids Got Talent Showcase for hip-hop dance. Now I’m a competitive dancer.
After dancing for a few years, I became an actor. I have been in several music videos, educational videos, and short films. Most recently, I was a cast member for Winning Feathers, an educational web series that teaches soft skills.
Acting led to singing roles. Now I have two songs streaming on all social media platforms and a 3rd song that will come out on January 14, 2022. One of my songs, “Warrior” won Song of the Year at the Atlanta Kids Choice Awardz.
At some point, I will probably have to make a choice between the three of them. But, right now, I’m having fun doing all three.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you wanted to do what you do now. Who did you tell first? What has it been like since that moment?
It has taken several years to get where I am today.
I started dancing around my living room. My parents have always supported my interests and enrolled me in hip-hop dance classes. Now, almost 10 years later, I am on a competitive dance team.
My mom found an audition for a music video. I got the part and found I really liked acting, so I enrolled in acting classes. Then, I got an agent. My agent wanted me to audition for a singing role, but I had not sung before, so I started taking voice lessons. Now, I have two songs streaming on all social media platforms with a new song and music video coming out in a couple of weeks.
It has been an amazing journey. Any time I tell my parents that I am interested in something, they support my decisions and help me achieve my goals.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to face and how did you overcome it?
One of the biggest challenges in this industry is rejection. I have been on countless auditions and did not get the role. Trying not to take it personally is a challenge.
As an artist, you are always wondering if you are good enough. Realizing that there could be 100 different reasons that the casting director didn’t cast you and it might not have anything to do with your talent at all.
I’m just grateful that I got the chance to audition. It is an opportunity to learn and practice and you never know who you will meet.
If you had to pick the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could take your career (or business) to the next level…who would those 3 people be?
One of the first people I would like to meet is Ryan Reynolds. My character on Winning Feathers is funny. I am really good at comedy. I also like action movies. So, if I could be in a movie where I was able to perform cool stunts and be funny, that would be awesome. I could definitely take some pointers from Ryan Reynolds.
My second choice would be Ludacris for the same reasons. I really enjoy the Fast and Furious franchise. Ludacris gave me my first acting job. I even auditioned for him so that will always be special to me.
My third choice is Fik-Shun. I started taking dance classes because of him. I watched “So You Think You Can Dance” and wanted to be just like him.