00:00I was coming today for an interview, and I realized that I am now in a church, so maybe
00:23the interview is in the church. Let's get it started. Let's see. Let's see what's happening.
00:30Sing it again, y'all.
00:52Oh my god, it's just like the gospel just hit different. I'm telling you like when I get
00:56it together and fully focusing on submitting my life, I want to do a gospel album. You
01:03know what I'm saying? Yeah, so I'm like super excited. Yeah, yeah. I give thanks. That's
01:08how I celebrate. Because again, I don't let this get lost on me, and I understand that
01:13everything that is happening for me is just answered prayers. That's very, very important.
01:19And as crazy as I said that yesterday, I'm like, they're like, you're not tired? You
01:24don't get so tired. I'm like, listen, I will never complain about answered prayers. I literally
01:29pray for times like this. No matter where I am in the industry, where I am in the world,
01:35I take that with me. I take the good news with me. I take the gospel with me.
01:42I miss this. Like, you know, walking into St. Luke's Baptist Church on Morningside. Walking
02:00up in there. I remember being, when I got baptized and everything, it's just like coming into
02:04church and, you know what I'm saying, and praising the Lord, going up and being able
02:09to sing. Like, I miss that kind of stuff. I miss doing that when I was younger. You know
02:14what I'm saying? I used to always try to eat up the, uh, the cracker. And I wanted to taste
02:23the wine, but they really just gave me grape juice. I was upset. I said, the blood of God,
02:29the blood of Jesus. Where is the wine? A lot has changed in Harlem. I mean, not the spirit,
02:39but what it physically looked like, you know, it doesn't feel like that coming to age Harlem
02:47that I know. Like it actually felt really cool when I was doing 1001 and we were able to
02:52like go back into the 90s and early 2000s and they were able to like make Harlem look the
02:58way it used to look. It just, it felt so good and it felt so homey. Now it's, it's a lot
03:03more glass, a lot more, you know, it's a bittersweet for me because of course we always want elevation
03:08and, you know, we want to be able to make sure we have, you know, nice things and stuff
03:12like that. But the Harlem girl in me is just like, oh yeah, take me back. Put me in a time
03:16machine. Put me in a time machine for sure.
03:18What? Red man. What would the 16 year old Tiana think of the Tiana of today?
03:26Hey! What would the 16 year old Tiana think of the Tiana of today?
03:34Hey!
03:35Mmm. When I was 16, I was a little bossy too, but I was a helper. I would be, you know, just
03:41walking around Harlem and I might see a dance group and I go and like make up the moves and
03:46like this needs to be fixed. This needs to be fixed. Like I've always been a little creative
03:50director, you know, I don't know if people know this neither, but when I was like 12,
03:56I had a Bible study class and I would bring all the little hood boys and, you know, to
04:00come over because I was like, I was 12, but I was like an old soul. I was too grown. I wasn't
04:05fast, but I was too grown. And I'm like, y'all here running around, let's go. You know,
04:11so I was like, I always felt like I needed to be the one that was doing something for
04:14the community. It was girls there too, but the boys were the hotheads. So it was really
04:18dope to see like these hood guys, you know, that was outside for real, for real, come
04:25into my Bible study class and like make them read. Some of them could read, some of them
04:30couldn't really. And you know, the Bible and scripture was like the first thing they really
04:34read out loud. So like that stuff made me proud. Like I did everything. I was running track.
04:39I was like everything. People be like, Oh, Tiana keep a job, Taylor. That's been me.
04:43Even I was packing bags. Mom was like, how are you coming home with all this money?
04:47I was making cakes for the basketball teams. I had all types of stuff going on, but I've
04:51always been that. I've always wanted to be some type of like positivity, you know,
04:58bring the positivity to my neighborhood. I think 16 year old me would be very, very proud.
05:0416 year old me manifested a lot of this. I want to say like just the inner child. I mean,
05:08like the 16 year old to me is just like, again, filled with so much gratitude. And, you know,
05:14I think this is really my first time really talking about it. I think that's why I am so
05:17emotional because it's just like, wow, this is like all happening.
05:23I mean, I definitely think, you know, coming into the industry at 15 years old, you know,
05:44it's a really, really young age and I had to grow up very, very fast. And the times that I've questioned
05:49myself was when that weight felt like punishment and not understanding that it was preparation.
05:55And it's still times that I have to be reminded, you know, the blessings are very real. And that's
06:04why no matter what room I'm in, I'm going to always represent. I'm going to always bring the good news.
06:10I'm going to always pray even when they don't clap, you know, so it's just real. Everything's happening.
06:19With everything that I've been through to see everything flourish right now, it's really showing
06:26that this is what was already ran for me. I'm just so grateful and just filled with so much gratitude, you know,
06:35and that's why I do what I do, you know, and why I pray the way I pray. And I don't know.
06:44Sorry.
06:48Sorry.
06:49No, you're good.
06:50You're good.
06:58Oh, feel me.
07:00Fill in the blank.
07:02Oh, feel me.
07:05Fill in the blank.
07:08Leonardo DiCaprio taught you.
07:21I want to say he taught me how to show up and be present for my scene partner.
07:27I think that, you know, that's really important.
07:29And when I say that, it's like, oh, I'm always present in everything that I do.
07:33But to be able to act alongside of an icon, a legend, like, and to see him show up for me goes to show me that no matter where I go in life or how big I become,
07:44to still always be present for my scene partner.
07:47Because I've worked with people, his status, that will, like, I show up for them and then they go and I'm reading with, like, when it's my turn to go,
07:56I'm reading with a stand-in or, like, their body double because they're them.
08:01And I ain't complaining, you know, I'm just happy to be here, you know?
08:04But people at that caliber don't stick around for you.
08:07You know, they are not as present as it looks when you finally see the movie.
08:12So to be able to work with Leonardo DiCaprio and how he's a mentor on set is really important because it's like, oh, wow, like, you know,
08:22it's all a part of keeping you grounded and understanding to just, to be present no matter where you are in life.
08:30It's very collaborative, you know?
08:32And, you know, he's just very present.
08:34So that's one thing I can say that I definitely learned from him with a person at that caliber.
08:38Like, you know, one day when I'm at that level to always still remain present and, you know, and mentor, you know, the younger ones that's coming up, you know,
08:49and trying to navigate this thing and being nervous in front of a presence like him, you know?
08:55Because a lot of that is that as well.
08:57Final question.
09:04Are you doing anything?
09:06After this.
09:07What are you doing?
09:09After this.
09:10What's next?
09:12Yeah.
09:13After this.
09:15After this.
09:18After this.
09:19What are you doing?
09:21After this.
09:22What's next?
09:24After this.
09:26After this, I'm going to Red Rooster, baby.
09:34I am going to Red Rooster to do my interview.
09:38My cover interview for Vanity Fair.
09:40And I'm like so, so excited.
09:42I did my shoot yesterday and I was like, I was gagged a few times.
09:46Like I was really stopping in my tracks.
09:47Like, I'm really about to be on a cover of Vanity Fair.
09:50This is insane.
09:51And I'm gagging even more because I'm in Harlem.
09:54We're at this church and we're bringing us to Vanity Fair.
09:59And I think that's so beautiful.
10:01And now my interview with Vanity Fair is about to be at Red Rooster.
10:04Like what?
10:05Like it's just, it's just really a New York affair.
10:08And you know, I'm so honored and I'm so happy.
10:11And I got so much stuff coming up.
10:14I mean, the blessings is just rolling in and rolling in and rolling in.
10:17And I think that's why I'm like so emotional because for the past few months straight, I have been on like a press run.
10:24So I've just been going, going, going, going, going, going, going, going.
10:26And I think even just sitting in this chair and sitting with y'all, it's been the longest I've actually sat down these last few months.
10:33Like I have not had any time at all.
10:36So I think like sitting and then y'all singing so beautifully and asking these questions in a way is just really like touching my heart because y'all asking real questions that I haven't been able to really like sit and like digest and really just take in.
10:50So I've been taking in bits and pieces like, oh my God, this is happening, thank you God, oh my God, this is happening, thank you God, just, you know, my prayer.
10:56But like I haven't really sat in it and was like, oh my God.
11:00And I'm just so overjoyed and overwhelmed like in the best way.
11:05Yeah.
11:23Yeah.
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