00:00I want to talk about some of the police brutality that's going on right now in the United States
00:06and that's a big, it's finally on entertainment, social media, as well as a political platform
00:12right now. What are your thoughts right now on police brutality in America, especially
00:16as it targets young black men? Yeah, where do we start? That's something
00:21where you need more than a day, more than a month, more than a year, because it's been
00:27going on for so long. But me growing up and being a young black male, my whole life always,
00:33I knew that I had to be more cautious with the police. You know, when I had like some
00:39of my, you know, Chinese friends, white friends in the car, there was one time a police was
00:44behind us and he put on his sirens. I'm like, put on your seatbelt, don't say nothing, you
00:49know, et cetera, et cetera. And they're like, why are you freaking out? I'm like, I just
00:52need to be cool and calm. Like, don't say nothing yet. And the police went past us, but
00:57it's just like, it's crazy how for me growing up, that's always kind of been like a threat
01:03to me. And it's real. Because in this world today, what we're seeing what's going on is
01:08real life. It's been happening for a long time. But it's just, it's a tough position
01:12for both two doing that job. I mean, if you're going to live in fear, though, if you're going
01:19to be afraid, don't do that job. Let the next person do it. Let somebody do it who's brave,
01:25who's going to put their life on the line, because we can't be murdering innocent people.
01:30And I just think it's not even a color thing. It's a human thing. It's good and bad. I mean,
01:35we have good cops, too. We got good cops, we got bad cops. You got good people, you got
01:39bad people. You got good sports stars, you got bad sports stars. That's life. So I think
01:45it just starts with us understanding each other. I think a lot of people think you have to be
01:51able to relate to the person. But a white kid from Wisconsin is not going to relate
01:56to me fully. You may understand me, but you can't truly relate. And I think that's where
02:01the world has to be. We have to realize we really want peace. If we really want to make
02:05a difference, if we really want to make a change, we got to learn to live in peace and not worry
02:10about understanding, but just letting that person live their life happy and peace and
02:14not living in fear.
02:16Did your father give you any tips growing up? Like, look, son, okay, when you started,
02:19like once you started driving, like that instance you just mentioned, conduct yourself this way,
02:23move this way.
02:24Let me tell you what my pops is. Y'all know what my pops is from one of the murder capitals,
02:28Kaleo projects, gold teeth, masterpiece, gangster rapper. And this dude would literally tell me
02:35growing up as a kid. When you see the cops, you better be the nerdiest damn kid ever.
02:39Right.
02:39Don't speak back. Do whatever they say. Because for us, one wrong move could be your life.
02:47And that's something my dad knew. And that's what we got to educate. It's the sad truth,
02:51but we have to educate our young black men to, if you want to be walking home that next day
02:58are waking up. Sometimes we can't just do what we want to do in that situation, which is sad.
03:04I've been in situations where I got pulled over and I really, I feared for my life sometimes.
03:10But like I said, it's good and bad. You know, you get some people who abuse their authority.
03:14I had that with basketball coaches. You know, my coach had, one of my coaches at USC,
03:18one that didn't recruit me, he tried to use that power against me, tried to make me quit.
03:22I didn't quit.
03:23But that's something we had to deal with. You had to learn how to, you know, live your life
03:29and still, you know, cooperate so you could see another day. But my dad used to say, yeah,
03:35like when I get pulled over, all his brothers, he may be the most gangster one. When they get
03:39pulled over by cops, yes, sir. It's that put my hands up.
03:43Like you said, your job is to come home.
03:44Yeah.
03:45Yeah, definitely. Thank you so much for touching on that.
03:53Let's talk empire. You're Hakeem's rival, if you will, this season.
04:03Yeah, this season, my character name is Graham. He's Hakeem's rival and he's Tiana's love interest.
04:11And my first appearance is the next episode, the third episode. So y'all get introduced
04:15to Graham and that was just a blessing, you know, being a part of that. And that was, I was like,
04:19if I could play one character, I prayed to God, literally the specific character. And now I'm here.
04:26Now what was that audition process like?
04:27Yeah, that audition process, it was a wow, you know, it was, it was a wow. People don't know,
04:32like I'll go in there, you know, I'll meet with Lee, I'll meet with his sister,
04:35I'll read back and forth. And it was down to two guys, me and another guy.
04:40Do you know who the other guy was?
04:41Yeah, the whole world know, because I kind of like, you know, but it shows up what's meant for you happens.
04:46Like something during the process, did you know?
04:47I did. I knew it was me and, and Cuddy. And I just knew it, it just, direction wise,
04:53if you wanted to go like the more different type of weird, if you want the more romantic,
04:59you know, you know, things like Will Smith, you know, but go your direction there, right?
05:06Yeah. And now there are also some pictures, you mentioned that you're, you have a love interest
05:10on the show. Yeah. But there have been some pictures of you out and about with Saraya from the show.
05:14Oh, really? Now, what's that about? Can you spill some tea?
05:16Co-stars can't hang out?
05:17No, they can. I'm asking, are you just hanging out though?
05:21Co-stars can hang out.
05:23Diane and I, we hang out.
05:24Is that, you hang out with your co-stars?
05:25You know, but, um.
05:27No, we're really actually cool. We're really good friends. Like, we have a lot in common.
05:32And our characters, um, you know, they have to be very close and bonded.
05:36So, it kind of, it's cool.
05:38So, if you start dating in real life, you're going to come back to Essence Live and you're going to tell us?
05:41Is that what you're saying?
05:42Look, we're co-stars right now and good friends.
05:44Okay.
05:45We're going to be hanging out a lot.
05:46I caught that, but look, like, who's in the next question?
05:50So, I'm thinking you're all over CP.
05:51She's a superstar though.
05:52No, definitely, definitely.
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