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  • 4 weeks ago
Ahead of the Season 2 finale of BET's "Twenties," Big Sean talks about landing the role on the Lena Waithe comedy, what attracted him to the role of Tristan, and how much he's like the Zen character he portrays on screen.
Transcript
00:00Oh, Tristan, what are you doing here?
00:05Today, we're discussing meditation and self-love.
00:12Now you're losing, Emma.
00:16I know that we're at the end of season two of 20s now,
00:20but I kind of want to take it back to the beginning.
00:22I saw Lena Waie talked about, you know, how you came into this role,
00:25but I would love to hear from you how you find yourself on the series.
00:28Well, Lena Waie came to my house, and we were vibing.
00:35I was listening to some music, some new music that I hadn't put out yet,
00:37my last album, and we were just kicking it, talking about movies,
00:42talking about, because I'm a movie connoisseur.
00:44I love good, you know, all that stuff goes hand-in-hand, entertainment,
00:49you know, so I was just telling her the type of shows that I like,
00:53what I like, what I don't like, you know, and we just got,
00:56like, we're picking each other's brains, and then we had dinner.
01:01You know, she brought a chef to my house, so one night she called me up and was,
01:04I want to do dinner with you.
01:05I'm like, okay.
01:07So she had a chef come over.
01:08My mom was there, because my mom spent the whole pandemic with me,
01:11and, you know, a few of my other people, and then she presented the idea at dinner.
01:16So I thought that was very classy of her, you know,
01:18to, like, really want wine and dine me like that.
01:21Right.
01:22And, you know, the character, she said, honestly, you know,
01:28the character is different than you,
01:29but you embody some of the characteristics of this character to me.
01:33Like, when I think of this character, I think you can nail it.
01:36You know, it's definitely something that I want to get into more.
01:39So, yeah, I was like, okay, and that's just how it happened.
01:45Yeah, right.
01:46And, well, I know you've done some voice acting, you know, before this role.
01:50So how long had you been wanting to, like,
01:52step in front of the camera in this way?
01:55Well, yeah, I did a voice.
01:59I've done a couple things, but I did this movie called Dog on Trouble,
02:05which was on Netflix, which was unexpected because I did that
02:11and then thought I didn't hear anything about it.
02:14Then all of a sudden it comes out on Netflix
02:15and it's number one on Netflix for, like, a couple weeks.
02:18So I was like, this is crazy.
02:20So, but, yeah, it's been a part of, like,
02:25I went to a school when I was younger that was, like,
02:27a performing arts school.
02:29So I was into it.
02:29I was doing Shakespeare plays.
02:31I was doing, like, you know, playing instruments
02:34and writing poetry and it kind of definitely got me
02:37into thinking in a way of, like, even just to be a rapper,
02:41you know what I'm saying, or to be a musician.
02:43And, but all that other stuff is a part of me, too, you know?
02:47Like, I always love, like, being in theater, doing it,
02:51and I've been taking it even more serious, you know?
02:53I've been, like, taking voice lessons now.
02:55I've been, like, trying to perfect my craft on all.
02:58Because, you know, one day I might want to do Broadway.
03:00One day I might want to, you know, do an R&B album or something.
03:05I don't know.
03:05Like, I might want to just have fun with it, change it up,
03:08and just, you know what I mean, keep going
03:10and navigate through my career.
03:12So I've been taking everything more serious.
03:15I love that.
03:16Has it been since pandemic or just kind of general?
03:20Well, no, it's been something I've been,
03:22I've told myself every year I wanted to, like,
03:24add a positive routine to my life.
03:29So, like, in 2019, I got in the gym.
03:32You know, I was, I really need to take care of my body, you know?
03:34And I transformed my whole body.
03:36I put on, like, 30, 40 pounds.
03:39You know, I was super skinny, really.
03:41Now that's a part of my life.
03:43And then the next year,
03:44I really wanted to concentrate on getting my album done.
03:48That was, like, my main focus.
03:49And then for 2021, my main focus was to strengthen my voice, you know?
03:54Because I feel like strengthening my voice
03:55wouldn't obviously help my profession in music,
03:58but it'll just strengthen my voice.
04:01And I was looking at it figuratively, too.
04:03Like, the stronger my voice is,
04:05the stronger that I'll be, you know,
04:07something powerful about your voice.
04:10So, you know, so for 2022,
04:13I don't want to spill, like, my thing yet,
04:17but I always have at least one thing to, like, really focus on.
04:21Okay, I love that.
04:23And thinking about Kristen,
04:25and I know, you know, Lena said, like,
04:27he's different from you,
04:29but you have his spirit.
04:30And I felt myself watching, I was like,
04:32I feel like Big Sean is just like that.
04:33And then I had to remind myself I don't know you.
04:35So I have to ask you,
04:38you know, how much alike your character do you feel you are?
04:42Well, I mean, I can relate to a lot of his,
04:44the essence of him,
04:45because there are times where I don't go on,
04:47where I'm not on social media.
04:48There are times where I am on social media.
04:50There are times where I don't really,
04:53you know, I put my phone down and leave it somewhere.
04:55Like, I don't have it on me.
04:56So I can relate to wanting to disconnect from,
05:00you know, from the grid and go offline.
05:04So I can relate to somebody who was, like,
05:06not on there at all.
05:07And, you know, may have a belief of, like,
05:09no, that's not me.
05:11That's not, you know, what I need to be doing.
05:12I'm not saying it's a bad thing.
05:14Social media to me is cool
05:16because it's great to be able to be in contact
05:18and be able to be on one accord with some people.
05:22And it could be a double-edged sword.
05:24You know what I'm saying?
05:24It could be used for good.
05:25It could be used for bad.
05:27And honestly, it's helped my career so much
05:29that I definitely can't hate on it,
05:30but I understand it, you know?
05:32So he's artistic.
05:36You know what I'm saying?
05:37He's a photographer.
05:38He's all these things.
05:39And then in season two, he ends up getting on the internet
05:42and gets a little following.
05:44And it's, like, up on there, you know,
05:46doing live, IG lives and stuff.
05:49So, you know, I get, I could just,
05:51I could relate to him, his essence of him.
05:52I don't agree with everything he does
05:54or how he acts or how he says,
05:56but I can see where he's coming from.
05:59So you never ghosted a girl like you did?
06:03Have I ever ghosted a girl?
06:05Nah, not like that.
06:07Not like that.
06:09I don't know.
06:10If I'm being real, maybe, but not like that.
06:12You know, in my whole life,
06:14I'm sure I've been ghosted, too.
06:18Yes, I have been.
06:19Okay, okay.
06:20That's pretty much.
06:22But what about, in terms of,
06:25also, has he affected you personally?
06:27Like, I think some of, you know,
06:29the things he said when he's like,
06:30you know, there's a difference
06:31in what we do and who we are.
06:32Like, I feel like he had me kind of
06:34pondering certain things.
06:35Do you feel like he's affected?
06:36And, you know, playing that character
06:37has affected you personally?
06:39Yeah, definitely.
06:41It's like, helped me reevaluate
06:43some of the things that I truly do believe in.
06:46You know, like walking in your purpose.
06:48That's one of his things.
06:49Like, you know, evaluating who you really are.
06:52And like you said,
06:52so it's like,
06:54I definitely,
06:55those were parts that were already a part of me.
06:57So it was easy for me to express that.
06:59And it's always good reminders
07:00to hear things like that.
07:02When you're just navigating through life, man,
07:04because life is just so back to back to back
07:05with it every day
07:06that it's always good to get subtle reminders.
07:10And, you know,
07:10I start my day like hearing a nice word,
07:13you know,
07:14different parts of the Bible.
07:16You know,
07:17this book I have called
07:18The Course in Miracles
07:19where they break down,
07:20you know,
07:21the teachings of Jesus
07:22and just things like that.
07:23Like I start my day with that
07:24because a lot of the things I know,
07:26but it's just good reminders,
07:28you know,
07:28and I do my journal
07:29and I meditate.
07:31I do all these things
07:31because it's like,
07:32I need that reminder
07:33because life,
07:34like I said,
07:34is just so back to back to back.
07:36You can get lost in it
07:37and it can break you down,
07:38you know.
07:39How difficult or not
07:42is it kind of finding space to do that?
07:44Like I can only imagine
07:45the amount of demands on you
07:46every day to just say like,
07:48this is how I start my morning,
07:49like no matter what.
07:52Yeah.
07:52And like there are some days
07:53where I start my morning
07:54and I don't have time
07:55to do it as much as I would,
07:57but I have it down to like,
07:59as long as I can just get 10 minutes,
08:0210 to 15 minutes
08:03to just like get right.
08:05You know what I'm saying?
08:07I can do,
08:07I can work with that
08:08and then come back to it later
08:10when I get,
08:11you know,
08:11time.
08:13Well,
08:14yeah,
08:14it's crucial for me
08:15and I can tell a big difference
08:17when I don't take that time.
08:19And it's just,
08:19it's kind of like
08:20just aligning yourself,
08:21getting right.
08:22With God real quick,
08:24giving thanks.
08:26You know,
08:26when you,
08:26when you pay them blessings,
08:29you know,
08:29I mean,
08:29when you count them blessings,
08:30it's like you feeling,
08:32you feeling rich,
08:33you know what I'm saying?
08:34So.
08:35Yeah.
08:36Mm-hmm.
08:37And I'm also thinking about,
08:38you know,
08:39I imagine in music,
08:40you're mostly kind of around men
08:41either in the studio
08:42or kind of touring.
08:43What was it like,
08:44you know,
08:44to be on a set
08:45where it's mostly a female catch,
08:47you know,
08:47and lean awake at the helm?
08:48What was kind of like
08:49that experience like for you?
08:52It was easy.
08:53Yeah.
08:53I grew up in a,
08:54I grew up in a house full of women,
08:56you know,
08:56my grandma,
08:57my mom,
08:58well,
08:58actually I had my brother too,
08:59but it was fine.
09:01You know,
09:02I feel like,
09:03by the way,
09:04women are magical.
09:05You know what I'm saying?
09:06Black women,
09:06I feel like are the closest thing
09:09to God.
09:09You know what I mean?
09:10Y'all be creating life
09:12and,
09:13you know,
09:14it's funny how this,
09:15this doctor broke it down to me.
09:17He was like,
09:18we all come out of a black hole,
09:19just like how the universe was birthed.
09:21You know what I mean?
09:22And that's,
09:23it's really deep
09:23when you get,
09:24get down to it,
09:25to that level.
09:26So being around women,
09:27especially black women
09:29and talent like that,
09:30it was like,
09:31it was a,
09:31it's a pleasure for sure.
09:34Nice.
09:34But I know you said
09:36you don't want to kind of
09:37give away all your 2022
09:38and you know,
09:39you're looking forward
09:40to doing more,
09:41but is there anything
09:41you can share about
09:43what's coming for you?
09:44You know,
09:44more on the screen
09:45or musically?
09:46Yeah,
09:47for sure.
09:47Like,
09:48definitely have some
09:50plans to,
09:52you know,
09:54for sure have an album coming
09:55for sure.
09:56I'm working on that
09:56for sure.
09:57I'm working on,
09:58I've been working on a book too,
09:59so I'm trying to figure that out.
10:01I've been writing my first book.
10:04Definitely want to,
10:04want to tour this year.
10:05I haven't toured in a while.
10:07I'm just trying to get,
10:08get my mind right
10:09for the next year
10:09and,
10:10you know,
10:10deliver for the people
10:12who got love for me,
10:13for my fans,
10:14for people who tuned in
10:15to me.
10:16Any book a memoir
10:18or?
10:20You know,
10:21I'm still,
10:21I haven't,
10:22I have figured out
10:23a lot of the book,
10:24but it's not a memoir yet.
10:26You know,
10:26I'm 33 years old,
10:28so it's definitely pulls
10:29from a lot of personal
10:29experiences and stories,
10:31but it's more than that.
10:33You know,
10:33it's kind of like some
10:34of the books
10:34that I read growing up
10:35that really helped
10:36change my life
10:37and gave me the quality
10:39to exceed in a lot of things
10:41that were against me,
10:42you know,
10:42where the odds
10:42were against me.
10:43So I just kind of
10:45want to give
10:45people the information
10:48that I acquired
10:49in a,
10:49in a very simple
10:51way and just,
10:54you know,
10:54help bring out
10:55the best
10:55in people,
10:56period.
10:57So that's my goal
10:59and I'm trying
10:59to make it like easy,
11:00you know?
11:02I'm excited to read.
11:04Yeah.
11:05I'm excited for everything
11:05coming up.
11:06I thank you so much
11:07for your time.
11:07Bye.
11:07Bye.
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