0:00
an NAACP award nominated actress right
0:03
here Citi give her a big round of
0:08
that she's a quad she's a multifaceted
0:12
threat right now is she quadruple threat
0:14
I'm going to give her
0:16
quadruple okay amazing young lady who um
0:20
I really became familiar with her work
0:22
with the series Harlem being that I'm a
0:25
harlem resident of 25 years come on
0:30
and it was a show that I really wanted
0:31
to support cuz a good friend of mine uh
0:34
Megan Good is a part of it right but
0:37
this this um assembly of um amazing
0:40
actresses that and actors that came
0:43
together for Harlem and just the
0:44
portrayal of Harlem and some of the
0:46
scenes you'll see in places that you
0:48
hang out at in Harlem it just felt
0:50
really close to home we we are huge
0:53
supporters of this show but I think in
0:55
every series you know you kind of
0:57
gravitate towards a character and we
1:00
just all agreed we was like but oh my
1:02
gosh who is this Angie like we all have
1:06
an Angie we know a Angie we want to be
1:09
we wish we could all be an Angie at
1:11
times and so I personally we had
1:14
everybody laughing in the room but I
1:15
personally was like I'm going to just DM
1:18
her like I don't even care I'm just
1:20
going to take a chance DM her and say
1:22
you need to be on this show we want to
1:24
love on you we want to hug on you and we
1:27
want to most definitely give you your
1:28
flowers and remind you that God has got
1:31
you here God has got your back and you
1:34
are here so welcome her finally to the
1:46
go oh my God I'm so glad to be
1:50
here I'm a little Blown Away by you the
1:53
way you came in and the way you stepped
1:55
into the building today it just it just
1:57
made me go this is a person who loves
2:00
she does and knows how to show up
2:02
properly no matter what like you're
2:04
conscious of all these things did you
2:06
learn that or is this who you were
2:07
always from your childhood um it I
2:09
always was like this I found that like
2:12
my fashion the way that I showed up
2:14
became almost like a rebellion to places
2:18
and people and and political beings that
2:21
want to silence black women that want
2:24
you to be as small as possible you dark
2:26
skinned you need to sit in that corner
2:27
you need you wear your natural hair you
2:29
need to stop and no one wants to hear
2:31
you or see you and I almost feel like my
2:33
Artistry my expression became almost
2:35
like a yeah a rebellion of that like I
2:38
cons consider myself like an artistic
2:40
activism when it comes to things like
2:42
that like oh you want me to be quiet
2:43
honey I'm coming in with rainbows on
2:45
that's what you do I love that does that
2:49
also that energy play into your name cuz
2:53
I love your name so much it's
2:55
unmistakably black it's girly I have a
2:58
peer who's also Shena she's Shena
3:01
Golding and last year she put out um a
3:03
book of essays called the black girl in
3:06
the middle and the very first essay is
3:08
dedicated to her name and the Very
3:11
distinct black experience of being a
3:14
woman named Shena yeah cuz you have some
3:17
folks who don't see it as distinguished
3:20
some folks who feel like you shouldn't
3:22
put it on a resume because you won't get
3:24
a job some folks are just like all right
3:26
I know you you ghetto what else yeah
3:28
what's been your experience um I had the
3:30
same experience I've written monologues
3:33
and pieces and everything about my name
3:35
I remember there was a time where I used
3:36
to hate when my mom would say my name in
3:38
public like please don't call my name I
3:40
would want I went by different names
3:42
there were moments when I said I was a
3:43
Janet or a Charlie or a Oliver or
3:46
anything to be able to disassociate
3:48
myself from what people immediately
3:50
think about Blackness there were moments
3:52
where I changed the way I talk and I try
3:53
to act more demure just so that when you
3:55
see me you I don't act the way you think
3:57
a Sheniqua is and then finally I was
3:59
like love every part of my being I'm so
4:02
excited and and proud of all of the
4:04
nuance and and and beautiful complex
4:07
layers that make me as an individual so
4:09
I just ended up literally right before I
4:12
decided to use my first and my middle
4:14
name shenik was Shand day as like my
4:15
stage name I was um debating on being
4:18
Oliver Rose but amose Oliver Rose but
4:21
then Amber Rose came out and I was like
4:22
never mind it's gonna be
4:24
Shena I love it and I love to that names
4:26
that make you use the fullness of your
4:29
tongue like you have to speak to me
4:31
intention intentionally to be able to
4:33
say my name and if you're not willing to
4:34
learn my name then I know immediately
4:36
who you are so yeah please get all of
4:39
this the Sheniqua and the Sha I love
4:42
that you you you smell like a like what
4:46
you was sniffing her when did you sniff
4:52
yeah you know her M I know her mom
4:55
listens to the show so I'm good m
5:01
she's a c come get on camera m come get
5:04
on camera get on camera so shy but
5:06
literally it is not operate without my
5:08
mama come on come momy we we got a live
5:12
citizen here lady lay on the track
5:15
brought her in off Queen she's so
5:18
shy this is going to be a milone moment
5:21
I love it like this is a first she don't
5:23
come out a camera but she's always here
5:26
what what do we call you Mama they yeah
5:29
Mama ala Mama Alaya welcome to the show
5:31
Mama I didn't feel right calling you
5:33
Mama I call you sister Mama Alaya
5:36
welcome to the so you listen to the show
5:38
huh I do I watch it on YouTube you do
5:41
let me do this for you Mama laaya you
5:53
y welcome what we don't I have an
5:57
amazing daughter right um remind me of
6:00
your daughter you know she steps into
6:02
the room and you just want to be next to
6:04
the energy I don't know what it is I
6:06
just got to be next to the energy and as
6:09
a parent when your kids are choosing to
6:11
take these routes these are gambling
6:13
routes you know going to entertainment
6:14
becoming a singer becoming an actor we a
6:17
lot of times we want them to choose
6:18
something easier yeah right but we got
6:21
to step back and allow them their own
6:23
path right what kind of things did you
6:25
install in her as a child that you could
6:28
recall and you saw in her never give up
6:32
never give up and we gave up
6:35
everything because I knew there was
6:37
something special in her wow wow yeah I
6:40
left Virginia and went to LA no job no
6:44
place to live but I knew she was
6:47
supposed to be there m yeah wow do you
6:49
have a a first memory um of experiencing
6:53
shenique was like maybe seeing her do a
6:55
monologue hearing her sing what was that
6:57
first memory that made you say huh we
6:59
have some here she was four and did
7:01
Proud Mary in a mall in front of
7:04
hundreds of people and um I knew then
7:07
yeah Mary Proud Mary Tina
7:12
turn at the ball okay I was far too
7:16
young but What's Love Got to Do With It
7:17
was my favorite movie uhhuh at four
7:20
years of age I'mma do that h h h how did
7:23
y'all deal with rejection in this
7:25
business cuz I know it came often right
7:29
I for for me it was honestly a blessing
7:31
to have my mother my mother has been
7:33
with me every step of the way and there
7:35
are moments that she believes in me more
7:36
than I believe in myself and so when
7:39
those rejections would come having
7:40
someone who is also in support of the
7:42
dream and who reminds you who you are
7:44
and that this one no doesn't make you
7:46
it's a no to that opportunity but it's
7:48
not a no to you was profound in me
7:51
continuing to to carry on because um
7:54
being able to go home and have someone
7:55
who knew who I was and and could
7:57
encourage me when my my t was feeling
8:00
low um was a game changer I think I love
8:06
Shand I had to use my whole mouth to say
8:13
that I'm not mother here right
8:16
here Shena um I like you I'm sure in
8:20
your household my my parents my mother
8:22
taught me about the power of my
8:24
blackness right and so throughout my
8:26
career that's always been a constant
8:28
thread I used as my shield even when I
8:31
wasn't flexing it I used it as my
8:34
security blanket walking in different
8:35
Arrangements different just different
8:37
environments like like you're speaking
8:39
of when did you learn the power and and
8:43
this is to speak to all actresses or
8:45
actors or people in in um entertainment
8:48
who are being told that the Hue of your
8:50
skin is a disadvantage when I always saw
8:52
it as an advantage mhm at what stage in
8:55
your career did you lean on it and
8:58
decide you know know what regardless of
9:00
how they receive me this is who I am
9:03
yeah and this is what it's going to be
9:04
lean into it um I want to say maybe
9:07
around the age of like 24 okay I
9:11
remember you know I grew up in in the
9:13
'90s where there was a a flood of black
9:16
faces on TV there was you know Family
9:18
Matters and girlfriends and everything
9:20
else and then by the time I entered the
9:22
industry and got out of college all of a
9:24
sudden there was none of us like I think
9:27
it was like a rer strike and and then
9:29
also so the game had been canceled and
9:30
that was like the last black show and so
9:33
all you had as a level of representation
9:35
was Tristan Wilds on 90210 he was
9:36
holding us down by him he was doing his
9:39
thing trist was the one black
9:41
representation that we had he was tired
9:43
but he got it done I'm M we are all on
9:46
your back you know and so there was a
9:49
moment where I found myself trying
9:51
that's when I went through the like let
9:52
me change my name let me change my voice
9:53
let me but at the end of the day I am a
9:57
curvy black woman it doesn't matter how
9:59
I change my inflection it doesn't matter
10:02
if what hair I wear like I I'm down in
10:05
my spirit I love my blackness so much
10:08
and it wasn't only just my blackness it
10:10
was understanding that the unique thing
10:13
that I bring that every experience that
10:15
I've ever had is what creates the the
10:18
stew and the gumbo that is shenik wand
10:20
so it doesn't matter who else is in the
10:22
room and doesn't matter who else I am
10:24
auditioning again against no one is
10:26
going to bring me to the table because
10:28
no one has experienced all that I have
10:31
and so I think the most the more that
10:33
you lean into the uniqueness that is you
10:35
it's adding to what you bring and I
10:37
think that's in any um industry
10:40
whatsoever if you lean in the authentic
10:42
thing that makes you who you are you're
10:44
automatically going to have a unique and
10:46
and a different perspective and add to
10:49
the table because there's only one you
10:51
and I think if we can Embrace that and
10:53
and and get out of that the idea of like
10:55
competing with people I'm like honey
10:57
this auditioning is happening you need
10:58
to go there because you can't take
11:00
nothing from me that's mine there you go
11:02
come on that's not a competition no I'm
11:06
only competing with myself there it is
11:08
man Shena Shanda so with that being said
11:11
Shenika was Angie specifically written
11:14
for you through Tracy and everybody with
11:16
Harlem or what was your audition process
11:19
like um I that's so longwinded I'm
11:21
long-winded period but like girl wrap it
11:27
up but I got this audition through a
11:31
agent and it was saying it was Tracy
11:33
Oliver and girl trip was out the time
11:35
and I'm like this like pioneer
11:38
trailblazing uh writer and I saw that it
11:41
required nudity and I was like why did
11:43
you even send this to me because you
11:44
know I don't do that and I don't even
11:46
want to be tempted so like if there's
11:48
things that I morally am not don't send
11:50
it to me not that I'm but you never know
11:53
cuz sometimes somebody saying me
11:54
sometime if someone saying money you
11:55
ain't never seen before you might be
11:57
like maybe I'm going to pop out this
12:00
sorry M sorry but so I'm like don't even
12:04
send it my way and so I was like why did
12:06
you do that and he's like well I'm going
12:08
go to Tracy and we're going to see and
12:09
then literally I think maybe in like 10
12:11
minutes she was like she doesn't have to
12:12
do that she just have to be okay with
12:14
this and I was like oh perfectly fine
12:16
but also like what an environment that
12:18
would be to work in to have someone who
12:20
is breaking records in the box office
12:22
that's when you can have all the ego in
12:24
the world I mean to like I'll alter this
12:26
for someone I don't know you know and so
12:29
I got the script and and did two
12:31
auditions in person and they were like
12:34
oh my God she was lovely she was magical
12:36
and then I did the test and they was
12:37
like we don't feel the magic and I was
12:39
like oh no we don't feel the magic
12:42
anymore um and I think cuz I was so
12:45
concerned about the singing like the
12:46
second test the first the second
12:48
audition I went in and I sang my little
12:50
go-to song but by the by the test I was
12:52
like okay they gonna have me singing
12:53
singing so let me pull out a hard song
12:56
that I can and I got so obsessed with it
12:59
that I like lost the Gen quad the
13:02
excitement the fun Angie is fun you know
13:05
what I mean so if if you're not having
13:07
fun while doing it you're not doing the
13:09
job right and so yeah I I read again for
13:12
the the third test the second test and
13:15
Megan was there and by this time Jerry
13:17
and Grace had already got the part and
13:18
it just felt like we were in there and I
13:20
literally heard the girlfriend's Anthem
13:22
playing in my head and I was like this
13:23
feels right so yeah it was a long one
13:26
but I think it was a long process but I
13:28
think it was what it help me remain
13:29
humble because you know you get up and
13:31
you be like look and you can't tell me
13:33
nothing but actually the Lord did tell
13:36
right let let you know it's real and
13:39
this is the final SE this is the final
13:40
season right of Harlem so make sure yall
13:43
watching Harlem so good oh my gosh okay
13:47
um Megan Good As I said is somebody I've
13:50
known for a long time I I'll give Megan
13:52
I'll say her name give her a round of
13:53
applause yes the icon the angel yes
13:57
indeed the new cover of ebony okay
14:00
absolutely she got a new cover ebony go
14:02
ahead man get it get it she she U
14:04
started a company with my daughter's
14:05
godmother Tamara bass who's also a
14:07
director and actor so I've known when
14:09
they first started that I've known them
14:11
since way back in the day I I've EP some
14:14
projects with Megan what right and the
14:18
thing about her is to me she's such a
14:20
solid strong pillar of a person who has
14:24
had to have her life just put on a
14:27
platter for everybody to see right
14:29
and she had to respond to it and stand
14:31
strong to it and look at her now you
14:33
know uh she tell us something about
14:36
Megan that the public wouldn't know
14:38
Megan is this is easy Megan is probably
14:40
one of the kindest people I've ever met
14:42
in my whole entire life like she creates
14:45
the reason why I think we everyone loves
14:48
Harlem is because the chemistry that you
14:50
see is so real and that's a huge
14:53
Testament to Megan when you have someone
14:55
who's like the leadership position they
14:58
affect what the environment becomes and
15:01
her being so welcoming and generous and
15:04
kind and someone who Advocates and says
15:06
hey if something's not right let's all
15:08
come together like she led us in love
15:11
and so I think people need to just like
15:14
give her all of her flowers she's
15:16
brilliant she does Dr like can we why do
15:19
we even why do I even have to say this
15:20
but the sis does sci-fi fantasy action
15:24
drama and has the like comedic timing of
15:27
Lucio ball at the same time like the is
15:29
vast and also so humble so Megan's
15:33
Perfection I love how you talk I just
15:35
want to ask you questions to get your
15:37
answers I didn't hear thing she
15:40
said wow this is so dope yeah have you
15:43
been able to enjoy um some of the the
15:46
fruits of your labor The Spoils of being
15:48
in the spotlight this is the spoil right
15:51
now okay s morning would have to be a
15:55
Tracy seriously like um I'm just so
15:59
grateful I feel like all of my dreams
16:01
are coming true at once like I've always
16:04
been sure about acting I always knew who
16:08
I was but music Felt So Far Away music
16:12
felt Impossible music felt terrifying I
16:15
didn't believe in myself I didn't think
16:16
the world had space for me and then you
16:18
get a certain age and and it's very
16:20
agist for women and so to have like
16:24
music being received this way and
16:26
finally being courageous to stand on
16:28
business on something a dream of mine
16:29
I've been wanting to do for so long that
16:32
felt impossible I just feel like God is
16:35
like girl anything you want it's it's
16:37
really a big Testament to like if God
16:39
gives you a vision he is not a man that
16:42
he should lie it's not a matter of if
16:45
but when and if you could just remain
16:47
and hold on to the seed that God is
16:49
giving you and just nourish it and pour
16:51
into it like just you just never know
16:54
when it's going to happen so just remain
16:56
steadfast in whatever that dream that
16:59
inkling God is giving you because it it
17:02
it might feel impossible to you but what
17:04
is impossibility to God come on
17:11
sh hey this song and her music is
17:15
amazing we played two songs live on the
17:17
a back to back did gorgeous song she
17:19
look like is this playing right now yes
17:21
right now live country and if Feel My
17:24
Love is the latest single right yes and
17:27
um the way you sing that Thank You song
17:30
and it's a and the song is about
17:31
devotion right yeah it's about
17:33
commitment and you know vow right yeah
17:37
um these songs don't have to be inspired
17:39
by a person per se right what inspired
17:41
this one um I wanted to write about the
17:45
love that I wanted I feel like I've said
17:48
this before but I feel like if we have
17:51
to be so intentional with our words if
17:53
life and death is in the power of the
17:55
tongue that we speak how much more so in
17:58
music and I really wanted to be to use
18:01
this as an opportunity to be intentional
18:03
and responsible about the lyrics I'm
18:05
putting out there and make it a musical
18:08
prayer of Love of healthiness a love
18:10
that not only changes the two people in
18:12
it but the environment surrounding them
18:14
because that's what good love does it
18:16
affects the community it makes you want
18:18
to love differently because you see
18:20
something different and so this is like
18:22
my musical prayer really to bring in the
18:26
man I want and bring in that healthy
18:28
love and and a man so good I want to
18:30
call his mama and say girl you did that
18:33
you know so I've done that before yes D
18:37
you done that you made him multiple
18:39
times you thank the parent yes I call
18:43
yeah my part because it's it's
18:45
incredible and like you said it's not
18:48
something that impacts one person
18:49
there's a lot of decisions that people
18:51
had to make before I even met this man
18:54
you know decisions to have the child
18:56
decision how you're going to raise
18:58
raising because it's a lot of people
19:00
with when parents both in the home but
19:02
honey you w raised right so yeah this is
19:06
a a big kudos to everyone who was raised
19:09
well laughing Shena and Tracy and Mama
19:11
Shena cuz I've been married 23 years I
19:14
Ain never called my mother-in-law said
19:23
home be answering theone go you really
19:27
sping down Billy go home heav well
19:30
hopefully it might shift the Dynamics of
19:32
your relationship because that's what
19:33
good love does let me say this a lot of
19:36
times when you're in the industry uh
19:38
you're nut HP a lot of time in the
19:40
industry it's harder to find those
19:42
people because of the nature of your
19:44
work M but I'm over that come on now cuz
19:47
we can have it all you can have it all
19:50
right and if somebody is intimidated by
19:52
the nature of your work then maybe that
19:54
person isn't right for the position
19:57
right that part has that happened oh
19:59
absolutely absolutely you have people
20:01
who are attracted to the light who are
20:03
attracted to everything that you are but
20:06
then actually being beside it becomes
20:09
larger than what they expected and I
20:10
have to remind myself just similar to
20:12
kind of what Angie is going through this
20:14
season that like whether I'm an actress
20:17
or a singer or not I'm always a star I'm
20:20
always a light I'm always going to show
20:22
up radiantly and so it doesn't matter if
20:25
it's a career that's making you insecure
20:28
or if it's uh me putting on a Gucci
20:31
dress but whether I'm in leggings or
20:33
sweatpants the energy will be remain the
20:35
same and so what I need in a
20:37
relationship is to make sure that this
20:39
is good soil that I can be nourished and
20:41
grow to my fullest potential if there's
20:43
any we were talking about it today if
20:44
there's a little figment of I got to let
20:47
it go and let me save F on letting it go
20:50
cuz sometimes it's easy to run and just
20:51
spin the block sometimes but I I think
20:55
the the the biggest thing for me is that
20:59
remembering how the reflection of the
21:02
love that I have in my relationships
21:04
with friends the reflection the way that
21:06
my mother loves me the way that my best
21:08
friend shows up for me my my man got you
21:10
got to love me more than my friends you
21:12
got to treat me better than my friends
21:14
do and I have magnificent friends so if
21:16
they ain't meeting that and and if
21:18
they're insecure God bless you but you
21:20
got to find somebody else you're not
21:21
going to make me smaller
21:25
Shand okay the new song is feel my
21:28
that's out now the music video just
21:30
dropped today too I saw it music video
21:33
and so this the route we on right now
21:35
right yes yes you performing soon or
21:38
yeah I'm doing my first televised
21:40
performance I'll be on a Porsche show in
21:42
Atlanta I'm so excited shout out to por
21:45
congratulations yes I'm in rehearsals
21:47
for that because I'm like I got to step
21:49
out with my my two feet down yes indeed
21:52
um so I'm in rehearsals for that all the
21:55
time and um I just shot the visuals for
21:58
my coming single black with by Dereck
22:00
blanks oh I'm doing a Feel My Love
22:01
challenge okay for you know February I
22:04
want the people to feel my love we
22:05
giving out some custom jewelry custom
22:08
Feel My Love pieces it's the same
22:10
designer Water Street Jewelers who did
22:12
my jewelry for the ebony feature and
22:15
Daniela also did my jewelry for um the F
22:17
my love music video so we're giving out
22:20
two people it'll be on my page it drops
22:22
February 1 and then we're announcing the
22:23
winners February 14th so get you some
22:26
custom give out your page give out your
22:28
page it's Shena sha day Shena sh h o n i
22:32
quu a s h a n d a i you know people like
22:36
to switch the mobs okay all right so I I
22:39
I would love for by the way Mom you've
22:41
been a great citizen here
22:44
just you got you pulled her out to
22:47
that's a true that's a true citizen hey
22:50
hey Shen before we in the show it I I
22:53
thought maybe and I know I didn't say I
22:54
was going to do this but you s you sound
22:56
so good on these songs I people to hear
22:59
you a capella just a little bit is that
23:01
okay my God I would love to okay just
23:03
something and and you want to do that
23:04
wait hold up before you do that before
23:06
you do that we got something for you
23:09
just to show you the appreciation we
23:11
have for you officially give you flowers
23:14
H wanted to make sure you had those no I
23:16
just I love you sis you just man and
23:20
thank you for responding to my crazy DM
23:22
thank you for sliding in my DMs you
23:24
don't understand this is a dream come
23:26
true it really is to be welcomed in
23:29
these spaces this way is something that
23:31
I've always prayed for and so you this
23:34
moment right now I'm living in a prayer
23:37
W damn that's amazing that's amazing man
23:39
let me not mess it up go ahead and sing
23:41
something um this is feel my
23:47
waiting for someone so real I knew you
23:52
were coming but God would reveal and
23:59
in enriching my soul now I want you to
24:14
outside bunch of dudes lining up outside
24:17
right now the chocolate chipp andells
24:21
outside yo let's give give it up for
24:23
Shenika shande thank you and make sure
24:26
you watch the final season of
24:29
yes and then also make sure you pick up
24:31
her music streaming on all platforms I
24:33
want to thank your mom thank you m thank
24:36
you for being here your whole team you
24:38
got a great team here man yeah I got
24:39
some blessed people around me I got
24:41
Angels around me yes indeed shout them
24:43
out say their names we like to okay
24:44
Kayla doson on the Beats okay she is on
24:47
this face making this skin look like
24:49
skin and Austin Evans making this hair
24:52
look like it came out my SC yeah it did
24:54
okay you didn't damn no all right all
24:56
right okay lace well okay and that man
25:00
on the camera yes good old Jackson
25:03
Albert this man is so phenomenal like my
25:06
first time ever directing he brought in
25:09
the crew and helped me lead with so much
25:13
kindness and joy and fun and incredible
25:16
talent and trusted me and he's also
25:18
worked on Amazon's got him to do some
25:21
Harlem please everybody book Dexter
25:23
Albert but also Mr Dexter make some room
25:26
for me when not when you available okay
25:28
that's what but this man he records and
25:29
edits down okay man whole team right
25:32
there it's important you got the you got
25:33
the right team we was talking about that