Welcome to #WeNeedToTalk, hosted by the fabulous #NylaSymone! 🎙️ In this episode, Nyla sits down with the incredible #ShoniquaShandai, star of the Prime series 'Harlem.' They delve into Shoniqua's NAACP nomination, share insights on her New York culture shock, and uncover more about her journey in the industry. Don't miss this candid and captivating conversation!
Talk Soon! ✌🏾
Stay connected! Follow @wnttlk on all platforms.
Welcome to #WeNeedToTalk, hosted by the fabulous #NylaSymone! 🎙️ In this episode, Nyla sits down with the incredible #ShoniquaShandai, star of the Prime series 'Harlem.' They delve into Shoniqua's NAACP nomination, share insights on her New York culture shock, and uncover more about her journey in the industry. Don't miss this candid and captivating conversation!
Talk Soon! ✌🏾
Stay connected! Follow @wnttlk on all platforms.
To go and invest in a few pieces of art is another form of just you know expanding your Palate.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is yes.
Speaker 1:Yes, also, you know, creating that financial portfolio. I've been wanting to get into purchasing music. There's like a couple of sites where you can like bid on publishings of music, yeah, music that, like their contracts are up or their publishing has expired with their companies, or sometimes artists have to sell them when they're not making money. Yeah, and I can't remember the name of the site I actually like still get an email from them, but like they have like artists that we know, like drake has been on there, nikki minaj, like I think, um, that's crazy. Rihanna what's a rihanna and nikki song.
Speaker 1:I came to win fly oh, that song it was like six thousand or something to purchase, but it was like per. Like you were gonna end up paying like six thousand a year or something like that, but then the amount of money that you get back from it ends up like yeah.
Speaker 2:So you have to like say you know what's going on.
Speaker 1:Know what's going to be hot like if you have an ear to like. Oh, I know he's about to drop a new album then it'd be west then it'd be worth it to invest in that.
Speaker 2:Interesting.
Speaker 1:So I'll be, like you know, researching. It's time to like make moves on these things, yeah, but yeah, different ways to like increase our wealth. Okay, we have a lot to get into.
Speaker 2:I knew you was a Leo. Your personality was too big over here talking to the receptionist, oh my God.
Speaker 1:I try to like be personable. I can be really shy sometimes too.
Speaker 2:I know, I know why she and her lying, but no, it's true, it's true, it's also too.
Speaker 1:It's a good day, I feel like, welcomed and it's a safe space, but I think it's a part of that, I think I think that's the thing with Leo's too. I think I think that's the thing with Leo's too. I think we assessed and evaluate and we can and move, yeah, according to how the environment feels. Yeah, for sure, you know discernment sometimes I'll really didn't.
Speaker 2:You'll be like I'm quiet the whole time.
Speaker 1:She don't ever say nothing. Maybe my space just I didn't fill in you. Yeah, I'm still testing you out big on energy. Absolutely, yeah, absolutely it's very very important, 100% I agree.
Speaker 2:Hello, I'm still testing you out Big on energy. Absolutely, absolutely. It's very, very important. 100%, I agree.
Speaker 1:Hello, I'm Shanique Washandé. You might have seen me as Angie on Harlem.
Speaker 2:It's gonna be great.
Speaker 1:Okay, if your boyfriend kills me, I will haunt both of y'all forever, and not in some cute cast with a friendly ghost type way, some conjuring hopping out of mirrors scare you to death, type shit. I will be your generational curse and I am currently nominated for NAACP Image Award. That's right. I will forever be an NAACP Image Award nominated actress and you can currently go vote right now. For me, it's best supporting actress. Now, nyla girl, we need to talk.
Speaker 2:Period. What's going on, guys? And welcome to another episode of we Need To Talk Now. Today I have a very special guest in the building. I got Shaniqua Shonde here.
Speaker 1:How are? You, I'm magnificent, magnificent, magnificent. I have no complaints. God is blessing me. I'm in the space with you, so I'm good. I love that.
Speaker 2:First of all, I gotta start with this hat and the jacket I love. I mean the jacket that you wore in here.
Speaker 1:It's not on camera but like the orange sweater I love the colors. I'm big into like vibrance yes, the same, and you're I think it's like radiating high I think, no matter, like, whatever mood I'm in, a bright color just makes you feel good. So like I'm painting my place and my place is all kind of oranges and greens and pink. So like, no matter how I feel, I wake up and I'm like, okay, ignited to go.
Speaker 2:That's what's up. I love that. I don't even think people understand the power of color. It's color therapy.
Speaker 1:It really exists. Like I honestly, cause I can be kind of broody, I like go back and forth with depression a lot, and so I was very like Intentional about how I wanted to wake up and what I wanted to see immediately. Yeah, so I, color therapy is real. Oh, so what's the color that you wake up to? So my room, in spite of like saying all the bright colors, right, I still wanted a moody, like you know. Okay, so it's a little bit like a dark blue, but then I have stripes of chartreuse and stripes of pink and orange. Okay, so there's like pops of the colors I can see, and then also like knowing that I took the time to do a stripe because it was very hard just like make me feel good.
Speaker 1:Oh, yes, honey, I was in there, like we call it Brenda the Builder, also, just like to. It's something about like the works of your own hands, you know, like being able to, like prove yourself, especially, I think, being in an industry where you got to wait on other people so much, like having things that I can do myself and look at that and be like that was you girl.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you did that on your own Hella. Proud it Exactly. Are you like a DIY girly in general? I think so.
Speaker 1:I think I'm getting into my DIY bag. I used to do it like. Right before the pandemic, my sister and I started painting.
Speaker 2:And then, since then.
Speaker 1:I've been like screwing and drilling and hammering.
Speaker 2:And yeah, that's fire. Actually, do you think pandemic like I guess? Open that up a bit more, because I know for me pandemic happened. I was making shea butter, I'm vegan.
Speaker 1:I got all these dishes I'm doing, you know.
Speaker 2:And then back to reality. Now I'm not doing it as much.
Speaker 1:Same. It was a lot of like skills. I think we just had the time and trying to keep your mind, you know, busy and occupied and somewhere else, rather than like worrying about what was going to happen in the world. It's nice to just have that distraction, but also knowing that you're doing something positive, even if it's making Shea Buddha. So, yeah, I had a couple of skills. I was in there. I started engineering for myself. I have not not actual mechanics, no, you mean music, yeah, music, okay.
Speaker 1:I'm like hold on y y'all don't think I'm doing technology but yeah music, yeah, but I don't do it, no more you know yeah yeah, so the pandemic ended. But honey, I was jump roping, it was everything.
Speaker 2:That's funny to keep busy. So let's talk about cause. I got introduced to you through the show Harlem, but from, I guess, pandemic, to get in that role. Like how did life change? Where were you at then versus now?
Speaker 1:Okay so, before pandemic I had already had Harlem. That was a beautiful thing to like we were. We had started filming season one and got shut down due to the pandemic. We were in maybe episode two of it, oh, wow, yeah. So if you watch the show you can see I drastically lost a lot of weight like around episode three, like I'm like maybe where I am now. And then in the pandemic you know, we was jump roping Like everybody was doing insanity and all of the challenges and it was like one of the I can't remember what affects fitness where everybody was like like doing steps with concrete and everything. So I lost like a crazy amount of weight and then we came back and we just put big sweaters on me so I could still kind of dang, that's actually crazy, but good for you.
Speaker 2:You, because you had work during the pandemic, it was nice, yeah, it really was.
Speaker 1:I can't imagine how it was to have been an actor during that time Already. Like you know, we be hand and mouth sometimes, so let alone having a year of not being able to work and pay your rent. I was very blessed. Universal did really well by us. Like Harlem sent us a check each month so we could pay rent. That's so awesome yeah. So they were really really good to us.
Speaker 2:I love that. How are you? Because you're not LA based. You're originally from Virginia Originally. Yes, yes, how are you liking Harlem, though?
Speaker 1:I'm actually staying in Harlem for the first time this season.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, yes, the first both times I was in Manhattan just because I could go to a show immediately, but I was like I can't do a show called Harlem and not stay in Harlem. Yes, I think the most. My grandmother used to stay in Harlem, but I would only come visit her like occasionally, Dope Like, during the summertime. So I felt like I wanted to get the experience this time around and I mean the food regardless. The food is amazing in Harlem, Like even when.
Speaker 1:I was in Manhattan. You go to Harlem to eat or Brooklyn, but Harlem is right there right. I just love seeing us and so much culture, so much history there. Like you could go to, one of the first jazz clubs in New York is in Harlem and they just welcome you with open arms. The Apollo, like you know it's so much culture?
Speaker 1:Yes, it is In a period of time that was so pivotal to America's artistry that you can't really find any like books on or documentaries on, like the Harlem Renaissance has been erased from our history in spite of it being so prolific in the world's you know artistry whatsoever, or that didn't make sense. But it's one of the world the world's you know artistry whatsoever, or that didn't make sense.
Speaker 2:But it's one of the world's artistry, you know.
Speaker 1:And so I love being able to like walk around and like literally pinpoint moments or places that were like very pivotal in like the creation of jazz and fashion and literature. It's like all there in one place.
Speaker 2:That's beautiful, that's very true actually. Never thought about it like that, but I guess you kind of don't learn it unless you live it?
Speaker 1:yeah, because it ain't in books, and let them get this critical race theory going a lot of us got a lot more gonna be raised honey.
Speaker 2:It's so scary out here when it comes to stuff like that, but insane to like be in real time seeing history be reshaped yeah, yeah. That's why it's important for us to document as we go we need these spaces, yeah, so thank you. Kudos to you, of course, thanks for coming um, but I I love the experience that you're having in harlem. Um, I'm excited for it. My favorite food spot, by the way please put me is this spot called Jukebox. Have you been there?
Speaker 1:yet. No, I have not been there.
Speaker 2:It's healthy. It's healthy, but it's like fire.
Speaker 1:healthy that's good, because we need a nice mix, because I've been eating Melba's every day and it is not honey. It is not honey. I'm expanding. It's so good though.
Speaker 2:When I was in Harlem I lived on 138th and 8th and it was right by this spot that had like $5 plates of soul food and like Caribbean food. So when I say I gained so much weight but I was eating so good, $5 is crazy.
Speaker 1:$5 is crazy. Yeah, it really is. It was so crazy. A $5 meal is insane yeah, especially this is crazy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it really is, it was so crazy. A $5 meal is insane, yeah, especially when it's good. Yes, yeah, but all right, so this is exciting. I can't believe you guys. It all seems like you guys are really living in Harlem. Yeah, you know we are. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Jer was definitely staying out there during season one and two.
Speaker 2:I'm not sure I business, anyway was there any um cultural like shocks in, I guess, and just visiting harlem because I know I definitely had some.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I will say, okay, don't get at me new yorkers, okay, but I can be very soft-spoken and I think it could like comes from like the country and all those other things. So I went to a Starbucks one time and they gave me the most attitude because they didn't make my drink correctly and I was like, um, excuse me. And they were like I guess that's just like annoying to New Yorkers. But I was like, um, excuse me. He's like what you want? Can you just speak? I'm like wait a minute. And I was like that's wild.
Speaker 1:So that was like a few of my culture shocks have been the abrasiveness of New Yorkers. It's times that, like I was on a phone and this is why I don't even ride the train, no more. Maybe I was like traumatized, but I was trying to guilt, trip my mom into rehearsing lines with me. We were here for the Tribeca Film Festival like, maybe, like 2021, no, maybe 2018, 2017, it was before the 20s, different decades. So we are the trainer trying to get her into running lines with me and I'm like don't you want to be famous? And a New Yorker was like like that's your goal in life? Oh, and I was like, wait a minute. What? You don't even know me, new Yorkers be coming for me. So my culture shock has been the abrasiveness and a little bit of rudeness.
Speaker 1:So maybe I'm too sweet, my heart is too gentle for New York. I need kindness. Take me to the south, honey. They be reading me out here.
Speaker 2:That sounds about right. Actually, that's funny. You get used to it though.
Speaker 1:And then you start giving it back. Is that what it is?
Speaker 2:Yes, or honestly I think, for me by like year three. I just mind my business. Yeah, I don't talk to nobody. Nobody talk to me. I don't even fucking give them no energy, but that that's hilarious.
Speaker 1:Yeah, welcome to New York, thank you, thank you, thank you. Grow a thick skin Seriously.
Speaker 2:So growing up you fake, have an accent even though you're from Virginia. I don't really know people from Virginia with a country accent like that.
Speaker 1:I don't know what it is, I really don't know. Like I'm working on it right, but my accent really swings and does whatever it wants to, based on my mood, and like, if you ask me to do an accent, I cannot, but if I'm making a business call, my mom caught me out on it. When I do business calls, apparently I sound British, like I don't know what that is. I don't know where the British is crazy. Yeah, british is actually crazy, but apparently my business voice is that person and when I'm charming, I I guess this southern accent comes out. Now I did talk to my best friend who's from the south today and I do think she's country, so maybe that is too. Sometimes it's like whoever I just talk to, I can pick. I think it's really just being someone who, like morphs, yeah, and transforms and acts an actor.
Speaker 1:So I be like what we sound like today, and I just go with it. But like ask me to do it on purpose, I'm like I wish I could like get it fine tuned for roles, because then it would be helpful. That's crazy actually.
Speaker 2:So how long have you been acting? All my life, all your life, all my life. I had to fight.
Speaker 1:My grandmother is very theatrical. I compare her to a Jennifer Lewis meets a Maya Angelou, because she also writes, oh wow. And so she wrote off, off off Broadway plays. So music acting was always in the household, yeah. So I remember being in her plays, or even going to her rehearsals of her plays at a very young age, like before I was in school. So I've always like knew I wanted to do this, I wanted to like sing and act, and I said I wanted to be Tina Turner because, like, what's Love Got to Do with it was like my jam at a very young age. I probably shouldn't watch that, maybe too young, at like three or four, to be watching it. But yeah, I've been professionally. I moved out to LA in 2007. And I've been like I went to like a musical theater program and then I've been hitting the pavement ever since. But I was in acting programs in middle school, high school. I always had the drama.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Actually Moving to LA to pursue your career that's dope it really was.
Speaker 1:I was very, very blessed to be able to do that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, wow, support a family. I like that.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah. I got a good one. My sister's my publicist. Oh wow, I don't know who was in communication, but yeah. I think, it probably was your sister.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's my sister.
Speaker 1:We keep it in the family, honey, and she's LA based, right, she's LA based, yeah, oh wow, that's so cool period.
Speaker 2:Okay. So what was, oh, I wanted to talk about, because it looks like you guys have a real sisterhood on the show. Is that what it actually is in real life?
Speaker 1:Absolutely yeah, absolutely. I love those women. I'm so grateful for those women. I feel like I'm in the midst of my prayers and I feel like I am. I prayed for a show that was black-led and where we prayed together and fashion and music and everything that I wrote down in this prayer has come true, including these women. We start the show in prayer, we hang out together. We all went to Megan's birthday party in like Dominican Republic together, Nice, Megan's directing my music video. I saw that.
Speaker 2:That's why I was like oh wow, this is actually really cool. She did a great job. You did too. Oh, she's phenomenal, yeah, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:Like she directed an episode of Harlem. What yeah, episode two of season two to season two. Oh, wow, it's her. Yeah, it's Megan. Good, okay, I had no idea.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's phenomenal. And then also too, like you said, to have the relationship on and off set. You don't normally get that. I mean, people are professional nowadays, I mean maybe before, but you're professional enough to like you have set friends, you have set buddies, set buddies. You know we hang out and then you don't see them again after. But these women are genuinely my sisters, like I love them with, like all of my heart, like that's super. I will tussle, I don't tussle, but in my head.
Speaker 2:I'll tussle over them what is it like working with director Megan Good? Oh my gosh, it's.
Speaker 1:Oh, she's so brilliant. I love that one. Of course, she's an actor's director as well, but she also knows the technical aspects too, which I feel like is extremely hard coming from. I would guess like an acting background, yeah, but she knows her shots. She's so prepared, she's all like, oh, you see her always thinking and like she has this like face she makes when she's like you can see her processing everything. But she's so specific and and I think it's more so like you feel taken care of with other directors, but sometimes there's a lot of directors who don't like actors that has not been my experience at all on Harlem.
Speaker 1:We are very blessed. But I have had experiences before with other directors who were like very much like technical heavy. They love the camera but like don't know what to say to actors or intimidated factors can't stand actors. I think we're like overly emotional, just like they have these expectations around us. So sometimes in communicating on set it can be rather difficult, but with her it allowed when I know I'm taken care of by someone who, like I trust, who, especially when dealing with, like you know, we have intimate scenes on Harlem. There's like kissing and things that you might not be comfortable with, because I know like she loves me, I love her, she's going to make sure that I look good. There's just like a different level of freedom. So I feel like able to play and challenge my artist to reach further because I know that, no matter what happens, like there's a net, there's a safety net of her arms there to catch it.
Speaker 1:So, it's really empowering.
Speaker 2:That's actually really beautiful. I'm glad that's your experience and I'm glad you guys get that bonding and I also just enjoy watching it because I feel like we need. We need our girlfriends you know like our version of girlfriends absolutely, thank you but, and then down to the music video. So, yeah, I know you're done engineering, but you're not done with the music. No, no, no. We have more music coming, engineering, but you're not done with the music. No, no, no.
Speaker 1:We have more music coming. I've been working on a project since the pandemic actually, oh my gosh. Yes, because I hadn't really been in the studio prior. But a big thing for me when I connect with characters is like, okay, what are they obsessed with? And I'm like, well, angie's obsessed with music. She's a songwriter. So I'm like I have to get in the studio, I have to try this out in order to relate to her, and so I started writing music before, and there's some like songs that are like I would never release because they're very Angie songs, very different. Um, but it really like sparked something in me that I've always wanted to do. I've always wanted to sing, but wasn't sure that we would. I would be able to do everything prior.
Speaker 1:We weren't like we're in the era of the multi-hyphenate before now, but that was not the case before, like they were like tyra just model, or you just act, you just sing, like they only wanted us to do one thing. So now, with that being embraced, I feel more you know, supported and confident to do my own. So I've been working with on a project, a couple of projects, so I have a thing like a few lined up.
Speaker 1:I feel very like in my Beyonce era that was like up and like meeting producers to like elevate the sounds. Cuz prior I was like pulling beats off YouTube's and right into that and YouTube Beats ain't bad. It's a magic, magical. Amazing producers there, but you know making connections with people to like Specify and fine-tune it to the way that I want a direction. Exactly amazing producers there, but you know making connections with people to like specify and fine-tune it to the way that I want to direction exactly direction is always helpful yes, yes, so that it sounds like me.
Speaker 1:We're creating a sound, so I'm excited to see we're gonna do a little r&b snack pack soon, okay yeah, the sound that sounds like you.
Speaker 2:What do you describe it? Like what?
Speaker 1:oh, okay, it's loud. It's loud and it's layered, okay, and it has like eclectic sounds. I love the bass guitar like that just immediately just feels so sexy are you using live instrumentation? Yeah, so even with my, like my producers, they're gonna go. They're finding people to play as well, so that, because I just love a, I think that's a loud sound. Anyway, just having that band a fuller that's what it is. A fuller, more um experience yeah, a little bit more grown and also like.
Speaker 1:It also allows, I think, for me to have more personality on the track and also sing with all the fullness of my voice, rather than if I'm just using a beat, if, if you have a band and horns and different sections they can handle a full voice.
Speaker 2:I'm excited. She said loud. I would describe it as loud.
Speaker 1:But it's so funny because you can hear my R&B songs and be like this is not loud but there's layers to the sound, right.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:That I'm really excited to share.
Speaker 2:So you said there's tapes in the can Mm-hmm, like plural. Yeah, tell me like, what's the rollout, what's the plan with the?
Speaker 1:Okay, so we're going to drop the R&B snack pack first taster for the palette, okay, um, and then I've been working on this um project called self titles that I'm extremely excited about. That like is connected with visuals, because that is my love language, and it's just basically like telling the story of how, like I compartmentalize myself to deal with trauma. I think, like when you some at least for me a way of like healing or processing pain was to disconnect it and I would show and I think that's honestly where some of the the accents come from as well right, I found you sound different with different folks, because you're safe to share this part, but don't trust them with this part of you, and then you can get this part, but you can't. So it was like a lot of like the roles I played for others, in a way of like protecting myself from not being able to feel everything and ultimately like the road to healing. That's deep Thank you. That's actually deep Thank you. Wow, we're going to release that. That's going to be fun.
Speaker 2:That's my baby Was that that sounds so intimate. Yes, how was that recording?
Speaker 1:process. Oh, you know what's so interesting? Right, because it became healing. It was so healing and therapeutic. I actually didn't know what I was creating or like what I was writing. I would just like be. I would hear a beat and start going, and then it's not until after that.
Speaker 1:I'm like, oh, that's what these words are saying, yeah, I'm like, ooh, you telling your beast man. So I think it was again another way of compartmentalizing this and a separation to be like, okay, you need to get through this. But I think the artist is going to have to pull me through it so that the child, the inner child, and the woman and the actress and all the other parts of me don't have time to realize what's happening. The artist was like we're just going to deal with it, we're just going to pull it out, pull it out, pull it out, that's so good.
Speaker 2:I really love that. I was listening to this podcast yesterday and a quote on there said that when artists make music for themselves, that's the best art for the world. Because people can relate because everybody's human versus actually trying to art for the world. Because people can relate because everybody's human versus actually trying to create something for the world, because then, you're like forcing it.
Speaker 1:You know absolutely yeah, and I think there's, like you know, people who are incredible at that right, but I think to me it like well, it lacks a connection at the end of the day, right like you're like, oh, I can jam to this and I'll put it on, but what really gets me is like the heart, the soul.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the vulnerability, the soul, yes, oh my God. Yeah, I'm so excited for that. Are both projects dropping?
Speaker 1:this year. The R&B Snack Pack will definitely drop this year. Okay, subtitles, because I want to do all of the visuals. Okay, and she's a million dollar budgeter like. So we're like, okay, we're gonna play with this one and then we're gonna do this one next. Then we might have to wait till next year for this one. Yeah, yeah, yeah so we're not, you know, blowing a budget well, I'm I'm looking forward to that for sure, thank you I think, um, I think that's gonna be dope.
Speaker 2:and also I I say and I say this actually to Matt all the time at least like I feel like people who can do Broadway and acting like are the most talented type of artist to me, because like it's a different story when you've got to coordinate with your team, be in sync, you know, actually perform live, like that's different work. Yeah, I think music is a slam dunk for you.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Yeah, Thank you. I received that, sis. Yeah, I feel your faith and confidence in me. I'm going to hold on to it. Please do In store for when I feel like less confident in myself.
Speaker 2:Run this back like less confident in myself. Run this, run it back.
Speaker 1:Yes, pull from my jar of lights.
Speaker 2:But I know, uh, you got an naacp award for the supporting actress nomination, nomination, but I'm gonna take that nomination, but that's still major, it's incredible yeah, it really is.
Speaker 1:One like the women in that category is just like everyone's an award winner or a trailblazer or a legend, and just like to be acknowledged truly means everything I know the class that you're in.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm like, all right. Class of 2024 where were? You at when you found out that you were nominated.
Speaker 1:I was in a meeting, I was on a zoom with my writing partner, we were working on a pilot, we're pitching, and so we have the moment recorded. Because I'm talking to her and my mom she's like can you just got nominated? She has a little baby voice. He just got nominated for an LACP and I was like for Harlem, like just me, so it was just like nice to be in the midst of like working on something else as well, to like receive a validation for other work that you create, created, which is just everything. I'm not gonna lie. I was feeling a little ignored.
Speaker 1:I was feeling like a little yeah, so not even like being the conversation or anything. So I'm just so grateful that we have these spaces for black artistry to be acknowledged and honored and I'm just, I'm extremely grateful, like very, very grateful man, that's real about the feeling ignored part, like even like I'm happy.
Speaker 2:When you're like yo, I'm so happy to be on your platform, I'm like, oh my god, I'm so happy that you're excited to be on the platform like that, that means a lot yeah yeah, so yeah, naacp award is crazy, I know, and we're gonna show out. I can't wait, as you should. As you should have you planned a fit.
Speaker 1:I am still like planning it. I think it's a little hard because I wear so many gowns, like I'm a big gown, ball-me-down, cinderella-like girl, and so I'm like, well, I'm nominated now, so I want it to be even more special. And it's like how do you, how do I up the look? Do yeah, okay, does it have fireworks that come out of it? You know what I mean. Like how do we? That's insane.
Speaker 2:Fireworks is insane. No, I believe she would figure it out too.
Speaker 1:Oh, if I could. Yeah, because, please, please, also the budget. You know like I want a conveyor belt instead of the aisle I just want to pose and just slide down. I want stilt walkers, so like.
Speaker 2:That is insane, Absolutely oh yeah, just let it slide. You know we're not sweating.
Speaker 1:No, you came to see a show. So yeah, I'm really excited about the NAACP. I can't, I don't, I have no idea. I've been working with the same designer who does like all of my dresses and I'm like Angel, I don't know, I don't need to send me so many sketches. I'm like, but can you do this?
Speaker 2:So we're going to figure it out. That's exciting and I know also you got your own show on BET+. Yes, my movie Wake.
Speaker 1:Yes, talk to me about that. Oh my gosh, it was exceptional. It really was To work with Tracy Edmonds, who has been a pioneer in this industry for black film. Every black movie that I've loved recently or before, I would say the last like 20 something years has been Tracy and so to like have her reach out to my management specifically for a role.
Speaker 1:And at the top of last year I was like well, I want something drastically different from Angie, I want something with a little bit of action. I would love something that's like with a little bit of thrill to it. And here she comes with like you're playing a doctorate with who has narcolepsy and you get to do some stunts, and I'm like, look at the Lord and it's a, it's a thriller, and so to be able, I just feel like God is so intentional and like what we speak and what we ask for we is heard. And so I'm like grateful that that happened. And, my gosh, the talent on that. Like I'm obsessed with D-Ray Davis. Like that man is hilarious but also has such a director's eye and do not sleep on his like dramatic acting. He's very exceptional. And then Eric, who is our director. I've been a fan of him because he did Lottery Ticket and I was like, actually that was like the first, well, the last, like Bow Wow movie.
Speaker 1:That happened before I moved out here and I was like Bow Wow and B2K were like one of the main reasons I moved to LA because I was like I was going to be in the next. You Got Serve and I was going to like it was very like, these were my goals. I was intentional about that. It didn't happen, but it's okay. So I was like, okay, I'm gonna be in the next B2K movie. B2k broke up. I was intentional about that. It didn't happen, but it's okay. So I was like okay, I'm going to be in the next B2K movie. B2k broke up and I was like, all right, lottery ticket happened. All right, I'm going to be in the next Bow Wow movie. So I'm going to move to LA and this happened and then it didn't. You're hilarious, you're hilarious.
Speaker 1:I had to work with Eric, who wrote and directed it.
Speaker 2:So it's full circle. You know, yes, for sure it's full circle. There's some synergy there. You know that synergy worked out, yeah.
Speaker 1:Who knows how that might happen. Still, look, god answers our prayers, just not in our time. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a fact. You know, as they do the B2K biopic, I might be in there somewhere. You know, Don't play, don't play.
Speaker 2:You talked about writing these things down and talking to God. My question would be how soon you know from when you asked for it? Did you receive it? Okay?
Speaker 1:it varies. Some of them is immediate, some of it is like, and some of it is like a year or two and I don't even know when I'm doing it. So I bought a hat, just another one, randomly right. Just all of these like random moments I've had of like, creating intentionality and then it manifesting. Um, I bought a hat that said creative directing. I didn't even know what a creative director was at the time but and low-key, had been doing it all my life. It's like the person who's like, of like ahead of bringing the photo shoot to life and creating the theme and getting the, the stylist, the wardrobe and like, creating the vision of it all, the aesthetic. Yeah, they're the like, the writer and director of the photo shoot. And so I bought a hat during the pandemic that said creative directing. And I've been creating, directing my photo shoots ever since. And recently this year one of my homegirls, who's an incredible singer, shout out to Bonita Jelaine. She reached out to me and asked me to creative direct her photo shoot for the cover of her new single. So that was like my first time being able to creative direct for someone else.
Speaker 1:Now that was like a span of two and a half years With Harlem. I was on the phone with one of my close friends and she's a pastor and I was like you know, I refer to being on a TV show as being married, right, and I'm like I'm, and I was like I'm out here single and I just wanna be on the show and I just wanna, you know. And she's like, well, what do you want? And I was down five points and put them on an index card and put it on the wall and it was in New York black women, prayer, fashion and music. And Harlem came, maybe two years later, wow, you know. And so I've been asking now this year specifically about ownership, and I want to own my own content. I want to produce and create my own show.
Speaker 1:And I spoke that in January and I am now directing a mini docuseries called Her Story for Women's History Month. It's all gonna happen in due time, right, that everything that works out is working for our good, but also allowing, like the grace to be like, okay, well, maybe it's going to come when I'm actually ready, because, like, if it would have came two years ago, I don't know if I would have had the capacity to direct, creative, direct right on a show and also be acting in Harlem all at the same time right like the blessing would have came and I would have been able to slip through my fingers because I wasn't able and ready to do it, to hold all the plates right. So I trust God to send it to me when I'm ready. I also trust that when it comes he's going to stretch my capacity to be able to handle it all. So I think it's also like faith, a lot of faith.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, that is so inspirational.
Speaker 1:Thank you yeah, I love that Damn.
Speaker 2:This was great. This is good stuff. Thank you. Okay, we're going to play a game called Questions that Need Answers. All you have to do is fill in the blanks. Oh gosh, okay, it's simple. It's simple. I feel like I got to be deep. Just be yourself, okay, okay, the older I get, the less I blink.
Speaker 1:Remember stuff, what Honey the memory be like. You're an actor, honey. I save room to remember lines, that's it. I be recalling, like what was that when? What? Oh God, Like conversations you just had I can't remember, oh Lord, I mean, I'm trying to work on not being like negative in the way that I speak about myself, but we working on our memory, oh it needs words.
Speaker 2:Someone told me lion's mane helps with memory.
Speaker 1:Okay, yes, I also heard that helps with hair growth as well.
Speaker 2:I don't know, okay, my memory is funny too. And I do the lion's mane a few times like chopped it up in omelets in the morning, but I haven't committed.
Speaker 1:Well, listen, at least you makingelette in the morning, that's a win already. You cooking breakfast. I can't believe. I actually blinked when I was younger oh, I can't believe I actually flanked when I was younger. Oh no, I can't believe. I actually was a tomboy really when I was younger yes, I hated skirts, do not.
Speaker 1:I hated dresses and skirts so much that I think Actually was a tomboy Really when I was younger. Yes, I hated skirts, do not. I hated dresses and skirts so much that I think we went to one of my cousin's weddings and I had jean shorts underneath it because I just was like I am not wearing a dress, so I had it over top, I had the jean shorts underneath, just so I could feel like myself. And I can't believe that because I love like, I love pink and all the frills and feathers and I'm like I think we have to grow into it sometimes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. I wanted to be outside you know playing that's funny, Ain't nothing wrong with that. I'm a little embarrassed by the fact that I know so little about blank. Politics man it's a problem.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like how we gonna save the world if you don't know how it works.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna read a book changing stuff, though it's a lot to keep up with.
Speaker 1:Um, sometimes I look back at my life in blank sometimes I look back in my life and it feels like I've had three to four separate lives.
Speaker 1:It feels like stages of my life seem so long ago yeah like and also realizing the work it takes to get to where you want. It's in levels and so like, oh my gosh, when I was non-union, feel so long ago when I used to be in Virginia and and dream of this feels like forever ago. And then also, I think, coming out of a childhood I'm sorry I can get long-winded, but coming out of a childhood, I'm sorry I can get long winded. Coming out of a childhood where we were like it was, it was tough, we went, we went through a lot of poverty, we were in shelters and I think again, it's just another way to compartmentalize. I think a lot of the ways that I like deal with life has been ways to like handle traumas.
Speaker 1:So, like I think like stages of my life is like how I'm like, okay, it's good that you're so self-aware. You know we working on that, you know you can heal if you don't know what's going on.
Speaker 2:It's true, you know it also, like forces you to take accountability, honey. The fact that you're even able to talk about it like, yeah, you're doing great, thank you you're doing really good. From time to time, it's good. Thank you. From time to time, it's good to do blank.
Speaker 1:Oh, from time to time it's good to do nothing. Mm-hmm, it is.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love a nothing day you gotta reward yourself with nothing and not feel guilty about it. You know, we're in such a hustle culture that it's like are you, is like what you're doing and what you're working on, and like you're awarded by how much you can accomplish in 24 hours. And it's like I remember back in the day you used to just cook a meal and spend time together or, you know, watch a football game, and you had to be there live to watch it and, yeah, experience life. It's nice to sometimes just do that yeah, amen to that.
Speaker 2:I love a do nothing day. Um, I made a complete fool of myself when I blinked girl okay.
Speaker 1:I got so recent no, because I am so awkward, uh, I am always making complete fools of myself. Um, in real life, in real life, in real life girl, so okay I. In real life girl, so okay, I will say the one that like strikes. Two of them come to mind, but the one that strikes me the most is when I met Whoopi Goldberg. Oh man, no, that's a moment.
Speaker 2:That's not the time to do it. Oh, to do that, that's not the time to do it.
Speaker 1:But I, because what's crazy is right One like she is monumental. I mean, we know that. But like the first woman who looked like me on screen, that did everything that I want to do from like the comedy, the drama, the music, everything Right, and I had so much time to think about what I was going to say to her. That's what, like, why it hurts so much too Right, because they came and got me to think about what I was going to say to her. That's why it hurts so much too right, it's because they came and got me. She was filming in a brownstone and I was maybe two blocks away and they're like do you wanna meet Whoopi? So they took me. I had two blocks or so to think about it, to think, and I had nothing. I had nothing. And so I finally meet her and I'm like you look like my mama and Megan's so kind. She's like I could see that and they're trying to make it work and Whoopi's like maybe we related, like they trying, and I'm like nothing.
Speaker 2:Nothing to say. It happens to the best of us. So I'm like, if I ever just give me another chance, if it makes you feel any better, I'd kind of do something similar with Jada Pinkett and I'd just think back and I'm like why did I say that there were so many things you could say?
Speaker 1:So many things I could have talked about all the positive things.
Speaker 2:Yes, instead, I brought up like you know, I'm always online defending you. I'm like I'm sure she doesn't want to hear quite why I said that, oh boy, it's okay, but I just wanted you to know like I defend your honor. I love you, I fuck with you.
Speaker 1:Yes, I don't know what I was trying to talk about. I have no idea. I could have talked about any movie, studying her monOT Shout out to Megan for supporting your crazy approach to it. You know? Okay, this is where we're going, Got it.
Speaker 2:Does she make fun of you about that? No, she's so sweet. Oh, okay, okay, she's so sweet. I'd totally be like yeah, that's what you have to say, that's what she's saying. That's what she's saying. All right, my personality trait is blank.
Speaker 1:Oh one my personality trait. She said oh, one One. Okay, my personality trait is multi-layered. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can see that. Yeah, it definitely gives that Shaniqua. Thank you so much for coming.
Speaker 1:this is great, thank you.
Speaker 2:This was super, super good. You actually inspired me in this interview and I'm sure you inspired many others as well. Can you shout out your grandma?
Speaker 1:everybody know where they're following you yes, hi, shaniqua Shonday at Shaniqua Shonday, s-h-o-n, i-q-u-a, s-h-a-n, d-a-i, and we Shaniqua Shonday on everything, honey Make sure you guys tap in.
Speaker 2:She has a lot of new things dropping this year Music, tv shows, movies all that. Can't wait. Looking forward to it. Thank you, talk soon guys.