Pretty Vee Q&A
Who exactly is Pretty Vee and how would you describe yourself to new and future fans?
Pretty Vee is a character. Pretty Vee is bold, talented, authentic, organic, just a daring determined individual. Put anything in front of me and I am going to get it done and try to do it at a level of perfection. I’ve come from a place of having, to a place of not having so I know both worlds. I’m always setting myself up to go out and get it. For those fans that don’t know me, I am an authentic soul that is free of life and I’m that Girl! What up!
2.) How old were you when you discovered you had a natural talent for entertaining others and making people laugh?
I was very young when I discovered I was talented and different and that I had a calling over my life. I was in elementary school and I was involved in everything. Jazz, tap, piano, dance, ballet, theater, and acting. My Mom had me in everything to make sure that people could see my talent. I remember she would have me sing for my Aunts, and I sang Mariah Carey’s heartbreaker, and I can remember her saying you know “Baby that’s not your talent.” I was just blessed to have so many things going on at such a young age, and so I kept that drive, and determination with me in order to succeed and it worked and is still working.
3.) You’ve created a lane and a successful career for yourself through social media, What is some advice you’d give to other creatives hoping to achieve the same successes?
The advice I would give to other creatives would be to be consistent and stay prayed up! Putting God first is the most important thing. I remember being depressed before I got on social media outlets, because I didn’t know what,where or who to turn to but GOD. I didn’t understand what my walk was supposed to be or what my purpose was, I just knew I wanted to be in the arts, but I didn’t know how because I was trying to figure it out on my own instead of leaning on God and nothing was falling through for me. My advice would be that you have to pray, and make sure you have a great support system around you that is going to push you. You may fall, but you’re going to have to get back up and try it again and just be YOU! Be authentically YOU!
4.) Where would you like your career to take you in the next 10 years?
To the Greater Heights! You know to the levels of the Greats, and when I say that I mean longevity because that is what I want. I look at actors like Jim Carey, Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, and Taraji P Henson and how they have longevity. When you say their names people know who they are and that’s the category I want to fall into. I want to always be Better and Great. I want my legacy to always scream epic, real, raw and uncut and for me to give my fans every part of me. I see myself continuing in the television and film world with my own show, developing, producing, and directing it. I want my own talk show as well and the list goes on but I’m going to always give y’all something and it’s going to be authentic.
5.) Who inspires you as a Comedian?
Jim Carey, Tiffany Haddish, Mellissa McCarthy, and the Wayans Family, I always loved In Living Color.
6.) You’ve recently ventured into acting, with your role in the new movie “Big Fifty” on BETplus. Tell us a little bit about how that experience was for you, and what direction you would like to continue to go in with your acting career.
The movie is available to watch on BETplus, BETher, and BET so that’s a blessing. The streaming for the movie has been doing so well, we are so excited that we got to spread the love on TV because everyone doesn’t have BETplus. That experience for me was so amazing, I was so nervous. I did not want to take the role because I didn’t think I was ready but I was born ready, so I had to sit back and tell myself that I was ready and I had to put myself in that character. I had to play Melanie! My character’s name is Melanie and it was so inspiring to be around so many creative people on the set that directed me and made me feel so comfortable.
The direction I would like to continue to go in with my acting career is to play more roles that show my versatility as an actress. From drama, to romance and comedy roles. As I continue to offer different ranges of myself, the up, the down, the sad, bad, ugly, and the relevant, I want people to relate to me like they do on social media.
7.) Tell us about how you are able to stand out in an industry full of so many talented people?
Just being me! Knowing that I only see myself as my own competition. When I walk in a room full of people, I just see myself walking through everybody because of the confidence, the strive, the determination, the grace that I have. I know that my divine walk is so different, not to say anybody else isn’t talented because there is some great talent out there, but I just see me. I’m just authentic, I’m organic, I’m honest; and I’m honest with my confidence, I’m honest with my realness, I’m honest with being me. In everything that I do, it’s always something different with me, I’m never giving anyone the same type of Vee. I don’t want to be compared with anyone else, there is no one that compares to Pretty Vee. My walk is different.
8.) Tell us about everything you have going on right now from fashion, entrepreneurship, acting, etc?
Before I started doing comedy and before I went to college, I wanted to go to SCAD. SCAD is a fashion school. I wanted to study fashion. I wanted to style people. I just wanted to be in the industry; and so whatever I needed to do to get in the door that is what I wanted to do. Unfortunately though, that was not God’s plan for me, so I went to school for four years at Saint Augustine University and got my Bachelor’s in communication where I was doing radio. I had my own radio show called Lounge 22, where we played the 80’s 90’s and today R&B and I did that for all three years of my college experience. I then went on to do my own Podcast show, and interned at V103 radio station in Atlanta, and all over including in Charlotte NC but I knew overall I just wanted to be in the art. Fashion was always my thing. I wanted to always incorporate the editorial side of fashion. I looked at Zendaya, Chanel Iman, Kamora Lee Simmons, Missy Elliott, and just all the icons that merged fashion into their careers through their everyday life when they stepped out on the red carpets. They were very different, bold and
daring and I loved it and so I would say fashion always speaks to me. My Mom was a fashionista, my Dad was big into fashion as well, so I get it from both sides.
When it comes to my music, I grew up in a house that had soul, funk, R&B, but also gospel, You know I’m a PK, (Preacher’s Kid) so growing up in two worlds was fun. That’s where I incorporate my poems where I talk about God and that’s also where I can give you other stuff like the “Oh yea, what’s Good, Aye Aye Aye Aye.” Then my acting, you know I was born into it so I’m really rounded and ready for the world to see more of Pretty Vee so stay tuned!
9.) Tell us about your newest business venture with Rick Ross and his brand of sparkling wine Belaire.
The Belaire opportunity came about through my PR team. They presented the deal to me as an opportunity for me to be the face of the brand. I don’t try to do everything, I try to do what is best for me so I try to do the opportunities I feel will be organic, and authentic to my brand. Belaire came to the table, and you know it’s pink, which is my favorite color so it makes sense and I love Rick Ross, he’s from Miami, so I was happy to partner, you know those are my family.
10.) Pretty Vee is known for so many talents, but what many don’t know is the importance that your spiritually plays in your life. Tell us a little more about that, and what it means to you?
My Spirituality means so much to me because that is how I stay grounded with Christ, it is how I’ve gotten so far in my life; because of God. It’s because of his grace, because of his love, because of his blood that showers over me. I’ve been in some dark spaces in my life and he’s the one that brought me out. I would watch my Mom, cry out and shed tears and open the doors in the morning and declare to the devil for him to get out because he had no place being there, so when you have that foundation you can always succeed. You can always shut the devil down when you have so much power over you because you know you got it. It’s power in tongue and its power in the name of Jesus. I love to speak his name, it keeps me grounded.
11.) What else can people expect to see from Pretty Vee, what’s next?
What’s next for Pretty Vee? Just keep watching me and stay tuned!
