Keeping It 100 With Demetria McKinney (Part 1)

Demetria McKinney is one of the busiest women in entertainment today. She has an extensive acting resume, including Tyler Perry’s House of Pain (“Janine“), Rickey Smiley’s The Rickey Smiley Show (“Monica”) and Devious Maids (“Natasha”), playing Deena in The Muny’s production of Dreamgirls (alongside original cast member, Jennifer Holiday), but that’s not all. Demetria also just released her new single “100”, featuring Da Brat. “100” is this first single from her upcoming EP, Officially Yours, set to be released later this year. Demetria definitely kept it 100 in our interview and proves she has the walk to back up the talk….check it out.

Carlos: Well, first of all, I love the single “100” with Da Brat and will be getting your upcoming EP, Officially Yours when it comes out too.

Demetria: You better be ready! We ain’t playing with yall (laughs).

Carlos: When can fans expect to purchase it (Officially Yours)?

Demetria: The single “100” is out now on iTunes. The video is on YouTube and Vimeo. Officially Yours, the EP, will be out by the end of the year.

Carlos: You’re heavily involved in acting with Devious Maids, House of Payne and The Rickey Smiley show. How do you even have time to make music?

Demetria: The beauty of the module with Tyler Perry, Roger Bobb and everybody with House of Payne came up with was that we got so much in the can. People didn’t know we would film 100 episodes in 1 season. While I was working, I was able to get more work. Same thing with The Rickey Smiley show. Bob Cat Films and Roger Bobb is in production with that as well, so he operates on the exact same module. House of Payne is in syndication, The Rickey Smiley show is in the can, so Devious Maids was nothing to get in there….as well as get in the studio and pursue my passion.

Carlos: Wow, definitely on the grind, I see.

Demetria: Yes, stay on it.

Carlos: That’s something I don’t think people understand. You do have to keep at it. I’m a writer myself (of poetry), so I understand it’s hard to keep at it.

Demetria: Yeah to stay inspired everyday….

Carlos: Yes, exactly. How do you select your roles?

Demetria: I guess I would relate it to the Arsenio Hall phenomenon. If it makes me say, “Hmmm…”, I’m already intrigued. If I can learn something from it, I’m all the way in. Janine was a great character for me because yeah she definitely started off with an issue, but it was all choice driven. I learned that my choices have consequences – good or bad. I learned that in those choices I can make a choice to change. She had such an incredible art.

Monica, on The Rickey Smiley Show, teaches me to balance family and business because being in this business, I definitely am a single mom. I really have to figure out and pay more attention to what my son needs and when he needs it. Roles like Deena, playing opposite of Jennifer Holiday. When she comes and asks me? That’s when I knew I had a voice that people wanted to hear. If the original Effie can recognize my work, on stage, it speaks volumes. Each role that I’ve had, I’ve tried to learn from them. Tried to make sure they were interesting and intriguing.

Carlos: Ok, well getting back to the music side and your single “100”, Da Brat is one of my favorite rappers and it’s cool that she’s back out in the limelight. We haven’t heard from her in a while. How did that collaboration take place?

Demetria: We have a mutual friend named Blue. We’ve both recorded in his studio. He’s a great friend to both of us. I had seen Brat around the way. She was always really cool, but we never had a chance to connect. So when I played him the track for “100”, he was like, “Yo, you need a female rapper on here”. I thought Nicki Minaj, you know she’s winning right now. But he said, “Somebody with a finesse and swag that’s legendary”. Brat immediately popped in my head. And her getting in the studio and asking what the motivation for “100” was. What did I think about those lyrics? Do I need to come harder with this? Somebody that’s been in the game like that, doesn’t usually ask your opinion or include you. The way that she made this a true collaboration is something I respected even more. She’s amazing.

Carlos: You know, you mentioned something earlier about Nicki Minaj. Not a slight against her, but she’s not somebody you would necessarily think of as legendary as far as the rap game goes as much as Da Brat.

Demetria: Well I think legends can only be made with time. Nicki is a very new time piece…an exquisite one, but she’s a 2009 wine verses a 1978. You know what I mean? Brat has such a gift and a history attached to her already, especially as it pertains to Atlanta where I’m at. That’s home repping hard coming through trials, coming through tribulations and coming out triumphant. Really staying true to who she is.

Carlos: Right, I got you. The meaning behind the song “100”, tell us how you came up with that?

Demetria: Aaghh (laughs)… Well, The Good Guys are the producers for this track. We were just sitting in the studio and I was frustrated cause I’m definitely in a relationship, but as guys try to approach me anyway, they think that because of the money they assume I’m making or the prowess they think I have, then they have to come with all these sob stories.

(In guy voice) “You know, I rock a 300…” You know….blah, blah, blah. It’s like ok, the next time I see you, you’re asking me for $20 to pay for the valet. You don’t have your teeth brushed. It’s not adding up. If you’re on your hustle, say you’re on your hustle. Don’t sit and front and like you’re somebody else. If I’m gonna like you, I’m gonna like you.

The biggest thing for the single though was separating Janine from Demetria. I appreciate every time people call me Janine. I’m not that chick that’s like, “That’s not who I am!” So, I will definitely answer to that. But in this (“100”) and in Officially Yours, they are getting Demetria at her core. I don’t how much of this you’re going to be able to print but I say, “Niggas say they wanna love somebody. These niggas ain’t shit”. If that’s who you are, that’s who it applies to. That’s not a blanket statement for anybody. If that don’t apply to you, move that blanket to the side. You dig what I’m saying?

Carlos: Yeah that’s true. In that whole theme of keeping it “100”, and I know you say you’re in a relationship, but would you ever or have you ever forgiven a guy that didn’t keep it “100”?

Demetria: It depends on how the 100 fell. If you’re telling me that you’re an investment banker, but you really are the cashier…..come on cash my check and I’ll see you at dinner. Now, if you’re telling me you’ve never been married with kids, and you got a whole other situation in Delaware, can’t mess with you (laughs). There’s levels to everything. Not everybody is worthy of everything you are. Not everyone will know my son until I’m ready for them to know him. But you can’t start off anything good with a lie.

Carlos: That’s deep, I love that. I can tell you’re very levelheaded. What are the pressures you would say are not conforming to what the entertainment industry wants you to be as an actress and a singer?

Demetria: That is an amazing question that has so many different facets to it. First off, the transition from actress to singer is so much different than from singer to actress. If you notice rappers have definitely been able to get into acting, but acting trying to get into rapping is not the same. Remember when football players were like, “Yeah I’m gonna be a rapper now”? It didn’t go good (laughs) so now people are just kinda ify and they are so bent on lanes and how straight that line has to be. They don’t pay attention to the dotted lines ever so often in the street.

The other part of the problem is figuring out how to introduce myself to the people that have felt like they know me through Janine, through Monica, through Natasha, through Lisa and all of these other people I’ve played and how I’ve weaved through that without losing anybody. Well, I’m definitely not a crack head. I’ve never been an attorney. I definitely have never punched my mom in the face, but Demetria McKinney has definitely been through her share of stuff. It’s hard getting people to understand that Janine is not in this body anymore. When I go home, in my space, I’m me. And I’m letting people into that space.

People talk about their project all the time and say it’s like giving birth to a baby – like labor pains. Man it’s soooo much deeper than that! They don’t tell you what it feels like when your water breaks. They don’t know the times when you sat there and sculpted that baby’s head because it was a little misshapen for a while. There are some things that go into presenting and protecting your gift.

The other part of it is, this industry is so fickle. They’re so look driven…they’re so age driven…they’re so sound driven. They just can’t focus on good. I don’t want to be labeled as just an Urban AC artist, an Urban Mainstream artist..I don’t want those labels. I want to present me in the best form I can and let the cards fall where they may. I’ve been working on this project for 4 years. Every time I would get started on it, I would have an acting gig. Which is a great problem to have, because bills definitely have to be paid. But as time went on, it really gave me a chance to develop my sound…

***Stay tuned for Part 2 of the interview on www.peauxeticexpressions.com on Monday, where Demetria lets us in on her personal life, her thoughts on the “N” word, her responsibility as a mother and role model, what makes her most comfortable, her thoughts on Beyoncé and more…. ***

For more information on Demetria McKinney, go to www.demetriamckinnney.com, or @demimckinney (Twitter), or @demetria4real (Instagram)

Interview by: Carlos Harleaux