It’s summer time and we’ve had the opportunity to see what’s new with Nieko Mann! Nieko has graduated high school, gotten a new hair cut, and even learned to swim! She will also be filming a 3rd season of Diary of a Single Mom. Read the interview below for the scoop on it all!

First of all, congratulations on graduating this year! Class of 2010! How does it feel to be done with high school? Will you be furthering your education? What will you study?

My feelings for finishing high school are pretty bitter sweet. I mean I’m excited but I will miss my friends. I have enrolled at Pierce Jr. College and my main priorities are getting my core classes out the way and then decide but I’m leaning towards Literature.

For most students, school starts back in August. Is there any advice you would like to give to those returning? Especially those that will be going to high school?

I mean I would say get on your grind! When I was 14 I was told by a real good friend by the name of Rhyon Brown to get on your grind! Lol she was working full time on a TV show Lincoln Heights, running track and host of other things and she still managed to have a 4.0 GPA. She already knew what she wanted and at 15 she was already taking steps to get it and today she has accomplished everything she told me she was going to accomplish that day. I will never forget that conversation ever. I rededicated my life to concentrate on things that I wanted to accomplish, how I wanted to accomplish them, and when I wanted to accomplish them. I never told her but that conversation changed my whole life. I got on my grind and graduated school at 16 enrolled in Jr. College and plan to transfer to Pepperdine University in two years all the while I will continue to work on my craft as an actor!

This summer, we see that you have changed your hair! Can you tell a little about that? How do you like it? Which do you like better? Your hair now or your hair before?

Wow yeah that was a big moment for me basically It was a decision I had been battling for almost 2 years. I have been having a perm on my hair since I was ten years old. And one thing I learned about having a perm is upkeep is important. My older cousin is a beautician and she has been caring for my hair since I was 10. We moved to California and I immediately saw the difference in my hair. The first thing I noticed was it lost its luster and its shine. It just didn’t look as healthy as it did and then I started noticing it’s thinning and then I started stressing it was an absolute nightmare. I cringe just thinking about me and my 2 yr hair battle so one day I just made the decision hey I’m not in a place where I can take care of my perm I had been to beautician after beautician I was tired and maybe a lil depressed. So, I asked my Mom can I cut it she looked at me like I was crazy. We had the talk about my career and you know once it’s done it can’t be undone. I mean we had this talk for like 3 months. I told my Mom I wasn’t happy my hair was shedding at a ridiculous rate. I mean it was awful so I finally said, “Hey I’m ready to do this,” and my Mom was like OK. I think she was worried that I would like break down or something when it happened but I didn’t. I was ready when I think of everything that was going through my head that day the only feelings I had was I just felt very Liberated!

Both YBStarz Leeah D. Jackson (profile) and Jaida Benjamin (profile) have been featured on the Sunkissed Girlz website! SunkissedGirlz.com is a site that gives advice on hair, fashion, and more to young girls. This month on Sunkissed Girlz, Leeah D is featured as the Girl of the Month! Leeah shares with SKG a little about herself and what she does. Both Leeah and Jaida will be taking part in a live interview on the Sunkissed Girlz radio show. The interviews will take place this Sunday, May 16th at 6:00pm (eastern time). Check out the articles on Leeah and Jaida HERE in the SKG Newsletter. Tune in Sunday evening for the live interviews HERE on Blog Talk Radio!

Mishon (profile) recently did an interview with JimmyJazz where he talked about peer pressure, falling in love too quickly and his own personal relationship mistakes. In the interview, Mishon had this message for his young fans:

Word From YBStar:

“I think nowadays in our world it’s a lot of peer pressure. People see stuff and sometimes they feel forced to do stuff. I’m just reminding them that if you really like somebody then you don’t have to go all the way. You should really get to know somebody better,”

– Mishon Ratliff, Quote from www.jimmyjazz.com

Read the whole interview now at www.jimmyjazz.com.
Click here if you want to purchase Mishon’s latest single “Rock My Chain” on iTunes. It’s just $0.99!

The movie Mississippi Damned, starring Malcolm David Kelley (profile) and Kylee Russell (profile), is still receiving much acclaim! Peep the latest review for the movie done by The Hollywood Reporter. The film has won 3 additional awards at the Chicago Film Festival as well!

Malcolm recently spoke with Morgan‚Äôs Mark Productions about his experience from the film as well as his upcoming projects; he revealed that he has a television show in the works! Malcolm has just finished taping for a supporting role in the upcoming feature film The Kings of Appletown. Read the interview below for more…

Q: What was your experience like working on Mississippi Damned?
A: My experience on Mississippi Damned was a great learning opportunity for me. I learned a lot acting and just being around good and talented people brought out the best in me. My fellow cast members watched after me and I felt like I grew as an actor working with them. When you mix great people, great actors, wonderful director and producers, you get an outstanding movie. I was glad to have been a part of it.

What was the most fun you had on set? What was the most challenging day on set?
A: The most fun I had on set was the day we did the basketball scene. I love basketball and really enjoyed just bonding with the people who were on my team. I don’t know why but I liked that a lot. For me the most challenging thing on set was the first day of shooting; we were welcomed by a tornado. The fear I felt that day stayed with me for the rest of the shoot. I don’t think anybody else knew that but I was really scared

What drew you to the character of Sammy?
A: Sammy’s character showed me struggle. He showed me hope. I felt like I had to tell his story as sincerely and as truthfully as possible. What also drew me to him was the vulnerability he showed and how he felt he was going to do whatever it took to get ahead.

Q: You had to tackle some pretty heavy material during the course of the film. What was this like for you? How did you work with the director, Tina Mabry, to develop your character?
A: It was pretty challenging. This was the most intense movie I have ever done, in terms of developing my character. It was definitely challenging, but I look for and like a good challenge. It was training me to be a better actor, so I just embraced the situation and gave my all. Tina was by my side, giving me constructive criticism and guidance. With her there I knew I could get through it.

Q: What’s next for you?
A: Well, I have a new TV show. Unfortunately, I can’t give you any details about it yet. But I am definitely still acting. I just did Saving Grace and I have a few commercials running. I’m writing music and scripts and finishing school. So, I’m keeping pretty busy.

SOURCE/CREDIT: Morgan’s Mark Productions/Mrs. Tavares-Russell

He was discovered in a toy store when he was just 10 months old and won over the producers of his latest project, Tyler Perry’s ‘I Can Do Bad All By Myself’ and landed the role after just the table read! With some great stories and cuteness you want to just eat up, Kwesi Boakye is well and truly on the road to stardom! Kwesi gave YBS an exclusive interview where he talks about riding on segways, his Ghanaian Heritage and why Tyler Perry is just a really cool guy!

You can read just the questions and Kwesi’s answers below, or listen to the audio for some added extras, added conversation, added laughs and added info; like how to properly pronounce Kwesi’s name!

 

YBS – You’ve been acting for a long time and worked with a lot of people so was working with Tyler Perry for ‘I Can Do Bad All By Myself’ a big deal for you?
Kwesi – Yeah it’s a big deal for me because I’m one of Tyler Perry’s biggest fans and I’ve watched all of his movies and plays so it was like a dream come true for me to be working with him so I was just really excited when I found out that I got the job.

YBS – What was it that you loved about your role in the film?
K – The thing I loved about my role in the film – ‘Manny’, I liked the way he’s a smart mouth a little bit and I liked that cause I’m really the total opposite of him so it’s a bit of a challenge for me to do the role so I just had to get into the zone and like focus. And I liked that cause I like challenges, so I think that’s the most things I like about my character.

YBS – So you’re definitely not a smart mouth then? Your mom doesn’t take that?
K – No, my mom taught me better than that!

YBS – That’s good to hear! So what was it like working with Tyler while he was directing as well?
K – It was weird and cool in the same way seeing him switch from director mode to an actor, Madea and Joe. It’s just so weird to see him change his personality that fast. Like go to his house and Tyler Perry’s just a regular funny guy and go to Madea who’s some crazy big old woman who looks mad.

YBS – So we’ve got a question from a fan from Young Black Starz, and her name is Aduma. She says, how was the audition process to land such a big role?
K – I actually didn’t have to audition or go to a call back or anything. The casting director, she offered me the part in the table read. So I did the table read and they just liked me so they gave me the part.

YBS – What was a funny story from the set? Did anybody have a funny blooper that they did or something really silly that happened?
K – It was actually about Tyler Perry himself, cause he was just flying his plane and stuff and 5 minutes into when he was flying his little aeroplane, he crashed into the window and it was funny cause he was all bragging about it and like ‘Oh, I’m not rusty, I’m so good at it’ and 5 minutes into his flying of it, he crashed it!