Amanda Seales Dishes On Floetry, Getting Fired Because Jay-Z, Her Hollywood Come-up & More

[Music] you're watching The Breakfast Club [Music] boring everybody is DJ envy Angela Yee Charlemagne to God We Are The Breakfast Club we have a special guest in the building - homie man - feels things gang maybe even live in Harlem a minister Holly okay that is a good way to start those always love the story of why you got rid of a man too deep I just well there was a couple things I bought a long time for getting rid of it color also okay he's just making you know like I've known you for long he really he knows this yes I really did but um no I turned like 30 and it just felt stupid yeah like what are you really little young diva yeah a little young diva and then you know really was on my back crazy like you used to be on my back about it but you let up you know who never let up Green Lantern really never really like years and years and years and on my 20 like the night before I turned 30 he called me at 11:30 and was like you changing it right you changing it right and I was like him get off like that and at the time I was doing a web series on black voices for AOL and I was trying to get interview with Wiz and I couldn't get an interview of ways but Quincy Jones was like I'd love for you to interview me and green was like but you see that's a testament to why you got to change the name because you are trying to elevate to interviewing folks that are already legends not just be stuck in in in this hip-hop [ __ ] and I was like I mean I guess yeah like whatever guess so but you know but here was the final Cataclysm a week later I went to an event and the chick at the door was like what's your name and I said it's amanda diva and she goes yeah I'm a letter guy wasn't a bad stigma to diva so yes okay yes when we were doing plv the popular video on MTV I got a call and was like okay so your job is to come in here and prove you're not a diva I was like what that that's not that's not the job with the preconceived notion and you know there was just like it was like an albatross around my neck and I'm already just not here for the [ __ ] so you attach that to the word diva and it becomes [ __ ] and it's just like you're fighting before you even walk in the door I always felt that was the way the people would always say Amanda's got an attitude but to me you just don't take no [ __ ] well that's complete your mind saying people say that you are an [ __ ] yeah but next week yeah Amanda an intruder actually at one point another work with all of us we've all been coworkers mmm can I tell y'all a touching story yeah about y'all okay go okay so I came here in October of 2013 and I was doing a one-woman show and I came here and after I left here and seeing y'all I cried for a whole day whoa and my mom was visiting and she was like what's wrong with you you know what's in the appearance you can't cry so she's like what's wrong with you and I was like I don't even know and the next day I don't even know I never know I guess I'm going I'm a cancer really revealing and the next morning I woke up and I knew what it was and I was like you know what I've known all of them for so long and they had found their home and they had found like their their passion and they had found their purpose and I was still floundering and it was like I was crying because of being inspired by y'all but it also was like a mirror to show me like [ __ ] get it together and then that day I created my web series things I learned this week and even though like it never got crazy views what it did was it created a home for me as a comedian and it was where I honed my skills of the writer and as a comedian and that's how my agent who ended up signing me to CAA that's how she found me well how amazing so thanks guys knew you all can go to LA that's a big joke I'm practical ever know I mean it was time like a lot of people don't know I was in hip-hop with y'all for years right and then I started transitioning and I was always like a funny broad but then I like first started pursuing like doing stand-up and then once I was really in the mix of stand-up it just became like a natural thing to go to LA and I would I went to LA for the first time and I got more done in one week then I had gotten done in a year that makes sense in New York and I was like okay so maybe you need to spend more time here and so I had a lot of miles and I would go every two months and I'd be able to get tickets for like $11 but every time I would go I would just make so much headway and then in February 2015 my building the pipes froze like a y'all know I live in high building forever yes in Harlem the pipes froze she was crazy my mom was visiting me like the big we had no heat in the water for two weeks her and the cat was in the quarantine in my room and I was I went out to LA for a meeting and I was sitting on Santa Monica beach and my mother sent me a picture and the toilet had frozen yikes no need to come back and I literally I replied back and I said I'm moving and she's like go for it minds and that was that and I just started the process of coming I came back out here I thought mops my spot but out to LA but also like I kept meeting people that just were like go go go like I ran into ISA and she was like there's a community out here come out here like the head of casting at ABC this head of casting for like honest yeah Tommy Tommy Wiseau Tommy good old Tommy Crump was like Amanda get it together like do it and when casting people tell you you homework mcgroove but I was also like New York had had my I'm a renaissance woman just thinking about everything that you've done cuz you started off acting at a young age and then you were hosting you know the v-day then you had your own radio show then you would actually do a music always more radio Naugle on that series but what I love is that when you felt like there wasn't a lane for what it is that you were doing at the time you created it I think you said I'm going to do my own series and I've always gone on whatever it is you're like it's all better go in there you do you do know but that's like my mom I keep bringing up my mom cuz like she's been to put my mom says hi and be by the way so movie hello so Amanda is the only one that used to bring her mom to work lunch in trova bringing your mama work because what why why I get in trouble because where were we and because who was there we're a SiriusXM and who got fired nodding here's the story when my mom to work out a time to toe you know when Amanda would bring her mom to work sometimes a mom was watching me a lady day nice very talk about your mother oh no not that type no no okay but she would always get in trouble for it and on the other we fumble for that yes we get in trouble for all I can tell from here and up for it written up for so the other week I've seen Amanda laughing on her Instagram like this evil laugh like I'm like what the hell she's like I just found out my voice my ex boy is not doing well I am found on my ex my ex boss just got fired so we knew no you know it I used to work at Sirius and the boss and listen when I got my job at Sirius I was only 22 no I was 21 I was my first job out of college so when I think back to what 21 was though like you're an idiot you know say you think you know [ __ ] but you're still a young person trying to figure it out and so like I'm you know like maybe not turning to my invoices right away and you know just trying to find my footing and MV was there and would help me like you know okay do this do that like you know talk to these people but I was just literally just trying to get my footing in the real world and this grown-ass man had made it his mission to just just hound me and make life difficult literally the first day we met first of all any time you go to DAP someone and they give you the corporate sketchy yeah yeah you know okay not even let not even lettin you know that they dance right leg literally but keep it corporate and I'm like okay can you handle it and yet a little last chain you I'm saying so the condom the combination by your chain why you got a choker B why you got a Cuban link children I hate oh I don't understand so fast-forward we had to have one-on-one meetings and my very first one-on-one meeting he said to me you're spoiled and I'm going to expose you whoa like and I'm literally like a 21 year old just out of college like this is my new boss and that's what he said to me and in hindsight like you don't you don't have at that age a lot of times you don't have the footing to be able to be like I'll show him you know you're just like [ __ ] I got to make him like me you know so I would bring my mom to try and like create like a familial type of familiarity and then like look like I'm cool is my mom I'm letting you in and everything with copacetic until I joined flow 'try which is another conversation we getting today and I you know I can't hire on my face god damn it and once I joined poetry all all [ __ ] flipped over because then he was like oh she's gonna be she's gonna be famous yeah and then he like shut everything down like all the niceness got shut down and then he was like no like he would lie to me like he would say that people weren't coming in when they really were coming in and that have like rappers texted me like why aren't you here I usually interview with you and he's like other people need a shot at stardom mmm you're - you're - you're too much other people need a shot and let me tell y'all something okay nobody take from you what's yours you know because even though he tried it who's here there you go I am fired who's sitting home watching this right now seething I see eunuch Madison called his name is anyway well I would say that a lot of times in our pack so we could all say this we've had experiences that have been terrible at work and the best thing to do is to be successful because that is the best revenge absolutely on anybody now you were a member of floor tree at one point we had Marsha up here I know she told everybody tell me yeah she told the story yeah everything I tell you oh okay actually the reason that amanda was in floette read because you okay you see let the cabeza set it up yeah what happened was a shout out to my boy Ryan press Ryan at me say we're looking for a female rapper singer you know she could sing she could rap somebody to join flow a tree and go on to her so I said oh my girl Amanda she's you know you get a text on my side I take the middle echo slide are you interested you think you would want to join flow a tree and she's like yes so we get on the phone i hook it up now mind you I thought it was just an audition that they had other people but they put her in the group like right away what so what happened with floa tree what was so what was good what was bad why was your much about the fistfight the point is the question first of all I don't miss by um because that's not my forte I don't do things I'm not good at I'm a verbal function so that's that there was just a certain level of dishonesty in terms of like what I was walking into and I didn't have the proper representation also to have my back and you just it's very hard when you don't have people that really support you because then you're getting set up and if you don't have people to support you they're just like let them set you up is fine just be just be happy you're getting the shot and you know we we went on the road and they didn't tell the fans that Natalie had left Wow so you just got in it like who this and I don't look like Natalie oh right and so much of poetry was about their look you know and the uniqueness of their look and then here I come this high yellow skinny [ __ ] you know and it's like who love this and y'all like I'm talking about and Baltimore a chick swiped my ankle I had it like yes I had to literally be like oh [ __ ] you know like in um in in DC at love at the start of the show everyone had their backs to the stage like in protest of me and every show I'd have to win the crowd over and my frustration with Marcia was that she did not take an active role in bringing me to the crowd with the love that she would have needed to show me and to show that like she had all the power to be like alright y'all it's our tree but it's different now you know and we've got you know Natalie went her own way but we're gonna still keep the vibes going and you just was out there girl every every single show she would come with a new way to come out and it would never be that it was like okay so I'm gonna start singing butterflies and then you're going to just come out and give the band a pound like give everybody a pound and then you're just going to come to the mic and start singing I'm like what is that the officer made me up because everybody knows that I'm obviously in the prime series they didn't announce it until the fifth but no they announced a tour but they didn't announce a situation and then in Atlanta I was its soundcheck and I mean I guess we on The Breakfast Club is where the tea spills right right okay so little did everyone know that prior to all of this me and the music director were [ __ ] so prior to all of this like we were already we had a relationship but no one knew that and so she's doing shady [ __ ] and he's like Rebecca television yeah dog okay call me talking so you know and that's the thing it's like don't be Shady you know like that's it like don't be Shady nobody Jerry why would she do that why would she because my theory in today what if she wanted to keep it going let me get my theory is that they wanted me to quit so that she could finish out the tour as just like a marcia tour under the floa tree banner that's not number solo career yes that was my theory and I was about to leave in Atlanta because homeboy told me like you know she's trying to cut your solo song from the show but we had just on sound check and she never mentioned that so literally what would have happened is I would have been on stage and the part of the show where my song is supposed to come another song would have just come on and I wouldn't believe yes and so I said something to her about it and she was just like just you know rebuffed me and then when I got to my room I remember Dwight Willis he shout out to Dwight why why do I eat texted me and was like turn on Wendy Williams turn on Wendy Williams and Natalie was on deniz like she was just going hard and was like the seal does not flow a tree so a tree is motion and that late and if you're going to show just know that I'm gonna be there I'm going to be there so I'm like I call Martha's room like what's going on and you know like you know when you need a certain response to feel comfortable I didn't get that response like I didn't get like a nah girl it's me or you I got like a ya know laughs and I was shaken I was like I'm huh I know it's I I was just y'all know me like I once I hit that point you've witnessed and Amanda feels I'm out I wish me and are doing an event one time and I found out she was getting paid and I wasn't I was like and yeah and so I was about to leave and the drummer is actually who sat me like everybody else and hit me about leaving was was given wrong reasons to say but the drummer was like listen they want you to leave and if you leave you're giving in to them you're giving in to their negativity you're giving in to their expectations that you are weak and if you stay what you're showing is that you're going to persevere regardless and honestly he was like this is about your journey like don't don't let them fear you off your journey and he's so right because after that you know me and Marcia we ended up like coming to an understanding and then we finished a tour but what I did learn on that tour is like Marcia is an incredible vocalist and and in the studio like her ability to sattva khals and you know make melodies was incredible so I got to learn from one of the greats in that respect and it really changed my music you know and also anytime you get to be on the road and going in different cities and doing your art you're learning every difference and that's what I had said with me Amanda we had a lot of conversations during that time and I was like this is a great experience for you to learn how to be a better performer for your solo performances and for people to learn who you are and I know there was a lot of drama going on but I'm glad you're so cool because I'm not I mean honestly like I'm not a selfish person so it's like I don't naturally think about life how's it gonna serve me you know it's like people have to be like Amanda like you can win here and I'm like oh yeah okay Coco laughter you know the group did you keep [ __ ] the music correct yes yeah but I mean like over years of time because he's up a minute Thanks yeah a minute about relationships crazy that's another thing that a minute always get since there's a lot of F boys out here right and I mean it's hard not to you've always been so vocal about your religion but you used to work at hip-hop you actually hear anything that not was supposed to be hearing it but then I heard a little buzzed oh yeah yeah I want the matter like I just had to all gather for the first time it was exciting because like it's not necessarily easy to have an orgasm from a dick right Wow especially if someone hasn't made it their business like it requires like it's not just like a general area thing you got to yell it it's like a sniper thing do you think sex to still be good if you don't have an orgasm at this point for me no because then I know what I'm missing great but no every time don't remember exactly what this guy look like you look like shadow because you push you can point them out like that's ecology I'm not fur sorry yes you were filly I know I remember don't give them to myself oh hey yeah beer let's not even do this I remember his name hey buddy looks like no because he is that dude that's like is my name to get into play guys know my little man feels good orgasm what's your relationship status now because I'm sure a lot of exploits in the past have been coming out too oh my god that is lag you want her my oh they're just like eating up the woodwork um hey was good yo and my favorite is your I'm proud of you I know that's my version of a bigot you're proud proud of you girl I see you shining just to be a host on direct effects right no way line Sucker Free [ __ ] free MMA on them yep me and you allegedly got bull fired by jay-z mom did you hear that I didn't you lie to my mother series that's been my mother three three years I could never prove it because the story was that you were doing an interview and you want to jay-z on your out less was jay-z on your album and you asked jay-z forth number what are ya this is story and you're a daisy for his number and the people that MTV thought that was disrespectful and let you go I know it thought anything wrong with that by the way let me look good in this camera and tell y'all but that is not at I mean I'm you see this genuine Narottam befuddlement you never heard this story I've never heard it either below I mean I don't know I wasn't there so I had my mama think you got fired by jay-z because my mom be knowing and there was just there was always like too many situations where it was like hos there and then funny stuff happened with me that's happened like three different times yeah like I got in trouble at serious one time because he was sitting there in the lobby and I was like what you doing he's like nothing I was like enemy because you know how serious was like you just had the video and he likes educated to the the pop and white people not really too urban so we had to get him where we fit in so we see a triangle say I don't know any because I was on at the same time at I was certain right yes but he says sure he says sure I'm with why were you where you want to go and we did the interview and the next day I got written up and they were like you know you did an unauthorized interview yet I rebel was John Carter I would feel like that's really going for it and I tell you I would eject him I was like you hadn't come trouble for interviewing you and he was like I would think you would get a pat on the back wait let me just let me clarify okay this is what happened at MTV to the first time I was interviewing him it was to promote fade to black and he was there and he was waiting for his jewelry to come so he was just sitting in the in the waiting area and we were just waiting and they were like what do you want to come and talk to him so you can kind of just like build a rapport before you do the interview and I was like sure and I had an original copy an original vinyl of volume one and a reasonable doubt no I have original copy of reasonable doubt okay and so I came and I just showed it to him like this how much of a fan I am you know and he was like oh do you want me to sign it yeah yeah sure it was a sharpie right there he signed it that's that's the sort of host you control over day the next day I got a call from my boss and he like you know what you did with jay-z was very inappropriate and I was like what did I what what did I do was was with hoes and he was like well you know we told you not to take any pictures now like I but I didn't take any pictures he said well signing the album is the same thing Wow right and I was like okay and then about a month later they fired me who even told them that she pledged that you gotta turn oh yeah with all their women there was a John there who I had been told like was a hater or whatever you know I mean I was always like the young loud chick so better to feel a lot of issues like with women in the workplace because I see a lot of women supporting you now right and you have your whole community but has it been like that always or do you feel like it's harder for you I think I'm just a big personality and I think that gets misread like even like coming up in college like it's like oh you just like you're too much you're too much you know what I mean and so I think it's like it's like growing into it's like growing into your look so I kind of had to grow into my personality like you were always a breath of fresh air because you were always just kind like and has always been a supporter you've always been just regular even when they were trying to pit us against each other like yes there you know that as serious oh yeah I was like yeah you know she's trying to take your slot you know she and then you'd be like hey you want to come on the show it's like well clearly she's not I mean listen I from when I first met Amanda does she was super cool we had no issues we used to hang out super cool super talented yeah I always said Amanda is so talented like I I couldn't I didn't know what she would end up doing but I was like she's so talented obviously I thought that because I would recommend you for anything anything so I mean I think but honestly like if I'm really thinking back it's been women in the workplace who have always helped me like it was it was my boss at BT that changed my life that made me able to move to LA because I up one day in 2014 and did not know where my next check was coming from like legit just was like oh wait how do I let this happen again and then I I hit up this woman Johnny that I had you know done some work with that BT and I was like hey I love come in and just like pitch some ideas to you for digital she was like yeah come through and I came in I pitched and I did for like a web series it's like a celebrity fashion like fun light thing called a funny style and she was like okay let's do a pilot so we did a little pilot and she's like okay let's do six episodes and we did six episodes and I came in her office I said listen you know I need to change my life and the only way that I'm going to be able to change it is with a steady flow of income I need to move to LA and I need support in order to do that and she was like well I want to be a part of your success so I'll pick up your web series for a year Wow and she kept her word and even when I moved to LA she made it possible for me to change the format so that I could do it in LA you know and it was like it was one of those alchemist moments where it's like you know look and if you build it they will come like I had decided I needed to move and then all the pieces just started like falling into place and making it possible for me to move and once I got to LA you know everything is just kind of you guys have known me for a long time so you've seen like damn like she literally moved there a year and a half and everything has just been like turning over and stuff that I've always been doing is now being recognized you know by like legitimate credible sources and places and it's really it's cool but people don't see those years of hard work that she was putting in way prior to LA no I mean the beauty is that we have the internet so if you want to see those years you can use AI environment it's like yeah you had to school Caitlyn Jenner on being a minority in America and hid a privilege that was a beautiful moment with her privileged her privileged what happened with it you know asked that over just in case this you asked her when you say her privilege please she corrected me with doing that is no scary process relax I'm Jesus right he'll continue masseuse or privilege um so I went to this Katy Perry dinner but I was invited to they were having this like dinner of discourse where they wanted to focus on like how it is to have difficult conversations and everyone there was very nice and you know very congenial but it was also just like are we just gonna stay here and like Pat each other on the back like I don't know the purpose of this if we're not going to have like actual discourse and if you saw the livestream you saw that over the course of the stream they kept like getting on me because I would be the one as usual pointing out like hey that don't make sense hey what are you talking about and Caitlyn Jenner should be trying to glamour folks yams and like because she's make about your vampire it's true if you trying to suck that the consciousness out of you man was appealing he's sitting there and you you know you you've already been shown like okay like she's gone through this journey and you've been shown this transgender moment but like it makes you forget that like okay but you're also for a long time you've been this very privileged white man you've been a part of the Kardashian family like that doesn't just go away right like that doesn't just get a race like you killed somebody in a car accident like that doesn't just and you and and nothing happened to you that is white privilege right like and so long story short over the course of the dinner like she just kept saying stuff that was so ridiculous like so white Manish yeah like oh you know I'm working the Republicans from the inside on the things that they're not good at and I said well what are they good at and she's like well you know I I'm having a hard time helping the Democrats I said but but we're the Republicans good at and then she said something else I was like you realize you've said the same thing three times they're like I'm and don't go hard on her and eventually what ended up happening was someone said that Donald Trump will pass meaning was I mean like die no just like yeah like it's going to come and go you know it'll pass and I was like you know I'm sure there were people that thought the same thing about Hitler and they were like whoa and sometimes you do have to hit people with an extreme example for them to even see you know a modicum of what you're trying to say but it did wake them up and they were like well how can you say that and I say well you know it's not like he hasn't shown through example his propensity for evil and then he's not just him he has a whole staff you know pence Bannen Ryan this divorce broad all these people are actively doing work to undermine equality to undermine inclusivity to undermine educational resources etc etc etc so why are we acting brand-new and they were looking Kaitlyn what do you think and she was like I just don't want to talk anymore because it's just the conversations too hostile really it's just it's too hostile and I was like and I was like what like what and that's when the conversation turns thank you to me saying you know it's actually thanks to Van Jones Van Jones was like well you can't just shut it down like that and I said well you know I'm not hostile I'm passionate and I should be able to be we come from different backgrounds and people after this conversation where I told Caitlyn Jenner essentially like we don't come from like America hasn't treated you the same way that it treats black people and of course she was like she's soft which is that's just willful ignorance yeah like they're in you're not even listening and we went and why do we act like Jim Crow didn't happen like recently like there are people alive and well right now that later Jim Crow Civil Rights Act of 1964 like people are still trying to get over their first crush in college and you're 52 and you're still thinking about that [ __ ] twerk but you're trying but you're expecting black people to get over 400 plus years of legal oppression so let's be real like Jim Crow was is lawful right now at least you can maybe file a civil rights suit and be like hey you know they did this [ __ ] know back then it was legal and so the beauty of it though was I feel like it's really a blessing especially in this day and age where like you never know what cameras on you you never know what where they're going to catch you you know the internet or whatever it's a real blessing to like get notoriety being your best self like that was other than your truth living in your truth which is what I'm all about and like like my Instagram following went up from forty four thousand to one hundred and eleven thousand in four days Wow and that really is a testament to like how hungry people are for the truth and how hungry people are for you know black women being honest and raising our voices in the face of people like Caitlyn Jenner because someone like Caitlyn Jenner she's not an influencer and that's the thing people think oh she's an influencer what she influences all she's influencing is you to watch because you're trying to figure out the [ __ ] is going on but she's not using any of her clout to change anything allows you gotta make America great at rain again had on the other day get out of here like people like that to use their privilege to combat the prejudices that are going on in the world not reinforced it but they don't acknowledge the effort llege right in that same thing she was like the worst time of my life was cutting my hair I'm like what any conversations after the dinner like when the cameras stopped rolling like of course oh you know because then they whenever you're the black girl in the room everyone does want to be cool with you right this always happens they come up to you after like hey girl you go girl they ask you about your hair and she had come up to me and was like you know I just want you to know like I am working from the inside you know I'm just like no now let's talk about what else you have going on now you also have this weekly no this monthly column that you're doing right for Harper's Bazaar weekly oh it's weekly okay so you just started that I just started that you bought the bed trutv's oh that's yeah that didn't happen in I bought out I sold my show smart funny in black the truTV and then it just wasn't demographically a fit and so we're back in the mix and we're pitching and it's exciting because I didn't get a chance to pitch the show the first round I was already at truTV you know I was doing a greatest ever and they did like a fantastic ad campaign which you know thank you and they were really behind me and so they were like what are you working on so I've created this game show it's a black pop-culture game show that talks about black culture is like assuring the black experience because I'm tired of seeing all these negative images of us so let's do a celebration and I started doing it in New York I mean in LA every month at this place called nerdmelt every first Tuesday we sell out every month we've had guests you need to come into it if you're in town whenever any of you are 8 even a thief any of y'all can do it ah it is so Jesus Christ I don't let that go but the show it like we've had low rel and Tiffany Haddish on the show we've had JLS and Issa Rae we've had Yvonne orgy and lengthen Carmen last month we had lamorne Morris and Damon Wayans Jr like we've I mean we've had just like this incredible cast of folks that come through because especially in LA there just seems a lot of like stuff and like it's a testament to like people really enjoy doing the show and it's educational but it's funny as [ __ ] and so now I've gotten to come out and pitch it which has been really exciting to like get in the room and you know I think I thank truTV because I got an opportunity listen when I left here it was like I want to sell shows I wanna sell shows like and congrats to you just I feel like every other day showing it so the new show I'm like dis Negro here yes yeah you know we should talk sometime [Laughter] I wanted to sell shows and so you know it is a big [ __ ] deal to sell a show and I didn't realize that like I thought it was just like if the show doesn't get on TV it doesn't matter everyone was like no like people don't even get a chance to get in the room but let alone to get a show sold let alone to get a pilot shot you know so and thank you to just like my teammate at brill seen at CAA because they believed in me and I've had so many representatives that never believed in me that told me like just be happy they want you you know like I didn't I didn't send you out there to get you rich whereas these folks are like whatever happens you always gonna be straight like and and when I told them like listen we're about setting precedences like I don't want to hear oh we can't do that because this didn't work for somebody else if anything we should look at why it didn't work for that other person and use that to make it work for us and they use that I forget this Renaissance happening it's like all these these black women who've been grinding for so long it's starting to get they just do you mentioned Tiffany Spears you like what do you think it is I mean I think also like them remember our generation grew up watching living single and watching different world and we grew up watching black woman on TV being funny and then there was just this like dearth we were just not there we just needed time to get our shot to be able to bring that back and once they see how successful they can be also then all of a sudden everybody's looking to cash in on their number one consumers and black women are the number one consumers it's like everything we make everything trends percent is because we're watching it we're paying attention to it and we're talking about it and it's the internet absolutely and like just seeing how people have responded to insecure how people responded to Atlanta you know and just and queen sugar like these shows definitely inspire the rest of us like okay keep pushing keep pushing keep pushing so smart funny and black you don't see it soon because that's this how things work my wife watches it all the time watch what she's watching more funny I'm black we're online all the time all the time nice now let's discuss insecure and how all that happens you had that come about because your show was on Easter Ray's channel right yeah the channel on YouTube so I had a web series called get your life and I shot that like while I was in LA and then the second season Charlamagne actually donated to our crowd fund so thank you very much okay how does it matter 50 minutes I know uh-huh and no it does matter by the way cuz trust me they're so so penny pinched and I'm just like alright this all said love to be like you on got you I got you I got you and they give you come on about yeah you're like that's why I'm gonna go into like not even one shot to shoot yeah not even bear that's like even one Gucci shoes so I just um so I was doing at your life and but I love equal to understand like of course there's like who you know but you still oftentimes have to go through certain protocols like at the end of the day HBO is still HBO so I didn't have any credits any like uh non-scripted credits like I've been hosting forever but I haven't been like doing scripted acting since I was on Nickelodeon since I was doing my brother and me so I was starting from the bottom in that respect and I guess I've been back since 92 Planet X is 92 and and so I went in for the audition but originally went in for Tasha and the the breakout the breakdown said hood hot and I was like I don't have the proportions to fit that description everybody could have a big ass yeah like I have moderate it ease you know they're enough they're not you know exponential but they're solid and I have booty on the low-low means you don't know I got it till you go like yeah you know so hey I'm proud of you shinin girl the [ __ ] stars emojis adding it with a peach and so I definitely like I remember going into the audition I was like I get to the casting director I was like tonight I can't do this but she was like Amanda you play any part and I was like I appreciate support but it I know I know what I can as someone who is also a writer and producer like when I read roles I know it's not for me me and Tiffany were the last two up for that role for girl trip and I was like why are y'all making me do this this is Tiffany's role all of us know that in LA like there's a small group of folks that are auditioning we go to auditions you're like hey well that's when you catch up with folks and we'll all see a script that know who this is for right I'll see it's going to be like this Risa we sure would like this is this is Tiffany this is Tiffany and so for this role I just was like yeah like this is not me and she goes well what do you want to read for the other role and I was like well what's the other role she said oh it's um early 30s Ivy League graduate you like that's me I'm like you mean my actual life and so I read for that then you do another audition that audition is for Issa and Prentiss and Malina and you're in this little-ass room it is listen auditioning for people you know is way more stressful than auditioning for people you don't know because they're like they're just like staring at you and you're trying to pretend like you don't know them and then I do another audition and then you do a chemistry test where it's you and three other chicks and then it's the other dudes that will play your husband and they just keep interchanging it I remember sitting outside the room when this other chick went in and when she went in the room they were all like and I was like why am I even here they're very what's the point and and so I remember it was like a good two weeks without hearing anything and I was leaving my house to go to stand up and I got a text from Issa and it was a bunch of white applause hands she's the white years and I was like watching right and I was like I don't know what white applause hands means like if they were black applause hands I feel like I would know but white applausing hands might mean just like good job you know like hey great try right yeah keep grinding and so I hit her back with like two question marks and then she didn't respond respond I'm in the car and I on the phone my mom almost like yeah like I got his weird text from East I don't know like you know what it means and my mom white applause he has to she says yeah you know and my mom was just like yeah I don't know and then as I was on the phone my mom I got a text and she was like you're in and I was like I almost crashed his car what a good like a phone call I mean you're like it was it was on the you know you probably blowing this off right now but it uh it was one of those moments though where you're like oh like things are going to be different you know and like I got to be my mom's Bills last month so that was very exciting you know and but just since living in LA and like doing show doing insecure and doing my show smart funny and black and even like my Instagram like my insta story is like people come up to me all the time like you're industries are very inspiring you know they're they're helping me make better decisions [ __ ] like it's just as an artist it's incredible to like see folks see you and then be able to give that back you know and be able to like have enough money to send like these two girls to this this you know black girl empowerment camp that we're trying to go and like be able to do together mm-hm oh and remember was not you told me you was like nothing worth to being famous and broke it makes no sense I was famous and broke my whole life answered over people expecting someone yes see I was on the bus and this six would like you mean a diva and I was like yeah indeed well I why you want to bust out you know it's like I gotta go soon I gotta get there you know and in New York sometimes the bus is the best route right I'm saying all the time that's why I don't people always be judgmental cuz you could be on a plane now anyway why are you in a plane laughs right right why are you in coach why are you go yes now let's talk about your dating life now and then she's gonna bring it back try to evade God that you had one person on your agenda only so does that mean that you have a way of agenda is an agenda Cal advanced support of my new word is my new words I just made that your agenda who's on your resume your agenda is your list of individuals that you would like to give your vagina two vagina index so you have one person on your agenda does that mean that you're in a relationship or yes follows this on Facebook like I can go look at this like as a calendar no what is Angela knows only one person on it cuz she said it on Twitter oh okay how do I know I mean I think religion is that it had loose term these days you have agenda app why did a lot of bad news serve good relationship is loose good know I say that because as I've gotten older you just see that pacing is very very important when you say you're in a relationship it's more serious and when you were younger like when you're younger but I can't ask my boyfriend's how serious series it like your mama meet him yet this is the first she's hearing about this whoa-oh-oh so no I mean it's just it's a situation that I am entertaining that's where we're at that's where at like it's it's uh I just having sex right now you're just like him so when he comes with a family cookout he would if I asked him to okay yeah guys well he will see invite him to the family cookout it's a process all this is a process you know I got money now I got a minute what have you bringing to the table what if you bring them to the Keneally's because out early to go to a work function come back I mean honestly if that was situation that I knew ahead of time was going to happen I'm actually glad that you have a work function to go to because let's be real my last situation his work function was going to my work functions and turn it up giving you all games that's a fair trade oh is it you know carrying my bags after I DJ like I'm here for a reason you know politics no I don't need to get into politics I can affect politics without being a politician mmm you know so that means getting into politics first but I am a active I can be active yeah like I wouldn't be effective as a politician I'm turu they would kill me I don't mean like actual politician let me rephrase it like a political commentator what is Raisa like vnn yeah I've been doing that I mean but politics doesn't really inspire me the way that this social commentary in general does you know cuz I feel like a lot of times politics you get you get caught up in like the names of these insuk and consequential people that are really just like toys for this bigger 1% that's really controlling [ __ ] and you know it's just like it's just like rat beef it's like you know you just that's what you know and so it's fun to just move interchange with that but I'm more interested in just like bigger picture macro stuff which is like okay how is this politics actually affecting people you'd rather take change on the ground right yeah other things that you can see with people yes like that's why I like young people you know like this younger generation um and this is something that individual that I'm talking to said so this is this is to show you some of his intellect but he was like you know he was like you know this generation if you notice like these kids are different than us like they're just a lot more generous you know like we would be very much like my my mine and they're just a lot more generous they're a lot more into they're definitely way more technology technologically advanced just by nature nearly you know and it's and it's just like this generation of kids you just see that like they are an open book to be nurtured and to take this world to another level like I feel like all of us are in this like middle generation where like the web came in and you know we're just kind of a bridge but the real [ __ ] is going to happen with the generation under with the younger generations they're the ones that are going to be really effecting change because technology advances so quickly and so I feel like our work is to really be about like how are we affecting them and so I'm very conscious about like the stuff I put out people think I'm crazy why because they think I don't have a filter and it's like it's not I don't have a filter it's just that I'm not filtering because of the same reason you filter it okay you know like a lot of people filter for the sphere they filter based on fear they filter based on like I don't want people to not like me they filter based on you know I don't want people to I want to get fired you know they filter and these are all real things but I just I'm over it like I did that for a long time and it's funny once I stopped doing that that's when I've been able to have my most prolific time and my most freedom so for me it's like I feel like that's part of my work is encouraging this younger generation to speak up and giving them tools on how to speak up and information and encouraging folks to challenge it and ask questions and just encouraging education you know I think the reason you say that cuz I feel like I was thinking about this lately I feel like I don't have a filter because I am afraid I'm afraid that if I don't say what it is God puts on my heart to say all this can be taken away from me I don't think that's fear main I think that's just purpose you just know your purpose it's not like your I mean I don't feel like you're afraid I mean you just said it but I don't know I just feel like that's just like I know what I'm here to do and I got to do my job yes you know and I feel the same way too like when people say like how did you come up with that this at this point I genuinely don't know like should just be coming to me I'm like a satellite like I'll literally just be in my house sometimes they'll see me on my into stories right when you see me like like you just see this part up here I really am naked like I really did just get out the shower and what I thought like I knew that and I just need to say it right you know and and that's like a legit thing and I just feel like once you know that about yourself you have like you have no choice you got to do it opens except more stuff comes when you get does and stuff out yes and when you start like I went to therapy so right before I moved to LA I went to therapy before like a therapist like a cognitive behavioral therapy I went that's the number to start seeing CBT so I went to a cognitive behavioral therapist but I learned later that like analysis may have also been helpful but I went to a cognitive level therapist because she was referred to me and it's very hard as a black woman to find a black woman therapist they're out here I'm not saying they're not out here but it just it's tough but I went to her and I was like you know I'm moving to LA and I would love to just kind of like unpack some things before I go because I feel like when you get out there like you need to be sturdy and she was like um she just started talking to me and I told her a story about how like someone had literally just said to me like it's great that you're moving to LA because you know people don't like you Wow and I have been told say that to you girl and I literally a dude told me that the night before I moved on a date and you know you watching right now and I still remember and he littered he literally on the date was like I mean you know people don't like you I've had to stand up for you for years I'm just like he's got to have a good line and listen he was on the vagenda it's my last night in New York you are spending time with me on my last night no no I left him sitting right in front of Elton that's bouncing in front of 1221 that problem front of syria's across in my landing I let them sit right there and got on the train I was like I'm good this is silly and don't come to my going-away party neither goodness but people like safe stuff like that and you're just like why are y'all people and people kept telling me that so much that I believed it and I realized I did not like myself like I had really like internalized like damn maybe I'm not likable and my therapist helped me to just be able to see like the things that they were saying that they didn't like she helped me to pick those apart and acknowledge what those things were and why they're saying that and and find love in those things again like no you're you're not a diva you're not difficult you just difficult to [ __ ] over you know I mean like you're not difficult you're just particular hmm like you're not demanding you just make people help you hold people accountable and you know you get you get these things misconstrued and people manipulate you to feel like these things that are actually positive are negative because they simply are truths and people don't like the truth that's why they say the two thirds and so she really helped me to get over that and get clearer on like what my strengths are and the things that even though they are strengths that are going to be misconstrued and how to handle that and I needed it and I think a lot of us were afraid to look at ourselves because it's uncomfortable and you know there is some [ __ ] that you told me that is like yeah that's that's not the best that's the working you know like I like talking like my patients I have no patience you know and like I have no tolerance for stupidity so but it's like you got to be like some people have had different educational levels and some people's brains work differently like my brain works really really fast but that doesn't make me better that just is how my brain works but if I'm speaking of somebody who maybe that's not their gift that doesn't make them less gifted you just have to have more patience yeah you got to be patient in matters while others are involved because there's a time that you who know do not like violence ages and stuff I would say you don't discuss politics Amanda stay away from that because when they met me that's how they met me really my web series things I learned this week like listen I went and saw 12 years of slave in 2012 and I came out the theatre and I literally stood in front of Lincoln Center and I was like you know what that's it I'm gonna stop crossing over and I'm gonna break through and I'm gonna do it being as black as I want to be which was counter to everything anyone had told me even yo as well have you talking about to be black you didn't tell me not to be black but he was just like yo like you can't go hard like that so little D but don't make me spell your name wasn't your government there's a copy in its Bernard Bernard might know our ecology black there's a capital headed Michonne is what he saw a lot of people a lot of T getting close are you with Tina I got a new thing no no it's not good he told me to black but it was all there's always people around me they're just like blue and I don't go so hard like it comes from a place of love they just don't want me to get in my own way that's all it's just and honestly there's been examples of people going hard and getting in their own way you know and like you look at Nina Simone like that was a part of like why her career didn't happen the way it happened but also there were other extenuating circumstances I know for me I go hard but I have a strong support base you know and I have people that love me like I know all y'all love me but if you want I got it in here baby like you a boss and you bought your [ __ ] yeah of course yeah but I have to be here to help change that right so I mean in like the fact that it's not just me saying this either you know like there's a whole squad of folks that are that are out here and it's not just went in there are men there supporting us and there's trans people everybody is like you know it's time for a change it's time for a change so you do that in your work you do that in your presence and that's how I operate like I don't do it on just one thing like you're going to see it in the scripted work I do in the non script unscripted work I do you're going to see it in my digital work you're going to see it in my stand-up you see it in this interview because I just feel like I need to embody it at all times and for y'all to really know that the authenticity Israel well you've been talented you've been a star and I feel like like you're getting you just do now but your moment is yet to come your moments come in oh that's exciting no it's car your moment is coming definitely I'm looking forward to that can I come back when too long ago that cuz I like that already had that moment hey let's in with this oh you often say you live in your troop I like to say live your truth I'm sure it's the same thing but what does living in your truth mean living your truth just means being honest with yourself about yourself and for some people that means that you're going to be facing things about you that you may not like and then it means that you might be facing people that may not like what they're seeing either and so what I'll use the example of Caitlyn Jenner like I'm at a table of people who may not be receptive of my truth which is that as a black woman I have a different opinion of politics and of existing in America than most Dority of these people at this table right and a lot of people will be afraid to live in that truth in that space because they feel like they might get attacked or they might get you know deferred or they might get dismissed and it's like if you're not living in your truth you're not going to be able to get to where you're supposed to be and I consider your truth to be your compass to your purpose and if you're not living in that truth then you are being steered by other worldly things that don't necessarily have your best interests at heart mmm you're the gentleman man congratulations Amanda your best is yet to come there you go what can you follow you and I like this stuff follow me I demanded sales on Twitter I manage sales on Instagram Amanda sales on YouTube I just started a new web series on Harper's Bazaar but you can also see on my youtube called gem drop in I look out for my book coming soon small doses potent truths for everyday use what's that coming you can check me out on insecure as miss Tiffany du Bois right now in season two and if you're in LA come and check out smart funny and black every first Tuesday 9:00 p.m. at nerdmelt and follow me on instagram because we sell out the same day that I posted on my Instagram alright we'll miss amanda sales it's the Breakfast Club good morning [Music]

Channel: Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM

Views: 1,802,552

Rating: 4.7995329 out of 5

Keywords: the breakfast club, power1051, celebrity news, radio, video, interview, angela yee, charlamagne tha god, dj envy, amanda seales, insecure, issa rae, hbo, jay z, sirius xm

Id: b3vH92yuVSc

Length: 57min 26sec (3446 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 09 2017