Empire State Of Mind: Serayah Looks To Turn Fictional Character Into Reality

She made her debut on our television screens in 2015 as recording artist Tiana Brown on the Fox network hit television series Empire. Serayah played the pop princess of a family owned record label ran by Lucious and Cookie Lyon. The label was a major player in the music industry, but controversy surrounded the label due to the fact the Lyon family still had ties to the streets.

Serayah’s fictional character Tiana Brown grew a massive following courtesy of her electrifying concert performances and her on again off again relationship with rapper Hakeem Lyon. As the show comes to an end after six entertaining seasons, Serayah is on the verge of turning her fictional character into her new reality.

Born in Encinitas, California, Serayah Mcneill’s childhood was filled with movement as she split spending time with her mother and father. She moved around frequently as she spent parts of her childhood on the west coast, east coast, and down south. She admits it was a great experience based on the fact she met amazing individuals in multiple cities.

As a student Serayah was involved in many school activities. She was the point guard for Taft High School. She describes herself as a player who was a skilled shooter and assist person. She liked playing defense and making sure the offense ran fluidly by using ball movement. The two basketball players she admires are NBA great Allen Iverson, and a player of the And1 Mixtape Tour fame, the one and only Hot Sauce.

As early as her mid-teen years Serayah already envisioned doing something in the arts. She was aiming to be in television and movies. In a short period of time, she transitioned from high school student to making an appearance in Taylor Swift’s video “Bad Blood”, and securing a role on the hit drama series Empire.

Sports/Entertainment Journalist Vince D’Writer went one on one with singer/actress Serayah.

Vince: Define your swagher. What makes Serayah, Serayah?

Serayah: What makes me is my independence. I think I’m a very independent lady. My friends and family think of me as being caring and loving. So I think for me my swag is being authentically myself with everybody I encounter.

Vince: True or False. Are you a fan of the animated sitcom The Cleveland Show?

Serayah: True! Absolutely true! I love that show. My mom and I watched it over and over and over again. My favorite character is Rallo.

Vince: How did the opportunity of joining the cast of Empire develop?

Serayah: Basically what happened was I knew a friend from high school and he linked me with his family who is kin to Lee Daniels. They were telling me he’s coming out with a show and they have a role I would be right for. They were already doing casting before I auditioned, but they hadn’t found the girl yet. I had to audition a couple of times and they told me Lee Daniels loves you and you would need to go to Chicago. I got the part and it worked out really smoothly. It was the craziest week of my life.

Vince: What was it like when you met Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard for the first time?

Serayah: It was amazing. For the first time in my life I was seeing and sharing a workspace with people I considered the biggest celebrities. I grew up at home watching them. It was shock and excitement.

Vince: You had the golden opportunity to work with two legends for an extended period of time. What is an example of something you learned from Taraji and Terrence?

Serayah: They both told me to always trust your instincts. You can tell by their work that is what

they go by.

Vince: Did the producers of the show already have an idea of what they wanted from the Tiana Brown character, or were you able to provide input in regards to the character we saw on screen? 

Serayah: I definitely provided input for the character for sure. Obviously the music stylistically was already planned. All of the artists on the show really recorded the music. I choreographed a piece during my first season and they loved it and ran with it.

Vince: While on the show Empire was it a difficult process to shoot the concert scenes? 

Serayah: It was difficult sometimes depending on the song and what they envisioned for the live performance. You have ten hours of rehearsal a day and then you have to shoot it which may take 15-18 hours. I definitely had my hazing early on, but it made me a stronger performer.

Vince: From an artist standpoint, what is the difference between Tiana and Serayah? 

Serayah: The biggest difference between us two is Tiana is a firecracker and Serayah is very chilled and laid back. I think our personalities are different and the way we live our lives are different as well.

Vince: Who are some the artists that inspired you?

Serayah:  I’m inspired by artists from Jazz, Blues, and Rock n Roll. I’m inspired by The Beatles, Green Day, Anita Baker, Luther Vandross, and various Motown Artists.

Vince: What is the name of your new release, and where can fans find your music? 

Serayah: The name of my new single is “Miss You” featuring  Blac Youngsta, and it is available on all streaming platforms.

 

In addition to her work on the television series Empire, Serayah has made her presence felt on the big screen. In 2015, Mcneill was cast as Lisa Jackson in the film “Lucky Girl.” Two years later she was part of the cast for the Netflix film “Burning Sands.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic Serayah has spent her time reading, exercising, staying aware of what’s going on, and making career plans for when the pandemic comes to an end.

At an early age, Serayah knew she wanted to entertain. The 24-year-old has already had roles in two movies and a hit television series. She had a preview of her next chapter when she played the role of an incredibly successful singer on Empire. As she places her focus on singing Serayah is poised to turn her fictional experience into truth.