Katlynn Simone Smith may not be a name that immediately rings a bell now, but if the work this talented beauty is sharing is any indication, that bell will be ringing non-stop very soon.
Best known for her portrayal of Brittany Pitts (daughter of Jason Pitts on BET’s hit series ‘The Game’), the burgeoning actress has delighted fans with tastes of her music – some of which has been featured on the show.
Chatting exclusively with That Grape Juice, Smith shared stories of her humble beginnings, dealing with Twitter hate for her depiction of “Brit-Brat”, and making moves in music with her soon-to-be hit ‘Beautiful Lie’.
Get into it all below:
That Grape Juice: Thanks so much for taking the time!
Katlynn: No problem, thanks for having me.
That Grape Juice: For those who don’t know, tell us a little bit about you.
Katlynn: I’ve been singing and acting since I can remember. I do play Brittany Pitts on ‘The Game’. A lot of people think I started music after ‘The Game’, but it was actually before.
That Grape Juice: And, when it came to auditioning for the role of Brittany, what drew you to that role?
Katlynn: To be super honest, I actually had never seen ‘The Game’ before I auditioned. I didn’t even know what it was about. But, after doing my research and watching all the episodes, it fell in love with it.
When it was time to bring it back, I felt I had to be a part of it.
That Grape Juice: Wow. Now, you know they’ll always be the naysayers who want the original “Brit-Brat” back. How did you deal with the criticism at the beginning?
Katlynn: My first year it was pretty tough. People were bashing me on Twitter not knowing that this was my first television role. With so many big characters and names on the show, I couldn’t believe so many people were talking so much about one of the show’s smaller characters.
I play that role to the best of my ability and I had to stop reading it after awhile because so many people were bashing me. It’s a growing experience. I’m good now and have tons of amazing fans who adore me as Brit.
That Grape Juice: We’re glad it’s come to that. Now, let’s talk about your new single ‘Beautiful Lie’. How did it come to be?
Katlynn: I heard the music first and fell in love with it. I was thinking about ‘The Game’ and all of the story lines and scenarios going on with the characters. I just started writing.
I actually started telling people on set about it and they wanted to hear it. It later actually got on the show.
That Grape Juice: It had an amazing response from fans. How validating was that experience to have your first passion come back to the forefront?
Katlynn: It felt so good. To be able to put out music and let them hear my voice, it felt good. I wanted people to realize who they were dealing with. I’m glad people are finally able to see the other side of me.
That Grape Juice: Tell us about the rest of the album. How far are you into the process?
Katlynn: Right now, we’re putting the puzzle together. We have tons of songs to choose from, so we’re just picking the right ones. We’re about 75% done and hopefully soon there’ll be more music released.
That Grape Juice: How would you categorize your sound?
Katlynn: I’ve always had influences from all types of music. My grandparents had me listening to Motown, jazz, Hawaiian music, and R&B at a young age. I take every little influence and genre to put it in my music.
I feel like all music is beautiful and I want people to hear every aspect of it. My sound is kind of like R&B/Urban sound with alternative vibe.
That Grape Juice: We always ask new singers, if you could pick 3 acts to collaborate with(1 producer, 1 singer, 1 rapper)…who would they be and why?
Katlynn: For producers, I’ve always loved Pharrell’s work. Not only him, I love Timbaland as well because I’m a huge Aaliyah fan.
I love Kendrick Lamar as a lyricist, and for the singer it would be Justin Timberlake. He’s relatable to me because he does acting/singing and he mixes a lot of genres on his music.
That Grape Juice: To bring it home regarding ‘The Game’, can you give us a hint as to what we can expect with the rest of this season.
Katlynn: As far as Brittany goes, you’re going to get a very nice relief. Every season, Brittany comes on the show and everyone hates her. I think this season you will finally get to see a different side of her, feel sorry for her, and see what the basis of her behavior is.
Other than that, there a lot of surprises. A lot of twists-and-turns with my “mom on the show” coming back.
That Grape Juice: Where can our readers find out more about you?
Katlynn: Sure! They can check me out on Instagram (@katlynnsimone), Twitter (@KatlynnSimone), and Facebook (@KatlynnSimoneWorld)
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Interview by: Rashad Taylor (That Grape Juice US)
(@blueeyedsoul517)
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She’s great. The show is a great platform for her to promote her music. She’s gorgeous and could be a huge star. Her sound is great and if she executes her performances live, she could take off just as Ariana Grande. I live.