If you don’t know Kayla Brianna Smith, you should. The daughter of 2x NBA Champion, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Kayla Brianna is a melodic R&B vocalist pushing the boundaries of soulful music, infusing her sound with Rhythmic Pop. Kayla has built a prominent reputation touring with well-known R&B and Hip-Hop artists and delving into all things entertainment. In a candid conversation, she touches on her career and foretells what she has on the horizon.
“Music has always been a part of my family, I grew up with it,” she comments calmly. It is in her DNA. She is the granddaughter of Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Gerry Goffin, known for his many penned hits with Carole King.
“I got my start in a girl group and my break came when I received a record deal with Interscope, after Ron Fair and Vincent Herbert heard my demos. It paved the way for me.” The record deal did indeed, allowing Kayla to record quite a number of tracks including 2012’s “Bombs Away,” an upbeat crossover hit that gave fans a taste of her enticing and inimitable sound. Another song released was a collaboration with Meek Mill in 2013 known as “I Got That.” The club banger with Mill saw Kayla being asked to work with Cash Money Records founder, Birdman.
“It was very interesting to work with Birdman. He knows the business and made me feel very comfortable.” Her work with Interscope’s artists and signing with the label gave her even more stardom when she toured with Jacob Lattimore and Mindless Behavior.
After working with Birdman, Meek Mill, and several Interscope notables, she opted to go independent. “Going independent was the right move for me at the time. Plus, I act as well. I have big screen aspirations,” Kayla remarks candidly. These ambitions became reality when she starred alongside her family on Meet the Smiths, which aired on TBS in 2015. It gave fans and audiences an opportunity to see what she could do outside of the studio, as they learned about her day-to-day life and the Smith familial dynamics.
“I am continuing to learn. I want to do more acting and roles.” The show increased her social media following with her garnering roles on the CW’s Black Lightning and Freeform’s Switched at Birth. Her single, “Honest” premiered shortly before the reality series took flight. “I never stopped recording, even while I was doing the show.” A slickly produced cut, it offered a more seductive vibe than previously released songs as if Kayla had finally settled in her zone being able to craft and create independently.
Kayla Brianna is continuing to take the music entertainment business by storm, recently teaming up with London on da Track for her 2016 EP, which was released via her own label KSEG Entertainment. “The EP is about love,” Kayla laughs. “I am releasing a new album about relationships this year and going on tour,” she adds.
Her most recent single is “On & Off” featuring Devvon Terrell. The late 2017 release has earned her much praise as more and more fans are beginning to pay attention. 2017 was a good year for the songstress, who also was named one of iHeartRadio’s 2017 “On the Verge” artists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5PPRW9BKpQ
The potency of Kayla Brianna’s distinctiveness in R&B is her humility, despite entertainment being something that she was seemingly destined to make a name in. “You can’t cheat. Do something every day, you have to stay grinding, if you want to make things happen. You can’t take anything for granted.”
2018 has great things in store for Kayla.
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