OnPointCelebz Interviews Tia Ferrera

OPC: What made you want to pursue a career in the music industry?

T: Wow! I grew up around music. My mom is a professional singer and most of my family members are in the music industry. From being very little I've always been around music. I fell in love with it at a very young age.(Laughing) I feel like there was no other way for me to go.

OPC: How long have you been singing? When did you discover you had the ability to sing?

T: I started off singing at my grandfathers church. He has a very very small church in San Diego California where I was born. Started singing there once he gave me my solo I was like oh yeah (Laughing). This is me, this is what I want to do. I don't want to do anything else in life.  I knew pretty early that, that was from watching music videos and all the people I admired, I knew very very early that it was something I wanted to do.

OPC: Who is your #1 inspiration?

T: Mariah Carey

OPC: Who would you love to work with in the industry?

T: Timbaland or Ryan Leslie

OPC: From what you've seen or heard, what makes a professional artist? An ideal superstar?

T: Someone who is very well rounded as far as their gift. Whether they have [tackled] the technical side as well as just being free enough to express themselves. There are people that have master both of those as well as being able to network and run a great business. It seems to me that those are the most successful in the entertainment industry. Their able to balance all of those different areas of their lives and stay on top even though its a lot. Its a lot to try and balance but from what I see the people that are very successful are able to balance all of that.

OPC: What has been your favorite part of your Journey so far?

T: I have to be really honest other people wouldn't say they do it for the feed back [but that's why I do it. I love when someone can relate to my music]. Its just a song in my head until I go in the studio and record it and its just a song until I preform it and its just a song until someone hears it. But if it actually means something to somebody else that the whole reason i do it.

 OPC: What song have you gotten the most feed back on?

T: Its weird because for women its this song that I have called 'Its Complicated' and its specifically about how a relationship goes wrong and your like what the heck happen we were doing so well. And I got that from all the people on Facebook land that had a status that said its complicated. I started seeing peoples comments saying what does that mean. And not everyone wants to admit it but everyone has been in that part of their relationship where their like I don't know if were still together or whats happening so I wrote a song about that. From women I get the most feedback about that. And then I have another song that we shot the video for and its called 'Ladies Night'. For a very strange reason a lot of guys (laughing) like that song. Their like I know I'm not supposed to dance to I know its a song for women but I like that song. Its very opposite ends of the spectrum but I love it.

OPC: Do you have a special zone you get in when your writing?

T: I do have a special zone. It depends on what kind of song it is but I specifically try to take myself to a place that I've experienced. When writing a song or singing a song, what ever the subjects about I try to take myself to that place. So if its one of those sad songs I literally take myself to that bad, dark, not so good place. [I start] from there to make the emotion come out. 

OPC: What do you want your legacy to be?

T: I hope that when its all send and done. When I'm old and grey and can't do this anymore. I hope that what people just got from me is that I wasn't afraid to go against the green and follow the dream that I've had since I was little. No matter what it cost me or what obstacles I've met. That's what I stand for.

Nerissa Irving Talks About Being A Sexy Rasta and Her Natural Magazine

OPC: Where are you originally from? And when did you come to America?

 N: I [was] born in Jamaica and I moved to America…In 1989

 OPC: Where in Jamaica are you from?

 N: Kingston

 OPC: Is your whole family from Jamaica?

 N: Yeah my family is from Jamaica…well if you go back to my great grandmother and my great great grandmother no they are from other parts of the world.

         OPC: When did you decide that you wanted to become a model?

N: I went to a model search when I was really young and got [noticed]. [I was] eight at that time, but my mother and I decided to wait until I became older to look on my own.

       OPC: What companies have you modeled for?

       N: Well I do everything on my own. So [I’m not with a company] at all.

      OPC: Have you ever done anything in the industry besides modeling?

       N: I have a few things that are coming up. So I can’t really say those yet. I haven’t done that much acting, but I’ve done a lot of extra work in California for sitcoms and things like that, but major acting not yet but it’s coming. And then I do videos and things like that. I’m also the model for Jamaican Mango Hair Crème product.

      OPC: Is there a difference between saying locs and dreads? If so you do you prefer a specific name?

        N: Some people say they don’t like dreads or dreadlocks because it has a very social background. So when you say dreads the definition of dreads is like a negative word. So some people don’t like that. I know what it means and I know my hair isn’t negative. So just to please everybody I just say locs. You know we have some very sensitive people out here. People are so serious now days.

      OPC: How did it coming about for you to become the face of Jamaican Mango Lime hair care line?

     N: They found me online. Just like most of my jobs. I have my website up and most of my jobs I get though my site. So they saw me online and I went to their office, did the interview, and got the job.

    OPC: How long have you been working with them?

    N: It’s been almost 3 years.

OPC: On Instagram I notice your whole family has locs? Will you continue the tradition with you daughter?

N: Yeah I’m definitely going to start my daughter with locs. My son I don’t know because boys are different, they don’t go through the same stuff women go through with hair. So I’ll pretty much let him be with an afro and if he wants locs he can have it but I’ll let his dad handle that hair part.

OPC: When did you begin your Kamoy Magazine? Who is the target audience? And where can we find this magazine?

N: I started the magazine at the end of 2010. I’m just trying to cater to people like us, meaning not just natural looking but a natural way of life eating healthy, food everything. Not just sticking to Kim Kardashian is wearing these type of shoes today, this baby was just born or this person is doing this. I’m so tired of that type of magazine. Every magazine has the same thing. I don’t see a magazine on the stands that just cater to natural hair, natural this, great articles and no gossip. Gossip is good but we don’t need it every day all the time. That’s what I’m trying to work on. It’s still a work in progress. I’m going to have a magazine that is not easy. The hardest part is finding people to be on your team. That’s the hardest part you have to have reliable people.

OPC: A lot of people suspect that you are a Rasta women? Is this true?

N: Yes I am. So people think because I take sexy photos I’m not and I’m like so when you do to the beach you go in full cloths? People take this natural thing too far they suspect that because your natural girl you can’t be hot and I’m like get out of here.

OPC: Describe yourself in three words?

 N: Bold, Natural and Drama-Less

OPC: What is your favorite quote you live by?

 N: “Don’t spend years waiting on grass to grow on concrete”

OPC: What do you want your legacy to be?

       N: I want to leave behind a path for young girls; natural girls. Let them know they can be in the industry and [don’t have to] conform. They don’t have to become anything. They can be themselves or they can create their own lane. They don’t have to go in somebody else lane because that’s what I said, I’m not going down that path. I want to go down my own path and make my own destiny. That’s the legacy I want to leave behind. I don’t necessarily want to be known as a millionaire. I just want to be known as someone who said their going to do something and made it happen and they can if they put their mind to it. That’s what I want to be known for.

       OPC: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

       N: The beauty line Nerissa Nefeteri Organics coming out soon, more calendars. I’m working on selling things now, different products. I’m doing a fitness video, and coming out with a baby book for my daughter.

       OPC: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

 N: I see more children in my life. I see my products kicking off. I see myself with an empire.


I really enjoyed doing this interview. Nerissa is an absolute sweetheart. We wish her all success in everything she is doing and can’t wait to see more from her.

And now she is officially an OnPointCeleb! MuaH! :-)

Thank you Nerissa we appreciate your support!!!

OnPointCelebz Interviews Kaleena

Kalenna is a wonderful person I'm happy I got the chance to interview her...OnPointCeleb! :-) 

OPC:  When did you discover that you wanted to pursue a singing career? 

K: I discovered at a very early age.  I sang in church and I would say around age 9 is when I really began to realize my gift.

OPC: I read somewhere that you came to points where you were turned down because of your darker skin complexion. After experiencing something like that what made you still go on and fight for your dream? And what advice can you give to young people dealing with this same problem?

K: I couldn’t base my success on the opinions of others.  I knew what I wanted to do in my heart and that I was born to do this so a few naysayers couldn’t hold me back.

OPC: When and how did the opportunity come across for you to start writing songs for artist like  Christina Milian, Trina, Ciara, etc?  

K: Hard work just paid off in those cases.  Christina Milian’s song Peanut Butter was my first major placement and after that I was on a role and blessed with opportunities to submit songs to other artists.

OPC: How did Diddy Dirty Money come about? 

K: The group was Puff’s brainchild.  He chose me and Dawn to be a part of the group for different reasons.  I started out as a writer for Last Train To Paris.  I guess after he saw my work ethic and dedication to the project prompted him to ask me to be in the group.

OPC: What is the best experience you’ve had so far in your career?

K: My best experience was being able to work with Puff and then being asked to join his group.  The experience changed my life. 

OPC: How long have you been married to Tony Vick? And how did you meet? 

K: We’ve been married 7 years and we met at a music conference.

OPC: What are the two things that will always keep a relationship together?  

K: We have an unbreakable bond built on unconditional love and trust.  We always have each others back, we’re a team.  Our friends call us Ashford and Simpson.  LOL

OPC: Is there something you would like the world to know about you that they don’t know?  

K: I currently have a nonprofit organization called the I Heart Kalenna Foundation and we provide social services and resources for low income families and individuals with lupus.  I also partner with the Lupus Foundation of America to promote awareness through social networks.

OPC: What is something your fans can look forward to in the near future?   

K: More music and more visuals that will exhibit who I am.

OPC: What do you want your legacy to be? 

K: I want my legacy to be about the music and who I am to others.  I want my catalogue to speak for itself as well as my commitment to my community and helping others.