More recently known for her time on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop, Rasheeda is no stranger to the entertainment industry. She’s paved her own way beginning her career rapping with hits such as “My Bubblegum” and “Georgia Peach” before appearing the success reality series. She is also an successful entrepreneur with multiple lucrative business endeavors as well. With her new show Boss Moves premiering on Philo last month, we were able to speak with Rasheeda to get a more intimate view of what it takes to be one.
Can you give us a little bit about your show “Boss Moves”?
Of course, so I’m super excited about Boss Moves for the fact that it’s a totally new different look inside my life, and my husband’s life, like how we come together and try to make all these businesses work. We are trying to build, be successful, and bring the family in. We fall on our faces. We get back up. We tell the stories of how certain things unfold, all the while giving tips to up-and-coming entrepreneurs and all different people on different mistakes we made and how we can probably help them on their journey. Our goal is to educate, inform, and entertain all at one time.
How can you compare the content on Boss Moves with that of Love & Hip Hop?
It’s totally different. It’s nowhere near the same. It’s just straight up and down, total coming into the business, how things get started up and how we’re keeping them going. Love & Hip Hop is more so focused on drama and all those kinds of things. It’s none of that. The only drama is if the business stays open or are we going to build houses or are we not. What are we going to do? How is it going to work out? You know, the different plans that were trying to put into action. How do we make these things manifest and be successful at the same time? It’s a totally different feel, a totally different look.
I think the viewers will be surprised to see all of the different hats you wear from mother to entertainer. I know your show will cover that, but can you give us a little about how you manage all of that?
Girl, I’m still trying to figure all that out! It’s a work in progress every single day. Something always tends to fall to the waste side when you’re trying to juggle a lot of different things. I’m really still a woman in the making, trying to figure it out and do the best that I can, trying to find balance the best way. I don’t think there’s a true answer to how you can really make everything work like you need to because everyday life happens, and things happen all the time. So, I’m just a work in progress, basically.
I don’t think there’s anyone who won’t relate to that.
Period.
And where do you gather your strength and determination from?
You know what? I’m just trying to be better than I was yesterday and show my children that I’m a strong Black woman. Being a boy mom, I am showing them, as young black men, that anything is possible. It’s important that they see me in a certain light and witness my husband and me working together to make our dreams come true. Those are the things that inspire me to keep going every single day. Also, being given the opportunity to provide opportunities for others. Being in a situation to provide opportunities for others is a great thing, so I want to stay in that realm so that I also uplift and help others accomplish their goals and dreams.
How do you cope with the public scrutiny?
I really tune things out to a certain extent. It’s about self-control honestly because if you get up and go to the comments on the places that talk shit, you’re going to get that, so don’t do it. It’s called self-control. Realistically, we live in a world where people want to judge you for everything you do and you’re not going to do everything right in everybody’s eyes. I know it. I understand it. There are decisions I made in my life years and years ago, whether it be personal or other things that people still want to talk junk about to this day. At the end of the day, it’s my life. I live by my rules. I do my own thing. I don’t care about what other people say or do. Sometimes, we’re human and we get affected by that one negative person saying, “Oh she did this, that, and a third” instead of being inspired by all the hundreds of positive comments and hundreds of people that you could have touched. You just got to block it out.
Is there anything you wish you would have done differently?
Honestly no. Everything that has happened, happened for a reason. Everything that has not been good, I’ve learned from. There are things that have been good, I’ve learned from. I really don’t consider anything a regret. I’d say that I’ve learned, and those things were meant to happen in order for my eyes to be opened up for me to see and understand more.
What do you believe has been a major contributing factor to your success?
Working my ass off. Working hard because a lot of people be like “she only did this because of Love & Hip Hop.” Well, no… Because you must have a plan. There’s a plan. There are a lot of people on Love & Hip Hop that haven’t had any successful businesses or may not have thought about going that route initially and wanted to later, but the dots don’t connect. It starts with having the drive, determination, and staying focused. I think that’s my main thing. Certain people who hustle and grind are successful because they move differently. They’re about it. They don’t play with it. That’s what people need to understand! Be real with it. Go after it!
You’ve been in the industry in one way or another for years between your music, fashion, television, and your time behind the scenes. What will this series mean for you?
It feels so good to really just be able to be myself. I get to talk to the people because I do a lot of empowerment and entrepreneur events and conferences. But, here you get the real deal and the real insight. This means a lot because I’m able to share my life and what it takes. Some people look at certain people doing things, especially when on social media, and they’re like ”It’s that easy. Oh, they just bagged up and opened up a business”. No, I want people to see the hard work, the real work that it takes to make things happen. It means a lot to be able to show that and express that because when it comes to Love & Hip Hop, they see something else. With Boss Moves, you get to see how Kirk and I really get down with what we’re trying to do, how we’re trying to secure a legacy, and grow and educate other people. Whether it’s a small business owner getting ready to start–maybe think about starting–all the way up to people already making real moves, I think that it’s something everybody can learn from.
Do you believe that women can have it all?
Up to a certain extent… It depends on what having it all means. Everybody wants too damn much now. If you want it, you have to choose to go get it.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given from a woman that you’ve implemented in your life?
Honestly, the best advice I received was to stay true to myself. That’s the damn truth. You get on tv and certain things happen and people tend to have to turn off and turn on because they’ve created this thing about themselves. I’m not that person. Rasheeda is who I am. This is what you get. I don’t turn shit off and turn things on depending on whether the cameras are one. It’s the real deal because acting out of character is exhausting. You don’t have to do that to yourself. Just be real. Be real about what you do, the decisions that you make, and own up to the things you do and say.
Lis
