College was my opportunity to be around my peers, which you don’t get to do when you’re a child actor. And I wanted to be normal and see what else was out there, see what else I was good at. And there are some other things that I’m good at.

Such as?
I’m good at the sciences, I love learning about plants. You know, I’m a dork…it’s cool. I’ve come to terms with that and I dig it a little.

It’s kind of like the Wild West out there, and not just for black Hollywood. In a traditional sense, things look bad—there are people out of work, shows aren’t going up and a lot of films aren’t being made, because of the fear of actors going on strike. But I think it’s a real fertile time to stake your claim. With things up in the air, it creates new space for people who are trying to break through, business-wise.

The same can be said about the music business, yet you’re still dropping a new album.
I found my voice with this album, The Light. I can never stop singing. Remember, I recorded my first album [1998’s Kiss the Sky, MJJ Music] when I was 16, and other people wrote most of the songs. I really wanted the next album that I did to express who I am. And the only way I can do that is to write it myself. So in that sense, I found my voice.