Life & Work with Nyjo Brennen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nyjo Brennen.

Hi Nyjo, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Nassau, Bahamas and raised in West Palm Beach, Fl. I definitely feel like I had to take the road less traveled to make my ambitions come true. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. I graduated from Florida A&M University with my Bachelors in Broadcast Journalism. I actually changed my major from Theatre my sophomore year with advice from my parents for a likable Plan B. Little did I know that switch would be life-changing. After auditioning constantly in my theatre dept, I finally received a role as a shirtless non-speaking henchman in the play Antigone. I was now humbled that the boy who starred in 13 productions in 4 years of high school, voted ‘The Pathfinder Award’ nominee for Drama and spent a summer taking acting classes under the mentorship of the late great Burt Reynolds…was now a background prop.

I attended rehearsals faithfully and kept the headspace that ‘there is no such thing as a small part. There are just small actors.’ Weeks before our first show, tragedy struck. My 18 year old cousin was involved in a horrific car accident, which left him paralyzed. My world stopped. I left the production to go see him and was replaced.

It was a lesson on Showbiz but the shock and snub did hurt. While clearing out a locker, the call sheet next to my name someone wrote by Nyjo Brennen ‘Couldn’t Hack It, Had To Pack It.’ Maybe a new major and environment was the fresh start I needed after all. Fast forward, the end of my 1st year in Journalism was amazing. While walking from class, I saw a casting notice for an indie TV series called ‘My Brother’s Keeper.’ I was free that day so why not? With my headshots and resume in hand, I went to the library to meet with the Director Lamont Carswell and his Asst. Karyn. Upon meeting them both, something just clicked. We talked and chatted so much that we completely forgot about the ‘audition.’ It was later revealed to me that as soon as I walked in, they knew I was one of two BROTHERS of My Brother’s Keeper. It was my first lead in TV and the experience locally was like a Black Mickey Mouse Club that was a stepping stone for many industry vets now. Actor Jared Wofford (StartUp, American Soul), Emmy nominated Writer & Actor James Bland (Giants), Writer/Actress Tiffany Black (Stuck On You, P-Valley), Actress Shelah Marie (Entrepreneur/Love & HipHop Miami), Actress Crystal Lee Naomi (Twisted Sitter, Tyler Perry’s Sistas) were all deeply respected and admired co-stars of mine. Love seeing them all win till this day.

After a 6-year 3 season run which allowed me to grow from Actor, First Assistant Director, award-winning Producer and Story Editor, I felt ready for Chapter 2. While getting my Masters full-time at Full Sail University, balancing my hustle as a Private Charter Flight Attendant…I was hired to produce my first full-length feature film, Talking With The Taxman About Poetry by Lamont Pierre. It was filming in L.A while my flying contract had me based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. God has a sense of humor. It was my first time in L.A when filming Taxman, as I look back at my saved call sheet I’m in awe of the talent. Emmy nominated Actress Diarra Kilpatrick (American Koko), Sal Stowers (Days of Our Lives, America’s Next Top Model) and Vanessa Simmons (Games People Play, Guiding Light), to watch their magic in that film felt so outstanding. This city was so mesmerizing and sunny. I moved permanently after production wrapped. My twin sister Dia and our two sister-friends (Sandra & Dominique) rented a three story townhouse in Baldwin Park, which became the HQ of many endeavors. Producing and acting roles followed for three films: 400 Will Kill You! :), White Crack Bastard and Bullet (Danny Trejo film). I also signed to my first international record deal in 2015 and released five singles/music videos under ‘Nyjo Brennen.’ My change of major while at university set me up pretty beautifully. Not bad for someone who ‘couldn’t hack it so he had to pack it.’ Just make sure to add that I packed it to Los Angeles and never looked back since. (Smile)

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not. But thank God for resilience, patience, faith and favor. Many times I flirted with giving up, I’m human. Why am I struggling to balance my acting pursuits, film producing, music, full-time flight attendant (at the time, I quit three years ago after nine years) and personal life? It was easier to just abandon what was practical, become a Barista in Pasadena and live as a low-key unbothered Cali resident life. But I knew deep down that wasn’t all I was built for. It wasn’t in the cards for me. Also, been there, done that with the Barista life as well.

Other struggles…I’ve dealt with my share of losses. I lost one of my aunts on the same day my debut single, That Thing Called Love was released in 2013. Then another aunt passed the following year around my sophomore single, Six Missed Calls. I discontinued it and finally re-released it in 2020. It took me six years to not associate it with such a dark time in my life. You also have your internal struggles. You see so many talents you cheer on, walk into their season; you can’t help but think if you missed your window. But I learned what God has for you, can’t miss you. It will always find its way to you. And he wastes nothing. I had to stop being so hard on myself. My job flying had me split my time monthly (three weeks on, one week off). It was virtually impossible for me to be hired seriously in anyone’s film unless I was the producer making the schedule. And unfortunately even that became daunting with me having to exit and hire my replacement for 2 films in pre-production then.

So imagine my surprise, a year after I quit flying when I was cast as a Flight Attendant on the hit show Magic For Humans starring comedian/magician Justin Willman on Netflix in 2019. I wouldn’t have been able to book it without my experience in that industry. And just like that, I was in a Top 5 show that debuted in over 200 million households in a time where the world needed magic…2020. Watching that beautiful show and myself gave me so much hope. After losing Kobe, George Floyd’s murder and COVID 19 ramping up, I was emotionally depleted. Down was up, I cried a lot more. I became fearful with anxiety and depression started to settle in. I didn’t recognize myself. Thankfully my twin sister always raved about therapy and pointed me in the right direction. I started my extensive therapy journey. I slowly went from 2x a week monthly to 1x a week then 1x every month for check ins. After more than a year later, as I found my way back to myself, I needed it less. I thankfully have all the tools that I’ve learned but know that if I ever need them, they are just a call away.

Struggles will always be here. We are still in a pandemic. I believe in using what you have and making it work for you where you’re at. Part of my therapy was starting my ‘The Lightning In A Bottle Sessions’ on my Youtube page. I was socially distancing with my family in The San Fran Bay Area. I hiked up huge hills and performed all of my songs with cover songs that gave me joy. The experience was so therapeutic. People really enjoyed how whimsical it looked and it was well-received on my Tiktok page. Tiktok really helped me through the pandemic as well. I now have 84.3K followers with 6.4 Million Likes. I remember when it was only 50 people and 100 likes. It wasn’t my goal to be ‘TikTok Famous’ but I’m thankful that there was a market for just being me. Companies and brands are reaching out wanting to collaborate with me. It blows my mind how God works. All of my songs are available as sounds to use in Tiktok’s app and I get paid MORE royalties from Tiktok than on my music streaming platforms daily. You just got to laugh and say ‘Ok God…your will be done.’ Some day those Spotify numbers will jump. I got bops! (Laughs) Thank you to all those who inspired my songs.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
There’s so many parallels to being an Actor/ Film Producer / Indie Recording Artist / Writer / Influencer.

I think the key to longevity and happiness in this business comes with sometimes having to reinvent and definitely challenging yourself. I was known for different things in different eras of my life. Once it was portraying Dallas Wright for three seasons in my award-winning drama web series, My Brother’s Keeper. Fun fact: We were one of the FIRST web series on the block. You can check the Youtube timestamps. Back then in 2006, our Director (and my friend) Lamont Pierre was uploading the episodes so we could share it with our families when we went home on breaks. He also burned them to DVDs. Shortly after, the episodes started to get numbered & released in chronological order. We sold DVDs and merch. I’m very proud to have been a part of those early stages of ‘Web Series’ before the market exploded with millions. That project really started a lot of people’s careers in little Tallahassee before branching off into different cities for spin-offs. I believe 2022 makes it ten years since we stopped filming, maybe it’s time for a reboot? Dallas definitely has more stories in him.

As a Film Producer, I specialize in both films and episodic series. I do enjoy the longer story arc and job security working on series. But they are very time-consuming. You have to hit gold with your cast and crew because you will spend A LOT of time with them. I’m fortunate that as a Producer, I was known for setting a great tone on set. I made the days not seem as long, the experiences memorable and the process moved along rather smoothly. Yet I have a deep affinity to films. I started acting because I loved watching films. So to be able to produce films like the ones I loved, it was surreal. I was blessed to see my films accepted into different film festivals and have limited-runs in theaters. Seeing your name on the big screen and credited with my then production company (The J Is Silent Productions) was a very proud moment.

My journey as a Recording Artist has been the most sporadic. Being born in The Bahamas, I come from a very musical family. My Great-Grand Uncle is legendary Bahamian Guitarist and Singer Joseph Spence. He inspired so many, has his own Wikipedia page and hailed in Blues, Folk, Calypso, Jazz and Gospel. My father, Greg, is a professional drummer who played alongside my Godfather, Raphael Munnings. He had our 1st million-seller in The Bahamas with Funky Nassau from his 70s band, The Beginning Of The End. It was in Blues Brothers 2000 and I heard it in Hollywood playing still when I worked there! My uncle Andrew is a full-time musician back home in The Bahamas still. So I grew up with that urge to make music. I’m a Songwriter with over 300 songs written. I want to sell MOST and record enough for myself. Get at me to collaborate or purchase! If you told me that at 17 years old, after writing my song C.U.M (Can’t Understand Me) in my room, that it would be played 2.7 Million times on an app called Tiktok? That it would be liked by over 210K people from the US to the Philippines? Very proud but I might have passed out. It’s wild. I’ve only released five singles, I’ve always been very quality over quantity. Ranging from R&B, Alternative, Pop & Funk from my Lightning In A Bottle recording sessions all recorded in LA. They are gems to me but I always wanted to just have them ready. Good music is timeless. With Tiktok you never know what can randomly come into prominence. My origin story, experiences and distinctive voice set me apart from others. Yet my musical mission is to bring everyone together.

As an Influencer, this has been the newest journey for me but one that has allowed me to keep my presence, work and self still on social media on my terms. A lot of people join social media as a vanity outlet (no judgment) but I wanted to stand for something deeper though I had no idea how. After joining Tiktok, it was really banal to me in late 2019. But after George Floyd, something inside of me ignited. I saw Black & Brown activists standing up. I saw allies filming and bravely sharing the injustices to those who couldn’t leave their homes. And suddenly, it disappeared. The app started suppressing the content of those people. A lot of trolls started mass reporting people who were standing up for injustices and got their accounts banned. They didn’t like their ‘aggressive’ approach. How could I help? I started not sharing graphic content but started reporting the news #ItsBeenReportedByNyjo in my way. Sometimes I danced, sometimes I just responded to questions or trolls. Other times I went ‘Live’ just to clear my thoughts while interacting. I shared petitions of police brutalities, social injustices and listened. Even when my heart was fragile while in therapy, I still pushed the bleak stories that plagued me. It paid off as my account grew. Blackouts on the app happened, many led by great Black Lives Matter Utah Founder at the time, @LethalLex. Followed by calls to follow Black & Brown creators to amplify our voices, they saw me as worthy. I joined The Tiktok Creators Fund, which was a surprisingly other income I didn’t think possible. Slowly brands started to reach out to me for sponsorship deals to review or feature their products. It was unexpected and flattering. Contact me if you think we’d make a great partnership for sure!

Now I thankfully get to run my page under drastically different circumstances. A new administration. There are still random trolls here and there. But the nasty threats and blatant derogatory emojis have all stopped. I submit my posts between my work. As a Black man working in Tech in the San Francisco Bay Area now, I’m thankful to have a healthy balance now. And the stability, flexible schedule and luxury to return to all the things that I was once known for…on my own terms.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
First, GOD deserves ALL the credit. There is absolutely no way I could do it or would want to do it without him. It’s his divine meetings and orchestrated plan that got me exactly where I am today.

Before I get into my crucial team, I have to credit one of my brothers from another mother, Deldric Bratcher. He goes by Poetic Moor (@PoeticMoor) and he is a brilliant Violinist, Spoken Word Poet and Composer. He has been my friend, supportive confidant and it was his gracious thoughtfulness that introduced me to VoyageLA. Divine meetings I tell you, Love that guy.

My family. Greg and Sandra. They loved our beautiful homeland but wanted more opportunities for my twin sister and I. We moved to America when I was five and it’s a decision that they thankfully never regretted. My mother was a choreographer back home and was rising quickly in management when they left. Their sacrifices and support…auditions, dance class/recitals, vocal classes, Taekwondo, junior marines, every theater performance, film festival, radio/tv interview…they did it all! They relocated from Florida to California just to be closer to their kids and grandson. During the pandemic, they always welcomed me with open arms so we could be in Lockdown together, no questions asked. I’m blessed and forever indebted. Though they always say I owe them nothing.

My twin sister, Chandia DeFrantz. She’s the other side of my heart, the right side of my brain, my first best friend. Literally would be lost without her. My sister always reinforces to never forget who I am, the God I serve and how to level up to live my best life. I’m a Taurus. I can be very stubborn with change, get complacent at times and within reason. Since the age of 12, I started acting professionally. I was cast as an extra in the 1999 film, The Last Marshall with Scott Glenn. You see little me in the train station scene dedicatedly walking next to him with my suitcase. I wanted more. After that, my sister and I were cast as leads in our first PSA/Music Video for Kids Against Tobacco Campaign for American Lung Association. We shared success. When I was cast as a lead in my series at 20, I pitched my sister to the Director. After her audition, she joined the cast as Tionne, the girlfriend of James Bland. She always inspires me with her balancing act, entrepreneurial drive and now parenthood. She evolved from her degrees, LA Post Columnist, Fashion Editor, D.I.Y Guru, Consulting Firm and now to a Senior Editor working in Tech. She always blows me away and always helps me find myself in life’s chaos. She’s married to my phenomenal Brother-In-Law, Marcus. His mother and entire family are amazing.

My Sister/Friends that I mentioned earlier: Sandra Bailey (since age 12) and Dominique Johnson (since age 18). Who took a HUGE leap of faith to move to Los Angeles with my sister and I. Every audition, my audience after every recording session, my first eyes after each final music video edit, every apartment move, prayer warriors, laughs, motivations, heartbreak, funerals, grocery shopping, wine downs and such. Sandra is an Actress who has a riveting podcast called Hennessy In A Teacup with her co host Erica Monique. Dominique is a published Children’s Author and powerful Project Manager. Both shining stars that I’m blessed to be in the same galaxy as.

I thank my paternal and maternal family members. This last question feels like a yearbook to me. But my success wouldn’t have been sharpened without Florida A&M University, specifically the School of Journalism. All my Terror Squad family/friends I made there. Lamont Pierre for casting me in my 1st TV series and selflessly mentoring me through friendship. Director Geno Brooks who filmed my debut music video, you made my dreams come true. Crystal Lee Naomi, my talented sister friend who starred in my debut video and went on to become the Actress She-Hustler Extraordinaire herself.

My TikTok friends/followers, those guys get me. They are always supporting me, fighting trolls for equality alongside me and just becoming MY TRIBE. They blew up my @Nyjo.Brennen account and specifically my #ItsBeenReportedByNyjo news posts to over 11 Million Views. I’m so glad I’m theirs. I will always be sooo thankful to my friend Natasha for convincing me to join in 2019. She knew I made music and was so supportive. She knew the app was blowing up and stayed on me until I made an account. I did and now over 84K FOLLOWERS LATER. I’ll love her forever.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/nyjobrennen
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyjobrennen
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thejissilent