Today we’d like to introduce you to Kay RocknRoll Brown.
Hi Kay RocknRoll, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story really starts in Manhattan, where I was born tiny enough to fit in a palm. My family moved to Texas early on, and at just three years old, I lost my father. That loss shaped a lot of my childhood. I struggled with depression and uncertainty, but I always found comfort in creativity — drawing, writing, fashion, and makeup.
My mom became a huge inspiration. After years of grieving, she went back to school and earned three degrees in criminology. Even though school wasn’t my path at the time, that strength stayed with me. I dropped out at 16, started working two jobs, and eventually discovered modeling, which helped me find my voice and confidence.
Becoming a mother at 21 completely changed my life. My daughter brought a light back that I thought I had lost, and she pushed me to create something of my own. That’s when I started my janitorial company, Tip-Top Cleaning. It brought my family stability and freedom for years, until Hurricane Harvey hit and wiped out most of the area — and my business with it.
We moved to Nevada to start fresh. I worked on the Las Vegas Strip, got back into modeling, and from there, doors opened into acting, screenwriting, and becoming a published children’s author. I also began making films and even writing music for other artists, which helped me reconnect with the creative roots that carried me through my hardest moments.
At one point, I lost my job again, and instead of letting that break me, I took it as a sign to reinvest in myself. I went back to school — something younger me never imagined — and now I’m studying psychology. Not only that, I’m in the honors program, with just one year left before graduating. It’s been one of the proudest achievements of my life because it shows how far I’ve come.
Today, I see myself as many things: a mother, a creator, a filmmaker, a writer, a psychology student, and someone who believes deeply in growth. My journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s taught me resilience, creativity, and the power of building something from nothing. And that’s how I got to where I am today — still dreaming, still creating, and still evolving
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. My life has had a lot of real challenges, starting with losing my father when I was just three. Growing up with that kind of loss led to years of depression and uncertainty, and I spent a lot of my childhood and teens trying to figure out who I was and where I fit.
Dropping out of high school at 16 was another turning point. I didn’t believe in myself academically, so I threw myself into work. Later, becoming a young mother brought joy, but it also came with fear — the pressure to provide, to grow up fast, and to become someone my daughter could count on.
When I started my janitorial business, things finally felt stable… until Hurricane Harvey hit and destroyed most of the area, including my business. Starting over in a new state wasn’t easy at all. Then later in life, losing my job again forced me to rebuild from scratch one more time.
Even in my creative life, the road has been rough. Making films has been one of my biggest passions, but also one of my biggest challenges. There were times when projects fell apart, when people backed out, when funding disappeared, or when I felt like I wasn’t being taken seriously. I had moments where I genuinely wanted to give up — where all the setbacks made me question if I was cut out for it at all. But every time I pushed through, I learned something new about myself, about discipline, and about the importance of creating even when it feels impossible.
Going back to school was another hurdle. As someone who once dropped out, enrolling in college — and now being in the honors psychology program with just one year left — is something I never imagined I could do. It’s proof of how far I’ve come.
So no, it hasn’t been smooth. It’s been loss, rebuilding, setbacks, near-quits, and starting over more times than I can count. But every struggle has made me more resilient. I’ve learned that giving up is easy — but growing through the hard parts is what shapes you. And all of those challenges pushed me into becoming the creator, mother, student, and woman I am today.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work spans acting, filmmaking, writing, and music, and I love moving through all of those creative lanes. I’ve been fortunate to be part of several film and TV projects, from indie features to larger productions. Some of my credits include The Junky Warrior, Taboo 3, American Prerequisite, African Twist, Back on the Strip, and the upcoming Words I Never Said and Absolute Dominion. I’ve played everything from intense, dramatic characters to more subtle roles, and I enjoy bringing truth and emotional depth to every project I join.
Beyond acting, I also create behind the scenes. I produce films, write scripts, and even write music for other artists. Creativity has always been my language, and I like building worlds, not just performing in them. I’m driven by the process of taking something from an idea to a finished story on screen.
I’m also incredibly grateful for the recognition my work has received. Projects I’ve been part of have won several awards, including Best Romance Feature for The Junky Warrior at the Indie Vegas Film Festival, Best Ensemble at the Vegas Movie Awards, Best Feature at the Red Movie Awards, and Best Cinematography for Leon Love’s music video Drown in the Sea at the Silicon Valley Film Festival. Being part of teams that achieve that kind of success means a lot to me.
But honestly, what I’m most proud of is myself — not in a bragging way, but in a survival way. I’ve almost given up more times than I can count. There were days I felt invisible, days I questioned my purpose, and days where the obstacles felt bigger than the dream. But I didn’t quit. I kept working, kept creating, kept learning, and kept showing up even when it hurt. That resilience — that refusal to fold — is what sets me apart.
What makes my work different is that everything I do comes from real-life experience. I know what it feels like to lose, to rebuild, to doubt yourself, and to still push forward anyway. I bring that raw honesty into my characters, into my writing, and into every project I touch. I’m not afraid to be vulnerable, to take risks, or to tell stories that don’t fit the mold.
I create from a place of truth, and I think people can feel that. And that’s something I’ll always be proud of.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
When I think about risk-taking, I don’t just see it as doing something daring — I see it as choosing yourself, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed. My whole life has been built on risks I wasn’t always sure I was ready for, but I took them anyway because staying where I was felt even more dangerous.
One of the biggest risks I ever took was walking away from the path that everyone else expected of me. Dropping out of high school at 16 was a risk. Starting a business from nothing was a risk. Becoming a young mother and trying to build a future without a blueprint was a risk. When Hurricane Harvey destroyed my company, moving across the country to Nevada with no safety net was another huge risk — but it forced me to grow in ways staying put never would have.
Even creatively, my entire career is risk-based. Acting is a risk. Filmmaking is a risk. Writing scripts, making my own projects, putting my name on work that will be judged — that’s a risk every single time. There were moments in filmmaking where everything was falling apart, where I felt unsupported, or where I didn’t have the resources I needed. I wanted to quit. But taking the risk to keep going led me to films that won awards and to opportunities I wouldn’t have had if I backed down.
Going back to school later in life was another major risk. As someone who once gave up on education, returning — and then entering an honors psychology program — pushed me way outside my comfort zone. But I’m a year away from graduating now, and that risk has turned into one of my proudest accomplishments.
So yes, I take risks. Not because I’m fearless, but because I’ve learned that fear and growth often live in the same place. Every major step in my life — becoming a mother, starting businesses, moving states, rebuilding after losses, making films, writing music, returning to school — came from choosing discomfort over regret.
To me, risk-taking isn’t about being reckless. It’s about betting on yourself, even when your past or your circumstances tell you not to. And every time I’ve done that, it’s led me somewhere better.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/official_kay_rock?igsh=MWh2Z3VkbHV1c2I5cA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeishaBrown064
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7EdRbTZYVZbO9poAtbY4x5
Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/btslv.vegas?igsh=cndvMXcxYzZ3NGYw
