Meet Yhai Geña of Beverly Hills,Ca

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yhai Geña

Hi Yhai Geña , 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?
Born WaGenia Johnson in Clarksdale,Ms to Ruby Johnson and Larry Coleman. My father had a singing group titled “Sensational 5” and my mother wrote songs for the group. My father often traveled and performed around the south building a name for his group. The band fell apart and so did my mom & dad. Coming from a musical family though made it natural for me to follow in their musical footsteps!
My mother put me in music classes and theatre in elementary!
I continued to study music in high school and perform in plays and musicals and I also studied music in college where I met many industry professionals from artists to producers,etc.
They begin to teach me and show me the ropes around the industry about performing,studio recording and branding but at the same time I got engaged and began my family.
So I pulled away from the creative aspects and stopped pursuing my dream.
Then my sons became my inspiration to begin again.
I reconnected back with my industry family and connected with new industry professionals because of social media and began working again in music and film and rebranding my brand!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The struggles has been with losses of important ppl in my life. My father loved music and his musical abilities passed to me. He died in a diabetic coma when I was 14 then I lost my mom to cancer when I was 16. My mom would speak life into my music a lot and after my dad died she pushed me even harder with making my dreams become reality.
Those 2 losses were blows to the confidence I had that my dreams of working in the industry would ever happen.
I eventually also had to navigate away from a marriage that wasn’t serving my greatest good as well.
This time I was starting again with my sons with me as a single mom.
I had to learn to be ok with starting again and being on my own many times in my life.
But my sons are my motivation!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an artist/songwriter
I am proud to have been apart of Grammy Award Winning Producer Devine Evans “Sheet Music” Diary of a Songwriter with other independent artists talking about our music journey and navigating through misogyny and sexism with the business,telling our stories our way.

I am also proud to have had my music recognised at The Billboard Symposium..
My songs Bad Girl and Rush of Love are currently streaming on Pop and RnB platforms.
I also had my first Magazine Cover with
STS Music Magazine out of Atlanta. It sold out twice! That was so exciting!
I graced the Annual ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Awards Red Carpet as a singer/songwriter. It was my Highlight as an artist and songwriter!
I’ve graced many Red Carpets events in Los Angeles from BET Award Events to the AMA’s events as an artist and actress.
Being recognised for my contributions to the industry always makes my heart smile.
I am currently working on writing projects for other artists.
I will also release new music in 2025!

In Film I have been proud to be back working,I had a small role in the Horror Film “Hangman” and in an action film titled “Wes Diego”.
This year I worked as a Film Festival Curator for The Visionary Women in Film Festival Showcase to help bring in women filmmakers.
It was an honor to help women filmmakers and give them a platform for their work.
The Showcase was under The Visionary Film Festival by Vihan Kharna.
It took place September 21st,2024 in Beverly Hills,Ca.
We had a great turnout and the festival was a success!
I will be the Film Curator for the festival as it premiers in Houston in 2025.
We will continue the original festival in Beverly Hills also in 2025!

This past summer I played a psychiatrist in a Horror Film titled
“The Bridge” directed by Trevor Ford from 360 Film Group.
It came out November 2nd 2024 in Cinemark Theaters.
Opening night had a great turnout and the movie is now streaming on all platforms.
I am very proud of that as well!

I am an author
I have authored 2 cookbooks on Amazon
“A Southern Girls Menu”
“A Southern Girls Dessert Cookbook” because I love to cook!

I am a philanthropist
I started a non profit for orphaned children titled “RubysGirls Foundation”.
I help shelters by creating campaigns to raise donations for items and things needed.
I also raise awareness about the orphan crisis in the USA to encourage adoptions!
I am proud to say I am as committed to doing music as I am to helping children!

What sets me apart from others is that I persevere and I don’t believe in giving up! I believe life teaches you to reinvent and restart but never give up!

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I accredit Nate Dogg with discovering me. Living in Clarksdale,Ms not many celebrities came to our city but because Nate was from Clarksdale,he visited his family often and one summer I got to meet and sing for him.
He encouraged me and spoke life into me. I was 12 or 13 at the time and every word he said. I hung on too as an artist!

My teachers played an important role in my life. Ms Sabbatini was our librarian and creative writing teacher. She crafted us into writing different types of literature in elementary.
Mrs. Forte was my music teacher that taught me the art of singing and breathing. I’m forever grateful to her.
My acting teacher and coach in high school Mr. Brown encouraged me to start taking center stage in plays and I did.
I played “Dorothy” in “The Wiz” under his tutelage my senior year of high school.
He showed me the emotion behind the scripts.
My musical teacher in high school Mr. Ulrich was instrumental in helping me with performing live and building stage confidence!

I am grateful for my beautiful friend Letoya Luckett of Destiny’s Child who introduced me to Dru Hill. Working with these RnB legends changed my life. I learned so much from them..
I have had an awesome publicist Asia Willis of NYLA Public Relations,she’s been fantastic in helping me be seen as an artist.

My music was produced by Grammy Award Winning Producer PaperboyFabe. Our connection to writing and production works so well together.
My engineer Boogz has been in the lab with me helping co-create musical magic.
My sisters all can sing and my babysis Dominique joins me in the studio to lay my backgrounds and stacks. I’m very grateful for her.

My biggest inspiration has been my sons DJ,Destin and David. My sons are my biggest fans and I do it all for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/yhaigena
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicprincessyhai/profilecard/?igsh=bnRsY3F1bHFsOHFt
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicprincessyhai
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@yhaigena?si=Cjs8FApUEZRVBIKJ
• Other: https://www.threads.net/@musicprincessyhai?invite=0