Today we’d like to introduce you to Khafira Freeman
Hi Khafira, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi! I’m Khafira Freeman, a singer, actress, and producer. My journey with my artistry is still growing of course, but it all started with a deep love for singing, which has been a source of healing for me. Acting is a natural extension of who I am, giving me the freedom to explore all the complexities of being human—and even beyond that. My passion for singing and acting has also helped me embrace my leadership and decision-making skills, which I’ve found a perfect outlet for through producing.
My singing journey began when I was just 3 years old. At that age, I developed a deep love for Stevie Wonder and Beyoncé. I would memorize the lyrics to “I Just Called to Say I Love You” by Stevie and dance to “Naughty Girl” by Queen Bey. My parents always supported me and gave me creative freedom allowing me to explore what I was passionate about. At 8, I discovered my voice and performed “Doesn’t Mean Anything” by Alicia Keys at my 2nd grade talent show. That moment sparked a new love: performing on stage. I joined the church choir and sang solos, falling deeper in love with music, and especially musical theater.
As I got older, my mom enrolled me in vocal lessons, and I began to focus on sounds like Adele, Nancy Sinatra, Nina Simone, and Etta James. I also studied Italian opera to expand my musical range. By 12, I was touring Southern Florida, performing jazz songs at various venues with Drew Tucker’s band. I also performed at tree light-ups, open mics, and school events. At 13, I joined a band, diving into the sounds of Led Zeppelin, Tame Impala, and The Black Keys. I’ve always loved all kinds of music and feel blessed to have been exposed to so many genres, allowing me to appreciate the full scope of music beyond labels.
At 14, I hit a huge milestone—a dream moment I’ll never forget. I had the incredible opportunity to sing “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” with Stevie Wonder himself at an intimate family gathering. I cried, unable to believe I was singing with my idol. Stevie Wonder has always been my musical inspiration, and Beyoncé has always inspired me with her ability to embody vocals, own the stage, and make every moment unforgettable. That experience fueled my desire to grow as a performer. I joined my high school theater group to dive deeper into musical theater.
My stage debut came as “Sweaty Eddie” in Sister Act the Musical, and I loved every second of it. The idea that I could sing and tell a story as someone else was a revelation. It opened my eyes to new possibilities, and my love for acting grew even stronger.
At 16, performing “Bang Bang” by Nancy Sinatra (the Lady Gaga cover) became my signature song and opened doors I never could have imagined. My mom always told me to stay prepared and never set myself up for failure, so from the age of 12, I made sure I had a go-to song ready whenever anyone asked me to sing. That song became mine. When I was 16, I was invited to perform at the Sunnyside Up festival in Bali, Indonesia, at Potato Head. There was just one thing—I couldn’t rely solely on covers. I was asked to create my own original music.
Though I had always written poetry and some basic songs, I never truly knew how to develop my own music. I could sing, but I couldn’t play any instruments. I tried the violin and dabbled in the piano, but nothing that could truly help. That’s when my mom called upon her friends, and two angels—Antwan Brothers and Whitney Brothers—stepped in. They sent me demos, wrote original songs, and encouraged me to return to Florida and record. With their help, I released “Fireflies” and “Summer Love” by KHAFIRA before performing in Bali.
After that unforgettable experience, I continued pursuing my love for musical theater in high school and set my sights on my dream school—New York University Tisch School of the Arts. I got in, but not for music or musical theater as I’d hoped. Instead, I was accepted into the acting program. Before leaving for college, I decided to release a project that would prove to myself that I was capable of creating my own music. I released my debut EP, Sagittarius Babey, writing every song on it. I felt incredibly proud, and with that sense of accomplishment, I was able to fully dive into my college journey.
At NYU Tisch, I studied Drama at the Atlantic Acting School, dedicating four years to honing my craft and deepening my love for acting. It became an essential part of who I am and who I aspire to be. One of the highlights of my time at NYU was performing as “Fefu” in Fefu and Her Friends by María Irene Fornés, staged on the Linda Gross Stage. As my time at NYU came to a close, I co-founded the Parent Theater Company with some close friends, and together we produced a show that marked my Off-Off-Broadway debut as “Sofia” in Dance Nation by Clare Barron at the Royal Family Theater. Alongside my acting, my love for singing resurfaced when I competed at UltraViolet Live with my signature song, “Bang! Bang!”—the same competition where Lady Gaga once competed and the same NYU dorm she represented.
During my time at NYU, I began interning at HollandWest Productions and working on projects as a production assistant building my way up to gain experience behind the camera and experience life on set. Through them, I have worked on amazing projects with companies such as Netflix, BET, and so forth. Now, I have been a production coordinator for projects with clients such as Disney, ABC, Hulu, AdidasLA, and more. I enjoy coordinating and assisting and aim to learn how to further produce more works to develop my very own shows and films.
Now, I have a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and have moved back to LA to grow my career as an actor and develop my own musical sound that reflects who I am today. I am still working on productions and currently, hosting at a restaurant to stack up money to travel and work on creating projects of my own. I am auditioning and writing music, in hopes to continue putting myself out there and create opportunities beyond my wildest dreams.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has not been smooth by any means and I am still on the road!
As an actor, I feel like the audition process is something that’s rarely discussed enough, especially when you realize how much this industry is built on connections. Every day, I try to submit at least 10 auditions I find online. From that, I’ve received a few callbacks, and even fewer bookings. At 23, it can be tough to watch people land opportunities, especially when you’re unsure when will be your next one. What helps me is remembering that everyone is on their own journey. If you’re putting in the work, your moment will come—whether it’s tomorrow or in 10 years. Acting is an endless pursuit, which is one of the things I love about it. You’re always auditioning (unless you’re Meryl Streep or Denzel Washington HA).
When it comes to my music, I’ve faced the challenge of discovering my sound, especially with my unique voice. I’ve been compared to legends like Sarah Vaughan and Gloria Gaynor—both incredible influences, but not exactly active in the current music scene. Lately, I’ve been inspired by artists like RAYE and Yebba, who have shown me what it means to merge pop and jazz, and develop a sound that feels true to who I am as an artist. While I’m proud of my debut EP, I recognize that it doesn’t quite reflect the direction I want to pursue moving forward. This is where the real struggle of being an artist comes in—figuring out who you are in your craft, not just in life. I’ve reached out to many producers and continue to search for the right collaborators to help me create my vision. It’s an ongoing journey, but one that’s worth every step. I feel like today, we are lucky as artists because audiences are more accepting of versatile sounds and look for eclectic voices to listen to which gives me hope and pushes me further to listen to my own voice as we know —
“Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they?” – SPAGHETTI.
I think my struggles too with my career often arise when I imagine progress as a linear climb, believing that once I reach the “top,” everything will fall into place. But I’m learning—especially with the way social media paints an unrealistic timeline—that waiting isn’t always an option, and progress isn’t a straight line. It’s a messy, beautiful, and unpredictable process, and that’s okay. Therefore, it’s truly about training your mindset and consistency.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an actor, singer, and producer. I recently received my BFA from NYU Tisch School of The Arts and I am excited to venture into the world of entertainment! With a recent performance as ‘Fefu’ at The Linda Gross Theater and upcoming projects in both theater and film, I believe I am on the journey to make waves in the industry. My debut EP, “Sagittarius Babey,” althought does not ressonate with my sound now, was and will forever be a proud moment in my career. Artists often start projects but struggle to complete them. For me, that is my first baby and is a sign that I can keep going and complete what I aim to create. My performance in Bali, at SunnySide Up Festival taught me to stay ready because opportunities are right around the corner, you just have to apply yourself.
For my acting, my dream would be to star in dramas, thrillers, action, and comedic movies although I enjoy all genres and am all for trying anything. My main goals are to be on Broadway performing plays and musical theater and later, create music for films that I star in. For my singing, I aim to create jazz music and establish myself as a jazz musician in this new era of finding my sound.
I am forever growing, changing, and experiencing life as an artist. For me, what sets me apart is that I have from a very young age been able to recognize what I want for myself and what I want my life to look like. I pray with God guiding me that I will be able to achieve my dreams and stand by who I am throughout it. I tend to pour myself into what I am working on and find that as long as you live your life; you can create. I am grateful that as long as I am living, I will be creating.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
My whole life has been a risk and as we know, being an artist is a risk — that’s why belief, support, and faith will keep you going. I am honored and privileged to have parents who understand the industry and support my dreams. I may have gotten into NYU, performed internationally, but that all was a risk. Before getting into NYU, I applied to 18 other schools and got denied from Pace University first, the last school to hear from was NYU. I thought, if I didn’t get into Pace, how could I get into NYU? I chose to deny all the other big schools that accepted me, including Harvard and Fordham, in order to wait for NYU (my dream school) and let faith guid me throughout the process and it paid off. My first year of college was during covid times and I chose to go to New York anyways, not wanting to fly on planes, my family and I drove cross country to make it there. All of that was a risk but I was determined to live life at NYU and go to my dream school.
It’s hard when people around you are doubting you and you have to push through for what YOU want, not what others believe is best for you. It’s good to have input and take advice, but it’s also important to follow your hearts desires. Me graduating NYU — practically deep in debt for the ARTS is a risk. I pray and know with my determination and resilience that it WILL PAY OFF (literally and metaphorically). I continue to pursue everyday auditioning, receiving no’s, hearing other people ask “oh what have you been in?” “oh what instrument do you play?” “oh what have you done?” knowing that my work may not be shown just yet but that I am indeed doing the work to achieve what I want.
Living in the unknown is a risk. It’s a constant emotional battle for post-graduates with degrees in the arts, but also just anybody who has graduated or existed past the age of 15. People in their 20s. 30s. 40s. 50s heck even 60s, are still discovering and taking risks on who they want to become, it’s just a matter of when are you going to begin work to live for you and live in your dreams! A risk is a risk, but you only live one life, so why not?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.khafira.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kha.fira/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khafira-freeman/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@khafira
- Other: https://www.khafira.com/work
Image Credits
Deven Nicotero
Ella Mettler
Ahron R. Foster
Brian Luvar
J-Ward
