The Prince of Nostalgia

They really care about my dreams—and they push my hardheaded self. We’ve been at my place for hours going over the script, vocal composition, and voiceover work for this film, and they won’t leave. They’ll literally crash here and be like, “Do it again.”

Not trying to make anyone jealous, but you need friends like mine. They refuse to let you quit. Trust me—I said “I quit” at least five times tonight, and we still kept going.

There’s so much work that goes into making a film. Nobody ever told me I’d have to actually learn how to sing for real to do voiceover work. We practiced so much tonight I almost started hating my now-favorite artist. 😅

But honestly, I feel so loved, heard, and seen. They all passed out, and now I’m cooking for them to show my appreciation.

While the world celebrates the actors, directors, and creatives on stage, I want to send love to the thousands of people behind the scenes who helped make those films possible.

The corporate teams.

The operations teams.

The finance teams.

The coordinators, planners, analysts, and problem-solvers who keep the machine moving.

Film is never made by one person. It takes a village.

As someone who works on the corporate side of this industry, I know firsthand that many of the people who helped bring these stories to life may never walk the red carpet, never hold the statue, and may not even get a ticket to the room where the awards are handed out.

But your work matters. Your contribution matters.

And the films the world celebrates this weekend would not exist without you.

So to everyone working behind the scenes — congratulations. Your impact is just as meaningful as the person standing on stage accepting the award.

May God continue to bless the work of your hands.

At some point you’ve got to tune the noise out and choose the person who genuinely chooses you.

I’m not from Chicago, but I respect how people are calling for real action. Because let’s be honest: accountability comes two ways. Either the city steps in—Chicago PD, the mayor, activists—or the streets will, and that never ends well for anybody.

The truth is — we’re all getting older. And whether you like it or not, everybody has a prime. At some point, you’ve got to be real with yourself. If your work ethic doesn’t line up with the level it takes to be great — whether that’s a CEO, a surgeon, a writer, an athlete, or an actor — then how can you expect God to bless you with that position?

One thing I’ve learned is that life is really short, and I truly believe it’s important to be a good steward of your friendships. I’ve found that with multiple friends, I don’t even talk much when I’m on the phone anymore—I just listen. I let people express themselves and get things off their chest. I’m in a season where I’m simply listening, being there for them as a sounding board. Whether they need advice, motivation, or encouragement, I want to be that person for them.

Yesterday felt so good to check in with my friends and let them know, “Hey, if you ever need someone to lean on, I’m here for you.” One of my homegirls said, “Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re just checking in on me. This feels so good. I appreciate you so much.”

The message here is this: be a good steward of your friendships. At our age, if you can’t maintain social relationships or friendships, something is wrong. Sometimes, it’s not everybody else—it’s you. Some people will get on the phone and talk about themselves for hours without ever asking, “How are you doing? Are you okay? Do you need anything? What’s going on with you?”

Stop spending exorbitant amounts of money on people who, nine times out of ten, don’t even like you.

My therapist helped me understand that true connection is what really matters. When you have that, it doesn’t matter where you go—people want to be around you because they genuinely like you.

— Joseph Rivers

The reason I love designer colognes is because a woman spoiled me by buying me designer cologne. The reason I even eat at five-star places, when I traditionally love Black-owned spots, is because a woman has taken me on a date to a five-star place—something outside of my norm. But at the same time, everything I receive, I can reciprocate, even a hundred times more. That’s my point. People focus on the wrong things. It’s not about modeling your relationship after someone else’s; it’s about finding someone who works for you and letting that work for you. No one has to understand your relationship, but you’ve got to be in love with it because you’re the one living it.