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Will Trent is a new crime drama coming to ABC in January 2023 based on the best-selling Atlanta-based novels by Karin Slaughter. TV crime drama veteran Sonja Sohn (The Chi, The Wire) and Iantha Richardson (This is Us) co-star in this engaging new series. BGN spoke with Sohn and Richardson via Zoom shortly before Christmas 2022.
Amanda and Faith are so much fun to watch. What’s the juiciest part of playing these women?
Sonja Sohn: As we get into the season, it’s getting more fun. I love exploring the relationship with Faith aside from the fact that I had a deep friendship and partnership with Faith’s mother that lasted for years, which then sort of makes me like, godmother/auntie. I’ve known this child since she was a baby, and I know where her mother stepped on the lines a little bit. Also, they have this intersection with Will’s genius. Amanda overall is a protector and a caretaker of everything and everybody around her.
Iantha Richardson: Our relationship is interesting because we live on different sides of the spectrum but get each other simultaneously. Amanda is like an auntie who you know loves you and will look out for you more than anything, but it’s also like, can you please just be nice? Like, talk to me a little better, like a human. I think Amanda’s grown up in this male-dominated space, and it’s such a rough space for her to be, and she’s had to develop these calluses and ways of speaking that are now natural to her. But Faith can see the love underneath regardless. Their relationship is special because you can see the person without the world having to see them. Faith sees Amanda’s heart. Amanda may get on Faith’s nerves, but there’s always love and all of that deep-seated history that’s fun to play.
Had you read the books before taking on this project?
SS: I had no experience with the books before I’d been exposed to the script, but I am now making my way through Criminal.
IR: I listened to the Fractured audiobook. I’ve also been piecing together things, talking to people like Karin Slaughter, who has come to set, and Liz, our creator, and showrunner.
Sonja, how different does it feel to be able to be working on a police drama now than it was back in 2002?
SS: Today, we’re in a new landscape around race and culture and the participation of those without access. Back then, I felt incredibly grateful to have a well-paying job, and there’s the survival aspect. There was this sense that it was so difficult to get in the room. To get representation [an agent], it felt like threading the needle back in those days. For people of color, the eye of the needle was so small, and if you got a shoulder in, got representation, and got a real audition for a network television show, you were incredibly blessed and fortunate.
In terms of The Wire, there had never been that many Black people on a dramatic television series before. In expressing that, we just felt lucky and grateful; there’s something a little sad about that. I was just lucky to be there. I wasn’t gonna make any noise.
In the process of wanting to do an excellent job, sometimes that requires you to challenge and get into conversations that are a little conflicted. But as a person of color, you’re not trying to get in any kind of conflict, which then becomes an invisible little container that can squeeze you, and you don’t know that. And I believe that was what happened to me in the 1990s and early 2000s. Then when I left The Wire, I did other shows in less diverse spaces at that time that were in the mainstream.
So constantly being aware that Black folks have had to stay in a box impacts the work and your ability to do it. Now, I feel there’s more latitude to be myself to question and express. I feel they’re listening to my feedback, and it’s welcome in a way that I didn’t sense before. And it might have been welcomed before, but it seemed that the structure didn’t allow it back then, which impacted my ability to stand fully in myself at that time.
Iantha, as someone coming to the industry now, how much do you feel you’re able to share your voice artistically as a part of your creative process?
IR: I feel like my input is welcome. Something in me is consistently growing, wanting to be more open in my feedback, and trusting of my own words and what I think. There is a hierarchy like there is in any job, so just being aware is something that I carry with me, but at the same time, I don’t feel, in any way, stifled. I’m also naturally the type of person who fights back against feeling stifled. So I, probably more than most break that just naturally. But I will say, especially on this show, we have very kind people running this space; Liz and Dan are open to a lot, which makes it an actual collaboration between actors and their ideas and Karin’s archetypes of these people as well. So, it’s beautiful to come into this very special space where I feel open to speak.
What do you think brings your characters the most joy about this world and their relationship?
IR: Faith is an ambitious person, and she has the ability to win, be successful, and overcome all that she has had to overcome being a teenage mom and giving up so much of her life to be a part of the GBI. You see the breadcrumbs of her progressing in her life that bring her joy because it brings fulfillment. She enjoys solving the puzzles that get her to the end goal. In the context of the entire show, her family [brings her joy]. You see, tidbits of her and her son and what, potentially, could be family units. The redemption of the family, which was lost in her early life, you hear about but don’t see. We don’t know much about her mother currently or what her family looks like other than Amanda, but the sanctity of a family and the potential that brings her joy.
SJ: The joy for Amanda is in the job well done. It’s about mission and purpose. When she entered this field, it was not a picnic. She understood that she was called into this field as an ultimate truth seeker, an anchor for justice. She sees the imbalance in the world and believes she was called into this position to help right wrongs and bring equanimity to the people, particularly those not experiencing it from the social structure. So the joy for her resides in a job well done and her ability to balance the scales for the folks she represents.
Will Trent premieres on ABC Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 10:00 pm ET/PT.
Will Trent is a new crime drama coming to ABC in January 2023 based on the best-selling Atlanta-based novels by Karin Slaughter. TV crime drama veteran Sonja Sohn (The Chi, The Wire) and Iantha Richardson (This is Us) co-star in this engaging new series. BGN spoke with Sohn and Richardson via Zoom shortly before Christmas 2022.
Amanda and Faith are so much fun to watch. What’s the juiciest part of playing these women?
Sonja Sohn: As we get into the season, it’s getting more fun. I love exploring the relationship with Faith aside from the fact that I had a deep friendship and partnership with Faith’s mother that lasted for years, which then sort of makes me like, godmother/auntie. I’ve known this child since she was a baby, and I know where her mother stepped on the lines a little bit. Also, they have this intersection with Will’s genius. Amanda overall is a protector and a caretaker of everything and everybody around her.
Iantha Richardson: Our relationship is interesting because we live on different sides of the spectrum but get each other simultaneously. Amanda is like an auntie who you know loves you and will look out for you more than anything, but it’s also like, can you please just be nice? Like, talk to me a little better, like a human. I think Amanda’s grown up in this male-dominated space, and it’s such a rough space for her to be, and she’s had to develop these calluses and ways of speaking that are now natural to her. But Faith can see the love underneath regardless. Their relationship is special because you can see the person without the world having to see them. Faith sees Amanda’s heart. Amanda may get on Faith’s nerves, but there’s always love and all of that deep-seated history that’s fun to play.
Had you read the books before taking on this project?
SS: I had no experience with the books before I’d been exposed to the script, but I am now making my way through Criminal.
IR: I listened to the Fractured audiobook. I’ve also been piecing together things, talking to people like Karin Slaughter, who has come to set, and Liz, our creator, and showrunner.
Sonja, how different does it feel to be able to be working on a police drama now than it was back in 2002?
SS: Today, we’re in a new landscape around race and culture and the participation of those without access. Back then, I felt incredibly grateful to have a well-paying job, and there’s the survival aspect. There was this sense that it was so difficult to get in the room. To get representation [an agent], it felt like threading the needle back in those days. For people of color, the eye of the needle was so small, and if you got a shoulder in, got representation, and got a real audition for a network television show, you were incredibly blessed and fortunate.
In terms of The Wire, there had never been that many Black people on a dramatic television series before. In expressing that, we just felt lucky and grateful; there’s something a little sad about that. I was just lucky to be there. I wasn’t gonna make any noise.
In the process of wanting to do an excellent job, sometimes that requires you to challenge and get into conversations that are a little conflicted. But as a person of color, you’re not trying to get in any kind of conflict, which then becomes an invisible little container that can squeeze you, and you don’t know that. And I believe that was what happened to me in the 1990s and early 2000s. Then when I left The Wire, I did other shows in less diverse spaces at that time that were in the mainstream.
So constantly being aware that Black folks have had to stay in a box impacts the work and your ability to do it. Now, I feel there’s more latitude to be myself to question and express. I feel they’re listening to my feedback, and it’s welcome in a way that I didn’t sense before. And it might have been welcomed before, but it seemed that the structure didn’t allow it back then, which impacted my ability to stand fully in myself at that time.
Iantha, as someone coming to the industry now, how much do you feel you’re able to share your voice artistically as a part of your creative process?
IR: I feel like my input is welcome. Something in me is consistently growing, wanting to be more open in my feedback, and trusting of my own words and what I think. There is a hierarchy like there is in any job, so just being aware is something that I carry with me, but at the same time, I don’t feel, in any way, stifled. I’m also naturally the type of person who fights back against feeling stifled. So I, probably more than most break that just naturally. But I will say, especially on this show, we have very kind people running this space; Liz and Dan are open to a lot, which makes it an actual collaboration between actors and their ideas and Karin’s archetypes of these people as well. So, it’s beautiful to come into this very special space where I feel open to speak.
What do you think brings your characters the most joy about this world and their relationship?
IR: Faith is an ambitious person, and she has the ability to win, be successful, and overcome all that she has had to overcome being a teenage mom and giving up so much of her life to be a part of the GBI. You see the breadcrumbs of her progressing in her life that bring her joy because it brings fulfillment. She enjoys solving the puzzles that get her to the end goal. In the context of the entire show, her family [brings her joy]. You see, tidbits of her and her son and what, potentially, could be family units. The redemption of the family, which was lost in her early life, you hear about but don’t see. We don’t know much about her mother currently or what her family looks like other than Amanda, but the sanctity of a family and the potential that brings her joy.
SJ: The joy for Amanda is in the job well done. It’s about mission and purpose. When she entered this field, it was not a picnic. She understood that she was called into this field as an ultimate truth seeker, an anchor for justice. She sees the imbalance in the world and believes she was called into this position to help right wrongs and bring equanimity to the people, particularly those not experiencing it from the social structure. So the joy for her resides in a job well done and her ability to balance the scales for the folks she represents.
Will Trent premieres on ABC Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 10:00 pm ET/PT.
Nas, also known as Nasir Jones, is known as an MC par excellence and one of the chief architects of the 1990s golden era of hip-hop, frequently hailed as one of the greatest rappers and lyricists of all time. His debut album, Illmatic, launched in 1994 to nearly instantaneous universal acclaim, and it’s currently considered one of the greatest hip-hop records of all time. It was, and still is, the greatest testament to the core values of hip-hop. He wasn’t simply sharing his experience through words, but he used his rhymes to paint a vivid picture of how America sets up working-class Black people to fail.
Following his breakthrough, Nas started releasing masterpiece upon masterpiece, which earned him the title of the greatest lyricist of all time. However, Nas is much more than just one of the most successful rappers of all time. He’s actually quite a businessman. Apparently, besides being lyrically gifted, Nas also possesses a natural talent for being able to identify worthwhile business opportunities and leverage them for greater profit. In fact, his business portfolio and acumen extend far beyond the reach of hip-hop.
Nearly 30 years have passed since Illmatic‘s launch, and Nas is apparently into a whole different game now. He might not be as commercially viable as his one-time rival Sean Carter (Jay Z), but Nas made his fortune in the hip-hop game. However, he expanded his vision towards bigger business ventures and started using money to make money. For as much as one can criticize the rap scene for promoting and even glorifying financial excess and irresponsibility, Nas is living proof that there’s more to a person than meets the eye.
Investment is a money game, and like all good ways to make money, you buy stuff low, sell it high, and skim all the fatty goodness. And that’s precisely what Nas did and continues to do. He buys the stocks low, does his research like any sound business person, and sells them high for a greater return down the line. It’s a game of patience and financial literacy. And Nas’ portfolio includes several business ventures that have provided some major monetary returns to the artist.
Some of his earliest investments include a six-figure investment into Mass Appeal Magazine in 2013, where he also acted as the publication’s associate publisher. That same year, he opened his own sneaker store — stores and businesses tend to operate better financially when they have a celebrity name attached to them. Besides that, he has his own clothing brand called HSTRY and co-owns LANDR, an automated, cloud-based digital audio post-production tool that uses artificial intelligence for audio mastering. That particular business has seen massive expansion recently.
Nas was also one of the first investors in Coinbase — an American publically traded company that operates a cryptocurrency exchange platform. The company raised $25 million in funding and ended up worth $200 million by the end of fiscal year 2013. Coinbase made nearly $8 billion in 2021, and a chunk of it went into Nas’ pocket. He also invested $4.5 million in Ring, Inc. in 2014 through his Queensbridge Venture Partners. That was nearly two years before Shaquille O’Neal acquired an equity stake in the company and acted as the person for the Ring’s marketing.
Ring, Inc. was eventually sold to Amazon for slightly over $1 billion, and Nas profited $40 million from that sale. And that’s not even half of the list; other companies include Genius, PillPack, and several other business ventures that brought major returns. PillPack is an online pharmacy company that started with $8 million before Amazon bought it for $1.2 billion. It’s unknown how much money Nas made as a result of this acquisition, but the sum has to be substantial. Nas’ Queensbridge Venture Partners also invested in direct-to-consumer mattress company Casper, ride-sharing service Lyft, and digital media brand Genius.
One of the greatest rappers of all time has actually participated in more funding rounds than any other celebrity, with 188 individual investments. Not all of them were wins; sometimes people shoot and miss in the investment game. But besides what we already mentioned, Nas also has his hands in Dropbox, a popular file hosting service, and Robinhood, an American financial services company that was in the middle of the market manipulation scandal caused by the GameStop short squeeze.
In the end, Nasir Jones, aka Nas, isn’t the only rapper who practices sound money management, but he’s certainly making his way into conversations among business elites. Despite his moments adorned with a shiny, rock-filled QB chain, Nas was never the flashiest rapper on the scene. He always struck the right tone between being tasteful and restrained. While Jay-Z may have the crown for hip-hop’s first billionaire, no one ever said Nas can’t have the wreath for its foremost angel investor.