Trevor Jackson what have you been up to ?

TREVOR JACKSON+PHOTOGRAPHER: LIZSTYLES =MAZ

Tiffany: Being a multi-hyphenate artist has great advantages but do you ever feel like it is acurse? Since society often pressures people to choose one thing.

Trevor: Absolutely. The biggest thing that I think is a gift and a curse is the inability to be satisfied with anything that I do. People would say, “omg you did such a great job” but in my mind, I would be like it could’ve been 12 times better. That is the issue for me but I just want to keep bettering myself. It keeps me pushing- but it’s also hard to live in moments.

Tiffany: That was my second question... Do you find yourself being overly critical of your ownwork because you are doing multiple things?

Trevor: Yeah, yeah! Because I feel like there are so many different perspectives someone that looks at the world in a certain way- may like this particular thing and another person that looks at the world in a different way- may like something else. So I have to try and find a place where everyone can find something they like. On all my albums that I make- I try not to make 2 songs to sound the same.

The sentiment that you can’t do it all does not apply to the 24-year old multi-hyphenate artist, Trevor Jackson. The Indiana-native is equal parts singer, actor, budding director, and style icon. Starring in Freeform’s hit tv show “Grown-ish” while balancing a successful musical career is a testament to his natural aptitude, discipline, and creativity. On a rare chilly afternoon in the heart of downtown LA, I get to spend time with Trevor Jackson chatting about how he deals with the pressure of success, working on the set of Grown-ish, and how he remains authentic in his music.

Tiffany: Your first lead role was on Disney’s ‘Let it Shine”, being a child star do you think it'shard for people to grow with you as you become an adult? Do you think your fan base canget stuck in who they think you are?

Trevor: No, not so much. That was fun! I was 15 years old and that was a great role at that time and I think because I only did one, it’s not as hard as if I did a tv show. I think Superfly kind of helped with the adultism. I also did “ American Crime” which was one of them, “Burning Sands” those types of roles- helped with that process.

Tiffany: What made you decide not to have a stage name for your musical career?

Trevor: Because I wouldn’t be myself. Even in real life, the only way to really talk about whatever isgoing on in my life is through my music. I think stuff is so gimmicky already which I can’t stand whenit comes to music. I like to be real and as authentic as possible.

Tiffany: You wrote all of the songs on yourlast project why is it important for you to havecreative control over your project?

Trevor: I wrote the project before that as well, and the one before that I co-wrote. Why else do it you know. If I do something someone else did I can’t redo that. Let’s say I get massive success over a song I didn’t write and I try and recreate that it would be impossible. I would need someone and I don't ever want to need anyone. Although I love working with people and putting minds together is always amazing. I think when it comes from me it’s just more real and again music for me is so therapeutic. At times I felt like giving up or been depressed over a relationship or anything and I made a song and I was cool after. The peace I find is what I want people to find after they listen to my stuff. Being involved in the creative process- it’s your view and your view of the world only, it wasn’t meant to be someone else’s. You’re alive to tell a certain story-a certain perspective and I always want to make sure I tell mines. It’s just important!

You’re here for that, you’re not here to do what’s been done either. I feel like tradition is almost limiting. I love tradition and I love how it brings people together but it’s very limiting to do what someone else has already done. Every aspect of my life I’m kind of different because I want a different result.

Tiffany: In Rough Drafts pt.2,” In My Crocs” is a fun and light record- what inspired that recordand why is it important for you to create music that is fun?

Trevor: Going back to what you were saying about being yourself. Something that people always say you know you see me on movies and music videos but when you see me in real life I would be in a pair of crocs- just chillen’. It was a joke for a long time- Trevor wears Crocs all the time, I wear Crocs to the club. Even on the set of Grown-ish that why they put it in the shoe because I would be on set with Crocs and everyone would be like I can’t believe this guy wears Crocs. Even past the Crocs, is the fact that people think that because you are in a certain position that you then need to buy, tons of jewelry, Guiseppe shoes, a sports car, and I think it’s stupid. I like to spend money on things that are going to last for a long time and have value toward me past materialistic value.

I like to be comfortable if I could I would go to the red carpet with boxers, a sweater, and crocs. Especially with kids, they would be like “what kind of house do you live in, what kind of car do you drive”. The question is never hoe did you find your happiness, that should be the main question that people should ask how do I be happy. I did Disney’s “Dreamer’s Academy” and I had to go down to talk to a whole bunch of young men between the ages of 13-19. One kid was like “ how do I be happy”.

Tiffany: That’s powerful

Trevor: I wish I had the answer to that. The best question someone can ask is how do I be happy witheverything I have?

Tiffany: Looking back on RD2, five months from now, what do you want to see that’ll makeyou feel the album had the impact you wanted?

Trevor: I’ve already seen that! The tattoos, I’ve seen like 8 tattoos and that’s pretty crazy to me. I’ve seen lyrics and I’ve seen the name of the album on there and I will always be like Woah. That’s on someone’s body for life! My brother and I saw the first one together and we looked at each other like wow dude, this is a movement, “Rough Draft”. Just knowing that you have somewhere to go and but knowing that there’s no one way to get there or even a wrong way to get there. There’s going be a lot of time where you are going to fall, and break some bones on the way but it’s all apart of it. You can’t get the final grade until you complete the rough drafts.

I feel like there’s a lot of pressure on men, especially young men who don’t have it all figured out. I’ve felt that way for a long time from age sixteen until twenty-now. People may say “ wow you’re a man” but you’re really not a man until like you feel like you are. Whatever being a man means. I’m just like anyone else just trying to figure it out and sometimes we fall but I want to represent those guys who may feel like they are hard on themselves because maybe they got their mom, their partner or whoever telling them they should be a certain way. It’s like dude, it takes time.

Tiffany: What does winning a Soul Train Award mean to you?

Trevor: That was crazy, so unexpected. I had no idea, some people say you know but I didn’t know at were like “ The winner is…”. They said my name and I was like woah. It felt good because I feel music I see you”. I put in work, I dont think that’s a secret to anybody. I’m always working but it’s nice to have I’m just happy to be doing it.

Tiffany: In another interview, you mentioned that there are a lot of failures that go into what you

Trevor: Although that may have been the word I used, I dont believe in failure. I just believe in correctio hand. At the time I might’ve wailed but my dad was saving my hand from being scolded off. I feel like G made sense later. Everything I thought was a failure made so much later. Rather it may have been a r gotten into business or personal, thinking I really want something and it would have been great to have

all. I was there and they were like you got to be there for this interview. I ran over there and theyally I dont think my peers haven’t recognized me in that way. So it was nice to have people say, “Okthat affirmation that your work is being seen and noticed. But, then again that shouldn’t be the goal.

create and the opportunities you receive. What is your greatest failure?

ns. It’s almost like when you are a kid and your about to put your hand in fire then your dad hits your od has done that a lot with me in my life. So I can’t say the greatest failure because everything ole I wanted really bad and the movie ended up tanking. Or even a relationship that I might have . Later I see the result of what could’ve been- it just always made sense.

Tiffany: You’ve also directed music videos.

Trevor: Yes, directing! I love directing. I watch movies every single day, I love movies. How people look at pa wanted to start telling my own stories because I would see my videos and someone else’s and it would look t same aesthetic, 2 led lights on the top and bottom, and then spice it up and cut it to the music. I was like ok, I Now” video it starts off sexy and then something crazy happens. My next music video for “Tell You The Truth

Tiffany: How did you learn to trust yourself? To know your ideas are dope and what you produce is d

Trevor: I knew what I didn’t like. Because I do watch so much stuff on a daily, I couldn’t be biased with my owthing is, it’s me, If I don’t believe in myself how am I going to get the next person to believe in me. The mostand if it gives you that same feeling go with that.

Tiffany: You killed at NYFW for Laquan Smith.

Trevor: Thank you, thank you. I had a great time! I walked one fashion show when I was 4 years old and I woLaquan Smith and it was amazing. He’s such a nice guy too!

Tiffany: What went into deciding that this was the perfect opportunity for you to debut as a runway m

Trevor: It just happened, It wasn’t planned. They kind of reached out, and then I walked it. Now Laquan and Ijeans!

Tiffany: On social, you show yourself going surfing and recently participating in a beach clean up. Ho

Trevor: The ocean is definitely my friend. It’s really one of the only places I really enjoy being by myself. I havI’m in the water it’s amazing. Surfing, in particular, is something I did when I was younger when I was eleven.disciplined about certain things.

intings. I’m always like how did you do that, why did you choose that angle, what are you trying to say. I he same. People are using the same directors, and labels are filtering through the same 5 directors, with the have seen that! I want to tell stories that I think about or things that I have seen. That’s why in the “Right ” is about to be really cool, apocalyptic. I don’t want to do the usual.

ope.

n work. If my stuff reminded me of something I didn’t like I would be like we have to change it. And theimportant thing when creating and trying to figure out if it’s dope or not is to find things you are in love with

re a Tweety Bird basketball jersey and that was the highlight of my life at the time. Then I just walked for

odel?

are really cool. He just invited me out to come out to a Jordache dinner and which was super cool. I love

w important is the ocean for you? Where did that connection ignite from?

e a very hard time being alone. I hate it, I don’t want to talk about it, I don’t want to think about it. But, whenI stopped for a long time and I just got back into it 2-3 years ago and it saved me. It caused me to be more

Tiffany: It’s great to see a young black man surfing because I feel like it’s so rare

Trevor: Black people surf and they can swim ok! You just have to do it.

Tiffany: Grown-ish season 3 has been renewed, season 3 airs’ in January are there a lot ofparallels between yourself and your character Aaron?

Trevor: I think the ambition side of things but also the confusion side. I feel like for my whole life I’ve had a direction but know that I’m older and kind of resting I’m asking those questions who am I, am I doing enough, should I be doing more. I think my character goes through those same things rather that’s with a relationship, career, or school. I feel like Aaron is asking himself the same thing.

Tiffany: What topic on season 3 are you excited to see discussed.

Trevor: There is one topic I’m super excited to see discussed on Season 3 but I can’t say. When itdoes happen we will reconnect and I will tell you.

Tiffany: What is something you hope the audience takes away from watching Grown-ish?

Trevor: Judgment. People who aren’t comfortable with themselves or aren’t comfortable with other people. Grown-ish is a show that puts an arm around everyone. It lets everyone know that we are all ok. We don’t have to not like someone because we may not understand them. Grown-ish gives that perspective on every kind of person. Every person on the show I know someone like that or someone that has been through a similar circumstance being discussed. It’s that togetherness. I think every television/ movie should evoke the natural nature of figuring out.

Tiffany: Any relationship advice you would give Aaron about Zoey?

Trevor: Follow your heart man! I don’t read the script until we doing the table read and then we shoot.I’m just as surprised as people when they are watching the show.

Tiffany: How is it working with friends? The fact that you all are friends outside of the showhowis that?

Trevor: It’s amazing, it doesn’t feel like work. It definitely helps with the questioning of if I’m doing enough. Being able to be there do my job and then it not feeling like a job. Just go there and have fun every day. The one problem I do have with the show is the food. I eat so much food- and I get from my mother she also eats a lot. It’s an addiction, we both have an addiction. So when I’m there and I see food around, I would just eat it- even if I’m not hungry. Rather that’s hot snacks, m&m’s, another hot snack, a block of cheese. I’m going to eat it all! I’m going to talk to myself in the mirror about it.

Tiffany: When you are creating, rather that is a music project ora role do you do it with the fans in mind?

Trevor: It’s more so after I have done it, I’m like what would they think. But I don’t try to adjust to make them happy because I know what makes them happy is me being me. They are definitely in mind for sure though.

Tiffany: What is your favorite role that you’ve played?

Trevor: Superfly was the most fun because I got to do martial arts in slow motion. That has been a dream of mines since I was a kid. My dad used to make me watch martial arts movies all the time. “ Kid with the Golden Arm”, “ Five Deadly Venoms”, every Bruce Lee movie ever made, all of the “Matrix” movies, “Blade”- any Wesly Snipes movie I had to watch it. So seeing that and having to do it in Superfly with a long coat on, that shit was tight. That was pretty fun!

Tiffany: How do you want to be remembered?

Trevor: That such a hard question and I’m going to put a lot of pressure on myself to answer it because I want it to be good and true. I want to lead people to the peace that I have found through my relationship with God. So when people ask “How did I do it” it would be because of that. My ability to love myself, I feel like that’s the hardest quest for people sometimes is to how to love themselves. I’m on my journey to doing that. I just hope that people are like man, he loved himself, he loved life, he was happy first. There so many successful billionaire a-holes, I want to be remembered as a kind, happy, good guy. That fucked it up when it came to music and film (jokingly). No that did a great job and loved his movies and music.