Mick Unplugged - Mo Brown Suga | Strategies for Success: Mo Brown Suga Discusses Health and Career

Episode Date: December 12, 2024

Welcome to another enlightening episode of Mick Unplugged. Today, we have a very special guest, the dynamic and multifaceted Mo Brown Suga. Join us as we delve into her dietary habits, which include a... variety of fruits and greens that keep her focused and energized, and hear about her inspiring journey in healing fibroids through disciplined eating. Mick Hunt and Mo also share tips on making nutritious but challenging foods like beets more palatable. Listen in as we explore Mo's groundbreaking work on "Mo Brown's Bodega," discuss the social issues the show addresses, and hear about the challenges of filming during a pandemic. Mo’s rich Jamaican heritage and her journey from limited opportunities to discovering her potential at Alvin Ailey are truly motivating. From overcoming the 2007 stock market crash to founding Sugar Productions with just $44 in pennies, her story is a testament to resilience and self-belief. This episode is filled with personal anecdotes, from her love for Caribbean dishes to her experiences growing up in Brooklyn. Learn how Mo Brown Suga turned her passion for voiceover work into a thriving career and reflect on the power of mentorship and self-belief. With shout-outs to her inspirations like Queen Latifah and tales of her adventures in theatre, this conversation promises to inspire and energize. So, stay tuned as Mick and Mo bring you an episode rich in wisdom, laughter, and motivation. Takeaways: ·       Her family's support in the arts instilled a belief that she could achieve anything. ·       Writing down goals and organizing tasks is crucial for clarity and progress. ·       Mentorship is vital; sharing knowledge and opportunities can uplift others. ·       Health and nutrition play a significant role in maintaining creativity and energy. Sound Bites: ·       “Importance of eating well to avoid brain fog.” ·       “Challenges of filming during the pandemic.” ·       “Encouragement of self-belief and dedication.”  Connect and Discover LinkedIn:            linkedin.com/in/mobrownsuga Instagram:         Instagram.com/MoBrownSuga Facebook:         facebook.com/MoBrownSuga Website:            sugaproductions.com Tik Tok:              @mobrownsuga Youtube:            MoBrownSugaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript
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Starting point is 00:00:00 How does it feel to be Moe? Oh my gosh. Energetic. A lot of people ask me like, do you drink? Do you do this? Do you do that? I'm like, I literally was born energetic.
Starting point is 00:00:14 So I feel fiery. I feel passionate. When Moe was just getting started, what was your because? What was that drive? What was that purpose for you that said, not only can I do this, but dog on it, I'm Mo Brown, I can dominate.
Starting point is 00:00:28 Yeah. I can say to spark, to spark energy, to show people that they can do anything that they put their mind to. And that was from when I was a little girl. What would Mo tell that person that's like, no, go be the opportunity, go do it? Well, if it's in you, then there's a way. So just like how you would believe in other people,
Starting point is 00:00:50 just like how you would push other people, you have to do that for yourself. Welcome to Mick Unplugged, where we ignite potential and fuel purpose. Get ready for raw insights, bold moves, and game-changing conversations. Buckle up. Here's Mick. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Mick Unplugged, and today's guest is a multi-talented entertainer, entrepreneur, and a creative force who has carved out a unique space
Starting point is 00:01:20 in the entertainment industry. Her journey from being a voiceover artist and music producer to creating a popular web series showcases her relentless drive and ability to connect with audiences on multiple levels. Please join me in welcoming the innovative, the hilarious, Brooklyn's finest,
Starting point is 00:01:40 Ms. Mo Brown Sugar. Mo, how you doing today, dear? I'm the cry-girls wild. Let's go. Miss Mo Brown Sugar. Mo, how you doing today, dear? In the Cry Girls world. Let's go. Hi, that was amazing. Thank you. Mo, huge fan of you, huge fan of the work that you do. I could have given like 5,000 accolades.
Starting point is 00:01:59 I didn't know which of the 5,000 to choose from. So I just kind of went off the dome with something. But you're that chick, Mo. Like, there's not much Mo hasn't accomplished. Like, and we're going to get into your story and all of that. But I just wanted to know, I've been waiting to ask you this question. How does it feel to be Mo? Oh my gosh. Energetic. A lot of people ask me like, do you drink? Do you do this? Do you do that?
Starting point is 00:02:29 I'm like, I literally was born energetic. So I feel fiery. I feel passionate. How does it feel to be Mo? It feels joyful. I know how to, even in situations that are like really, really sad, I have the ability to bounce back and find the good in things. And you know, in living noticing that a lot of people aren't really like that, I really
Starting point is 00:02:55 don't take that for granted. So it feels joyful. It feels energetic. It feels fun. And what is the word? Wondrous. Like wanderlust. Like, yeah. Wond less. Wanderers.
Starting point is 00:03:05 Yeah, Wanderers. Wanderers. We're adding that one. Wander and wander. Let's go, I love it. I love it. So, career, amazing entertainer, entrepreneur, right? Voiceover actress, amazing in all the fields of entertainment,
Starting point is 00:03:24 but it had to start somewhere, right? In All Make Unplugged, we talk about your because, that thing that's deeper than your why. When Moe was just getting started, what was your because? What was that drive? What was that purpose for you that said, not only can I do this, but dog on it, I'm Moe Brown.
Starting point is 00:03:41 I can dominate. Yeah. I can say to spark, to spark energy, to show people that they can do anything that they put their mind to. And that was from when I was a little girl. You know, my family was always supportive in the arts and just, they always said, you can be whatever you want to be. You can do whatever you want to do.
Starting point is 00:04:03 And so when you have that instilled in you, you're like, okay, I'm just going to go for it. So I, my why I wanted to spark, I wanted to bring energy to the world. I wanted to, like I said, show people that they can do anything and be anything. And my family's Caribbean. So to come from another country, and I will say this, a lot of Caribbean's mostly on growing up, they were nurses and in the medical field. Okay. Okay.
Starting point is 00:04:31 So to be able to do all of this to this capacity is something that my ancestors, it's their wildest dreams. It's like, whoa, like it's not just the saying when people say that. So yes, I hope I answered that. You did because you were authentically you and that's what I love because if there is one thing about Mo Brown Sugar,
Starting point is 00:04:53 it is you are always gonna be Mo Brown Sugar, right? Like there's no holding back. And the energy that you bring, the energy that you have, the force that you are is so infectious. It's so contagious that you can't help but be around you. And it's like, you feel like a better human being, being around Mo.
Starting point is 00:05:11 And to me, that's what life is about. When did you realize you had that quality to just impact people in that way? Hmm. So I did tell this story on a show recently, but you know, wanna share it? Share it. So I was actually in elementary school, I think I was in the third or fourth grade, and we were in African Dance, and they were giving like purple belts, like it was karate and you know, stuff like that. So I
Starting point is 00:05:37 received a purple belt, which was, you know, great dancers or whatever that, what is it that award was for the dance. And the drummer just started playing and it was like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And then he started going, ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta. So I'm dancing and all of a sudden I feel goosebumps and all of a sudden the crowd is like, woo! Woo!
Starting point is 00:06:06 And I'm like, oh my gosh. Like I literally feel, I could feel the energy of the people and I started seeing their excitement. I started, cause before, you know, everybody was touching in the seats and the chairs. And once I started dancing, I saw the energy of the crowd. I saw the excitement. I saw the, what I could do, the ability that God gave me
Starting point is 00:06:27 to wake people up. And so from then, I knew that this was something that I just couldn't leave. I know it was something that could wake up this world, and I had purpose. That's wild. That's wild. I love that. And again, that energy that you have is so contagious. And I smile every time I'm watching anything that you do and anything that you put on. And so for the listeners and viewers now,
Starting point is 00:06:51 let's talk about your journey in entertainment, right? Like, where did you start in the entertainment space? How did you get in? And what was it like in those early moments? Well, I'll say, ooh, that is a really good question because I did start at a young age. So we'll say I went to professional performing arts high school, which is in the city on 48th Street.
Starting point is 00:07:13 To give a little context of the school, it's the same school that Alicia Keys went to. So when she was graduating, that's when I was coming in. So we were in Alvin Ailey and we were doing ballet, we were performing at Lincoln Center. These were like Alvin Ailey and you know, we were doing ballet, we were performing at Lincoln Center. These were like huge places that when you're young, you don't really realize the amazingness of it. And you know, now I do being that I just mentioned that my family comes from Jamaica, the islands and you know, there wasn't much opportunity, you know, then,
Starting point is 00:07:41 but in high school, starting in Alvin Ailey and seeing my potential and seeing the things that I can do, I was like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go for this. I'm gonna, I'm gonna go get me an agent. I'm gonna, you know, I'm gonna go to college for, I went for communication studies in theater. I also did broadcasting and media, but when they told me that I had to do like extra credits, I was like, okay, so we're gonna roll with what we have. And everything is just gonna, you know, come with. It was very funny. Now that I think about it. So starting off in, you know, hardcore training in high school led me to really
Starting point is 00:08:19 take myself seriously in college. So in college I was, you know, performing, doing all this amazing things, hosting the sorority and fraternity events. They're huge, okay? So when you start to host big crowds like that, and you start to see your skillset, you're like, okay, I'm gonna take this serious. And by the time I was really, really into it, the, we'll say 2007, the stock market crashed.
Starting point is 00:08:49 And when that happened, Broadway plays were shutting down, plays couldn't go up for productions, you know, all kinds of things were happening. And I was like, well, you just spent like a decade of your life doing all of this. Are you about to let it go? And so I decided to write a short film with a decade of your life doing all of this. Are you about to let it go? And so I decided to write a short film with a friend of mine.
Starting point is 00:09:09 And we said, you know what, let's put it in the LA Real Film Festival. Let's see what we can do. We put it in the film festival and we won. I won for best director. So I was like, I got something going on here. And so from 2009, I just kept producing work. I just kept working, saving money, doing everything that I could.
Starting point is 00:09:31 And actually I was working. However, when sugar productions first came into fruition, I took a jar, a spaghetti jar, and I filled it each day where I would take my change and I would put my pennies in there. Before you knew it, I had $44 in pennies, and I took that $44 in pennies, and I took my sugar production seal, and I went to the bank and I said,
Starting point is 00:09:55 can you guys open up this bank account for me, please? Can I do this with pennies? And they said, you sure can. And so I opened my sugar productions company with those $44 in pennies. And I said, anything is possible. And I took that and I ran with it. And I produced anything that I could.
Starting point is 00:10:14 Music videos, films, you name it. We did short films, full feature films, like anything and everything. If I felt it and I saw a way to make money, I was gonna do it. Okay. So yes. So we'll bring it back in and say the serious route of when I was like, okay, we're going
Starting point is 00:10:35 to do this is when the stock market crashed and I wanted to create opportunities for people. Yeah. And I want to go and unplug some things there because that was so deep. $41 in pennies, right? From Thor. $44. I don't want to shortchange you because you'll hit me up for those $3. I know Mo. I know, right? I tried to make it $41 on $44, but I think it was $44. So you have $44 in pennies. You go to the bank. But what I want the listeners and viewers
Starting point is 00:11:04 to understand, what Mo really said was she believed in herself. She had a vision. She had a plan. I think a lot of times we are waiting for that someone else or that something else, right? I can't tell you how many people that I initially interact with that are like, make, if I could just get a door to open for me, if I could just get an opportunity, I'm like, no, you are the opportunity.
Starting point is 00:11:27 And that's what I love about Mo is in that moment, you were like, I am the opportunity. And I'd love for you to go a little bit deeper that for the listener and viewer that's like, I'm waiting for something. What would Mo tell that person that's like, no, go be the opportunity, go do it? Well, if it's in you, then there's a way.
Starting point is 00:11:45 So just like how you would believe in other people, just like how you would push other people, you have to do that for yourself. A lot of people don't understand that. They don't understand the power of talking to yourself. They don't understand the power of, I know a lot of people say, oh, mirror work doesn't work for me, whatever. But it really, really does.
Starting point is 00:12:06 Looking in your own eyeballs, you know, writing things down, manifestation and meeting God where your goals and dreams, they do line up, you know? So I want you to ask me one more time, cause I want to make sure that I am getting your answer, or if I didn't give it. No, no, you did amazing. So that listener or viewer that's like, I'm waiting,
Starting point is 00:12:28 and Mo's mind is, you don't wait, you go do, right? Like, what's something that they can start doing now? Like, what's that one thing or that one spark, that one piece of sugar wisdom that you wanna give them? Write it down. Because sometimes when things are in your brain, it's cloudy, it's foggy. Once you get it out, you can start to say, okay, I have five things on this sheet.
Starting point is 00:12:50 What do I need to do to complete one? Then when you have one written down, what will I need for that? Then you do that with the next. So it's about organization and breaking things down and what you need and what you can do and what's possible. And not being afraid to ask for help. So many people are afraid to ask for help. Man, if you don't ask somebody to help you.
Starting point is 00:13:12 Right. You know, like when you look at buildings, when you look at so many things, none of it is done alone. Yeah. So people shouldn't be afraid to ask for help. So writing things down, organizing things, and asking for help.
Starting point is 00:13:26 That's it. Yeah. Another thing that I know about you, again, been a huge fan and follower forever, is you believe in the power of mentorship, right? So who are some of Mo Brown Sugar's early mentors? And then talk to the folks about the power of mentorship. I had a mentor. Well, he's still active in my life,
Starting point is 00:13:47 have a mentor, his name is Chris Mercado, and he was my radio mentor and voiceover mentor. And so he worked at 107.5 WBLS. He showed up, like a lot of times that's the first step, showing up, being present. Sometimes people don't understand that just by someone being there matters. So I say Chris Mercado, he showed up, he was willing to share knowledge. You know, sometimes people hold on to things for dear life and it's like, no, you're supposed
Starting point is 00:14:19 to pass the baton. Pass the baton. Cast the baton. So showing up, giving knowledge. That was what Chris Mercado gave me. Not being afraid to share opportunities. There's enough for everyone to go around. We are in a big world. There's so much that we can share and give and create and do. Let's see.
Starting point is 00:14:42 What else did Chris Mercado do? I mean, I also did a lot of research on the people that I really loved and admired and was inspired by. For example, Queen Latifah. I love Queen Latifah. Everything that she stands for, everything that she does, even her course correction of the things that she has, you know, done wrong in her life and sharing that,
Starting point is 00:15:03 because sharing those stories actually help people and show them that we can make mistakes, but we can also fix them. You are not your mistakes. I also love Kandi Burris. Do you guys know Kandi Burris? Kandi Burris is a beast of a businesswoman. Okay. Yes. So those are three people that I really used in my life to stay focused.
Starting point is 00:15:28 And on top of that, I eat well. Because when you eat well, you can focus and you don't get brain fog. Look at that. So let's go there. What's on Moe's eat well list? What's Moe eating? Moe eats a lot of fruits. I eat a lot of greens, kale.
Starting point is 00:15:47 And the reason- I'm not like collard greens. I eat collard greens too. Oh, okay, okay, okay. I eat collard greens. I love a lot of kale. I love things that give me energy. Beets are good for your hemoglobin levels.
Starting point is 00:16:00 You know, you have to keep, like people have to understand your iron levels and your vitamin D levels. They keep you thriving. They keep you like aware and alert, be 12, you know, things like that, that will give you energy. When you don't think about it, when you don't eat well, you're sluggish, you can't think,
Starting point is 00:16:20 you can't produce the right work. So I make sure that I, you know, blueberries in the morning, I make sure I have a lot of tea. Tea is very soothing, but tea is also a detoxifier. And sometimes we don't understand, like, you know, when you're stressed out, you have skin breakouts and things like that. And so all those things flush it out. And when your body is healthy, health as well. If you don't have health, you can't do anything. See, we're getting things from Mo that we don't get from anyone else.
Starting point is 00:16:48 And Mo doesn't do this with everyone else. So we got to talk about something you just said. I'm down with 99% of what you said, Mo, until you said beats. And when you said beats, I can promise you, I didn't hear much what you said after that, because I'm going to tell you something, Mo. A lot of people talk about beets.
Starting point is 00:17:08 When I was growing up, they talked about beets and you got to eat beets. And then I tried one and I said, I can't do this no more. You ain't had the right kind. Well, beets are beets. Like you ain't had the right kind. You know what? You're absolutely right. It took me a while.
Starting point is 00:17:20 Now I just eat it because you know, it's more about discipline, you know, like I love flavorful stuff. I cook. Okay. But I also know that if I don't do this, it's going to affect my health. Reason being is unfortunately I am healing myself from fibroids. And you know, when we hemorrhage a lot, when you lose a lot of blood, you lose your vital vitamins and things that, you know, just everything. And so I said, okay, do you love yourself enough to do this? You know, those are really the questions and well, the things that you have to say, I don't want to say the questions,
Starting point is 00:17:57 the things that you have to say to yourself. Like a lot of times we invest more of our efforts, our energy and information into other people more than we would put it into ourselves. And I had to stop that because if I'm no good to myself, I'm no good to anybody else or anything else. So I really had to crack down and say, you're going to eat these beats and you're going to put it with some vinegar and salt and pepper and garlic and some onions.
Starting point is 00:18:21 You're going to put it in the salad. You're going to have it on the side. You're going to make it with your strawberries or your smoothies so that you don't really taste it. So I try to make sure I put it with other things so that you can't really taste it. I feel like you're talking to me right now, though. I feel, so you know, I'm gonna hear this
Starting point is 00:18:38 when I go to the grocery store. I'm gonna buy some beets, I'm gonna call you up for the recipe. And hopefully the taste of beets have changed in the last 30 years since I tried one when I was like 14. So we'll see what happens. We'll see what happens.
Starting point is 00:18:52 Mix it with some salt and pepper and garlic. Okay, okay. So another thing I love about you, Mo, is just the talent that you have, right? So Mo Brown Sugar's bodega. Mo Brown Sugar. Mm, mm. If I could just tell you how I am so addicted
Starting point is 00:19:14 to that and everything that you do. And so when my brother and sister heard that we were talking, they were like, nuh-uh, no you're not. I was like, no, for real, that Mo Brown right there. Yeah, yeah, I'm talking to it. So I got to give you some props and praise and give you some flowers
Starting point is 00:19:31 because not only is it hilarious, right? Like it's well written, it's well performed, but you also touch on cultural issues, societal issues, and you're not afraid to do that. And you're gonna understand this when I say it. A lot of people are afraid to have those conversations and bring them out to the world. You don't hold back.
Starting point is 00:19:52 You make it funny when it's supposed to be funny, serious when it's supposed to be serious, but most importantly, you make it very relatable. And when you touch on those moments and those situations or those topics, it's like, yeah, we need to talk about this. We needed to talk about it. And then you can go to the barbershop or the beauty salon.
Starting point is 00:20:14 Be like, did you see what Mo Brown was talking about? Like, I just wanted to give you your flowers for that, because the world needs you. Thank you so much. I'm really receiving what you're saying, because it was definitely a challenge to get the show done, especially working through the pandemic. And there were some people that wanted me to put the masks in it and stuff like that.
Starting point is 00:20:36 And I said, well, I had to really say, I want this to be a timeless piece of work. I don't really want to date this. So I wanted it to be something that can go for, you know, a lot of years within this decade, I guess. So, and gentrification, the reason why it was so important to put it in was because when we first started filming, I can't remember which episode it was,
Starting point is 00:20:55 but when we got to the bodega, we set up everything. And just as we were about to get the first shot in, somebody comes in and they say, we have to shut the shoot down. And I'm like, well, why, what's happening? And they were closing the bodega because they were, the neighborhood was being turned into something else. And it was quite devastating.
Starting point is 00:21:16 I had all of my cast and crew there. And you know, they, everyone really did try to go down to another street to get another bodega for us to film in that day, but it just wasn't work. I said, I'm gonna make an executive decision. We're gonna reschedule this. We're gonna find a new bodega, but to experience being shut down,
Starting point is 00:21:36 and I went back the next week and it was gone, like completely gone. And I was like, wow. And now they're high rise buildings. So I said, this is real. This is real life. This is happening. And the only way for us to shift this or change this or have awareness is for me to talk about it. Yeah. And so I was really glad that my friend Jen was all for it. The wonderful, what's the wonderful white girl in the story? That is
Starting point is 00:22:04 my girl. She was like, yeah, girl in the story. That is my girl. She was like, yeah, let's do it. We live here now. I was like, John. That's right. That's right. I was really grateful to do that. And we have such a melting pot here in New York, you know?
Starting point is 00:22:20 And so it was just important to tell what's happening in Brooklyn. Nah, that was awesome. And like I said, one of my favorite things that you do is that and so I just wanted to give you flowers because it's not easy. A lot of things that you make seem easy. And when I say you I literally mean you. I know it's not easy. So thank you for that. I really appreciate it. And I'm receiving it and I won't get
Starting point is 00:22:43 teary eyed. So you know, just I really appreciate it and I'm receiving it and I won't get teary-eyed. So, you know, I'll just, I'll look away. No teary-eyed, no teary-eyed. So let's go into voiceover work, right? I also think that's very hard because you're talking to a microphone, right? Like you've got to envision what's going on a lot of the times, right? So how'd you get into voiceover?
Starting point is 00:23:06 How did it become a talent for you? Like all of that, let's just go Mo Brown Sugar and voiceover work. How did I begin? Well, as a little girl, I would always listen to the radio. I would listen to just Angie Martinez, which was on the hip hop station. I would also listen to Quiet Storm at night.
Starting point is 00:23:25 And I loved, loved the mystery behind the voice. So it's so interesting that I'm in front of the camera now doing both, but I really, really love to be the mystery behind the voice. So I just, I said, if I could, I guess the word is evoke emotion without people even seeing me, then I thought this can be powerful. If I have these feelings just off of someone's voice, maybe I can do that and be the same. So I had told Chris Mercado, my mentor at the time, I said, I really,
Starting point is 00:23:56 really want to do voiceovers. And he was like, all right, let's see what you do with this one. And it was Foxy Brown's album release. And I remember the first time he put me in the booth, I said, Foxy Brown's back! Just like that, with a new album. And I was like, oh, he said, yes, how'd you nail it on the first go? And I just said, I just went for it, I just did it.
Starting point is 00:24:24 And from then, I got a check that said $300. And I was like, that thing was 30 seconds. Right? I was like, what? This was like 2005, 2006. And once I saw that check, I was like, she's in. And then I just kept going. And then I did a Chris Brown had one coming out and there was one more Rihanna when she had Good Girl Gone Bad. And so once I started, then I signed up with a voiceover agency online. I signed up with a voiceover agency. I saw all of the things, all of the opportunities, all of the possibilities. You can do voicemails, you can do trailers,
Starting point is 00:25:12 you can do documentaries. When I saw the wide spread of things that I could do, I said, whoa, and it just took off from there. You could do the new season two of Mick Unplugged, you know, like all that stuff, right? Yes, I would love to. We're going to talk about that one. We're going to talk about that one.
Starting point is 00:25:33 Yes, yes, yes. No, I would love to. Yeah, so when you just see all of the things that you can do and cartoons, like that, it was just like, this is it. I can touch all ages, all stages. Because people always ask you, oh, what's your specific genre or age range or whatever that is?
Starting point is 00:25:55 And you're like, I don't really want to stick to just one. I want to touch everyone as much as I can. And so once I saw that Voiceovers would let me do that, I went for it. There it is. there it is. So I want to go rapid fire with Mo Brown Sugar. You ready? Let me sip my mango juice, hold on.
Starting point is 00:26:13 Yeah, get a swallow the beet juice. Get a swallow those beets, I'm covered in heart. Oh my gosh. All right, so parents from Jamaica, where in Jamaica? Cause Mo Bay is my favorite city in the world. Saint Mary. Highgate, Newington. That is the countryside. They still are having issues with like water and pipes and you know, it's still giving country. But yeah, St. Mary, Jamaica. All right.
Starting point is 00:26:45 What's your favorite Caribbean dish? Aki and saltfish. Okay. Do you know Aki and saltfish? I do. Yes, I do. I love Aki and saltfish with peppers and scotch bonnet pepper with dumpling.
Starting point is 00:27:04 Oh, see the Caribbean accent come out when you talk about your favorite dish. Look at that. Look, you was all New York until we started talking about Jamaica food. Yes, I love plantain too. That plantain is my favorite. That's my favorite.
Starting point is 00:27:16 Yeah. That's my favorite. I'm not into jerk spices like that, but plantains are meat all day. Yeah. Well, I can't saw fishes, you know, on plants and that's my favorite. But being that I had to change my diet due to, you know, the fibroids, I had to cut meat. I had to cut oxtail, all of those little things.
Starting point is 00:27:36 I was like, oh, I still cook it and make it for my people but I can't eat it anymore. So I just enjoy the smells. But I can make a mean red snapper, stuff with, some people don't like okra, but stuff with okra and peppers and rice and cabbage and plants. I'll be out this weekend.
Starting point is 00:27:53 Don't worry, I'll be there. Yeah. I'll be there. All right. What's your favorite area of New York? Oh, wow. Okay. Wow.
Starting point is 00:28:03 I, well, you know what? And I don't want to tie it to a burrow. Right? Like what's your favorite area of New York? Right, right. It's a part of New York. You know what? That might have to be something that I look into now because I used to, so before the pandemic, New York was very different. So now, you know, there's a lot of new restaurants. There's a lot of new manmade parks. There's a lot of newness in New York. So although I've been here a long time, I feel like I'm relearning my own city. Yes.
Starting point is 00:28:34 There's so many- But it's nowhere in Brooklyn is what I heard. Nowhere in Brooklyn is your favorite. Okay, yes, I love Ditmus Park. No, no, no, no, no, no. You had your opportunity. It wasn't Brooklyn. All my buddies from Queens just stood up right now. They were like, see, I told no, no. You had your opportunity. It wasn't Brooklyn. All my buddies from Queens
Starting point is 00:28:45 just stood up right now. They were like, see, I told y'all nobody hangs out in Brooklyn. Oh, everybody hangs out in Brooklyn. No, Brooklyn is lit. I must say that. Zipmunk Park, I choose that now that I think about it. I choose that area because well, well, you know, I don't want to tell everybody that that's the area that I live in, but it's best of both worlds. You have houses and trees and it's very suburban. And then you can walk down the street and go get all the food that you want. You got Caribbean, you got Mexican, you got pizza.
Starting point is 00:29:15 You have all of that when you hit Flapper's Avenue. So I like the melting pot of, you know, Brooklyn. Okay. All right. But she didn't say that first. So, Kenny Anderson, damn it, she didn know, Brooklyn. Okay. All right. But she didn't say that first. So, Kenny Anderson, damn it. She didn't say Brooklyn. She was thinking Queens. She wanted to go to Queens.
Starting point is 00:29:31 No! I mean, shout out to Queens. All right, all right. So, what's been your favorite project? Like that project that you look back and it's like, wow, I did that. I can say this without hesitation. So I toured with Melvin van Peebles. Do you know Melvin van Peebles?
Starting point is 00:29:49 Absolutely. It was such an adventurous time. We did Ain't Supposed to Die Natural Death. We toured with that. And I played a prostitute. And I was the dirtiest hoe, honey. Oh my god, it was amazing. Proud of that too, huh? It was so fun. It was like you're you know, your Curiosity like I remember one one show my dad came and the director was like Mo
Starting point is 00:30:17 You were the dirtiest who are sucking your finger and everything. I said hey, I was nervous I was just going right in but it was was Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death with Melvin Van Peebles with the Classical Theatre of Harlem. And it was amazing. It took place in the 1970s. And I learned a lot about the music, the life. I did learn a lot about, I'll say this, you know, you have to learn about the streets and stuff like that, which my parents protected us from all of that. So in learning how they function and how they made money, it was amazing. Okay. And would I do it again? Yes.
Starting point is 00:30:56 Of course. Of course. So what does MO have going on now? What do you have up and coming? What's something new you're working on or anything exciting that you want to discuss real quick? Well, we are in the process of a Mo' Browns Bo' De' Gato' right now with the film festivals.
Starting point is 00:31:12 So we just did the American Black Film Festival. We just won the Queen City Film Festival for Best Series. Another festival by the name of Revolution Me, which is in Industry City of Brooklyn, which is a hot spot. So, oh my gosh, there's another one, but oh, the women's, imagine this women's international film festival that was at this Dine-In Cinemas. It's this theater that has a bar.
Starting point is 00:31:36 Like I cannot do anything that is less than after these experiences. Okay, like they had us in these comfortable seats that go back. They were serving drinks and food while you're watching. And I'm just like, oh my God, this is a dream. So I'm actually in the midst of hitting the film festival circuit with Mo Brown's Bodega while we are in the writer's room
Starting point is 00:32:02 pre-production for season three. Okay, let's go. Let's go. I get a whole third season of my favorite show. That's what I'm talking about. Yeah, we're in season three. And so I'm just like, wow. And to see the support and the amount of people
Starting point is 00:32:19 that want to be a part of it is really nice. You know, I stood by it and I believed in myself and I believed in my team and I didn't give up on us. Let's go. I love it. I love it. So Mo, where can people find and follow you? I know you're world famous. I'm going to have links everywhere, but where do you want people to interact with Mo Brown Sugar?
Starting point is 00:32:39 My Instagram, at Mo Brown Sugar. I'm on YouTube as well. And you know, you can go to MoBrownsBodega.com, MoBrownSugar.com, and SugarProductions.com. But I am, I'm very active on my Instagram. And yes, people talk smack about Facebook, but I am active on my Facebook too. I ain't got there yet.
Starting point is 00:33:00 I ain't got there yet. I'm probably like the last person not on Facebook, but that's okay. Oh my gosh, you're not on Facebook? Why are you looking at me so disgusted, Mo? Like, I'm sorry? The only people that say they're not on Facebook is like the 19 year olds.
Starting point is 00:33:14 They're like, that's for all people. I'll be like, what? Facebook owns everything, okay? Meta this. Apparently, apparently. Mo, thank you so much for your time today. You are a rock star. You are a beacon of hope.
Starting point is 00:33:29 You are a voice for the voiceless, a face for the faceless, but most importantly, you are my doggone friend. Mo, love you to the world, girl. Love you too. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I really appreciate it. You got it.
Starting point is 00:33:43 And for all the listeners and viewers, remember, your because is your it. You got it. And for all the listeners and viewers, remember your because is your superpower. Go unleash it. Thank you for tuning in to Make Unplugged. Keep pushing your limits, embracing your purpose, and chasing greatness. Until next time, stay unstoppable.

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