Nia DaCosta

She was like... And watching her live it, watching her success, the modicum of success she had with her career in the 90s, and also the way she operated, like, the joy with which my mom pursued her art, like, she's happiest when she's singing.

And I've seen that.

It made me feel...

how important it is for me to do the same.

I think the lesson I got from all that was follow your dreams, but it costs you something.

You know, it's work and it's hard and you have to love it.

I mean, they say that your first day in film school, but you know, for me, I mean, I also, you know, I've seen my mom go from, you know, signed to Island Def Jam and touring a lot to not being able to make a living singing, which she was able to do when I was really young.

So I also knew that that was

something that could happen that you could, you know, go from being at the top of the world to, because my mom, you know, she also worked in 30 Rock.

She worked as an executive assistant at GE.

And so, you know, I saw when the life changes and how you have to make space for your passions when it is no longer your vocation.

But my mom, her spirit is so beautiful.

I think she just

She really believes in pursuing it no matter what, because I think her ethos is sort of like, have a plan B, but that's what you do when you fail.

That's not what you do without trying.

Oh, my God.

I was there all the time.

I mean, also, like, single mom, I was just, like, booping around the office, like, hey.

And, you know, I remember Bring Your Daughters to Work Day.

It was so fun because, as you can imagine, 30 Rock, like, everything gets shot there.