Jerrold Smith II is a Los Angeles multi-hyphenate who may be a familiar face to you. Best known for his most recent on-screen credits in HBO Max’s original series, “Sweet Life: Los Angeles,” and Netflix’s outbreak competition series, “Floor is Lava,” his work doesn’t stop just stop there.

Smith also had a highly successful career playing basketball for UCLA, and now has had the opportunity to be featured in major brand campaigns for companies like Nike, Adidas, Feashion Nova, and many more.

In an interview with the L.A. Watts Times, Jerrold Smith discussed some special projects that he’s working on as well as how it feels to be making his mark in the entertainment industry right now.

L.A. Watts Times: You’re coming up in the entertainment industry with appearances on HBO Max’s “Sweet Life: Los Angeles” and a Netflix show. How does it feel to be making your mark?

Jerrold Smith: It’s excited. I feel like I have a pretty good resume behind me with two very popular shows that have impacted the industry in very different ways. And it feels really good for me to know that I’m on the right track with some of the things I want to do in my life and career.

LAWT: What made you want to on HBO Max’s “Sweet Life?” Why was it important to get this version of L.A.’s finest on screen?

JS: I feel like the show was made for me, man, to be completely honest with you. My friend, Kofi [Jones], who is also on the show, was my roommate in college, and he kind of manifested this for us.

We’d say, ‘Man, somebody should put us on TV.’ Like, we’re all doing really cool stuff, and it only got better and more exciting once we graduated college and started making extra money.

But this was an opportunity that, I think, was manifested for us.

We all have really interesting stories to tell.

We have some really big dreams and goals, and we not only can inspire each other through this opportunity, but everyone that’s watching. We hope that our stories are impactful for those that are looking to do similar things.

LAWT: Do you feel like “Sweet Life” challenges the regular reality TV out, right now?

JS: Yea, absolutely. I feel like it goes against the norm of what we’re used to seeing. For one, it’s a group of young Black individuals from LA, which we haven’t seen since “Baldwin Hills.”

And quite frankly, I think it’s not as confrontation heavy. I’m not saying there isn’t drama and confrontation, but it’s not as heavy as some of the other reality TV shows that we’re used to seeing.

We’re used to seeing reality TV that focuses on the negative aspects of Black life, as opposed to in our show, we focus more on us chasing our dreams while trying to navigate friendships and relationships all at once.

And then, there aren’t many reality shows showing people in their mid-20s, early-30s doing things [in their career]. The opportunity to televise this has been amazing.

LAWT: What have been some of the benefits of being on reality TV?

JS: The exposure. I have two really cool shows under my belt, now, and people are seeing more so more opportunities have started coming my way.

I’m excited to do more screen stuff, and work with more brands. The visibility has been really important for me.

LAWT: Have there been any challenges?

JS: Navigating everything that’s seen on the show, while on the camera, and trying to control those emotions.

You’re having real conversations with your friends—real arguments, disagreements, emotional moments, sharing things that you probably never expected to be sharing with the world via HBO.

But at the same time, it’s a blessing because the opportunity itself to do this in our hometown with people I’ve known my whole life…my actual friends. That’s the biggest blessing.

LAWT: With your challenges—have you just had to learn controlling your emotions along the way?

JS: Yeah, you learn to be vulnerable. Season 1 was a lot different than Season 2 in how a lot of us show more of ourselves on screen for viewers to see because that’s the only way that you guys are going to hopefully understand who we are.

Not everyone has the opportunity to see us intimately, but through 30-minute episodes, so we have to find ways to make sure that we’re coming across as authentically as possible to the audience. It can take some adjusting.

LAWT: You also have a podcast, “Basketball Adjacent.” Can you tell me about that?

JS: Yea, I’ve spent majority of my life playing basketball. I’ve been playing since I was two years old, played in high school, and then was fortunate enough to play in college at UCLA.

When I graduated, I realized this wasn’t how I wanted to spend the rest of my life, but I didn’t know how to pivot.

So, “Basketball Adjacent” is about, not just my journey, but for my listeners and viewers, the opportunity to see and get exposed to everything that’s out there in related to pertaining to and adjacent to basketball.

LAWT: How long has the show been out?

JS: About a year-and-a-half, now.

I’ve recorded a full season and have some new episodes that’ll be coming out at the end of this year.

LAWT: How do you find your balance with everything you’re doing.

JS: I haven’t exactly figured that out yet. I kind of take each day by day, making sure that I’m not only enjoying this moment to the fullest, but that I’m not leaving any stone unturned, no opportunity missed.

Because there’s so much life to live with only a little time, and I feel like I’m doing myself a disservice if I limit myself.

But, my fiancée keeps me balanced. She reminds me to slow down and just enjoy my time with who I’m with.

LAWT: That’s awesome. My last question is what’s next for you?

JS: My fiancée and I are saving up for a house. That’s a big focus for me.

I’m hoping and praying we do more “Sweet Life” because this foundation has given me great opportunities that I get to do with my friends.

So, I want 30 seasons of that to be next! And then I just want to establish myself as its own brand.

I want people to identify with me and the things I bring on screen.

You can keep up to date with Jerrold Smith on Instagram @jerroldhtims.

 

SoLa Impact is a family of social impact real estate funds with a strategy focused on preserving, refreshing, and creating high-quality affordable housing in low-income communities. With a proven track record that leverages data-driven social impact strategies, they’ve delivered superior financial overturns, as well as made monumental strides in the progression and well-being of the city of Los Angeles, along with its people.

In an interview with SoLa’s Founder and Managing Partner, Martin Muoto, he discussed the genius that brought about SoLa Impact as well as the goals that he and his company have to provide for the community.

“SoLa is a for-profit company that ensures that the community sees the benefit and the residency of the benefits,” said Muoto. “I think that more and more companies realize that you can’t just extract value out of society. You have to do something that grows the pie.”

Muoto grew up in West Africa where people usually greet each other with the motto, “I’m doing well if you’re doing well.” This has become an ethos of what SoLa’s trying to achieve.

“We want to do well, if our residents are doing well, and the community is doing well. I started this company with Gray Lusk, the co-founder, almost 12 years ago. I was using my own money to buy in South L.A., and everybody told me, ‘Well, why are you investing in South L.A.? You’re going to lose so much money.’ But I was like, ‘No, these are my people.’”

The founder continued, “I just was much more comfortable navigating South L.A. than many other investors would be, mainly because I’m a person of color, but also because I’m from West Africa, which was, like, really tough.”

 

SoLA is doing their part to make progress in the city with a large focus on Los Angeles’ current housing crisis.

“I don’t think people quite understand the level of crisis we’re in,” Muoto shared. “You know, it’s costing lives in the sense that people that can’t get housing, can’t get help, can’t get support services—whether it’s on Skid Row or Venice—and these folks are dying at a disproportionate level.”

Muoto has spent time reaching out to administrators and bureaucrats about the extent of LA’s current housing crisis, however, he has struggled in getting an immediate fix to the problem.

“This is a crisis! People are leaving California, and they’re leaving Los Angeles, because they can’t find housing, which I think is really for the economy and undermines the great California Experiment. However, to address this crisis, we have to have more affordable housing and a larger supply of it,” he stressed.

“When people look at homeless—they ask, ‘Is it a drug-related issue?’ But our view is that the root cause, when you look at all the variables, is that there’s simply not enough affordable housing in L.A., at least a shortfall of 500,000. So, we have to build a lot more affordable and workforce housing,” said the SoLa founder.

Muoto noted that, for SoLa, affordable housing would be up to an 80% of area median income, and then, workforce housing being from 80-120% of area median income.

They’ve found that oftentimes, people can afford $1,300-1,500 in rent per month, but can’t afford to spend $2,500 per month. While many nonprofit affordable housing developers have been the ones to go after this problem, usually with government money, Muoto described their work as “commendable.”

“In some respects, they’re trying, but have the wrong incentives. Government money, Triple H (HHH), and so on only results in homes and apartments being built at 500, 600, $700,000 a door. That’s fundamentally not affordable.

The government can come in and supplement, but if you’re making $40-50,000 per year, you shouldn’t be living in a $500,000 apartment. So, we’re building at $250,000 a door, and that makes it a lot more affordable,” Muoto said.

$250,000 is SoLA’s hard cost, but this includes soft costs, financing costs, indirect costs, land costs, and everything else. Their goal is to eventually get it under $200,000 a door, which Martin described as “difficult, especially in Los Angeles.”

SoLa Impact has also vowed to solely build their properties in Black and Brown communities because they believe that’s where the greatest need, as well as opportunity, is.

“That’s where we have a competitive advantage.

We believe that when building in Black and Brown communities, you have to do it with intention and with impact.

 

And that means really considering the needs of the community.

We don’t want to just put poor people in a congregated section of town—that’s just another form of segregation.”

SoLa is passionate about building affordable housing, workforce housing, along with other types of housing within Black and Brown communities, and their work will not stop there. Their work goes beyond housing, and now has breached into areas of education.

SoLa is made up of four pillars –affordable housing, access to education using technology, access to capital for Black and Brown entrepreneurs, and access to ownership, both business ownership and home ownership.

Recently, they’ve created a partnership with Ally Bank, who made a large contribution to their Pathways to Homeownership Program (a program that lets SoLa renters allow SoLa to take a part of their rent and escrow it.

Then over three-to-five years, the renter will have up to $50,000 towards a down payment for their first home).

 

“The concept is if you do certain things that homeowners are required to do—maintain and improve your credit, maintain or improve your job prospects, stay employed, and save a certain amount of money - we’ll take up to 10% of your rent and escrow it, and after three-to-five years, put it in your pocket,” explained Muoto.

Recently, SoLA Impact opened their new campus, The Beehive, the nation’s first campus for Opportunity Zone Business. The Beehive is comprised of 92,000 square feet of commercial space located only 10 minutes south of downtown L.A. With six unique and architecturally beautiful red-brick warehouses, this project was created to transform the local neighborhood and economy.

Muoto mentioned Los Angeles’ events, Black Market Flea and Everyday People, when asked why the opening was such a monumental event, not just for SoLa, but also the Los Angeles Black and Brown communities.

“I could tell you how monumental it is for hours, but it’s something that should really be experienced. Black, Brown, and Beige Influencers have often led mainstream culture from a perspective of style, music, and entertainment. What’s cool is defined by young Black, Brown, and Beige people, but they don’t get the credit for it. So, we’re excited to these ‘cool kids’…these influencers… these cultural leaders, and they’re interacting with each other, uniquely contributing to society,” he said.

He continued, “I think this is one of the most exciting things [at SoLA], and it’s happening in South Central! We’re just bringing these people together, but now the challenge is how do we empower them and enable them to own their own intellectual properties? How do we allow them to really financially benefit from the fact that they're the leaders in some of these trends and some of these movements? And so, I think we've figured out part one, which is let's just bring them together.”

Doing Well By Doing Good. Words not just said but put into action.

For more information on SoLa Impact, their amazing initiatives and projects, or Martin Muoto visit: https://solaimpact.com.

On September 9, Assembly­member Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) hosted a district swearing in ceremony to recognize her recent election to the State Assembly as well as highlight her legislative and budget accomplishments since taking office.

 

The event was emceed by State Senator Steve Bradford (D-Inglewood) and featured state and local elected officials including State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Board of Equalization Chair Malia Cohen, L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, and Inglewood Mayor James Butts.

 

The oath of office was administered by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon.

 

The Inglewood High School Band, along with singer Sabrina Miller, provided a lovely introduction to the event with fantastic musical performances.

 

Close friends, family, community activists, as well as other members of the community, joined together for the celebratory occasion.

 

 

The event, which took place at the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center in Inglewood, was a prime of example of how the community comes together in love and support of those who work diligently to make the area so great.

 

 

 

“Tina McKinnor is coming into a seat that is recognizing the evolution of history,” said Mayor Butts during the event.

 

“In the last seven-years, Inglewood has maintained commitments to three professional sports teams, we have the LA Philharmonic here, and now we are the home for Girl Scouts of the Greater Los Angeles Area.

 

“Businesses are leaving their original homes and coming to Inglewood.

 

 

 

We’re joined by Youtube...we won Superbowl 56 and soon will be hosting WrestleMania 37... In 2024, the Clippers will call Inglewood their new home, in 2026 the FIFA World Cup will be here, and in 2028 we’ll be hosting the Summer Olympic Games.”

 

Butts went on to list many of the special events that will be hosted in Inglewood over the next few years. He continued, “Other cities have had this number of great events, but what we did in seven years took them a generation.

 

“We are 92% Black and Brown, so the Assemblymember is coming into a lot of work.

She’s delivered already, gaining us a $72 million grant with FIFA. But, between Tina McKinnor and Supervisor Holly Mitchell, we progress daily here [in Inglewood].”

 

 

Senator Bradford shared that Tina McKinnor’s induction into the Assembly is something that’s been in the making for 26 years. The senator shared a story on how he met with McKinnor during the John Carey campaign.

“She was so persistent and dogmatic, and when we finally sent up a meeting, it formed a friendship that’s lasted since then. She’s proven to me then, and now, that she’s committed to the people in this committee. She’s devoted to her friends and family. And she’s true to this work,” stated Bradford.

“People get into politics to do something or be something, and I have no doubt Tina will be doing something during her time as an elected official.”

McKinnor served as district director for Bradford, which he said she served “with great loyalty and integrity.”

 

Cohen took the time to share that while she’s only known McKinnor for a short period of time, she’s “touched my life in unbelievable ways…We have within us a leader and a warrior. A woman who doesn’t just talk the talk she walks it. She embodies sisterhood, real womanism, feminism, strength, and courage.

 

“And I’m excited for you—you guys get to be represented by THE Tina McKinnor! This is an awesome gift not just for this district, but the state of California, for women, for the African American community, the Latino community, and for anyone that hasn’t feel seen or heard. She’s going to take Sacramento by a storm,” declared Cohen.

 

Mitchell went on to highlight McKinnor’s “dedicated life to service.”

“[Tina McKinnor] has a unique blend of direct experiences that mirror her individual passion and commitment, which is going to make an awesome [Assemblymember] …These are tough times, and there will be times when you disagree with her, but I hope you always remember why you voted for her, and that she should be remembered and held accountable for what moral conviction brought her to this position.

And trust that she’s in spaces and places that you aren’t, making the best decisions for all of you,” Mitchell said.

During her swearing-in, McKinnor was joined by her parents.

She pledged her allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the State of California as other guest attendees, proudly and happily looked on, with the community by her side.

“Thank you for this incredible honor and for the trust you’ve placed in me to represent this community that I’ve lived in all my adult life…I’m here to do the work,” insisted McKinnor. 

“Elected Office is earned not owned. I will do anything in my power to earn your trust, your faith, and to be worth of the office which you have chosen me to serve.

I am here to do the work this community needs and deserves. Period,” she added.

These were just some of the remarkable words made from the remarkable woman newly sworn into Assembly.

To watch the full event, visit the Assemblymember’s legislative Facebook page: www.fb.com/asmtinamckinnor.

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor represents the cities and communities of El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lenox, Los Angeles, Marina del Rey, Venice, West Athens, Westchester and Westmont in Los Angeles County. Connect with AssemblymemberMcKinnor on social media: @AsmTinaMcKinnor