May/June 2013 Special Issue

Prestige One-on-One Exclusive Interview with Traci Braxton of “Braxton Family Values” also we sit down with

Actor Amin Joseph who most recent role is in Box Office hit G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Director, executive producer, and actor  Derrell Lawrence of stage play Do You Trust Your Best Friend?…Issue Available Now…View

Our Online issue Today by clicking on the our May/June Magazine cover below!!

Erecia: Braxton Family Values just premiered its 3rd Season on WEtv. So what can we expect to see in Season 3 that we didn’t get to see in Season 1 and Season 2?

Traci: Well, in Season 3, you’ll see me branching out, doing me and showing my family more because everybody sees all the sisters together and everything. And everyone wants to know what’s going on with Traci and what is she doing. Is she opening up her salon? No I’m not opening up my Salon. Not right now. I have a lot of fun and adventures in me right now and I’m like, ‘Okay, I have to get rid of this.’ [laughs] before I start being serious with anything. You will see me venturing out and being the Traci that no one knew.

Erecia: Starting of Season 3 of Braxton Family Values, you all traveled to Italy, and this Italian guy pinched your butt. It looked like Trina and Towanda wanted to be pinched also. Now is that something that happens often in Italy? Is that a normal thing?

Traci: It’s a normal thing there. When we got there to Italy they were telling us to beware because some men will pinch you, if they found you sexy and things like that. It’s a tradition there. And they consider that a complement and I was like yea I still got it, I got it honey. But don’t try that in the United States because you will get choked [laughs]

Erecia: You’re a singer, dancer, choreographer, writer, and stylist. You co-hosted 96.3 WHUR “The Hang Suite.” Is radio hosting something that you would like to pursue in the future?

Traci: Yes, that would be extra fun. I love talking to my fans. I love talking to people. It would be fun. My sisters call me comical. I’m like, well ok, maybe that’s something I can get into. I had a lovely time. I loved working with WHUR, being a co-host there. I had fun.

Erecia: How was it growing up as a Braxton with four sisters?

Traci: It was a ball of fun. We made songs. We acted like we had our own TV show. We taped ourselves acting. We did a lot of things. A lot of people see us argue all the time but that’s what sisters do. You fight and you get back together. We even love each other harder when we argue with each other because we think about the silly things we talk about. We’re like, did I just say that to you? I love being around my sisters, especially on Holidays. You sit around during Holidays and the Christmas Season singing Christmas Carols and Hymnal. I have a ball. You know, I really want to be a little kid again and do that all over again.

Erecia: Is it hard for you being in Maryland, being away from your sisters? Do they travel to Maryland to visit or are you visiting them?

Traci: Sometimes, they come to Maryland and visit me. But you know, just with any sisters when you’re together all day long or all week long, you need a breather. I love them to death but I’m glad that I am in the DMV area in Maryland. And I love my seafood. You can’t get seafood like you can get it here—like, in Georgia, Georgia seafood I don’t understand it, they serve their seafood cold like California. I like my seafood warm with Old Bay seasoning on it. [laughs]

Erecia: The media likes to say that you’re known as the outsider and wannabe of the family. This season you’re no longer known as the wannabe but the wild card. Can you set the record straight? Is there any truth to this?

Traci: I think the reason why they had me on the wannabe, is because I embrace the wannabe to a certain extent, because I want to be with my sisters. I want to be back out there with them, perform with them. And that’s how I thought. I didn’t see it as being a negative or I’m a wannabe or wannabe a Braxton’s sister. I am a Braxton’s sister. I share the same DNA as my sisters and brother. I have the same mother and father. So don’t get that twisted. There’s a lot of people that might say you’re out of your element. It’s like you don’t even belong there. Why don’t you just quit the show? Really, that’s my sisters. So go sit on a thumbtack. When they gave me the wild card, I was like, okay. Because they know Traci’s doing a whole lot. Traci’s has always thought outside of the box of her sisters. You know, I was the tomboy out of all the sisters. So I did a lot of things. I had my hair different colors, being wild and stuff like that. So I’m like, okay. I can embrace that, the wild card, because no one knew that. When you see Season 3, you’ll be like, Wow, Traci is in to all of that? I always wanted to ride a bike but my mom said no when I was 16 and now I’m grown. Now that I am grown, I can do what the heck I want to do.

Erecia: From the show, it seems like the one that you disagree with the most is Tamar. Do you think the show has helped your relationship or strained it more with your family?

Traci: I don’t think it’s a strain for the family. You know, with Tamar—she’s the baby sister. When you see Season 3, you see everybody getting in to it with Tamar. She’s a baby sister, so she’s going to get her way all the time. She’s going to pout. And now we’re setting boundaries for her. She’s so used to saying things to us and we would just let it go. But you know, we’re just setting boundaries for each other. Because you really can’t down other people’s family life. You can’t do that. That’s not cool. Now Tamar is about to have her baby. Tamar did not tell us or anything when she was pregnant.

Erecia: How did you all feel about that, that she held out that secret for a little while?

Traci: Umm. You know what, I think the reason Tamar didn’t say anything is because—I think—she’s was kind of a little scared, you know. All the attention has always been on her and now she’s getting ready to share a life. And now it’s like wait a minute, hold up. And when it happened it was like out of the blue, so they weren’t even prepared for it. Her pregnancy is natural. They had no idea that she was pregnant. So trying to change your life —now that’s big especially when you’re pregnant. She know as soon as she told us she was pregnant—oh, man. [laughs] Why you doing that? Y’all wasn’t concerned before when I was pregnant. I think she’ll be an excellent mommy. I know she will. She’s good with her nieces and nephews.

Erecia: In Season 1 & 2 The Braxton Sister was talking about another Braxton Album. Are you working on a solo album. We know Tamar released her solo single “Love and War”. Is there still talk of a Braxton’s Album? If so, when can we expect the release?

Traci: Well, the Braxton’s Album, we’re still thinking about it and it’s in the front-making process. So it’s still in everybody’s minds, but I don’t know if we’re going to have it or not. But as far as with me, I have something in my goodie bag for everybody.

Erecia: Can you tell us more about your work with organizations such as The American Diabetes Association, The Race For The Cure Of Cancer, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and Saving Our Daughters? Can you tell us a little more about your involvement with charities and if someone would like to contribute, how can they go about it?

Traci: With all the charities I’m in, I’m so use to doing charitable work. Both of my parents are ministers. So when we were growing up, we did a lot of things. We went to the nursing homes, we sung at nursing homes. We sung at the hospitals and the jails and things like that. And I used to work as a senior counselor for emotionally disturbed adolescents. So the first three kids–Toni, Mikey, and I—we all went into a social work kind of working. My brother’s a nurse. Toni also has a degree in social work. And with me, I like doing things like that. I love helping people. I love talking to people. And me being a part of the associations and these organizations, it makes me well-rounded. It makes me not forgot where I came from. So I encourage anybody to find an organization, just to give back. And you will feel so much better.

Erecia: What projects are you currently working on that you can disclose?

Traci: What projects? [laughs] hmmm. I’m working on a lot besides my motorcycle.[laughs]

Erecia: Where do you see yourself in the next three to five years?

Traci: Career wise—I see myself still being in the public eye. Maybe doing radio, movies—I don’t know. The sky’s the limit. There’s a lot of things that I want to fulfill in my life. It’s a lot of things I want to make a mark on in this world before I leave. So it’s a lot of things that I see myself doing. I see myself having my salon. I see myself still doing charitable work and working with organizations. I see myself doing a whole lot of things and I’m also with a motorcycle social club, The Queen of Sheba Social Bike Club. We do coat drives in the winter time also Toys for Tots. We do a lot of walking—Diabetes walking, Cancer and Lupus walks. It keeps me there. So the sky’s the limit. I see an album, working on a radio station, somebody’s movie. Honey child—I’m walking on somebody’s red carpet. [laughs]

Erecia: What does Traci do on her off day?

Traci: My day off, I stay in my PJ’s all day, watch movies and just go to sleep. The next day, they have me running rampant. I have to make myself rest because when you’re always on the go and you’re moving all the time and flying all the time, you get sick. You have to sit down and take a little time for yourself. I may take a power walk or give myself a little time at the Spa, you know just treat myself, I don’t want to be around other people. I just want to be by myself because I’m around people all day long. When we’re filming, I’m in Georgia for maybe two months or something like because I’m around people all day long. When we’re filming, I’m in Georgia for maybe two months or something like that. Or California, three months. And we tape all year round. So that’s a lot.

Erecia: How can your fans keep up with you? (Facebook, Twitter, website, etc.)

Traci: You can find me on Twitter at @TraciBraxton, Instagram @TheRealTraciBraxton, Facebook @TheRealTraciBraxton, and that’s just about it.

Erecia: Anything you wish to say to your fans and readers of Prestige Magazine?

Traci: For my fans, I thank y’all so much for supporting me and my sisters. I love you guys. And you can expect a whole lot of good things from me and I cannot wait until you guys can see Traci really bursting out of her shell. And to Prestige Magazine, thank you so much for having me and thank you for wanting to interview me, and getting to know about my life. Thank you so much. And to all our viewers, we tweet live on Thursdays. We don’t see the episodes before anybody else. We see the episodes the same day as everybody.