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

Speaker 1 How does it feel to be Mo?

Speaker 2 Oh my gosh, energetic.

Speaker 2 A lot of people ask me, Do you drink? Do you do this? Do you do that? I'm like, I literally was born energetic. So I feel fiery.
I feel passionate.

Speaker 1 When Mo was just getting started,

Speaker 1 what was your because? What was that drive? What was that purpose for you that said, not only can I do this, but doggone it, I'm Mo Brown. I can dominate.

Speaker 2 I can say say to spark, to spark energy, to

Speaker 2 show people that they can do anything that they put their mind to. And that was from when I was a little girl.

Speaker 1 What would Mo tell that person? It's like, no, go be the opportunity, go do it.

Speaker 2 Well, if it's in you, then there's a way. 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.

Speaker 3 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.

Speaker 1 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 in the entertainment industry.

Speaker 1 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.

Speaker 1 Please join me in welcoming the innovative, the hilarious, Brooklyn's finest Miss Mo Brown Sugar. Mo, how are you doing today, dear? And the crowd goes wild.
Let's go.

Speaker 2 Hi, that was amazing. Thank you.

Speaker 1 Mo, huge fan of you, huge fan of the work that you do. I could have given like 5,000 accolades.

Speaker 1 I didn't 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

Speaker 1 like like there's not much mo hasn't accomplished like

Speaker 1 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

Speaker 1 okay how does it feel to be mo

Speaker 2 oh my gosh energetic

Speaker 2 A lot of people ask me, like, do you drink? Do you do this? Do you do that? I'm like, I literally was was born energetic. So, I feel fiery.
I feel passionate. How does it feel to be Mo?

Speaker 2 It feels

Speaker 2 joyful. I know how to,

Speaker 2 even in situations that are like really, really sad, I have the ability to bounce back and find the good in things.

Speaker 2 And, you know, and living, noticing that a lot of people aren't really like that. I really don't take that for granted.
So, it feels joyful. It feels energetic.
It feels fun.

Speaker 2 And what is the word? Wanderous, like wanderlust. Like, yeah, wondrous.
Wanderest.

Speaker 1 We're adding that one. Wander and wander.

Speaker 1 Let's go. I love it.
I love it. So, you know, career, amazing entertainer, entrepreneur, right?

Speaker 1 Voiceover actress, amazing in all the fields of entertainment. but it had to start somewhere, right?

Speaker 1 And I'll make unplugged, we talk about your because, that thing that's deeper than your why when mo 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

Speaker 2 i can say to spark to spark energy to

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 You can do whatever you want to do. 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.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 So, to come from another country, and I will say this, a lot of Caribbeans, mostly on growing up, there were nurses and in the medical field.

Speaker 2 So to be able to do all of this to this capacity is

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 1 You did because you were authentically you. And that's what I love.
Because if there is one thing about Mo Brown Sugar, it is you are always going to be Mo Brown Sugar, right?

Speaker 1 Like there's no holding back.

Speaker 1 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 and to me that's what life is about when did you realize you had that quality to just impact people in that way

Speaker 2 so i i did tell this story on on a show recently, but you know, I want to share it, share it. So I was actually in elementary school.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 So I received a purple belt, which was, you know, great dancers or whatever that, what is it, award was for the dance.

Speaker 2 And the drummer just started, you know, playing and it was like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

Speaker 1 Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

Speaker 2 And then he started going.

Speaker 2 So I'm dancing, and all of a sudden, I feel goosebumps. And all of a sudden, the crowd is like, whoa,

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 I started because before, you know, everybody was starching in the seats and the chairs. And once I started dancing, I saw the energy of the crowd.
I saw the excitement. I saw

Speaker 2 what I could do, the ability that God gave me to wake people up. And so from then, I knew that this, this was something that I just couldn't leave.

Speaker 2 And it was something that could wake up this world and I had purpose.

Speaker 1 That's, that's wow. 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.

Speaker 1 And so for the listeners and viewers now, let's talk about your journey. in entertainment, right? Like, like, where did you start in the entertainment space? How did you get in?

Speaker 1 And what was it like in those early moments?

Speaker 2 Well, I'll say, oh, 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,

Speaker 2 which is in the city on 48th Street. 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.

Speaker 2 So we were in Alvinaly 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

Speaker 2 the amazingness of it.

Speaker 2 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, but in high school, starting in Alvinali and seeing my potential and seeing the things that I can do, I was like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go for this.

Speaker 2 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 and theater.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 And everything is just gonna, you know, come with.

Speaker 2 But

Speaker 2 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 take myself seriously in college.

Speaker 2 So in college, I was, you know, performing, doing all this amazing things, hosting, hosting the sorority and fraternity events. They're huge.
Okay.

Speaker 2 So when you start to host big crowds like that and you start to see your skill set, you're like, okay, I'm going to take this serious. And by the time I was really, really into it,

Speaker 2 we'll say 2007, the stock market crashed. And when that happened, Broadway plays were shutting down, plays couldn't go up for productions, you know, all kinds of things were happening.

Speaker 2 And I was like, well, you just 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 friend of mine.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 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. And actually,

Speaker 2 I was working.

Speaker 2 However, when sugar productions first came into fruition,

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 And I took that $44 in pennies and I took my sugar production seal and I went to the bank and I said, can you guys open up this bank account for me, please?

Speaker 2 Can I do this for 40 pennies? And they said, you sure can. And so I opened my sugar productions

Speaker 2 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.
Music videos, films, you name it.

Speaker 2 We did short films, food feature films, like anything and everything. If I felt it and I saw a way and I saw a way to make money, I was going to do it.

Speaker 1 Okay.

Speaker 2 So, yes. So we'll we'll bring it back in and say the serious route of when i was like okay we're gonna do this is when the stock market crashed and i wanted to create opportunities for people yeah

Speaker 1 and i want to go and unplug some things there because that was so deep 41 in pennies right 44 44. i don't want to shortchange you because you'll hit me up for those three dollars

Speaker 1 i know i thought it was 41 or 44 but i think it was 44.

Speaker 1 so so you have 44 in pennies. You go to the bank.
But what I want the listeners and viewers to understand what Mo really said was she believed in herself. She had a vision.
She had a plan.

Speaker 1 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.

Speaker 1 that I initially interact with that are like, Mick, 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.

Speaker 1 And that's what I love about Mo is in that moment, you were like, I am the opportunity.

Speaker 1 And I'd love for you to go a little bit deeper that for the listener and viewer that's like, hmm, I'm waiting for something. What would Mo tell that person that's like, no, go be the opportunity.

Speaker 1 Go do it.

Speaker 4 Hi, Morgan Freeman here. I want to talk to you about a serious rare heart condition called ATTR cardiac amyloidosis or ATTR CM.

Speaker 4 Now, I don't have the condition myself, but if you're living with ATTR-CM, it's important to know about treatment options like Atruvia, also known as Acoramidis, because you have the power of choice when it comes to treatment.

Speaker 4 Atruvia is an old medicine used to treat adults with ATTR-CM to reduce death and hospitalization due to heart issues.

Speaker 4 Tell your doctor if you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding and about the medications you take. The most common side effects were mild and included diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Speaker 4 If you have ATTRCM, talk to your cardiologist about Natruvia or visit atrubia.com. That's A-T-T-R-U-B-Y.com to learn more.
It's time to get busy living.

Speaker 2 Well, if it's in you, then there's a way. 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.

Speaker 2 A lot of people don't understand that. They don't understand the power of talking to yourself.

Speaker 2 They don't understand the power of, I know a lot of people say, oh, mirror work doesn't work for me or whatever, but it really, really does.

Speaker 2 Looking in your own eyeballs, you know, writing things down, manifestation and meeting God with your goals and dreams, they do line up, you know?

Speaker 2 So I want you to ask me one more time because I want to make sure that I am getting your answer. Or if I didn't give it.

Speaker 1 No, no, you did. You did amazing.
So that, that listener or viewer that's like, I'm waiting. And Mo's mind is, you don't don't wait, you go do, right?

Speaker 1 Like, what's something that they can start doing now? Like, what's that one thing or

Speaker 1 that one spark, that one piece of sugar wisdom that you want to give them?

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 Man, if you ask somebody to help you,

Speaker 2 you know, like when you look at buildings, when you look at so many things, none of it is done alone.

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 2 So people shouldn't be afraid to ask for help. So writing things down, organizing things and asking for help.

Speaker 1 That's it. Yeah.

Speaker 1 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 were some of Mo Brown Sugar's early mentors?

Speaker 1 And then talk to the folks about the power of mentorship.

Speaker 2 I had a mentor. Well, he's still active in my life.
I 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.

Speaker 2 Like a lot of times that's the first step, showing up, you know, being present. Sometimes people don't understand that just by someone being there matters.

Speaker 2 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 to pass the baton.

Speaker 2 Pass 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.

Speaker 2 You know, there's so much that we can share and give and create and do. Let's see.
What else did Chris Mercado do?

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 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, because sharing those stories actually help people and show them that, you know, we can make mistakes, but we can also fix them.

Speaker 2 You know, you are not your mistakes, you know. I also love Candy Burris.

Speaker 2 Do you guys know Candy Burris? Candy Burris is a beast of a businesswoman.

Speaker 1 Okay.

Speaker 2 Yes. So those are three people that I really used in my life to stay focused.
And on top of that, I eat well because when you eat well, you can focus and you don't get brain fog.

Speaker 1 Look at that. So, so let's go there.
What's on Mo's eat well list? Like, what, what's Mo eating?

Speaker 1 Mo eats a lot of fruits.

Speaker 2 I eat a lot of greens, kale.

Speaker 1 And the reason. I like collard greens.

Speaker 2 I eat collard greens too.

Speaker 1 Okay, okay, okay.

Speaker 2 I eat collard greens.

Speaker 2 I love a lot of kale. I love things that give me energy.
Beets are good for your hemoglobin levels.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 B12, 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, you can't produce the right work.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 And when your body is healthy, health is wealth.

Speaker 2 If you don't have health, you can't do anything.

Speaker 1 See, we're getting things from Mo that we don't get from anyone else. And Mo doesn't do this with everyone else.
So

Speaker 1 we got to talk about something you just said. I'm down with 99% of what you said, Mo, until you said beats.

Speaker 1 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.

Speaker 1 When I was growing up, they talked about beets and you got to eat beets. And then I tried one

Speaker 1 and I said, I can't do this no more. You ain't had the right kind.

Speaker 2 Beats are beats. Like, you ain't had the right kind.

Speaker 2 You know what? You're absolutely right. It took me a while.
Now I just eat it because you know, it's more about discipline, you know. Like, I love flavorful stuff.
I cook.

Speaker 1 Okay.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 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?

Speaker 2 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, the things that you have to say to yourself.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 And I had to stop that because if I'm no good to myself, I'm no good to anybody else or anything else.

Speaker 2 So I really had to crack down and say, you're going to eat these beets and you're going to put it with some vinegar and salt and pepper and garlic and some onions. You're going to put it in the salad.

Speaker 2 You're going to have it on the side. You're going to make it with your strawberries or your, you know, smoothies so that you don't really taste it.
So I try to make sure I

Speaker 2 put it with other things so that you can't really taste it.

Speaker 1 I feel like you're talking to me right now, Mo. I feel so, you know, I'm going to hear this when I go to the grocery store.

Speaker 1 I'm going to buy some beets. I'm going to call you up for the recipe.

Speaker 1 Now, 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.

Speaker 1 Okay.

Speaker 1 So, another thing I love about you, Mo,

Speaker 1 is just the talent that you have, right?

Speaker 1 So, Mo Brown Sugars Bodega. Mo Brown's.

Speaker 1 If I could just tell you how I am so addicted to

Speaker 1 that and everything that you do, and so when my brother and sister heard that we were talking, they were like, No, uh, no, you're not. I was like, no, for real, that Mo Brown right there.

Speaker 1 Yeah, yeah, I'm talking to her. So, I got to give you some props and praise and give you some flowers because not only is it hilarious, right?

Speaker 1 Like you, 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 going to understand this when I say it.

Speaker 1 A lot of people are afraid to have those conversations and bring them out to the world. You don't hold back.

Speaker 1 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

Speaker 1 we need to talk about this we needed to talk about it and then you can go to the barbershop or the beauty salon 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.

Speaker 2 I'm really receiving what you're saying because it was, it was definitely a challenge to get the show done, especially working through the pandemic.

Speaker 2 And there were some people that wanted me to, you know, put the masks in it and stuff like that. And I said, well, I had to really say, I want this to be a timeless piece of work.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 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, but when we got to the bodega, we set up everything.

Speaker 2 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?

Speaker 2 And they were closing the bodega because they were, the neighborhood was being turned into something else. And it was quite devastating.
I had all of my cast and crew there.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 I said, you know, I'm going to make an executive decision. We're going to reschedule this.
We're going to find a new bodega.

Speaker 2 But to experience being shut down, and I went back the next week and it was gone, like completely gone.

Speaker 1 And I was like, wow.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 2 And so I was really glad that my friend Jen was all for it.

Speaker 2 The wonderful,

Speaker 1 we'll say the wonderful white girl in the story.

Speaker 2 That is my girl.

Speaker 2 She was like, yeah, let's do it. We live here now.
I was like, Jen!

Speaker 1 That's right.

Speaker 2 That's right.

Speaker 2 I was really grateful to do that. And

Speaker 2 we have such a melting pot here in New York, you know? And so

Speaker 2 it was just important to tell what's happening in Brooklyn.

Speaker 1 No,

Speaker 1 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.

Speaker 1 And when I say you, I literally mean you.

Speaker 1 I know it's not easy. So thank you for that.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 1 No teary eye. No teary eye.
So let's go into voiceover work, right? Yes. I also think that's very hard.
Because you're talking to a microphone, right?

Speaker 1 Like, like you've got to envision what's going on a lot of the times, right? So

Speaker 1 how'd you get into voiceover? How did it become a talent for you? Like all of that. Let's just go Mo Brown Sugar and voiceover work.

Speaker 4 Hi, Morgan Freeman here. I want to talk to you about a serious rare heart condition called ATTR cardiac amyloidosis or ATTRCM.

Speaker 4 Now, I don't have the condition myself, but if you're living with ATTR-CM, it's important to know about treatment options like Atruvi, also known as Acoramidis, because you have the power of choice when it comes to treatment.

Speaker 4 Atruvia is an old medicine used to treat adults with ATT-R-CM to reduce death and hospitalization due to heart issues.

Speaker 4 Tell your doctor if you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding and about the medications you take. The most common side effects were mild and included diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Speaker 4 If you have ATTR-CM, talk to your cardiologist about Natrubia or visit Atruby.com. That's A-T-T-R-U-B-Y.com to learn more.
It's time to get busy living.

Speaker 2 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 a hypnotization.

Speaker 2 I would also listen to Quiet Storm at Night. And I loved, loved the mystery behind the voice.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 If I have these feelings just off of someone's voice, maybe I can do that and be the same. So I told Chris Mercado, my mentor at the time, I said, I really, really want to do voiceovers.

Speaker 2 And he was like, all right, let's see what you do with this one. And it was Foxy Brown's album release.

Speaker 2 And I remember the first time he put, he put me in the booth, I said, Foxy Brown's back, just like that with a new album. And I was like, oh,

Speaker 2 he said, yes, how'd you nail it on the first go? And I just said,

Speaker 2 I just went for it. I just did it.
And from then,

Speaker 2 I got a check that said $300.

Speaker 2 And I was like, that thing was 30 seconds.

Speaker 1 Right.

Speaker 1 I was like, what?

Speaker 2 This was like 2005, 2006.

Speaker 1 And once I saw that check, I was like, she's in.

Speaker 2 And then I just kept going. And then I did, Chris Brown had one coming out.
And there was one more, Rihanna, when she had good girl, gone bad.

Speaker 2 And so once I started, then i signed up with the voiceover agency online okay i signed up with the voiceover agency i saw all of the things all of the opportunities all of the the possibilities you can do voicemails you can do trailers you can do documentaries when i saw the widespread of things that i could do i said whoa

Speaker 2 and it just took off from there

Speaker 1 you could do the new season two of mick unplugged you know like all that stuff right yes

Speaker 1 i would love to we can talk about that one we can talk about that one

Speaker 2 no i would love to yeah so when when you just see all of the things that you can do and

Speaker 2 cartoons

Speaker 2 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?

Speaker 2 And you're like, I don't really want to stick to just one.

Speaker 2 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

Speaker 1 yeah get a swallow the beet juice

Speaker 1 get a swallow those beets i'm covered hard here we go

Speaker 1 all right so parents from jamaica we're in jamaica because mo bay is my favorite city in the world

Speaker 2 saint mary high gate Islington, that is the countryside. Yeah.

Speaker 2 They still are having issues with like water and pipes, and

Speaker 2 you know,

Speaker 2 it's still giving country. But yeah, St.
Mary, Jamaica.

Speaker 1 All right. What's your favorite Caribbean dish?

Speaker 2 Akien saltfish.

Speaker 1 Okay.

Speaker 2 Do you know Aki? and salt? I do. Yes, you know, Akien saltfish with peppers and scotch banner pepper with dumpling.

Speaker 1 Oh, see, the Caribbean accent comes out when you talk about your favorite dish. Look at that.
Look, you was all New York until we started talking about Jamaican food.

Speaker 2 Yes, I love planting too. That plantain is my favorite.

Speaker 1 That's my favorite. Yeah.
That's my favorite.

Speaker 1 I'm not into jerk spices like that.

Speaker 1 Plantings are meat all day. Yeah.

Speaker 2 Well, Akeen saltfishes, you know, and planting, 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,

Speaker 1 all of those good things.

Speaker 2 It 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.

Speaker 2 But I can make a me red snapper stuff with some people don't like okra, but stuff with okra and peppers and rice and cabbage and plants.

Speaker 1 I'll be out this weekend. Don't worry, I'll be there.

Speaker 1 I will be there.

Speaker 1 All right. What's your favorite area of New York? Oh, wow.
Okay.

Speaker 2 Wow. I,

Speaker 1 well, you know, I don't want to tie it to a borough, right? Like, what's your favorite area of New York? I'm a favorite part of New York.

Speaker 2 You know what? That might have to be something that I

Speaker 2 look into now because I used to, so before the pandemic, New York was very different.

Speaker 2 So now, you know, there's a lot of new restaurants, there's a lot of new man-made parks, there's a lot of newness in New York.

Speaker 2 So although I've been here a long time, I feel like I'm relearning my own city.

Speaker 1 Yes, there's so much. But it's nowhere in Brooklyn, is what I heard.
Nowhere in Brooklyn is your favorite.

Speaker 2 Yes, I love Ditmus Park.

Speaker 1 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 y'all nobody hangs out in Brooklyn.

Speaker 1 Everybody hangs out in Brooklyn.

Speaker 2 It's lit. I must say that.
Ditmas Park, I choose that now. Let me think about it.
I choose that area because, well,

Speaker 2 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, it's very suburban.

Speaker 2 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, you have all of that when you hit Flapwish Avenue.

Speaker 2 So I like the melting pot of, you know, Brooklyn.

Speaker 1 Okay. All right, but she didn't say that first.
So Kenny Anderson, Damien, she didn't say, she didn't say Brooklyn. She was thinking Queens.
She wanted to go.

Speaker 2 I mean, shout out to Queens.

Speaker 1 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.

Speaker 2 I could say this without hesitation. So I toured with Melvin Van Peebles.
Do you know Melvin Van Peebles?

Speaker 1 Absolutely.

Speaker 2 It was such an adventurous time. We did Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death.
We toured with that. And I played a prostitute.
And I was the dirtiest hoe, honey. Oh my god, it was amazing!

Speaker 1 Proud of that, too, huh?

Speaker 2 It was so fun, it was like your, you know, your curiosity. Like, I remember one show, my dad came, and the director was like, Mo, you were the dirtiest horror, sucking your finger on everything.

Speaker 2 I said, Hey, I was nervous, I was just going right in. But it was Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death with Melvin Van Peebles with the classical theater of Harlem, and it was amazing.

Speaker 2 It took place in the 1970s. And I learned a lot about the music, the life.

Speaker 2 I did learn a lot about,

Speaker 2 I'll say, 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.

Speaker 1 Okay.

Speaker 2 And would I do it again? Yes.

Speaker 1 Of course. Of course.
So what does Mo have going on now? Like, 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?

Speaker 2 Well, we are in the process of a Mo Brown's Beau De Guitour right now with the film festivals. So we just did the American Black Film Festival.

Speaker 2 We just won the Queen City Film Festival for Best Series.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 But oh, the women's, imagine this women's international film festival that was at this Dining Cinemas. It's this theater that has a bar.
Like, I cannot do anything that is less than

Speaker 1 after these experiences. Okay.

Speaker 2 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.

Speaker 2 So I'm actually in the midst of hitting the film festival circuit with Mo Brown's

Speaker 2 while we are in the writer's room pre-production for season three

Speaker 1 okay

Speaker 2 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 i'm just like wow and to see the support and the amount of people that want to be a part of it is really nice you know i i stood by it and i believed in myself and i believed in my team and i i didn't give up on us Let's go.

Speaker 1 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?

Speaker 2 My Instagram at MoBrown Sugar. I'm on YouTube as well.
And, you know, you can go to mobramsbodega.com, mobransugar.com, and sugarproductions.com. But I am, I'm very active on my Instagram.

Speaker 2 And yes, people talk smack about Facebook, but I am active on my Facebook too.

Speaker 1 I ain't got there yet. I ain't got there yet.
I'm probably like the last person not on Facebook, but that's okay.

Speaker 2 Oh my gosh, you're not on Facebook.

Speaker 1 Why are you looking me so disgusted, Mo? Like, I'm sorry.

Speaker 2 The only people that say they're not on Facebook is like the 19-year-olds.

Speaker 1 They're like, that's for all people.

Speaker 2 I'll be like, what? Facebook owns everything.

Speaker 1 Okay. Meta this.

Speaker 1 Apparently. Apparently.
Mo. Thank you so much for your time today.
You are a rock star. You are a beacon of hope.
You are a voice for the voiceless, a face for the faceless.

Speaker 1 But most importantly, you are my dog-owned friend. Mo.
Love you to the world, girl.

Speaker 2 Love you too. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
I really appreciate it.

Speaker 1 You got it. And for all the listeners and viewers, remember, your because is your superpower.
Go unleash it.

Speaker 3 Thank you for tuning in to Make Unplug. Keep pushing your limits, embracing your purpose, and chasing greatness.
Until next time, stay unstoppable.