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This Hip-Hop Medium Became A Self-Made Millionaire By Walking In Her Purpose
When first introduced to Aries Eye, I was not sure what to expect. Did she know what I was thinking? Would she be open to having a genuine conversation? And does this go against my religion ('cause all I know is I'm down with Jesus)? All these thoughts ran through my mind before our conversation began. But after a few minutes of chatting, I felt like I was simply talking with a friend, except this one could speak to the dead.
Aries Eye is a medium (a person who communicates with spirits) most known for her work in the hip hop community. She's been a guest on The Breakfast Club and channeled for guests like Faith Evans' daughter Chyna and many more. While I can only imagine what it's like to share such intimate moments with people about their loved ones who are no longer with us, I was most curious to know what her every day life is like. I can barely balance my normal day to day tasks, how does she do it while connecting with two worlds? Through our transparent conversation, I learned it wasn't at all easy.
Tell me about your first experience as a medium. When did you realize you had a gift?
The first experience was when my great grandmother transitioned. I was about twelve years old, and it felt like I was dreaming. As kids we don't understand we're seeing spirits. I just remember feeling like I had just woken up, and I saw her sitting across from me in a rocking chair, shaking her head. I went to tell mom, but she told me my grandmother was in Chicago. A few days later, my dad called and said she had passed. After that, I suppressed it for years like most kids do. But I joined the marine corps at 17 and the experiences started to come back in the form of anxiety. It wasn't until last year that I actually owned it.
Courtesy of Aries Eye
"I joined the marine corps at 17 and the experiences started to come back in the form of anxiety. It wasn't until last year that I actually owned it."
That seems like a lot to handle. Did you share these experiences with other people? How did they take it?
I didn't tell anybody, because how do you? Even the criticism I take now is amiss. What happens a lot of times when people are suppressing their truth and gifts, it's like a balloon. Eventually it can only take so much before it pops. They begin to swell and become chaotic. You're power-battling yourself so you start battling others too, and that's what happened to me, I became very angry.
When did you decide you wanted to shift your secret and change it to you purpose?
Last year, the craziest thing happened. I was fussing at my daughter Ayri and she says, "Don't call me Ayri, my name is Granny Watkins." She's never met my great grandmother, and I didn't even call her that. So for a two-year-old to say that, it was an awakening moment. I was looking at the purest version of myself, so I was like, "I get it Grandma. I'm gonna walk in my truth."
Did you have any experience with this kind of work? Walk me through your career journey.
I did hair for nine years and was a district manager making good money. But, I was always on the road as a single mom. When I decided to relocate to NC, I didn't have a plan. The first job I got didn't work out, and I walked away from the second. Times were hard, and I was homeless with my daughter. Last year is when I fully walked in my gift and trusted my ancestors, and last May, I became a self-made millionaire.
Courtesy of Aries Eye
"Last year is when I fully walked in my gift and trusted my ancestors, and last May, I became a self-made millionaire."
What’s a typical day like for you?
I travel to help patients who are comatose or in hospice. People pay me to transition them out, which means I call forth their ancestors that have died and help give the family closure. I also have a website that schedules people for readings, and I teach a lot of classes. There are 42 apprentices underneath my leadership. On any given day, I am teaching them how to walk in their gift (mediums, clairvoyants, healers). I teach them how to be themselves, to walk in the spiritual realm.
How did the hip-hop brand happen, and why?
It was a cool name for an African-American trying to lead her people. People see me and think I can't be a spiritualist. I am very much into the millennial culture and immersed into hip-hop. But I do also just get a lot of hip-hop spirits that come to me. I think it's because of relatability. When you walk with the dead, you began to develop a rapport with them the same way you do with humans and the living. I can't explain the power of having an army behind you that no one else can see but you can feel them going to war for you. I spoke about that time when I was angry. I got out of the marine corps, and was in prison for two years. I don't think I should have been in that long, but life takes you through experiences. The Long Island Medium can't talk to a black man who just came out of prison, I can. I think a lot of them come to me because I'm authentic.
"When you walk with the dead, you began to develop a rapport with them the same way you do with humans and the living. I can't explain the power of having an army behind you that no one else can see but you can feel them going to war for you."
What has been your most memorable experience in this career?
Last month, I transitioned an 18-year-old who was shot in the head. The hardest thing for me was knowing that he was gone. I knew his soul was wondering. I had to watch a black mother who worked so hard, pull her child off life support. It was very hard to see that. To me, that was the most standout moment because I knew I wanted to help black mothers heal. We have too many of them who have lost their children to gun violence. The hip-hop aspect is fine and dandy, but the real work comes when you can touch the community.
For more on Aries Eye, visit her website at readingswitharieseye.com or follow her on social media @iamarieseye.
Featured image courtesy of Aries Eye
Kirby Carroll grew up in VA but now calls Atlanta, GA home. She has a passion for creating content and helping brands grow through storytelling and public relations. When not immersed in work, you can find her sipping a mimosa at brunch or bingeing a new TV drama on Netflix. Keep up with her on social media at @askKirbyCarroll.
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Blair Underwood Initially Turned Down 'Sex And The City' Because 'It Was About How Samantha Was Fascinated By Dating A Black Man’
Actor and heartthrob Blair Underwood is opening up about why he turned down Sex and the City the first time he was offered a role. Many fans of the HBO series may recall Blair's time on the show in which his character was dating Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). However, he was previously offered another role where his character would date Samantha (Kim Cattrall).
During his interview with AV Club, the Set It Off star revealed that he was uncomfortable with the initial offer due to the character's fascination with him being a Black man.
“I actually did say ‘no’ the first time,” he said. “The first time they had offered the role, to be honest with you, it was about how Samantha was fascinated by dating a Black man and wanted to know if, uh, all of the rumors were true about our anatomy! And I said, ‘Listen, I’m honored, thank you, but I just don’t want to play a character based on race, on curiosity about a Black man.'”
But that didn't stop them from reaching out again. This time he was offered to play Dr. Robert Leeds, the love interest to Miranda and he decided to go for it. "So they were nice enough to call about a year later, and I said, 'Well, is it gonna be about race?' And they said, 'No, no, no, we’re not even gonna mention race!' And I think it really did only come up maybe once," he recalled.
"It did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about 'a Black doctor' that Miranda was dating. And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as 'the Black guy.'
"I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, 'No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.' And it was amazing."
Blair has had a wide-ranging career playing everything from a lawyer on L.A. Law to playing Madame CJ Walker's husband on Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame CJ Walker. And during his interview, he revealed another role that he initially turned down, Set It Off. The movie, which is considered a classic in Black culture, stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. Blair's character, Keith, played a banker and love interest to Jada's character, Stony.
He explained why he said no at first and eventually accepted the offer. "I had initially said “no” to that. Because I was playing this historic, iconic African-American historical figure in Jackie Robinson, and the time, y’know, there was Boyz N The Hood, and Menace II Society was out there, and I’d finished playing this noble Negro… [Laughs]," he said.
"And I’m reading the script, and there’s a scene where Jada Pinkett’s character—Jada Pinkett-Smith now—was going to sell her body so she could make some money to send her brother to college. And I remember, honestly, I threw the script across the room. I was, like, “I don’t want to do this. I want to do something uplifting for the Black culture and Black characters, and I don’t know if I want to see this.”
After a conversation with the movie's director F. Gary Gray and the actor's manager encouraging him to finish reading the script, Blair had a change of heart. What he first thought about the movie turned out to be totally different.
"So I finished the script, and I saw that the character they were asking me to play was really the love story in the midst of all of this turmoil of all of these characters, the four ladies: Queen Latifah, Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Jada," he explained.
"It was so well-written, it was such a great platform for them. And to be able to play the love story and the storyline that gave Jada’s character a leg up and a way out of this world, something to hope for, to wish for, someone to love her… I said, 'You know what? I’d like to be a part of that.'
"And I’m so glad I did, because that film resonates to this day. People all the time come up to me and say that they love that movie. So I’m glad that I did it."