Chanel had a chance to interview, Tyrie from the "Real World Denver" last week for Juicy News. Check out the interview....
I had the chance to interview Tyrie a/k/a "Darc Kent" for Juicy News earlier from the current Denver season, check out my interview with the very talkative, multi-faceted, Tyrie from REAL WORLD Denver below:
Chanel: How are you doing Tyrie? Tyrie: What's up Chanel! How are you? Chanel: I'm cool....Am I your first interview? Tyrie: Not at all.... Chanel: So you've been interviewing already? Tyrie: You know how they do. They finally found somebody that was intelligent, cute, black and just debonairly sexy, so they had to put HIM in the news kinda quick! (I laugh) Naw, I'm just playin'.... I'm not THAT cocky.
Chanel: You are something. So you are originally from Omaha, Nebraska? Tyrie: Yes I am. Chanel: So how did you get selected for the show?
Tyrie: Um, they had an open casting call at this bar named "Brothers" and I just went up there after I had gotten done lifting weights, and I just said, hey, if they want me, they'll call me. And lo and behold, 8 months later... here we go.
Tyrie: Naw, at the first group interview, there weren't any cameras, it was just a group of us talking. But I think what really kind of sparked the producers interest in me is because we started talking about Hurricane Katrina and President Bush, and I'm not really a fan of Bush and I kind of echoed Kanye West's sentiments [regarding President Bush] so I had everybody mad at me for a minute.
Chanel: So they saw that you were kind of explosive and maybe the REAL WORLD Producers wanted to explore that? Tyrie: Oh no, no, it wasn't that I was explosive, because everything I said in the interview, I was able to back up with facts and dates. I even spoke on the U.N. Resolution and why everything the President has been doing is WRONG. We started talking about the war in Iraq too, so it was a wrap after that.
Chanel: Ok, well what does your family think about you being on the show? Tyrie: Well, my family is kind of.... my family is cool with it, but I guess my family learned some new things about me, because they didn't realize exactly how vocal I was until they saw the first couple episodes. 
So my family was like, "That's not you Tyrie!" and I was like, "Yes it is! Because when I go around my family, I put on a.... I wouldn't say a façade, but I do put on like a "mask" to kind of calm myself down around them, and it's completely out of respect for my mother and my pops, of course. You know, you wouldn't go over to your grandmother's house talking mess the whole time, because one, you know, it's disrespectful, and two, she might actually slap you across the face!
Chanel: Exactly. Ok, explain to me these three alter egos that you have. Tyrie: Ok, ok, but officially, there's only two. But the way I would describe the first one, "Leroy Jenkins" that one kind of just started out as a joke, because I've always been kind of quick tempered, one of the many qualities I picked up from my father. I'm also a little on the "hood" side too so I just jokingly came up with the name "Leroy Jenkins" to label that side of me. And it was actually kind of funny, so I just let it ride. The "Darc" name came about because I was REALLY BORED one day. So I was like, you know, I have an alter ego for my hood, mad side, let me see if I can come up with one for my smooth, ladies man side. So I just started going through names and whatnot, and you know, it's corny as hell, I'm not even gonna front, but it's funny to me, so if anybody else got something to say, then that's them. Chanel: Well, it is original. I'll give you that. Tyrie: Yeah, it is original! It's a play off of "Clark Kent" you know? I was like, what's like a sexy ass name, and Morris Chestnut is already taken, so I can't take his name. So I just started playing around with a few names, and at first I was using "Peter Dark" but I was like, naw, that's not gonna work. So after paying a little more attention I was thinking, "Clark Kent"? 
You know, because I'm dark and I'm cute, so it just kinda stuck a little bit, you know? Chanel: Ok, well let's talk about the episodes that have already aired because I've been watching and I wanna talk about the heated incident between you and Davis, because he ended up calling you the
"N" word, but you eventually forgave him. How hard was it for you to eventually get past that? 
Tyrie: Ok, two things, first off, and this is something that I realized after actually watching the episode, Davis never called me a ni**** to my face, because, if that had happened, I probably wouldn't have made it past the 2nd episode. 
The second thing, and the reason why I tried to forgive him is because, one, I realized that I initially started the fight, and that's something I take full responsibility for. You can't solve a problem while you're "throwed", alright? It's damn near impossible. You can't get to a resolution, you can't try to have a discussion or anything like that while you're throwed and there's all this tension in the air, and I found that out. And the other thing was, and I just figured, I can't really whoop this dude's ass, so I had to just listen to what he said, let it ride and get over it, because I wasn't gonna NOT get over it and hold grudges."
Chanel: Well you know what impressed me with you Tyrie, is that you were able to walk away from all of that, because a lot of people wouldn’t have been able to walk away from a similar situation after things escalated to the level that they did [between you and Davis].
Tyrie: Yeah, well I have a temper, but for the most part, I guess my common sense side will pop out sooner or later, telling me, you know what Tyrie?
You might wanna walk away because, you could really get in trouble for possibly whooping this little boys ass. And there's a reason, and not to sound cocky, because it ain't cocky if it's true, but there's a reason that I don't get in major fights because, the last few fights I've been in the past 8, 9 years have been "one hitters & quitters". Nowadays though, I don't even like fighting, I'd rather just solve problems peacefully, because nowadays, m***** f****** will shoot you. That's why I don't even argue with nobody no more for the most part.
Chanel: Well let's talk about the altercation you had with Jenn, because I don't even know what that was about. I mean I watched the episode and I heard an exchange, but I still couldn't figure out what the whole argument was about.
Tyrie: Ok, I wanna go ahead and put this on record, and Jenn knows this too, I DID NOT START THAT FIGHT, AND I DID NOT TRY TO KEEP IT GOING.
Chanel: Ok, well, how did it even get started, because that's where I was confused.
Tyrie: Well everybody was joking back and forth and having a good time, and then throw me and Jenn into the mix, who just happen to be the two loudest personalities that were in the house basically, so sooner or later… it's gonna happen. Now me, being a man, I was even wondering how things got so escalated over Tyson f****** Beckford??
Chanel: You see, now that's exactly what confused me about the whole thing, because I did hear Tyson's name, and I was like what does he have to do with anything?
Tyrie: Well basically, and I'm not trying to fault Jenn… but it was her fault, I ain't gonna front. But we were sitting there joking, she said something about Tyson Beckford, then I called him a "pretty boy" and next thing you know, out of the blue, she just got real heated. So I'm winking at her the whole time, letting her know that I was just playing with her. But then, and I don't even know if they showed this because I haven't watched that episode yet, I just know what happened, Jenn decided to say something about my Mama, then she said something about Jazelle, then she said something along the lines of "step up".
And If you gonna jump up like "Miss Get Bad", then let's see what you got. Then she jumped up and apparently she spit at me before she got off the bus, and that was news to me, because I didn't know she had done that.
Chanel: Well she did do it. Maybe it didn't reach you, but she did spit.
Tyrie: Oh no, she didn't spit ON me. There's rules against that type of thing, noooo, no, you don't let nobody spit on you, NO.I agree with you there. Chanel: Now let's talk about the episode when you become real friendly with 2 females, kind of at the same time, Jazelle & Ashley... 
Tyrie: Ok, I was single at the time...
Chanel: You know what that sounded like just now? It sounded like
"See, what had happened was..." Tyrie: I know, I know! I was thinking about saying "See what had happened was..." but you know, as soon as you say, "see what had happened was" everybody knows you lying out your damn mouth, so don't even finish that statement. But officially, I met Jazelle first, and we actually sat down and had a conversation and whatnot, so after a while, I was starting to feel her.
Now Ashley was just "bad as hell" to me, and not to be disrespectful, but I just kinda wanted to "get on". Then I realized she was a flight attendant, so I realized that I didnt have anything concrete and set with Ashley. I didn't even get to talk to Ashley until later that evening and by then, everything was done, and we were just cool after that. Chanel: Oh ok, well are you still in touch with either of them? Tyrie: I'm in touch with Jazelle, but I'm not dating either one of them. Chanel: But you guys are all still friends?
Tyrie: Yeah, we're friends. Chanel: Well I was reading on your myspace page and you'd listed 3 people, as your heroes, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Shawn Carter (I'm assuming that's Jay-Z)... Why did you choose those 3 people as your heroes?
Tyrie: Well we can honestly kind of divide it up into my three sides again.
Martin Luther King was the more peaceful of the the three, you know, he believed in having a non-violent peaceful co-existence, that's my "Darc Kent" inside.
Then you have Malcolm X, and for the most part of his illustrious career, and I don't care what anyone says, Malcolm X was the greatest man that ever lived. Number one, he was born in Omaha, Nebraska, I want everybody to know that. But Malcolm X, early in his life was all about Black empowerment, and he went by any means necessary to do it, that's the hyped up "Leroy Jenkins" side.
And Shawn Carter, you know, just his business sense and the fact that I can identify any part of my life to at least 3 verses Jay-Z has ever written. Trials, tribulations, triumphs, just about anything Jay has written, I can identify with in some part of my life.
Chanel: That's interesting. Ok, well back to the REAL WORLD, in the episodes that we've seen so far, because we haven't seen the full season yet, do you feel like you were portrayed accurately on the show? Tyrie: Truthfully, yes and no. On the no side, I think that the "gang member" tagline got played up a little bit too much. I was in a gang when I was way younger. Then I was out of it in less than a year. 
The other thing is that there has really been no mention of my father, and I kind of have a problem with that because I talked a great deal about my father. It's almost like they're trying to play me like a "special interest" case, and I'm not cool with that because I've accomplished way too much in my life and I've worked way too hard.
On the other hand, everything that I've seen so far on the show, I remember doing, and it's not like you can deny doing anything because you're on national TV doing it.
Yes, I'm an ass sometimes, I'm an intellectual sometimes, and sometimes I'm horny. But I'm hoping that in the next couple episodes that the intellectual and scholarly Tyrie comes out. But so far there's just been a bunch of humping and fighting and drinking. Chanel: Well you know that's what they want because that's what's gonna get ratings. So of course they're gonna play all that kinda stuff up."
Tyrie: Well my whole thing is this, if ya'll are gonna show me like that then show all of me. Don't just show Tyrie getting throwed, or the Tyrie that might be causing a problem, or the Tyrie that might be getting in a fight. Show the Tyrie who might be trying to diffuse a problem, or the Tyrie that's trying to be cool with everybody.
Chanel: Right, so there needs to be some kind of balance, is what you're saying?
Tyrie: Yeah.
Chanel: Is there anything you regret doing?
Tyrie: As for anything I regret doing on the show, yeah… just watch. It'll become VERY APPARENT, the ONE THING that I regret on the show. Actually TWO THINGS I regret on the show. In fact, they're in the same situation. Both the PERSON and the SITUATION I regret. Chanel: Wow. Intriquing.
Tyrie: Yeah.
Chanel: Ok, if you had to choose ONE roommate to live with, who would that be?
Tyrie: That's HARD man! That's real tough! Can I pick two?
Chanel: No, you have to pick ONE!
Tyrie: Alright, well we'll do your top pick and then we'll do a secondar.....Tyrie: Top pick, would probably have to be Stephen. Stephen, I'm telling you, just watch in the next couple weeks, wait till Stephen comes out of his shell!
Stephen is so much cooler to kick it with than what ya'll may have seen already. Chanel: Wow, Stephen? 
Tyrie: I'm telling you. Stephen is the TRUTH. Ok, my secondary... this one is the hard one, but it'll have to be a toss up between Alex and Jenn.
Chanel: So, Jenn, really? You really think you could live with her, because you guys seem too much alike.
Tyrie: Just wait. There's sooo much you guys just don't know yet... Chanel: Yes indeed... alrighty, well who would you say was the messiest in the house? Tyrie: That was either me or Alex.",
Chanel: Who is the cleanest?
Tyrie: That was probably Steve. Chanel: Who was the loudest?
Tyrie: Oh that was me. Or Jenn.
Chanel: Who was the best cook? Tyrie: Steve.
Chanel: What was ONE LESSON that you can say you learned from the whole REAL WORLD experience and living with people who were different from you?
Tyrie: (sighs) Chanel: Is that a tough one?
Tyrie: No, it's not a tough one, I just don't know how to articulate this answer… well let me see, I think what I learned was... to give everybody a chance. You don't realize how cool a person is until you give them a chance...", give everybody a chance. Chanel: Well that's a good lesson to be learned I think, because a lot of times people judge other people before they get to know them.
Tyrie: QUICK.
Ok, now that, REAL WORLD Denver has come to an end, "What are your plans for the future, career wise?
Tyrie: I have to finish up, I have to get my two degrees, I plan on getting my Master's in Sociology, but at the same time, you know, if Jay-Z wants me to be a spokesman for Rocawear… because that's really all I wear! Or if some prominent, intelligent black individual wants me to be a representative for them, be in their movies and model their clothes, then I'm not gonna turn down anything but my collar.
You need to tell the Vibe or the Source or somebody to holler at me real quick! You know they need to get me and Steve in an interview together, because there' s never been two black dudes on the REAL WORLD together before us. Because when Steve and I first saw each other, we were like, oh no, it's about to be OVER!
Chanel: But ya'll ended up being real cool, right?
Tyrie: Oh yeah.
Chanel: Well Tyrie, you were real fun to talk to, and I wish you nothing but the best in the future, and I can't wait to watch the rest of these episodes to see what you are talking about! Thanks for chatting! Tyrie: I appreciate you! By Chanel |
