Justine Skye Isn’t Afraid To Take Risks When It Comes To Her Career & Her Legacy: EXCLUSIVE

You can’t put this Brooklyn native in a box. Justine Skye has been carving out a path for herself in the entertainment industry for almost a decade– and she has no plans on slowing down anytime soon. Known for her sensational vocals–Skye is now ready to sparkle on screen. The “MAYBE” songstress will make her television debut on BET’s Tales. The anthology series transforms the lyrics of some of hip-hop’s most beloved tracks into full-blown visual narratives.

Skye will be stepping into the world of Cardi B’s “Bodack Yellow.” She stars opposite Romeo Miller as Violet, a 23-year-old dancer who dreams of becoming a hip-hop superstar. However, Violet’s journey to success won’t be an easy one. In addition to taking care of herself, she’s also tasked with raising her teenage sister.

Ahead of the episode’s debut–STYLECASTER sat down to chat with Skye about becoming Violet, why her dreams are endless and how she’s taken charge of her legacy.

“‘Bodack Yellow’ was just a tremendous moment in music for our generation,” Skye explained. “That song was super huge, and Cardi B’s story is just different. She shattered that stereotype of what everyone thought she could or couldn’t be.  I think that it’s dope that they chose a dark-skinned woman to play this role. At first, when I got the call, I thought, ‘There’s no way that I’m going to get this role. I look nothing like Cardi B.’ Then, I realized that it’s not necessarily about looking like whomever the episode focuses on. It’s about who can bring the episode to life the best.”

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After snagging the role– Skye shifted her focus towards understanding who Violet is. “Violet’s from Atlanta, and she’s an exotic dancer, ” she said. “I definitely had to take a step into the strip club scene to see what’s going on there. I did a couple of days of research, and I took some pole dancing classes. I found out that it’s not as easy as it looks. It’s really really hard, and I commend any dancer because that takes a lot of upper body strength which I do not have.”

Though Skye has had a fruitful career so far in music– television is a relatively new medium for her. She was happy to lean on Miller–her costar, who has worked in all aspects of the entertainment industry for most of his life. “Working with Romeo was great, especially because I watched him growing up,” she revealed. “He’s really chill, and he gave me motivation whenever I was feeling down. He’s very cool.”

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Skye might be hitting the small screen first, but her next venture will take her to the silver screen. In August, she will make her movie debut in Already Gone opposite Seann William Scott. “The film drops Aug. 16, ” she explained. “Coincenditally, I play a dancer in that film too. However, my time as a dancer in the film is very short, whereas my time as a dancer in Tales is much longer. Already Gone is a thriller and a coming-of-age film. My other co-lead is Tyler Dean Flores, who is also a New York native. It was pretty cool to have someone working with me, who is also from New York. The narrative focuses on running away from an abusive relationship. I don’t want to give too much of it away, but it’s really exciting.”

While she’s enjoying her time on screen, Skye’s first love is music. The 23-year-old has recently gone independent and her latest single “MAYBE” proves that she’s ready to stand at the helm of her career. “I’ve been signed since I was 17, so that was all I’d known in the music industry,” she reflected. “There comes a time when you have to trust your own instincts. That’s been something that I’ve been on a journey toward for the past year and a half. It’s been about realizing my worth as an artist, a musician, and an entertainer. I’ve been taking a lot of risks, and I thought that it’s about time for me to try this on my own.”

Of course, along with her talent, Skye is also known for her buttery smooth skin. “It’s nothing crazy actually,” she laughed. “I use Clinique–their 3-Step Acne Solution and I use Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate Facial Oil, their Midnight Recovery Concentrate and their Glow Formula Skin Hydrator–it’s nothing super intense. Then I try to get facials whenever I can.”

You can catch Justine Skye in Tales tonight at 9/8c on BET.