Sy’Rai Smith is an up-and-coming singer who is not letting the pressure of her famous mother’s legacy curtail her musical pursuits.
Growing up the child of a celebrity comes with its own set of pros and cons. When you’re the child of Brandy and pursing a musical career, the stakes can be even higher. Smith, 20, knows this all too well.
In 2011, the public learned that Smith inherited some of her mother’s talent with the release of her record, “My Family.” Nine years later, when Brandy released her album “B7” Smith again showed off her pipes on their joint track “High Heels.” But when the rising talent’s vocals were heard in a video posted on social media a month ago, there was no denying that she has the aptitude to captivate people with the sound of her voice, just like her mother.
Still, stepping out of the shadows of Brandy’s adored career has not been an easy feat for Smith. She told Vibe that the pressure to live up to the legendary singer has been terrifying at times.
“When you have such a legacy, you do feel a lot more pressure than an upcoming artist that doesn’t,” she told the publication. She went on to say, “I just really want people to understand that there is a difference. … I mean, who wouldn’t want to be compared to my mom? … It is a lot of pressure to exceed someone’s expectations when they already set something so high.”
Smith and her Grammy Award-winning mother recently teamed for another duet, “Nothing Without You,” from the soundtrack to the 2022 remake of “Cheaper By the Dozen.” As for comparisons, not all of them have left Brandy’s only child feeling reassured.
In a past appearance on “The Real” talk show, Smith revealed she struggled with her body image and questioned why she was not as lean as Brandy. “It was kind of difficult ‘cause it was like, you know, ‘Why am I not that way? Why am I not that size? Why was I made the way I was made?’” said the rising star.
She noted that “sometimes I would feel a little sad, or I would feel like she was embarrassed of me. These were all insecurities in my head and, you know, she was never like that, she was always supportive. She always knew that I was beautiful.”
Another celebrity offspring who understands the difficulties of being seen as an individual aside from a famous parent is Reginae Carter. The reality TV star opened up about blazing a trail of her own as an entrepreneur.
“I’m not a rapper,” she told The Shade Room. However, like her father Lil Wayne, Carter is somewhat a lyrical maven. During her adolescent years she even tried her luck at singing when she joined the pop group The OMG Girlz; Carter was the youngest member of the group and called it quits before they landed their big hit, “Gucci This (Gucci That).” Ultimately, it seems as though the 23-year-old has decided to pour her energy into latest business endeavor, a fitness apparel line named IFitIn.
