Daughter of NBA Legend Kenny Smith, Kayla Brianna Talks Music Career and New TBS Show 'Meet the Smiths'

By Star Connor s.connor@mstarsnews.com | Apr 15, 2015 11:01 PM EDT

Daughter of NBA legend and Inside the NBA host Kenny Smith, Kayla Brianna is bursting onto the scene with a hot R&B career and is playing big sister in the new TBS unscripted comedy Meet the Smiths.

Now Smith's daughter, Kayla is shining in her career of music. MStars News reporter Star Connor had a chance to speak one-on-one with the inspiring singer to see what life is like as a NBA daughter, a upcoming singer, and new reality star. 

According to TMZ, "Kayla Brianna is blowin' up in the hip-hop world" with an "exploding R&B career." The 21-year-old singer released a hit single "I Got That" featuring Philadelphia's Meek Mill, and the video for her new single "Honest" with Birdman has been heating up the airwaves since premiering on MTV Jams back in March.

Now, Kayla appears in the new unscripted TBS comedy, Meet the Smiths, which focuses on her famous parents. Kenny Smith and his wife, actress/model/singer Gwendolyn Osborne-Smith have conflicting parenting styles, whirlwind schedules and a blended family (with five kids between 2 and 21) that transformed their quiet home into an absolute madhouse — albeit one full of love.

Kayla, Monique and KJ are excelling at the arts, academics and sports, and little Malloy and London prove daily that they are hot on the heels of their siblings. Each week, Kenny and Gwen must manage a household that has many moving parts in order to accomplish their ultimate goal: keeping their large family of big personalities happy, healthy and going strong — together.

Featuring appearances by Kenny's Inside the NBA colleagues Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal, Meet the Smiths reveals the hectic life of a family that does everything big, and with a lot of fun and a whole lot of love.

TBS goes home with NBA legend Kenny Smith and his family in Meet the Smiths and is currently airing on TBS on Friday nights at 9 p.m.

Kayla was first discovered by Vincent Herbert, who played her music for record executive Ron Fair (a veteran A&R executive, record producer arranger, recording engineer and songwriter who has worked with Christina Aguilera, Black Eyed Peas and Mary J. Blige).

Ron Fair signed Kayla to Interscope Records where she went on to tour with Mindless Behavior, Jacob Latimore and Lil Twist. Endorsed by music, entertainment, and sports heavyweights Keri Hilson and Mary J. Blige, Kayla B. is more than just a manufactured concept. The stage is set and the fans are demanding a new playlist of power, provided by the industry's newest "it girl."

MStars News: How do you feel about the new TBS show that features your family airing on Fridays?

Kayla: I'm excited for people to see my family. It's so funny, it's just a really funny show ... Meet the Smiths is the show for you to watch because I'm the oldest of five and my parents, my dad Kenny Smith, and step mom, she's on The Price is Right but they have two totally different styles of parenting. In my blended family, we're trying to make it work but it's all just really fun along the way.

MStars News: How was it going up as an NBA child?

Kayla: For me, we don't get whatever we want. We still have chores, we still have to make sure we get good grades. I think my dad wanted to make sure that we had the most normal life possible as far as making sure that he parented us right, and didn't give us anything extra. We just had what we needed. He's always just been dad, I never really knew 'who he was' famous until I was older and people at school would come up to me and be like, "Hey, I saw your dad was really funny on TV last night."

Mstars News: When did you know that you wanted to become a singer?

Kayla: I've known as long as I can remember. My grandfather was a songwriter in the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, my grandmother sang for Ray Charles ... it's always been in the family. I was so shy growing up I never sung in front of my parents until I was 11 and after that I got the confidence that I needed to really pursue it full time so that's what I've been doing.

MStars News: How was it working with Birdman, [Honest] and Meek Mill [I Got That]?

Kayla: "I Got That" was my first record I released on Interscope and the fact that Meek Mill would get on the track was really cool. We shot the video in Cabo and I got to ride on the back of a motorcycle with him, a lot of people can't say that. Birdman, he's been really about the music, making sure I get may sound to match my lyrics. It's just been really great and I'm excited to see where it will go from here.

MStars News: Who are some other artist that you would want to work with?

Kayla: I'd love to work with Frank Ocean, I think he's a great songwriter. I'd love to work with Drake, I think he's a great songwriter as well.

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Kayla goes into more detail about her music, and life as the eldest sibling. Click for more of the interview below.

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