Stop it, mane! Memphis is the heart of a southern sisterhood story that delves into the lives of women who roll through love, loss and ambition as they find their freedom on wheels.
GRITS (Girls raised in the south)premiere October 30 on ALLBLKintroduces watchers to Keisha (Jasmine Sargent)You (Ashanti Harris), and Francis (Aja “Slimeroni” Canyon), which serve love, drama, and the art of swaying and bending adversity when life gets smooth.
Source: GRITS / ALLBLK
Created and executive produced by Deji LaRay and Thomas Q. JonesThe eight-episode series is as funny as it is heartfelt, ultimately culminating in “a love letter to friendship, self-discovery, and the grit it takes to grow up and shine in Memphis.”
“This is a story about three young, ambitious women, Keisha, Ty and Francis, who all work to find themselves and overcome adversity,” LaRay told BOSSIP. “Memphis is beautiful, vibrant, has a lot of character, a lot of soul. We also know that it can be unforgettable at times, and so we know that there can be many conflicts with these characters. I feel that Memphis is one of those southern cities that has never lost its identity, so we wanted to tell this story about these young women who are in the world, who are ambitious in the culture, I also grew up there.”
Thomas Q. Jones says the trio of leads were carefully handpicked, and the results were instant; their chemistry clicked from the start and carried through the entire show.
“When you say perfect casting, that's what this was,” Jones said BOSSIP. “We're going to start with Jasmine. D and I had our eyes on Jasmine for the Keisha role from the time he was doing the show. We saw her online, and Deji was like, 'Hey, there's this girl, she can skate.' She is brown. Her energy is super down to earth, all around girl. And I saw her social media, and I was like, 'Hey, that's Keisha!' “
“Ashanti, she was just perfect for the character Ty [who] is very vulnerable; she has a lot of obstacles to overcome, but she has this energy that's just pure and genuine and almost innocent in a way,” adds Jones.
He continued,
“So what's cool about Slimeroni is that she auditioned on her cell phone. And the way she did it was so raw and just honest. Like, and even when she finished her slate, she went, 'Cut!' She auditioned, and she went, 'Cut!' music.”
The girls of GRITS Distribution The ALLBLK Series
In the heart of GRITS is a skating competition with life-changing prize money, and offers the trio a chance to escape the challenges around them. Beyond the competition, the series centers on the power of sisterhood and the unbreakable bond that sustains them.
Ashanti Harris, who plays Ty, said she hopes her character's story inspires others to keep moving forward.
“I want single moms to know that having a child doesn't mean you stop pursuing your dreams,” she said. “It may be hard, but you can still do it.”
Jasmine Sargent, who portrays Keisha, drew on her own experiences to connect with her character's grief.
“Keisha's story mirrors my own,” she shared BOSSIP. “I have experienced loss as she has, and those emotions helped me bring her vulnerability to life.”
For Memphis native and rapper Slimeroni, playing Francis “Fran the Man” was a chance to see the warmth and joy of her city.
“I definitely feel like this was the right show, the right time, the right dialogue, with all the meat and potatoes,” Slimeroni told BOSSIP. “Memphis is always highlighted for the negativity that goes on, but I feel like it shows Memphis in a way that's like, yes, there's poverty, but it's also a lot of joyful, fun moments that can happen in Memphis.”
Slimeroni also brought Memphis' trademark slang and rhythm to each scene, creating GRITS especially authentic with the grit and slang of the Bluff City leaping off the small screen. The costars of the rapper told BOSSIP that Slimeroni and a stellar dialect coach are part of the reason why the series feels so bonafide.
“We had a dialect coach and we also had our own personal dialect coach in Slime,” Sargent said. “She was very helpful through the whole process, and it was fun. I think I had the most trouble, but Slime was able to get us through it.
“Ditto with what Jasmine said,” Harris agreed. “I'm definitely a country girl at heart, I'm from Macon, Georgia, but I definitely had to work on the way you say certain words, Slime definitely helped us with that. Our dialect coach definitely helped us with that. And even after filming, me and Jasmine still caught ourselves being from Memphis for a while.”
GRITS Features professional skating, choreography and celebrities including Eightball & MJG
GRITS' authenticity extends to the skating scenes, choreographed by Atlanta skaters Camille Gilmore and Icey Coffeey.
Jones said capturing the spirit of southern skating culture was essential.
“Skating is not just movement. It's culture,” he said. “It's rhythm, style and community. We wanted that to shine through every frame.”
The production also features appearances by Memphis rap legends Eightball & MJG, and actress Elise Neal, who brought her individual creativity and professionalism to the series.
“Eightball and MJG actually auditioned,” LaRay revealed BOSSIP. “They sent in tapes and took it seriously.”
Jones also appears in the series as Keisha's father, a pastor whose moral complexity drives part of the story.
“He is an honest person in a dishonest way,” he said BOSSIP. “He believes in what he does, even when others don't. It was fun to play a character with so many dimensions.”
Similarly, LaRay also makes a surprise appearance.
“I'm doing my little Spike Lee on this show, making my little cameo, right?” he laughed after BOSSIP. “And I think that's what it should be, kind of a nugget. That was a fun scene to shoot. My character will actually be developed more and grow a lot more in Season 2, just kind of setting it up.”
In addition to LaRay and Jones, Martha Sanchez serves as executive producer. Brett Dismuke, head of content for ALLBLK, Nikki Love, Senior Vice President of Development and Original Production, Scripted, and Ashley McFarlin, Vice President of Development and Original Production, Scripted, also executive produce for the network.
LaRay said the series is about perseverance and the relationships that make growth possible.
“This show is about overcoming adversity, believing in sisterhood and finding joy despite your circumstances,” he said. “We want people to feel the magic and nostalgia of life in the South, the music, the conversations on the front porch, the fish fries, all of that.”
Jones added that GRITS is one of his proudest projects.
“It's one of the best shows we've ever done,” he said. “The chemistry, the energy, it's all real. I think people will feel that.”
GRITS premieres Thursday, October 30 exclusively on ALLBLK.
