Bre-Z is a self-styled American born rapper turned actress famous for her role as Freda Gatz in the Fox musical drama series “Empire.” She wears many hats: a rapper, an actor and also a barber. The triple-threat shot to fame through her stint as an energetic and confident rapper trying to curve her way into the music industry. Besides making waves through her musical journey, Bre-Z has stirred a lot of debate on her sexuality, especially concerning her choice to identify as a masculine lesbian. She famously goes by the name Bre-Z, but her legal name is Calesha Murray. Here are things you may not know about Bre-Z.
1. Formerly a Barber
Before gracing the Television screens as either a rapper or an actress, Bre-Z styled, shaved, groomed, and dressed men’s hair. According to Rolling Out, her family members were all geared to the occupation; thus she picked up the skill from her father, David Mayfield, and grandfather, who were all barbers. The actress got into cutting hair after relocating to Atlanta, having attended Full Sail University. She first got hold of a pair of clippers at the age of ten and recalls her first hair cut on her brother. Since then, Bre-Z got hooked to the pair of clippers and has never looked back. Her first job as a barber was at a barbershop known as “Philly’s Finest” owned by Kier Morris. Coincidentally, Bre-Z played a scene where she cuts hair in “Empire” although the scriptwriters had no idea about her previous life as a barber.
2. She is a Philadelphia native
Bre-Z was born in The City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia. The family, however, moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where she was raised. Her resettlement to Los Angeles is because of her quest to make a name for herself in the music industry. As maintained by Los Angeles Weekly, Bre-Z accompanied by her friends, made their trip to Los Angeles in search of greener pastures. She first landed a job in a salon called Jasmine Ashley before fully venturing into acting and music.
3. Debut on Empire
Many fans of the musical series “Empire” are not aware that Freda Gatz is Bre-Z’s first role on TV. Her first encounter with the “Empire” production team was based on deliberation for her musical submission. Gladly gears shifted to her favor, and she successfully went through the auditions. “Empire” fans would arguably give her a thumbs up for her role as Freda Gatz, having shown mastery of the scripts and playing like a veteran actress. Although the character was musically driven as she tells LA Weekly, it helped her transition from music to acting since once her foot was in the door, there was no turning back. She became an instant celebrity and is thankful that the first paycheck she got was enough to cover her bills.
4. The secret behind her stage name
Bre-Z’s real name is Calesha Murray you must be wondering the origin of the name Bre-Z. According to Glamour, Bre-Z admits that the name was given to her by her grandmother when she realized that Calesha was feeling cold after birth. She embraced the name in school, where her teachers noticed her tendency to write the name on papers. Despite multiple warnings by her teachers and mother to drop the name Bre-Z adamantly stuck to her nickname; she didn’t bother using it since it seemed cool to her.
5. She has an EP to her name
Bre-Z is a budding and talented rapper besides her career in acting. She got into rap while in high school, where she participated in talent competitions that entailed rap battles. At first, she used her brothers’ rap book to win rhyme battles in school but later engaged her creative talents to write her songs. Since then, Bre-Z released a 12-song album in 2018, which has gained significant traction in the entertainment domain. The album titled “THE GRL” is a reflection of who Bre-Z is and what she likes.
6. Outspoken about LGBTQ community
When it comes to sexual identity Bre-Z has been vocal in embracing her identity as a lesbian rapper. Although she does not like the debate surrounding her sexuality, she reaches out to help young adults who struggle with their sexuality. According to BET, after her role as Coop, she reached out to counsel some teenagers who faced stigma for their sexual orientation. In her defense, she claims to live up to the message put out by the film “All America.”
7. Her musical inspiration
Despite Bre-Z being a rapper, her taste for music cuts across all genres. In her interview with UpComing HipHop, she reveals her love for different types of music ranging from jazz, RnB, HipHop to Country Music.
8. Her first intimate scene
Bre-Z’s role as Coop presented her with her first TV kiss with fellow actor Chelsea Tavares. She had some hilarious questions for her co-actor about her oral hygiene humorously saying that she would not be part of the scene if Chelsea neither brushed her teeth nor used mouthwash.
9. Most sentimental scene
During the shooting of “All America,” Bre-Z held quite heartfelt memories of a scene where her fictional mother disowns her for her sexual identity. She pictures what kids grappling with sexual identity worldwide undergo. The actress is concerned by the sky-rocketing statistics on suicide rates and mental illness as a result of the society’s rejection of members of the LGBTQ community.
10. Detests rap battles
Fans of “Empire” would quickly recall Freda Gatz’s rap challenge against fellow cast Hakeem, but in real life, you might be surprised to learn that Bre-Z does not enjoy rap battles. She, however, finds them thrilling and suitable for the hip-hop culture. Her points of focus are on perfecting her songwriting skills and improving on her vocals to create classical music.
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