On a new edition of Listen In With KNN hosted and produced by Kelsey Nicole Nelson, she welcomed special guest Tameka Foster Raymond, an award-winning fashion stylist who has a career boasting over 35 years. Raymond has styled A-list celebrities like Jay Z, Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blidge, Lauren Hill, and her ex-husband Usher Raymond.
To start the conversation, Nelson asked Raymond about the excitement surrounding her new reality television show, “Bold and Bougie” on WE TV. “The show is super exciting for me. I want people to see my real personality,” she said. Raymond continued discussing wanting viewers to get a glimpse of who she really is and standing firm on her beliefs. Raymond is no stranger to the world of unscripted reality TV. She was previously part of “Atlanta’s Exes,” which was a reality show that featured exes of famous Atlantans. Nelson asked the difference between the shows and about where is in life now and wanting to portray as opposed to her time on Atlanta Exes. “My personality is pretty much the same because I’m not a fake person. What you see is what you get. But I’m highly opinionated. My opinions on things are probably different from others,” she said. Nelson and Raymond also bantered briefly about the ins and outs of reality TV and what the viewers really want to see.
Talking more in depth, Nelson asked Raymond about some reflections she had about her long standing successful career. “The fact that I started when I was two and now I’m 37, I’m so proud of my career. When I hear my accomplishments from other people and they tell me, I’m very humble about it. I loved what I did for many years and I love what I do,” she said.
Raymond also touched down on the misconceptions of Hollywood after Nelson asked about her thoughts of the fashion industry and some of the biggest misconceived conceptions. “ I think some of the misconceptions is that everybody is a stylist or should be. Not everybody should be in the category,” she said.
Looking back at the recent big game, Nelson turned the conversation to the controversial Super Bowl LVIII halftime performance. Nelson asked Raymond her thoughts on her ex husband’s performance. “Usher smashed it. It was above my expectations. I was so nervous for him because there is so much pressure, so many people watching,” Raymond said. Nelson and Raymond continued to talk about Usher’s extensive music catalog and how a new generation was introduced to him and some of his great albums during his iconic performance.
Following Super Bowl talk, Nelson began to close by discussing Raymond’s clothing line and how it came about. “So I have two clothing lines. I started one about five years ago and it’s called CULT de JOUR and it stemmed from military styles for my clients,” she said. She continued talking about her other clothing line called Eli Kish which was named after her late son. “This is luxury loungewear that is athleisure like your sweats and stuff you can wear from the couch to the cabana,” she said. This line is specifically for women who want to look nice and be comfortable while traveling or going out with friends.
Raymond’s son Kile passed away in 2014 which inspired her to start the foundation, Kile’s World Foundation, to continue his young legacy. In honor of her son, the foundation hosts performing arts camps in the summer in July in remembrance of Kile’s accident at Lake Lanier in Georgia which is one of the deadliest lakes in the United States. Raymond continues to look for support in bringing awareness to safety hazards at Lake Lanier to minimize more harm to individuals. Click here to sign the petition.
You can catch livestream editions of “Listen In With KNN” sports talk podcast and radio show with KNN every Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm ET. View the full episode below.
