Bass Lab Spotlight: Trissa Rene
From Aretha Franklin to John Legend to Beyoncé, Black creatives have long since cited their experiences growing up in church as the spark that got them hooked on blending culture with entertainment. For many in the Black community, church is more than a religious meeting place, it introduces worshippers and attendees alike to expressing their passions, often serving as the pipeline that led them to their careers, like the renowned singers aforementioned.
Trissa Rene is an entrepreneurial advisor for other creatives in the media industry. Although she doesn’t release R&B, soul, or pop hits like Franklin, Legend and Beyoncé, she first discovered her passion for creative entertainment and now uses her voice in other ways.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Rene was in close proximity to the origins of hip hop dancing and the culture that surrounds its popularization. Her friend group would frequently attend the club Paradise 24 alongside kids from all across LA county and listen to artists the promoters would bring in, sometimes giving them their starts and creating exciting vibes. The club remains an iconic spot for Black culture in LA.
In 1988, at just 18 years old, one of her cousins became one of the Straight Ahead dancers for the group Bell Biv DeVoe (BBD) catapulting her further into the entertainment scene than before.
“That’s when I really was like, ‘This is where I’m gonna work. This is where I like,’ because it has so many elements,” Rene said. “It had fashion, music, hair, dancing — all of that. And that’s kind of when I was like, ‘I’m solid in this creative space.’”
Although existing in the industry came naturally to someone as passionate as Rene, it wasn’t without its difficulties. She noticed how aspiring talents would sometimes go without credit or proper compensation.
“The difficult part in the industry that I realized, was just making sure you had integrity…. I didn’t like the hazing in the entertainment industry, I didn’t like the ‘who’s,’ I didn’t like the cliques….I didn’t like when things didn’t go right, or how friendships kind of break up.”
Thankfully, Rene had a strong support system in her family that kept her grounded with her morals. She stayed true to her initial vision of just “rolling with [her] peeps” which had always been what the industry had been about for her.
“Back then, we didn’t know what it was called. We were just a creative collective of LA kids that did stuff,” she said.
This integrous principle can still be seen in her professional life now. Rene gives counsel to young creatives in the industry, employing the knowledge she’s collected from her more than 30 years.
“My thing is making sure the creatives are just treated right. I don’t care where you come from,” she said.
Rene grew up in Altadena and got involved with the Charlotta Bass Journalism and Justice Lab after the fires that devastated so much of the community. By participating with the Monumental Mobile App project, Rene has demonstrated her commitment to giving back and spotlighting Altadena. She played a large role in helping the Bass Lab contact sources to gather first-hand narratives of stories similar to hers on growing up in the community and the impact it left on their lives.
“It’s important to tell the story of Altadena: the Black people that moved up there, the experience, the beauty, how a lot of people know everybody. It’s just very important,” she said. “I knew growing up in Altadena that it was a Black experience. It was a diverse city, but it was a Black experience.”
Beyond discussions of Black culture, Rene also wants to emphasize the display of Black success and empowerment. In fact, her mother was one of the first few Black sheriffs in the community.
“It was just a lot of beautiful Black teachers, Black principals, Black coaches [in Altadena] —- it was Black excellence in Altadena,” she said. “I’m just glad we get to tell the story.”
Rene’s main hope for the release of the Monumental app is for audiences to see and acknowledge Altadena the same way she does.
“We’re a whole a whole vibe.”