The following article mentions mental health struggles.
Brandy’s daughter, Sy’Rai Smith, is ready to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry.
(And yes, like her mom, she also goes by her first name professionally.)
As difficult as it may be, Sy’Rai has successfully emerged from her mom’s shadow.
“I’m also able to protect my daughter.
I’m able to give her advice and let her know that she has a lot of time.
She shared a similar sentiment in a 2020 chat withZane Lowe.
“I’m very overprotective because fame can kill you.
It really can if you’re not careful.”
Sy’Rai’s father is producer and songwriter Robert Smith, also known as Big Bert.
Brandy and Robert’s relationship ended when Sy’Rai was a toddler.
In 2004,Entertainment Weeklyreported that Robert said he and Brandy shared custody.
Before Sy’Rai arrived, Brandy said she and Robert had already tied the knot.
“At that time, being pregnant out of wedlock was not a trend,” the singer said.
After the news broke, Brandy was judged unfairly just as she feared.
Brandy embraced motherhood with both arms straight away.
Brandy and Sy’Rai are ‘best friends’
Brandy and Sy’Rai Smith share a strong bond.
In a 2022 interview withVibe, Sy’Rai referred to Brandy as her “best friend.”
“We do regular mom-daughter stuff,” she said.
“She always was supportive.
“She always told me that I was beautiful.
“Happy birthday to my favorite person ever!!!”
“Words can not describe how much I love you and how inspirational you are to me.
You have developed me into a phenomenal woman, and I owe you the world.”
It was always important to Brandy that she be her daughter’s friend.
“But for me, I’m a friend first.
The strategy appears to have worked for Brandy and Sy’Rai.
She also noted that her mom, Brandy, was there for her every step of the way.
“It wasn’t ever for vanity reasons,” she said.
“It was crazy how unhealthy I was, and it was because of my weight.”
“[L]ife is not promised,” she said.
In 2006, Brandy’s SUV rear-ended another car, creating a tragic chain reaction.
A woman named Awatef Aboudihaj died from injuries sustained in the crash.
“I remember laying in bed super depressed,” Brandy toldPeoplein 2020.
“I [told] myself, ‘So, you’re just going to go out like this?
You have a daughter.
Her daughter was the motivation she needed to focus on her mental health.
“If Sy’Rai wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be either,” she said.
Continue to be a light and the beautiful soul you are born to be.”
From an early age, Sy’Rai felt insecure about her appearance.
Why am I not that size?
Why was I made the way I was made?'”
I just really want people to understand that there is a difference,” she told Vibe.
“I am me, and my mom is my mom.”
In the caption, Brandy called Sy’Rai an “amazing human being.”
She added, “I love your spirit and your smile.
So brave to walk in your purpose and shine in your truth.”
Bravery is not the only quality that Brandy has praised her daughter for.
“You are a beautiful soul with a heart of gold,” Brandy wrote onInstagramin 2019.
“I thank God for you every day.”
In 2022, Brandy sang her daughter’s praises on social media once again.
“Thank you for giving me more purpose and passion for life.
I love you infinitely and unconditionally.”
“My mom had to go and work.
I didn’t understand why my mom was not there until I turned 15.
I had to be on set until 3:00 AM.”
While this might sound like a lot for a kid, Sy’Rai took it all in stride.
Sy’Rai also commended her mother for her kindness and shared that it was a quality she wanted.
Sy’Rai Smith, on the other hand, calls her life “normal.”
“I’m so normal.
People don’t realize I’m home most of the time,” she told Vibe.
“I don’t like going out much.
I just recently started picking back up and going back out.
And when she’s not doing these things, she’s studying or spending time with her cats.
Brandy, of course, did not have a “normal” childhood.
The Paramount+ program invites the children of music industry legends to revisit moments from their and careers.
Other participants include Notorious B.I.G.
’s son, C.J.
In a 2023 interview with Blavity, Sy’Rai called the experience “amazing.”
But the top highlight?
Luckily, despite her initial hesitations, this has not stopped her.
In 2020, Sy’Rai collaborated with her mother on the song “High Heels.”
Two years later, they teamed up again for “Nothing Without You.”
In a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, Brandy gushed about the experience of working with her daughter.
“So much fun!
… She’s just so talented,” she said.
“I love the way our voices sound together.”
By 2023, Sy’Rai was ready to go solo.
That year, she released her fittingly titled debut solo, “On My Own.”
Before Sy’Rai dropped her debut solo track, her mother could not contain her excitement.
In the aforementioned Togethxr video, Sy’Rai shared that her career is bigger than her love of music.
“I’m my mom’s only kid.
So, I just really feel like it’s all up to me.
I just want to continue our legacy,” she said.
As Sy’Rai told Vibe in 2022, Queen Bey has long been a part of her life.
Brandy and Beyonce, of course, both became household names in the ’90s.
“This is simply not the truth!
Period,” she wrote.
“I would never disrespect greatness, I’m too humble for that.
Nothing else to be said.”
This mother-daughter duo sure does quality time right.
