And Serrak is a powerful, elegant queen like MC who grew up in a rough situation in DC that continues to impact her life.

You've talked about yourself, your past, some of your depths,

some of your depression, some of the self-harm stuff that you've been through.

Can you explain to folks who may not know what you went through and why and how you

pulled through that? Again, Southeast DC, early 90s, crack era, you know, I lived five minutes from an area called

Simple City, which has the highest murder rate for a time in DC.

DC was known as Murder Capital, so there was a lot happening that was very traumatic

to myself, you know, as a child.

But then I had families that got swept up in that whole crack then.

It was very jarring to have this world where you're safe,

you know, we didn't have a lot of money but you have this safe environment these beautiful

artistic idealistic parents who worked so hard to have you strive for all of this excellence get

caught up in that world and it was shattering it was traumatic it was hurtful

it made me turn inward and be very angry and confused and feel very

powerless and you know that turned into this whole self-harm

cutting all of that it wasn't a thing that black girls did.

So.

Where did you do it?

All my arms, legs.

It was kind of like the thing where people would see it

and not say anything.

And part of the thing was, of course it was a cry for hope, you know, but because

...