Few actresses emerging into the mainstream have enjoyed as commanding a debut as Houston-native Cierra Ramirez. The now 21-year-old co-starred alongside Eva Mendes and Patricia Arquette in 2012’s standout drama “Girl In Progress”. After nabbing the coveted Favorite Movie Supporting Actress Award at the 2012 ALMA Awards, it was apparent the talented teen was one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars. Shining on screen since childhood, Ramirez played in several film and TV movies before landing the main role of Mariana Adams-Foster on Freeform’s fan favorite family drama The Fosters.

Also a talented singer and live performer, the diminutive dimepiece considered to be one of entertainment’s flyest five-footers recently released her latest EP titled “Discreet”. The project’s six song offering is perfect for partygoers and boasts a lead single – “Faded” – which features LA mainstays Honey C and Casey Veggies. After a sexy cover shoot at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with uber popular frame snapper Creations of LA, the hard working Ms. Ramirez sat down with editor ToneSwep for this DOPE MAG exclusive. Get Faded!

(ToneSwep: TS) You are known worldwide as a TV star, largely due to your standout roles on The Suite Life of Zach & Cody, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and now as Mariana on The Fosters. How has your strong command of the screen evolved over time? You have gotten really, really good as a character actress.

​(Cierra Ramirez: Cierra) I’ve been very blessed to play such diverse roles in my career so far. I’ve always loved taking on roles that get people talking and taking part in projects that send a message.

(TS) “Girl in Progress” proved a stellar big screen debut for you. The film won an ALMA and so did you for Best Supporting Role. Are we going to see more of you on the big screen soon? If so, any projects on the horizon we can look forward to? We like you on TV, but it just seems like your talents, looks, and personality are destined for blockbuster films.
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(Cierra) Thank you so much, I loved that film and the whole process. It really made me fall in love with the idea of film. TV is awesome and I love it, but it’s so fast paced. I don’t get to sit with a script as long as I’d like to where I could with a film. Being busy with The Fosters and now my music, it hasn’t been a main priority but it’s definitely never left my mind. I’d love to book a film sometime real soon.

(TS) You are better known as a TV star, but recently your music has taken off. You’ve been singing and performing since you were a kid, what prompted you to formally introduce the musical side of Ms. Ramirez to the world?

(Cierra) Singing was always my first love, it’s how my acting career actually came about! But I never wanted to pursue it at a young age. Through a singing competition, I entered the acting category and instantly fell in love. I’d always loved to perform, but never thought about trying it before. 11 years later, it’s still been really good to me and made an even better platform. Being 21 I think I’m at a good age to finally show that side to the world.

(TS) Your debut single is DOPE. “Faded” is perfect for summer radio rotation. Talk a little about how the creation of the song came together.  How was the recording process? Tell us why you selected “Faded” as your lead single. What vibe does it bring to the club, the radio, and the streets?

(Cierra) When I first heard Faded, I knew I needed it to be my first single. I knew because I was finding myself constantly singing it around the house and in the car without even having recorded it yet. Damon Sharpe is an amazing producer and the whole process was so easy and organic. I’m happy I got to work with him and even happier it’s the first single like I’d hoped.
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(TS) Casey Veggies kills every verse he lays, and Honey C has been underrated as a rap artist on the rise for years. Why did you decide to feature them on your lead single?
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(Cierra) Honey C has always been a favorite of mine since a friend of mine introduced me to her music and I actually first heard Casey Veggies featuring on a Neighborhood song. Instantly when I heard that I wanted to work with him. When the opportunity to work with the both of them came about, I was ecstatic.

(TS) Your debut EP “Discreet” dropped recently.

(Cierra) Every song is so different! It was fun to play with different sounds in this process, it’s a cool mix of urban pop. You’ll get your club song, you’re getting ready with your girls song, and songs you’d love to sing to your man.

(TS) Talk a little about your creative process. Some recording artists like to hear a beat and then write to it, others write all day long and then search for the right track to fit the song. How about you?
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(Cierra) I’m hoping to get a lot more personal in this following LP, be more involved in the creating process and to have a few more ballads.

(TS) As a songwriter and singer, and also as a stage performer and of course screen actress, you are hyper creative. Your artistic output is displayed in multiple forms. Where does this indefatigable creative spirit you possess derive from?

(Cierra) That’s a good question, I guess it’s just a gift. I’m blessed to also be able to pursue it.

(TS) I need some Boo Thang merch, C. What’s up with your new apparel collection?

(Cierra) Ahh! The merch has been so cool to put out. I love my fans and to be able to give them something like this and see how excited they are really makes me happy. We’ve got t-shirts, sunglasses and my personal favorite, a name plate necklace that says ‘boo thang’. The name sorta came about because I’m known as Miss Thang (Laughs!) People started calling themselves boothangs and it just kinda stuck.

(TS) As a 21-year-old Latina, actress, singer, and now entering the fashion world, you have so many young fans who experience you in each of these different ways. Young girls of all races, from different countries around the world, are huge Cierra Ramirez fans. What do you feel your responsibilities are to these young people, as they in essence shape themselves by watching your grind and experiencing your growth?
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(Cierra) That’s such an intimidating position, mainly because I too still feel like I’m growing up and making mistakes of my own. As flattering as it is, I just hope I can make people proud and inspire them all.

Barely old enough to drink, singer-actor Cierra Ramirez is poised to take the stage in global fashion with an urban/pop EP release June 20, coinciding with the fourth season premiere of the TV series in which she stars. Delivering instinct-driven performances as one of the kids in Freeform Television Network’s “The Fosters,” Ramirez brings the same gutsy flair to her debut EP “Discreet.” 
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In a telephone interview, Ramirez sounds every bit the suburban Houston girl with good manners, standard diction, and a presumed tendency to blush at mature subject matter. But don’t be fooled. The diminutive dynamo is not ‘discreet’ when the job calls for florid expression both on screen and at the mic. She gives all - and so convincingly, you’re never sure which flavor of cute-and-hot is baseline Cierra Ramirez.
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“I get to play different characters with these songs and kind of bring out my sassy side,” said Ramirez, aka ‘Miss Thang.’ “As different as singing and acting are to me, [the process] is similar in the sense of the emotions and everything - getting into a song and believing in the lyrics. It’s kind of like getting into a script.” Playing one of the adopted children of a lesbian couple on TV is just one of a host of creative risks that have worked out well for her.

The first radio single on the six-track EP is entitled “Faded” and features Epic Records recording artist Casey Veggies and Honey C of radio brand “Young California.” So authentic are her characterizations, “Faded” suggests that the Mexi-Colombian Texan was weened on Nicki Minaj and Louis Vuitton hoodies. 

The point is that Ramirez is not monovocal. She even experienced an occupational hazard from her talent for shapeshifting. Returning to school after a summer of work in Hollywood depicting certain personalities, she found classmates avoiding her for fear of the character she had played.
But that’s an anomaly. The precocious singer-turned-actress-turned-singer has garnered more than a million followers on Instagram with that popularity indicator logging 5-6k new followers per week. When the TV show is airing, her numbers jump to 8-11k, peaking at around 15k new lookers each week. 
As a child, Ramirez would stage little spectacles at home for anyone from visiting relatives to the postman. Her sister and “best friend” Savannah was right there with her, so it’s no wonder the younger Ramirez is pursuing a career in make-up and special effects.

The drive to perform started in early childhood with hometown singing competitions, landing Ramirez an agent. Thomas Richards is still with her today, along with a music team consisting of her New York indie label Tribeca Music Group and her father.

The musical influence of the Colombia-born patriarch made an impression on his household early on, Ramirez said, remembering songs by Etta James and Patsy Cline. Naturally affected by the likes of Britney Spears, Beyoncé and other pop artists of her youth, her own singular panache emerged from the mix. 
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The EP project has been a year in the making with Executive Producer DJ Carisma, on-air personality for Young California on LA’s hip hop/R&B radio Real 92.3, who was granted the title “Female DJ of the Year” at the Global Spin Awards last fall. She said of the rising star:
     
        “A lot of artists and projects get presented to me, but Cierra has         that something special that I knew my listeners would react to. We cut some great records and Cierra slayed on the vocals and shines in the video. Young California welcomes a new ‘Young Queen.’”

Pre-orders for the album started this month along with a Cierra Ramirez merchandise line featuring the pet name she uses for her fans: “BooThang.”  

But even the teaser on her website doesn’t begin to unpack the machine Ramirez is building. The high-profile network series executive produced by Jennifer Lopez is no small thang on its own. But there’s also a Lionsgate’s 2012 release of “Girl in Progress” to boast, starring Eva Mendes and Matthew Modine, for which Ramirez was awarded both the ALMA and Imagen Awards for “Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film.”

It’s hard to fathom how Ramirez has configured her calendar to act, go to school, and start a music career with known quantities. Yet there it is. Follow-up singles include performances by Atlantic Records superstar singer/rapper TyDolla$ign and young social media sensation Dylan Holland. 
The album is co-executive produced by Damon Sharpe (Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Alesso) and Clayton William (John Hart, Robin Thicke, Flo-Rida, Justin Bieber). The project is backed through a joint venture between Tribeca Music Group and music veteran Ghazi Shami of EMPIRE Records/Distribution who said he sees Ramirez going far with her gifts:

        “We’re excited to partner with Tribeca Music on Cierra’s debut EP. She’s built a tremendous brand as a successful actress, and EMPIRE is excited to help her to do the same as a recording artist. Cierra is super-talented and exactly the kind of mainstream artist that we can help take all the way.”


For Ramirez, “all the way” means more dance. She expects her videos to benefit much from the choreography of Chris Downey, and she hopes an LP and House of Blues tour are on the near horizon.
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Ambitious, assertive, professional and fearless, Ramirez rockets into orbit self-propelled. But at the end of the day, she’s that girl from Sugarland, Texas, who credits it all to the support of her family. “They sacrificed everything in order for me to live my dream.”