October 19, 2025 • 24 mins
Adriyan Rae is nominated for a Golden Joystick Award! We were honored to interview the voice behind Hazel Flood from the game South of Midnight. South of Midnight released earlier 2025, by Compulsion Games and Xbox. Joseph was more than excited to interview Adriyan, and this may be a cheap plug to go vote for her here.
Extra special thanks to the PR Machine Grace Topalian for the oportunity!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:24):
What's going on? Everybody look more here.
Gaming Nexus, the Gaming Nexus show.
Listen, I just had the opportunity of a lifetime and I
was able to interview Adrian Ray.
Now Adrian Ray is on Paramount Plus is the game, and she's on
Netflix forever, but she's also the lead voice of Hazel Flood
(00:49):
from South of Midnight. I reviewed this game and she is
now up for a Golden Joystick Award for lead actor.
Lead actor. So when this came across like my
e-mail, I had to take the opportunity.
So sit back and relax and enjoy this interview between Adrian
(01:13):
Ray, Hazel Flood from South of Midnight and myself right here
on the Gaming Nexus show. There she is hello you're you're
looking at her. She's she's right here in front
of me. You know, I I played her game.
I listened to her voice throughout the whole game and
(01:33):
now now y'all, she's in front ofme.
She's right here Look at her look at I'm I'm a step out the
front. That's her.
Ladies and gentlemen, Adrian rayis here with gaming Nexus.
Thank you for being here. Thank you.
Thank you for having. Me, I, I got, I got, I got all
(01:54):
kinds of questions, but first, can I give you your flowers?
I love flowers. Oh, OK, great.
Which I don't know about Adrian Ray is she went to College in
Philadelphia at the University of Sciences, double majoring as
the physician assistant studies and the medical laboratory
science. After finishing both the not one
(02:15):
both degrees, she became a certified medical laboratory
scientist. Yes, to this day.
Stop right stop. Then she started her acting
career probably before burning Sands, but the independent
feature Burning Sands yes. This is all of her IMDb.
(02:38):
I'm not making this up. This is all of her IMDb and then
a slew of television series. She was in Atlanta, she was in
Atlanta and she was she's also in the game of a Paramount
Paramount plus. However, the the the best part
(02:58):
for me here is that she was mentored vocally as a recording
artist by Mr. Michael Keith. Michael of 112 Yes.
What? You mean I see you looking at
me? I get up my that 112.
(03:20):
Yes. You gotta tell me about that.
You gotta tell me about that. You ain't.
You ain't even tell me about that.
OK, you know what? You're the only person who's
ever asked about Michael. The only one.
So Michael is my rock star uncle.
What's what's so funny is, you know, 112 is all this smooth R&B
and everything else. But Michael was really like this
(03:41):
edgy rock star, like as a personality.
He's so cool. And yeah, I met him because I
was, I was working with Carl Payne, Carl Payne at acting
class. And he had an opening and
Michael came there and someone was like, oh, you know, Adrian
like to sing and, and he was like, oh, for real, let me hear
you sing. And then we just start.
(04:01):
He would literally, he was like,let me put you with this person.
Let's work together. We can do this.
And and he just took me under his wing.
And to this day he's he's he's on.
That's I. And when I tell you I love
Michael and he's just so fired. He's just always been there for
me and super, super, super solid.
So you just you just walking around calling the dude from we
112 UNK and yeah, I'm sitting here with you.
(04:23):
Does that make me a cousin? Are we cousins now?
Basically. OK.
Basically, so like, you know, the 112, they got the, the
choreo. I know the choreo because I,
I've been there. Like, you know, I've met them
all. They're, they're great people,
man. We have so you you actually
have. Do you have songs out in the
wild that people can like, find and?
Hell, we're here for South of Midnight.
(04:44):
Sorry, sorry. I'm just, I'm just trying to.
We gonna find it. We gonna find the chat.
That's what we gonna do. We gonna find it.
All right, we are here to talk about South of midnight.
First of all, first of all, you were excellent like and this
this is for like you were excellent.
How does this come? How does this even come about?
(05:06):
Again, you you were in the TV shows, you're in the game
paramount plus. How does this even come about?
How do you how does this come about?
Like? How did you even get into video
games? So I remember telling because I
do a lot of different voices, like I have a great little baby
voice. I have a great like monster
voice, had a teenage voice. I can be a little boy.
I could be a kid from Rugrats. I have so many different voices
(05:28):
that I can do and I'm very animated.
And I was telling my agent, my manager, I was like, man, I want
to I want to do like Disney, I want to do voice over.
I'm going to do Nickelodeon. He was like, OK, so at the time
I was with the agency called a three who are no longer TV film
agency. They, they said, OK, we'll take
her off her voice. And I was just in my closet
(05:50):
recording stuff on my phone and I starts right?
And then I booked Acbs Drop for Star Trek and they were like,
oh, OK. And then right after that I
booked a video game and I was onChicago.
So I do these auditions in the midst of the TV show.
So like I'll go home from this and I like, I got 4 auditions to
(06:13):
record. Yeah, Who's for this Marvel
project? Who's for Gabby's dollhouse, you
know, whatever it is. And I go and I, you know, got my
equipment and I did. My audition said I booked this
video game on the last day I wasdoing Fire, the last day of
Chicago Fire. I go and I do the game, and I
(06:34):
learned a lot. They tell me what it's like to
suit up, put the stuff on me andTNT out and all those things.
But I never seen the game because it never came out.
So I never got to see the finished project.
But I learned a lot. But for this one, yeah, my
agents just submitted it. And for me it's really, really
great because most of them are just voice auditions, but I, I'm
(06:57):
so accustomed to doing self tapes for TV and film when they
have me do on camera auditions for voice overs, I'm like, yes,
so, so this one was on camera audition and I went and did that
and I, I loved it. I loved it from the name because
my great aunt, her name was Hazel and she passed two weeks
(07:17):
before I got the audition. So right.
Come on man, from North Carolina.
Come on, I said. No, come on, I was.
Like, look, Hazel was blessing you, I said.
I know. So it resonated with me from the
jump. Just and and shout out to my
agents, my agents. They they work really, really
(07:39):
hard and they got me the opportunity.
Box. Go ahead, Box.
Come on now. Hey, hey.
Come on. Box Hey, shout out the box shout
out the box. So you step into Hazel Flood
and, and, and you're going through did you play the game?
Did you play the game? I don't know how to play a game.
(08:00):
Oh, you got to play the game. So they they did you right.
I, I, I do want to say I reviewed it.
They did you right. You should you should definitely
play the game. It is not one of the it's not
it's not a hard game right. So once you get the controls,
because the, the, the way they made Hazel flood move is so
fluid that you could, you could easily, once you pick it up,
(08:22):
you're, you're, you're literallyjust playing through a story.
I can't do stuff with my arms and my eyes at the same.
Time you just did just now, juston the.
Controller. You're good.
Trust me. You got it.
Listen, if you got choreo for 1:12, you could play Hazel Flood
in South of Midnight. Stop playing, Adrian.
Stop playing. No, they they, they.
(08:45):
They did you right, man. It's just it's, it's so it's so
immersive. You are literally playing
through a story. It like it doesn't really
matter, like the actions of the game.
You are literally just sitting there watching it.
And then you control Hazel for alittle bit and then you're
watching more of a story like you, you got to play.
(09:05):
I was going to ask you, you know, how does it feel to see
your character on screen? But I'm sure you've seen it.
Like how does that how does thatfeel to know that you're now in
a video game? You're in a video game.
No, I remember when I first seenthe trailer, I cried.
I was, I was in the booth. I was doing voice over and a
mess. You want to see the trailer?
And I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
(09:26):
Show me, show me. And then I sat there.
No lie. This is my face.
Oh man, He's like he's over herebehind the.
Scenes. It's beautiful.
Because it's so, it's so different, it's so unique and
they, they just, it's so beautiful, yeah, so beautiful
(09:49):
even like down to the sounds of the the crickets and the.
Yeah. All of it just hits you and it
just submerges you and they justdid it so right.
I, I have to give props to everybody, everybody a part of
it, everybody compulsions, Xbox,everybody that touched the game,
just touched it with intention and heart and care and really
(10:12):
poured themselves into it and they just, they're phenomenal,
phenomenal. How many people do you walk
around and tell that you're in an you're in an Xbox game?
I'm Adrian Raymond. I don't tell.
You know, it's funny. My cousin, my cousin is diamond
to Shields WNBA player. I mean, and then we're like, if
(10:33):
I go to if I go to like games with her, it's about diamond,
right, Like diamond is the one and diamond diamond will be the
one to tell people. I'll just be sitting there.
She's like, you know, she actor and they'd be like, Oh, that's
cool. It's really no like she acts
like, you know. She be acting.
She's she's in there. She's the lead of South of
midnight. You should play South of
midnight. You ever play South of midnight?
Like Diamond will put me I'm I'mmore of a like.
(10:55):
Oh, OK. Yeah, like, you know what I
mean. I I don't really walk around
telling people but if I find outthat they play games I play.
You should check out this game called South of Midnight.
Just play it. I won't tell them I'm the lead,
I'll just tell them to check it out.
You think, you think I'm not telling everybody that I
interviewed you today? I'm telling everybody I'm like,
you know that girl that was in South of Midnight?
Yeah. I sat down with him because now
(11:17):
it's all good. Don't worry about it.
OK. I'm a name drop Q, You know,
like you name drop other people.You are now nominated Hazel
Flood for a Golden Joystick Award.
You are in the company of Alex Jordan from The Altars, Troy
Baker from Indiana Jones of the Gray Circle, Erika ECE of Ghost
(11:41):
the Yalta like. You are in good company.
Jennifer Inglis from Clare Obscure Expedition.
You're in good company. You are the only African
American woman for a lead. I know talk to me.
Are you like I'm freaking out for you So like that's.
(12:06):
Did you ever think that you knowagain, it's an it's an Xbox game
and you know it's out. Did you ever think that you you?
Know they told me it was great and everything.
I remember I was in the kitchen.I was doing the director's dealt
for for Xbox and I was in the kitchen and I had never met this
man before, but this man that everybody was like, you know, it
(12:27):
seemed like they were giving hima certain energy, like he was
really important. He walks up to me and he's like,
you're doing a great job, just so you know.
Yeah, yeah, People, people love it.
Everyone loves it. And I was like, oh, thanks.
And then I was like, who was that?
And he was like, oh, that's the owner of Xbox.
(12:49):
Oh, hi. I I knew that the game was
phenomenal. I knew that we poured our hearts
into it. I knew that it was meticulous in
the efforts and the nuances and the authenticity.
I knew that Ahmed is a genius and led me in the like let
everyone and was just with so much heart and so much
(13:11):
experience. I knew that Compulsions really
wanted to make sure it was authentic.
I knew that the writers were standing on business and they
uplifted every scene with beautiful writing that was
balanced and made sense, and they were open to collaboration.
I knew all these things. However, I'm new to the gaming
world in that way, so I didn't, I didn't really know the the
(13:35):
magnitude of what a game can getto.
Yeah, right. So I I I had no idea, but not
because I didn't think it was amazing, just because I was
naive to what it could possibly be.
What? Yeah.
So when I got that nomination, because they asked me to present
(13:56):
and I was like, oh, man, they want me to present.
Yeah. I was like, sure, you don't go
to London and present. That's awesome.
And then, like, I want to say a week or so later, they were
like, just kidding, you're nominated.
And I was like, shut the front door and the back one.
Are you serious? Those are.
Both. Both of.
Them both. I, I was, I was floored and
(14:19):
just, I'm so, so incredibly honored and, and appreciative to
be nominated. I mean, even if I didn't win, I
would be just stoked to for this, for this moment right
here. But because it is nominated, I
would love for us to win. So people should go vote.
(14:39):
Hey y'all, y'all need to go vote.
GO voting is open till October 31st.
October 31st. That's Halloween.
So before you go trick or treating, go on, go vote and we
go vote for your girl. Adrian Rey, best soundtrack and
best lead performer. So vote twice.
You can do that. You're allowed.
You can vote every day if you'd like.
(14:59):
That's what I'm doing. I'm not even biased.
I'm just going to do it. I'm just going to do it, you
know what I mean? Because we cousins, I got to
vote for my cousin, you know? But yeah, I, I, I'm happy to be
nominated because it shows progress.
This, the gaming space, for me to be the only black female lead
(15:21):
that's nominated is both wonderful and alarming.
You know, it shows that there's progress, but also a lack of
representation. So the The thing is, the more
that we spread the word, the more that we push forward, the
more that we have progress, the more representation, inclusion,
diversity and community we buildin the gaming space.
(15:42):
And it's wonderful that this progress is happening, but I
think that it's very important that we continue to make said
progress. Yeah, and it it also shows that,
you know, you, you guys think these opportunities aren't out
there for us. It they are, right?
They they definitely are. You know, they may be few and
far between, but they out there.But they out there, oh, as
(16:03):
creatives, I know that there arepeople who want to make more
games that have black female leads.
I know that it's probably a bit more challenging for them
perhaps. I know that maybe they're
getting told no, or it's not possible, or nobody wants to see
that, or so on and so forth. But break the doors down and the
ceiling open. Continue to work, continue to
try, because you can do it. Come on now.
(16:25):
Come on now. See.
Where where your art is so necessary and so needed.
So please don't stop. Y'all, y'all heard what you
said, y'all heard what you said.And and this is the this is the
I mean even like like again, notto even blow you up, even your
like your quips in the game, like even your like little like
(16:51):
you're you're you got to you gotto play it.
You have to play it. You.
You did. I mean, I'm sure.
Listen, I mean, I've recorded everything, even from her.
Hand every single thing, ain't no AI y'all.
That's me. She did it.
This is her. This is her just.
Getting on her nerves. The shit sprinkler, all of that
(17:12):
the. Shit sprinkler.
I like that pig, all of those things.
I did you do? Water.
I did. Them yes, that's all you and I I
was I was dying. I was dying my God.
Oh, so when is the awards? November 20th.
(17:37):
November 20th. You have till October 31st to
vote. You can vote for best soundtrack
and best lead Best lead actor Adrian Ray.
Adrian, tell us three quick fun things that we don't know about
you. Besides, she can do all the
(17:58):
choreography for 1:12 and that she's cousins with an NBAWNBA
superstar. Oh, go ahead.
What? That's two.
Give me one more because like. I mean quick fun things.
Just a just a just one more quick fun thing because the I
think the I think the 112 is going to set everybody off, at
(18:18):
least in my demographic at. Least in my demographic.
Yeah, you know. Man, my grandfather is the shirt
first black sheriff of PG Countyand he's the one who stopped the
sniper, the DC sniper. Why I'm putting that in your
IMDb right now. Did you put?
(18:39):
Yeah. OK, cool.
I'm putting that on. I'm putting that on your
Wikipedia. You can edit Wikipedia.
It was still there. My grandfather is in the African
American Museum History Museum in DC.
I'm putting that in you. Yeah, putting.
That in your Wikipedia too. See, that's a good, that's a
good fun fact. And I'm like I.
Was I was. Between that and the fact that I
(18:59):
could spin my arm all the way around, 'cause I'm double
jointed, but I was. Like now, now we need to see, do
we need to see that Grace probably doesn't want to see
that nobody wants don't let's move on, 'cause I don't.
Just keep going. No, Just yeah.
Just don't ruin this for me, allright?
Like no. And what does the future hold
(19:21):
for Adrian Ray? What's next?
What's next? I have another game coming out.
Oh, is this exclusive? Am I getting an exclusive right
now? I can't tell you yet.
I can't tell you yet. Let me tell.
Me enough. Let me tell you, Nope, I didn't
get the word, but I have anothergame coming out that I'm in.
(19:43):
I'm not the lead, but man, this game's good.
OK. Yeah, it's a good game.
I have that coming out. I have more TV films coming out.
Forever Season 2. Watch Forever y'all Forever.
Now. Oh yeah, I forgot about forever.
(20:05):
Yeah, forever. That's not bad.
That's on me. That's bad journalism.
It's from me. I had so many other things
spoke. To what resonated with you the
most. And that's OK.
That's OK. We leave.
With pooping, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
That's not what we're here to do.
We are here to talk about. Every time I got your back
(20:26):
vocals OK? Hey, hey you.
I'm knowing I need to stop. I need to stop.
This is not what. This is not what we're here for.
We can do a concert. We go.
You know what? We I'm gonna fly you in a
Columbus, OH, we're going to do a 112 concert.
That's what we're going to do to.
Live in Ohio for a moment. You what?
(20:47):
I lived in Ohio for a moment where starts with a S?
It's by the Cleveland Browns stadium.
What's the name of it? Help me.
I don't know. It starts with a S very small.
It's like. You better not be.
No, it's because I don't see you.
Now I'm embarrassing myself. Grace edit all this out Salem.
(21:13):
You said what? Not Salem.
No, it's a different place. Strongsville.
There it is. Strongsville, Yeah.
Strongsville. How long were you here in
Strongsville? For like 4 or five months.
OK, I didn't know it. Didn't really, but it counts
because it was the winter time so.
I oh, then it definitely counts.Oh, you was in Cleveland in the
winter? Yes.
(21:34):
No, it definitely that definitely counts.
In the winter, rooting for the Browns, babe.
I am so sorry. Yeah, still rooting for the
Browns. No, I've always been.
I was only rooting for them to be nice, but I'm always a Eagles
fan. I believe.
Green Goberts. Come on now, Goberts.
Come on now, Jalen Hurts. I'm a San Francisco 49ers fan,
so. Oh, bless your heart.
(21:54):
Well, at least you're not a Browns fan.
That's true. That is definitely true.
That is definitely true. Adrian I.
Know I know you already. You're a good, you're a good
guy. Listen, we're best friends now.
Forever. We're we're cousins for forever.
You see what she did there? She said she's got a cheap plug.
You know, she just dropped it there.
All right? We know the game.
(22:16):
And if we ever meet, it'll be probably sometime around South
of Midnight. I'm just kidding.
Thank you so much for doing thiswith me.
South of Midnight is obviously out.
It's available on Game Pass. So it's been out for for a while
now. Go check her out in the game on
(22:37):
Paramount Plus forever. Or is that on Netflix?
That's on Netflix. Netflix.
Forever on Netflix and then lookout for her other game and then
go vote for South of Midnight for best soundtrack and vote for
best Lead actor. Yes, Adrian Ray, you can't miss
her. No.
Is she? Right here you.
(22:59):
Can't miss her. Look at that face.
Look at that face. Give him, give him some.
Serve it, get it, work it. Yes, yes.
Oh God, thank you so much pleasure.
I don't want to take any more ofyour time 'cause we'll just be
sitting here talking about 1:12.I understand, that's what we do.
Text me later 'cause I'll tell you about it.
(23:21):
I'm texting you right now. All right.
Hope you got that text. I appreciate you, Adrian.
Thank you so much. Thank.
(23:46):
You. That was so fun, you guys.
Adrian, we best friends now. Like.
I This is like too much fun. It doesn't feel like work.
My boss gonna get mad. He thinks like you don't look.
Stressed enough, Grace.
What's going on? Everybody look more here.
Gaming Nexus, the Gaming Nexus show.
Listen, I just had the opportunity of a lifetime and I
was able to interview Adrian Ray.
Now Adrian Ray is on Paramount Plus is the game, and she's on
Netflix forever, but she's also the lead voice of Hazel Flood
(00:49):
from South of Midnight. I reviewed this game and she is
now up for a Golden Joystick Award for lead actor.
Lead actor. So when this came across like my
e-mail, I had to take the opportunity.
So sit back and relax and enjoy this interview between Adrian
(01:13):
Ray, Hazel Flood from South of Midnight and myself right here
on the Gaming Nexus show. There she is hello you're you're
looking at her. She's she's right here in front
of me. You know, I I played her game.
I listened to her voice throughout the whole game and
(01:33):
now now y'all, she's in front ofme.
She's right here Look at her look at I'm I'm a step out the
front. That's her.
Ladies and gentlemen, Adrian rayis here with gaming Nexus.
Thank you for being here. Thank you.
Thank you for having. Me, I, I got, I got, I got all
(01:54):
kinds of questions, but first, can I give you your flowers?
I love flowers. Oh, OK, great.
Which I don't know about Adrian Ray is she went to College in
Philadelphia at the University of Sciences, double majoring as
the physician assistant studies and the medical laboratory
science. After finishing both the not one
(02:15):
both degrees, she became a certified medical laboratory
scientist. Yes, to this day.
Stop right stop. Then she started her acting
career probably before burning Sands, but the independent
feature Burning Sands yes. This is all of her IMDb.
(02:38):
I'm not making this up. This is all of her IMDb and then
a slew of television series. She was in Atlanta, she was in
Atlanta and she was she's also in the game of a Paramount
Paramount plus. However, the the the best part
(02:58):
for me here is that she was mentored vocally as a recording
artist by Mr. Michael Keith. Michael of 112 Yes.
What? You mean I see you looking at
me? I get up my that 112.
(03:20):
Yes. You gotta tell me about that.
You gotta tell me about that. You ain't.
You ain't even tell me about that.
OK, you know what? You're the only person who's
ever asked about Michael. The only one.
So Michael is my rock star uncle.
What's what's so funny is, you know, 112 is all this smooth R&B
and everything else. But Michael was really like this
(03:41):
edgy rock star, like as a personality.
He's so cool. And yeah, I met him because I
was, I was working with Carl Payne, Carl Payne at acting
class. And he had an opening and
Michael came there and someone was like, oh, you know, Adrian
like to sing and, and he was like, oh, for real, let me hear
you sing. And then we just start.
(04:01):
He would literally, he was like,let me put you with this person.
Let's work together. We can do this.
And and he just took me under his wing.
And to this day he's he's he's on.
That's I. And when I tell you I love
Michael and he's just so fired. He's just always been there for
me and super, super, super solid.
So you just you just walking around calling the dude from we
112 UNK and yeah, I'm sitting here with you.
(04:23):
Does that make me a cousin? Are we cousins now?
Basically. OK.
Basically, so like, you know, the 112, they got the, the
choreo. I know the choreo because I,
I've been there. Like, you know, I've met them
all. They're, they're great people,
man. We have so you you actually
have. Do you have songs out in the
wild that people can like, find and?
Hell, we're here for South of Midnight.
(04:44):
Sorry, sorry. I'm just, I'm just trying to.
We gonna find it. We gonna find the chat.
That's what we gonna do. We gonna find it.
All right, we are here to talk about South of midnight.
First of all, first of all, you were excellent like and this
this is for like you were excellent.
How does this come? How does this even come about?
(05:06):
Again, you you were in the TV shows, you're in the game
paramount plus. How does this even come about?
How do you how does this come about?
Like? How did you even get into video
games? So I remember telling because I
do a lot of different voices, like I have a great little baby
voice. I have a great like monster
voice, had a teenage voice. I can be a little boy.
I could be a kid from Rugrats. I have so many different voices
(05:28):
that I can do and I'm very animated.
And I was telling my agent, my manager, I was like, man, I want
to I want to do like Disney, I want to do voice over.
I'm going to do Nickelodeon. He was like, OK, so at the time
I was with the agency called a three who are no longer TV film
agency. They, they said, OK, we'll take
her off her voice. And I was just in my closet
(05:50):
recording stuff on my phone and I starts right?
And then I booked Acbs Drop for Star Trek and they were like,
oh, OK. And then right after that I
booked a video game and I was onChicago.
So I do these auditions in the midst of the TV show.
So like I'll go home from this and I like, I got 4 auditions to
(06:13):
record. Yeah, Who's for this Marvel
project? Who's for Gabby's dollhouse, you
know, whatever it is. And I go and I, you know, got my
equipment and I did. My audition said I booked this
video game on the last day I wasdoing Fire, the last day of
Chicago Fire. I go and I do the game, and I
(06:34):
learned a lot. They tell me what it's like to
suit up, put the stuff on me andTNT out and all those things.
But I never seen the game because it never came out.
So I never got to see the finished project.
But I learned a lot. But for this one, yeah, my
agents just submitted it. And for me it's really, really
great because most of them are just voice auditions, but I, I'm
(06:57):
so accustomed to doing self tapes for TV and film when they
have me do on camera auditions for voice overs, I'm like, yes,
so, so this one was on camera audition and I went and did that
and I, I loved it. I loved it from the name because
my great aunt, her name was Hazel and she passed two weeks
(07:17):
before I got the audition. So right.
Come on man, from North Carolina.
Come on, I said. No, come on, I was.
Like, look, Hazel was blessing you, I said.
I know. So it resonated with me from the
jump. Just and and shout out to my
agents, my agents. They they work really, really
(07:39):
hard and they got me the opportunity.
Box. Go ahead, Box.
Come on now. Hey, hey.
Come on. Box Hey, shout out the box shout
out the box. So you step into Hazel Flood
and, and, and you're going through did you play the game?
Did you play the game? I don't know how to play a game.
(08:00):
Oh, you got to play the game. So they they did you right.
I, I, I do want to say I reviewed it.
They did you right. You should you should definitely
play the game. It is not one of the it's not
it's not a hard game right. So once you get the controls,
because the, the, the way they made Hazel flood move is so
fluid that you could, you could easily, once you pick it up,
(08:22):
you're, you're, you're literallyjust playing through a story.
I can't do stuff with my arms and my eyes at the same.
Time you just did just now, juston the.
Controller. You're good.
Trust me. You got it.
Listen, if you got choreo for 1:12, you could play Hazel Flood
in South of Midnight. Stop playing, Adrian.
Stop playing. No, they they, they.
(08:45):
They did you right, man. It's just it's, it's so it's so
immersive. You are literally playing
through a story. It like it doesn't really
matter, like the actions of the game.
You are literally just sitting there watching it.
And then you control Hazel for alittle bit and then you're
watching more of a story like you, you got to play.
(09:05):
I was going to ask you, you know, how does it feel to see
your character on screen? But I'm sure you've seen it.
Like how does that how does thatfeel to know that you're now in
a video game? You're in a video game.
No, I remember when I first seenthe trailer, I cried.
I was, I was in the booth. I was doing voice over and a
mess. You want to see the trailer?
And I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
(09:26):
Show me, show me. And then I sat there.
No lie. This is my face.
Oh man, He's like he's over herebehind the.
Scenes. It's beautiful.
Because it's so, it's so different, it's so unique and
they, they just, it's so beautiful, yeah, so beautiful
(09:49):
even like down to the sounds of the the crickets and the.
Yeah. All of it just hits you and it
just submerges you and they justdid it so right.
I, I have to give props to everybody, everybody a part of
it, everybody compulsions, Xbox,everybody that touched the game,
just touched it with intention and heart and care and really
(10:12):
poured themselves into it and they just, they're phenomenal,
phenomenal. How many people do you walk
around and tell that you're in an you're in an Xbox game?
I'm Adrian Raymond. I don't tell.
You know, it's funny. My cousin, my cousin is diamond
to Shields WNBA player. I mean, and then we're like, if
(10:33):
I go to if I go to like games with her, it's about diamond,
right, Like diamond is the one and diamond diamond will be the
one to tell people. I'll just be sitting there.
She's like, you know, she actor and they'd be like, Oh, that's
cool. It's really no like she acts
like, you know. She be acting.
She's she's in there. She's the lead of South of
midnight. You should play South of
midnight. You ever play South of midnight?
Like Diamond will put me I'm I'mmore of a like.
(10:55):
Oh, OK. Yeah, like, you know what I
mean. I I don't really walk around
telling people but if I find outthat they play games I play.
You should check out this game called South of Midnight.
Just play it. I won't tell them I'm the lead,
I'll just tell them to check it out.
You think, you think I'm not telling everybody that I
interviewed you today? I'm telling everybody I'm like,
you know that girl that was in South of Midnight?
Yeah. I sat down with him because now
(11:17):
it's all good. Don't worry about it.
OK. I'm a name drop Q, You know,
like you name drop other people.You are now nominated Hazel
Flood for a Golden Joystick Award.
You are in the company of Alex Jordan from The Altars, Troy
Baker from Indiana Jones of the Gray Circle, Erika ECE of Ghost
(11:41):
the Yalta like. You are in good company.
Jennifer Inglis from Clare Obscure Expedition.
You're in good company. You are the only African
American woman for a lead. I know talk to me.
Are you like I'm freaking out for you So like that's.
(12:06):
Did you ever think that you knowagain, it's an it's an Xbox game
and you know it's out. Did you ever think that you you?
Know they told me it was great and everything.
I remember I was in the kitchen.I was doing the director's dealt
for for Xbox and I was in the kitchen and I had never met this
man before, but this man that everybody was like, you know, it
(12:27):
seemed like they were giving hima certain energy, like he was
really important. He walks up to me and he's like,
you're doing a great job, just so you know.
Yeah, yeah, People, people love it.
Everyone loves it. And I was like, oh, thanks.
And then I was like, who was that?
And he was like, oh, that's the owner of Xbox.
(12:49):
Oh, hi. I I knew that the game was
phenomenal. I knew that we poured our hearts
into it. I knew that it was meticulous in
the efforts and the nuances and the authenticity.
I knew that Ahmed is a genius and led me in the like let
everyone and was just with so much heart and so much
(13:11):
experience. I knew that Compulsions really
wanted to make sure it was authentic.
I knew that the writers were standing on business and they
uplifted every scene with beautiful writing that was
balanced and made sense, and they were open to collaboration.
I knew all these things. However, I'm new to the gaming
world in that way, so I didn't, I didn't really know the the
(13:35):
magnitude of what a game can getto.
Yeah, right. So I I I had no idea, but not
because I didn't think it was amazing, just because I was
naive to what it could possibly be.
What? Yeah.
So when I got that nomination, because they asked me to present
(13:56):
and I was like, oh, man, they want me to present.
Yeah. I was like, sure, you don't go
to London and present. That's awesome.
And then, like, I want to say a week or so later, they were
like, just kidding, you're nominated.
And I was like, shut the front door and the back one.
Are you serious? Those are.
Both. Both of.
Them both. I, I was, I was floored and
(14:19):
just, I'm so, so incredibly honored and, and appreciative to
be nominated. I mean, even if I didn't win, I
would be just stoked to for this, for this moment right
here. But because it is nominated, I
would love for us to win. So people should go vote.
(14:39):
Hey y'all, y'all need to go vote.
GO voting is open till October 31st.
October 31st. That's Halloween.
So before you go trick or treating, go on, go vote and we
go vote for your girl. Adrian Rey, best soundtrack and
best lead performer. So vote twice.
You can do that. You're allowed.
You can vote every day if you'd like.
(14:59):
That's what I'm doing. I'm not even biased.
I'm just going to do it. I'm just going to do it, you
know what I mean? Because we cousins, I got to
vote for my cousin, you know? But yeah, I, I, I'm happy to be
nominated because it shows progress.
This, the gaming space, for me to be the only black female lead
(15:21):
that's nominated is both wonderful and alarming.
You know, it shows that there's progress, but also a lack of
representation. So the The thing is, the more
that we spread the word, the more that we push forward, the
more that we have progress, the more representation, inclusion,
diversity and community we buildin the gaming space.
(15:42):
And it's wonderful that this progress is happening, but I
think that it's very important that we continue to make said
progress. Yeah, and it it also shows that,
you know, you, you guys think these opportunities aren't out
there for us. It they are, right?
They they definitely are. You know, they may be few and
far between, but they out there.But they out there, oh, as
(16:03):
creatives, I know that there arepeople who want to make more
games that have black female leads.
I know that it's probably a bit more challenging for them
perhaps. I know that maybe they're
getting told no, or it's not possible, or nobody wants to see
that, or so on and so forth. But break the doors down and the
ceiling open. Continue to work, continue to
try, because you can do it. Come on now.
(16:25):
Come on now. See.
Where where your art is so necessary and so needed.
So please don't stop. Y'all, y'all heard what you
said, y'all heard what you said.And and this is the this is the
I mean even like like again, notto even blow you up, even your
like your quips in the game, like even your like little like
(16:51):
you're you're you got to you gotto play it.
You have to play it. You.
You did. I mean, I'm sure.
Listen, I mean, I've recorded everything, even from her.
Hand every single thing, ain't no AI y'all.
That's me. She did it.
This is her. This is her just.
Getting on her nerves. The shit sprinkler, all of that
(17:12):
the. Shit sprinkler.
I like that pig, all of those things.
I did you do? Water.
I did. Them yes, that's all you and I I
was I was dying. I was dying my God.
Oh, so when is the awards? November 20th.
(17:37):
November 20th. You have till October 31st to
vote. You can vote for best soundtrack
and best lead Best lead actor Adrian Ray.
Adrian, tell us three quick fun things that we don't know about
you. Besides, she can do all the
(17:58):
choreography for 1:12 and that she's cousins with an NBAWNBA
superstar. Oh, go ahead.
What? That's two.
Give me one more because like. I mean quick fun things.
Just a just a just one more quick fun thing because the I
think the I think the 112 is going to set everybody off, at
(18:18):
least in my demographic at. Least in my demographic.
Yeah, you know. Man, my grandfather is the shirt
first black sheriff of PG Countyand he's the one who stopped the
sniper, the DC sniper. Why I'm putting that in your
IMDb right now. Did you put?
(18:39):
Yeah. OK, cool.
I'm putting that on. I'm putting that on your
Wikipedia. You can edit Wikipedia.
It was still there. My grandfather is in the African
American Museum History Museum in DC.
I'm putting that in you. Yeah, putting.
That in your Wikipedia too. See, that's a good, that's a
good fun fact. And I'm like I.
Was I was. Between that and the fact that I
(18:59):
could spin my arm all the way around, 'cause I'm double
jointed, but I was. Like now, now we need to see, do
we need to see that Grace probably doesn't want to see
that nobody wants don't let's move on, 'cause I don't.
Just keep going. No, Just yeah.
Just don't ruin this for me, allright?
Like no. And what does the future hold
(19:21):
for Adrian Ray? What's next?
What's next? I have another game coming out.
Oh, is this exclusive? Am I getting an exclusive right
now? I can't tell you yet.
I can't tell you yet. Let me tell.
Me enough. Let me tell you, Nope, I didn't
get the word, but I have anothergame coming out that I'm in.
(19:43):
I'm not the lead, but man, this game's good.
OK. Yeah, it's a good game.
I have that coming out. I have more TV films coming out.
Forever Season 2. Watch Forever y'all Forever.
Now. Oh yeah, I forgot about forever.
(20:05):
Yeah, forever. That's not bad.
That's on me. That's bad journalism.
It's from me. I had so many other things
spoke. To what resonated with you the
most. And that's OK.
That's OK. We leave.
With pooping, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
That's not what we're here to do.
We are here to talk about. Every time I got your back
(20:26):
vocals OK? Hey, hey you.
I'm knowing I need to stop. I need to stop.
This is not what. This is not what we're here for.
We can do a concert. We go.
You know what? We I'm gonna fly you in a
Columbus, OH, we're going to do a 112 concert.
That's what we're going to do to.
Live in Ohio for a moment. You what?
(20:47):
I lived in Ohio for a moment where starts with a S?
It's by the Cleveland Browns stadium.
What's the name of it? Help me.
I don't know. It starts with a S very small.
It's like. You better not be.
No, it's because I don't see you.
Now I'm embarrassing myself. Grace edit all this out Salem.
(21:13):
You said what? Not Salem.
No, it's a different place. Strongsville.
There it is. Strongsville, Yeah.
Strongsville. How long were you here in
Strongsville? For like 4 or five months.
OK, I didn't know it. Didn't really, but it counts
because it was the winter time so.
I oh, then it definitely counts.Oh, you was in Cleveland in the
winter? Yes.
(21:34):
No, it definitely that definitely counts.
In the winter, rooting for the Browns, babe.
I am so sorry. Yeah, still rooting for the
Browns. No, I've always been.
I was only rooting for them to be nice, but I'm always a Eagles
fan. I believe.
Green Goberts. Come on now, Goberts.
Come on now, Jalen Hurts. I'm a San Francisco 49ers fan,
so. Oh, bless your heart.
(21:54):
Well, at least you're not a Browns fan.
That's true. That is definitely true.
That is definitely true. Adrian I.
Know I know you already. You're a good, you're a good
guy. Listen, we're best friends now.
Forever. We're we're cousins for forever.
You see what she did there? She said she's got a cheap plug.
You know, she just dropped it there.
All right? We know the game.
(22:16):
And if we ever meet, it'll be probably sometime around South
of Midnight. I'm just kidding.
Thank you so much for doing thiswith me.
South of Midnight is obviously out.
It's available on Game Pass. So it's been out for for a while
now. Go check her out in the game on
(22:37):
Paramount Plus forever. Or is that on Netflix?
That's on Netflix. Netflix.
Forever on Netflix and then lookout for her other game and then
go vote for South of Midnight for best soundtrack and vote for
best Lead actor. Yes, Adrian Ray, you can't miss
her. No.
Is she? Right here you.
(22:59):
Can't miss her. Look at that face.
Look at that face. Give him, give him some.
Serve it, get it, work it. Yes, yes.
Oh God, thank you so much pleasure.
I don't want to take any more ofyour time 'cause we'll just be
sitting here talking about 1:12.I understand, that's what we do.
Text me later 'cause I'll tell you about it.
(23:21):
I'm texting you right now. All right.
Hope you got that text. I appreciate you, Adrian.
Thank you so much. Thank.
(23:46):
You. That was so fun, you guys.
Adrian, we best friends now. Like.
I This is like too much fun. It doesn't feel like work.
My boss gonna get mad. He thinks like you don't look.
Stressed enough, Grace.
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