Coco Jones is a baddie — in all ways. And the southern-bred triple threat doesn’t mince words when it comes to her undeniable talent, hard work, and drive…or the obstacles she faced. After landing a co-starring role in Disney’s hit flick Let It Shine (2012) and landing a record deal, Jones, then a teen, was ready to be the next thing — but everything came to halt. The silence and delayed deals were heartbreaking, not to mention questionable, so in September 2020 Jones took to YouTube to speak about her challenges. The truth? Her access to opportunities had been clipped, despite proven talent and success, and colorism may have played a factor. Jones let listeners do the math but kept grinding — well, pulverizing seems more apropos now. Today, the actress-singer-dancer co-stars in Peacock’s hit series, Bel Air, where she’s giving all things Black American Princess, and she released a new EP ‘What I Didn’t Tell You” earlier this year.
Jones came to EBONY to share how breaking the rules led to her breakthrough.
Coco Jones. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
“I want to tell the story of timing. The journey is going to be as long as it needs to be to make you who you need to be.”
-Coco Jones
In celebration of Women’s History Month, EBONY is highlighting a curated list of dynamic, badass women who are breaking boundaries — loudly and with pride. In Women Who Rule Break, a series of personal video essays, Black women share how they carved their own lanes, healed from disappointment and trauma, and found success while pursuing their passion by breaking the rules.
“I hope in history I can make more doors stay open instead of always having to break them down,” she tells EBONY. “I want to tell the story of timing. The journey is going to be as long as it needs to be to make you who you need to be, but in the meantime have more fun.” Finding joy amid struggle isn’t a new concept, but few careers offer the front row, seatbelt-less rollercoaster ride faced by those in the entertainment industry. In order to thrive, Jones had to navigate extreme highs and lows. “Being confident in this industry is a job within itself because that rejection can make you feel all types of crazy and uncertain. A job should not be able to determine my confidence,” she adds.
Coco Jones. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
While Jones aspires to shift the industry narrative, she also realized she had to start with her own. That meant creating radically progressive rituals of self-love, a personal life that centered around family and day-ones and challenging the status quo when it comes to creativity. “I determine my confidence by doing my self-work and having people who love me around me and speaking highly to myself. That is the real key. When I did notice things shifting, I was speaking these things to myself, that I deserve great things,” she says.
“You don’t come to my show to just be sad over a boy. We may have a moment, we might pitstop there, but we don’t resonate there because that’s just not productive.”
-Coco Jones
The actress isn’t content keeping that kind of sauce to herself. She’s serving it while working on her other creative outlets, especially when she’s in the studio. “I think the message that I want to share with my music is self-love. I think, especially in R&B, it’s a lot about losing love but I want to talk about having it from the inside,” she says. “You don’t come to my show to just be sad over a boy. We may have a moment, we might pitstop there, but we don’t resonate there because that’s just not productive. I want to instill self-love, positivity, and high standards.”
Watch the latest episode of Women Who Rule Break featuring Coco Jones here and check out more episodes of the series throughout March.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS
PHOTO DIRECTOR / PHOTOGRAPHER KEITH MAJOR
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER TRACEY WOODS
MAKEUP ARTIST SHADARA HOLMES (TOUCH-UPS)
HAIR STYLIST RICHARD GRANT (TOUCH-UPS)
PROPS WALTER BARNETT, ATTILA SZKUKLIK
PHOTO ASSISTANT DANTE TALANO
VIDEO CREDITS
HEAD OF VIDEO / ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR STEVEN CORNELIO
DIRECTOR BOIMA ANDERSON
PRODUCER KIARA THOMAS, PABLO FLORES PEREZ
DP JOANNA
ART DIRECTOR KENDAL
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS ANGEL DUNEZ, DALLAS, MARC CORTES, VIVID
KEY GRIP KALIEGH SCHOEN
SOUND & BOOM ARTIST DAVE POLO
CREATIVE PRODUCER SABINE QUETANT
