We had the good fortune of connecting with Alfred Vines and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alfred, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I grew up in a very controlled environment. My parents did everything in their power to make sure I was safe and that I had stability. Part of them providing that stability for me meant they didn’t take a lot of risks. Everything was right in the pocket and very well contained. While I do appreciate the safety and comfort I felt growing up, I also became a person that didn’t take risks. I in fact feared doing things that were out of the ordinary because I didn’t feel comfortable with the unknown. I wanted to be able to control the results and controlled what happened in my life as much as possible. The older I got the more I realized even with the uncertainty, there can be great reward on the other side of risk. My senior year of high school was probably when I took my first big risk. I was looking at colleges and decided there was only one school I really wanted to go to, so it was the only one I applied to. I was in the top ten percent of my graduating class, so I didn’t anticipate not being accepted, but I also had no idea what would happen if I didn’t get in. The thought of having to take a year off frightened me because I thought if I stayed away from school that long I wouldn’t want to go to college at all. For me it was a huge leap, but I wanted to know what it felt like to be calm in uncertainty. It was not easy. The couple of months it took from the time I applied to the time I got accepted was the most nervous I had ever felt in my entire life, but it was also exhilarating. I would go from feeling pride in the fact that I had done something I didn’t normally do to immense fear that I had no idea what was going to happen. I had good grades but what if my S.A.T. and A.C.T scores weren’t high enough? What if my application wasn’t good enough? That experience helped me deal with my fear of taking risks. I admit I still have to work through some hesitation when it comes to doing things that involve an outcome I can’t control, but I have had some fantastic and rewarding experiences from choosing to leap into the unknown.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
One of the things about me is that I’ve never really felt comfortable in putting one name to what I do. I’m truly an artist and a creative. I act. I sing. I’m a spoken word artist. I’m a writer. I love being very specific about each and every one of the things I do. I think this has helped me in the fact that those familiar with me as an artist know I’m multitalented. It also gives me multiple avenues to become successful. The tricky part of it is that I can sometimes be labeled as only one of the things that I do. I’ve been doing spoken word for so long that in some respects it’s the only thing some people know me for, but I’m learning that I need to tap even more into the other talents I have. I’ve done several stage plays over the last 5 years. I’ve done stand up comedy. I’ve done voiceover work. Being a brand is extremely important in the path to success in entertainment these days. For me, it’s important that people know my is brand everything I do. My brand is being good at more than just one thing. My brand is about connecting people to my art more than it is just one of the things I do. Along the way I’ve learned to never limit myself. I’ve learned to take risks. I’ve learned to not get stuck in comparing myself to other artists. Most importantly for me, I’ve learned to keep going, even when it seems like people aren’t listening or paying attention. It can be very discouraging when it feels like you aren’t getting a response to your creativity, but what I’ve seen is you keep going because someone is paying attention. Even if it’s just one person.

Fun fact. I’m also a licensed Community Association Manager!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Having been born and raised in Atlanta I consider myself an expert on all things Atlanta, known and unknown. Here’s what me and my best friend would do for the week pending a Sunday afternoon arrival.

Sunday- So the plan would be for my best friend to arrive early enough on Sunday for brunch at Thumbs UP Cafe on Edgewood. It’s always been one of my favorite places to eat. The food is amazing and the environment is fun and upbeat. After eating we’d get to the house so my friend can unpack and get settled. We’d probably get in a nap as well. When we wake up, we’d take a tour. One of my weird quirks is that I know where several celebrities live. So we’d start on the northside in the area I currently live and make our way south to the camp creek area stopping by celebrity houses such as Mariah Carey’s former Atlanta home, Steve Harvey, Real Housewife Phaedra Parks, and Dikembe Mutumbo to name a few. Dinner would be at the crib. I cook a mean Hassleback Chicken.

Monday- The best friend would have the day to chill out while I work. We’d do dinner at Taco Mac in midtown. I’ve been going there for years. It’s my cheers spot. Food and drinks, then home to sleep!

Tuesday Lunch at Kaleidoscope in Brookhaven. It’s another favorite spot and they have some of my favorite specialty drinks. It’s also close to my job.

Wednesday Free day for the best fried to do their thing. Dinner that night would be at my all time favorite restaurant, Carol Street Cafe. This is by far the best place in the city to eat. I love their food, and we’d definitely sit outside. They have tables set up in the sidewalk outside. It’s one of the coolest vibes in the city. Thursday I’d take off work this day and Friday.

Thursday afternoon (yes afternoon because we’re sleeping in) we’d go to Top Golf for food and drinks. Oh and golf. Thursday night we’d go to Urban Grind Coffeehouse for Spoken Word open mic. I’d definitely perform!

Friday Late Friday morning we’d head over to the coffeehouse at The Walton On the Chattahoochee Apartments. This coffee shop is right on the Chattahoochee River. It’s a great place to sit and and relax and do best friend catch up. After breakfast we’d head over to the East Indian Trial which is right across the river from the coffee shop. The trail we’d take will lead us to an observation deck, then down to the bamboo forest on the Chattahoochee. Then where the forest ends we’d climb the rocks up to a spot at the top of a hill where you can sit and look out at the river. Then it’s home to nap, change, and head to Peter Street where we’d do a bar crawl to all the bars in that area.

Saturday I love to host people at my place, so I’d plan for a small group of friends to come over to the house and we’d spend the day at the house enjoying each other’s company Best friend would leave early on Sunday to get home and relax before work on Monday.


Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mother is the reason I have become who I am. She has always pushed me be the best version of myself. From as young as I can remember, my mother would tell me that I’m a wonderful person. She never wavered in telling me this. Even when we weren’t having our best moment as mother and son, she would still choose to encourage me by literally saying those words. Hearing that pushed me to be great, even in the times when I didn’t believe her. My mother has always told me that I could do anything I want and be anyone I wanted to be. Life can be difficult and challenging at times, and I can get very discouraged, but when I do feel like I’m incapable, I go back to hearing my mother encourage me and push me. I admire my mother’s strength, faith, and perseverance, and looking to that when I’m feeling discouraged has taken me a long way in accomplishing a lot of the things I’ve been able to accomplish in my life.

Instagram: theenfared

Twitter: theenfared

Image Credits
Cranium Art John James

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlana is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.