Urban Grandstand Digital Issue 6 | Page 6

Sara Stokes

The Grande Re-Entry

by James Johnson

When we first met Sara Stokes more than a decade ago, she seemed to be headed for superstardom. Literally popped into a group of 6, she had the amazing opportunity of touring the world as a member of Bad Boy's Da Band. It actually began as a competition in which thousands were auditioning for a chance to be signed to the recording label. Obviously, looking for an opportunity to follow her dreams of singing and entertaining, Stokes went all in. Despite the rigors of an intense competition, mixed with a tremendous amount of hard work and disappointments along the way, the end-result was just what she asked for. Together, Da Band released 2003's "Too Hot for TV", which sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide upon it's release. Unfortunatelty, the classic tales of industry life took their toll on Stokes and her family life, and it led her to step back and re-evaluate. Fast forward to now, and she's working hard at rebranding and relaunching her career. Aside from becoming a licensed Esthetician, she's got a number of things boiing in the pot, and it's looking pretty hot at this very moment. Take a few moments to catch up with Sara in our exclusive, The Grande Re-Entry, where we talk about her time being in Da Band, how she's been able to rebuild upon her familial structure, her new album, and her return to reality television!