African American Female & Urban Voiceovers

I'm one of the top billing African American voice actresses in the country. No, I'm not black. But same as all my art, I greatly respect the style, heritage and culture that formed these dialects and accents. I grew up on the suburbs of NYC - I learned quickly how to mimic the voices of my black and Hispanic friends. What was once a common speech pattern for me as a kid is now an homage to my home.

The use of urban slang and African American dialects have yielded some of my most fun and memorable voiceover jobs.

I offer an in-your-face no nonsense read similar in sound to Wanda Sykes and Sherri Shepherd. It’s loud, boisterous and a ton of fun. This is as animated, opinionated black character who is not afraid to tell you how she feels about anything.

I also perform a more subtle, urban, smooth, hip sound a bit like Alicia Keys. This read is a young, sexy, smoky black woman.

And lastly I offer my own brand of Phylicia Rashad from Cosby Show fame. This is an older, sophisticated black woman who could be your favorite teacher, or family elder. She has a very energetic quality so this character is most often used for children's stories and presentations.

I've always had a great ear for voices, dialects and speech patterns. Once many many years ago I was asked to study at length to perform a 'neutral African dialect'. The character was pretty non-descript but could have been from Kenya or the Congo. She was rough, gritty, worn-out; this lady has seen some serious stuff in her life. It was dark, painful and a challenge I embraced. Today I regularly record voiceovers for African Slaves in documentaries and educational pieces. I've also lent this voice to video games that needed an African / Tribal sound. I've played medicine women and even a few sci-fi and fantasy roles using a similar sounding accent. I won't claim that this accent is authentic - because it isn't. It's my interpretation of tribal African. But if authenticity is not a requirement for your voiceover - I’d be happy to audition for you.