Tay Smith and Christopher Young

In March, Smith and Young made the precarious decision to expand their new talent agency, originally launched in 2017, to Los Angeles. It’s an industry dominated by decades-old incumbents. But their boutique firm, BYSB, has hit the ground running.

Already the team’s roster includes veteran actor T.C. Carson (Last Call); Reginae Carter (BET’s Secrets of the Salon), daughter of Lil’ Wayne and Toya Wright; David Busby (BET’s The Bobby Brown Story); Amelia Young (Sony’s Venom); twins Tristan Timmons and Tyler Timmons (Black Panther); child actor Trayce Malachi (Fox’s STAR); and social media influencer-actor Desi Banks. BYBS’ clients have already booked high-profile series such as Showtime’s Homeland, FX’s Atlanta, Netflix’s Ozark and The CW’s Black Lightning.

Young and Smith boast impressive backgrounds in music, with the former having discovered Grammy Award-winning artist Jontha’ Austin and talented producer Garrett Hamler (better known as Sean Garrett). Smith also launched his own music production company, Yungsta Entertainment, in his native North Carolina.

When asked earlier this year what BYSB is looking for, Smith answered: “Talent. People who are passionate about their craft and willing to work smart and hard to make opportunities turn into work. As agents, we pride ourselves on staying innovative and fluid.”