Making the transition from child star to superstar generally isn’t easy. But for Tatyana Ali, the process has been smooth sailing.

Ali, who recently released her first album, “Kiss the Sky,” is currently touring as the opening act for boy band ‘N Sync.

She hasn’t forgotten her acting roots, however, as her recent performance as a snotty cheerleader in the dark comedy “Jawbreaker” illustrates.

But for now, music is the main focus in Ali’s life.

“This is something that I really love,” Ali said from her hotel room in Salt Lake City, Utah, as she mused over whether she would be in show business for the long haul. “I don’t know about the rest of my life, but right now, it’s my love. It’s my passion.”

Music is such a passion for the 20-year-old Ali that she took off her second semester at Harvard to promote her album on the road, a decision she calls one of the hardest she’s had to make in her adult life.

Ali’s album’s executive producer, incidentally, is former TV cousin Will Smith.

“I wasn’t looking for a tour, and [‘N Sync] just invited me on this tour,” she said, noting that although leaving college temporarily was a tough decision, she believes “an album has a much shorter life span than college.”

“I decided to give the album what I thought it deserved,” she said.

Ali, who wrote two songs on her album, took five to six months to complete “Kiss.” Although she’s young, Ali is already proving she’ll be quite a force in the business, as she has asked for total creative control over her work.

“When it came to making the album, my number one thing was I wanted it to be my own, and I wanted it to reflect who I am. I didn’t want to be imaged,” she said. “I wanted to be in control of everything that was going on — and I was.”

During the planning process, Ali picked her collaborators carefully.

“I was going with the songs that felt good, going with the producers I liked, the writers that I actually enjoyed talking with and being with,” she said.

Ali first came to national prominence as Ashley, the cousin of Will Smith in the television series, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” But when she started the show at age 11, Ali still wasn’t sure if Hollywood was her gig.

Ali began her professional career at age four, but she said it was more for fun than fame.

“I went to auditions; I worked on commercials, but it wasn’t really any kind of career goal until I turned 14, and by that time I was already on the show,” she said. “I was just having a good time, really, and I was lucky I was getting hired.”

Ali’s parents were a grounding force in her professional life, allowing her to pursue her career, but also stay a teen-ager. She went to a regular high school at her parents’ insistence. Their influence, she said, kept her from getting swept up in the Hollywood machine.

“I didn’t have any really bad experiences, basically because of my parents,” she said. “I mean, you either come from a supportive family or you don’t, and when you’re a child actor, it makes it that much more important.

“I really feel like you can get from [show business] what you want, and definitely you can maintain integrity while going for what you want.”

Although “Fresh Prince” was on the air for a successful six seasons, Ali said none of the actors were banking on the show becoming a hit.

“It was such an original idea, a rapper starring in a T.V. series,” she said. “No one really predicted that it would be incredibly successful or anything like that. So [the cast members] weren’t hyped up; we just went and did our job. It’s that simple.”

While all the cast members of “Fresh Prince” keep in touch, Smith obviously still is a huge influence in Ali’s life.

“My family, my close friends knew what I loved, but [Smith] was the one who really pushed me towards music,” Ali said. “He said, ‘Look at me as an example, I do both [acting and singing.] And it’s cool, and you also got to have more faith in your fans.'”

Ali admits being more than a little apprehensive about making the crossover to music. Smith, however, reassured her.

“His thing was you need to have more faith in the fans; it’s not going to be that scary for them to see you move on to something else,” she said.

Ali’s heading back to Harvard in September to study African American studies and government. She plans on a second album soon, but for now, she’s enjoying her turn in the limelight.

“Right now, music, out of everything that I’ve done, it’s the most exciting thing ever,” she said. “And you know, it’s not just being on tour, it’s not really that. I get to be myself for the first time and get to be on stage and not be a character. It’s wonderful. It’s incredibly freeing.”

Tatyana Ali opens for ‘N Sync Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines. Tickets are $27.75.