Written By: Anthony Seaman
Who is your tribe? At the altar of whom do you kneel at? Who inspires you or pushes you into being an artist? When you need refueled creatively, spiritually, or emotionally, who are the artists that you turn to? This new series (labeled Fab Five) is set on getting answers from the artists themselves.
Orlando had been the truest idea of a “big city of dreams” in Florida for my whole life, despite Miami being what outsiders believe is the true springboard to a brighter future outside of the retirement communities and roadside fruit stands that take up most of the state. Today both cities are layered systems of independent artists floating around with their entourages that all silently headnod from across the room at each other. Everyone understands there’s enough money for all the artists to go around, but no one is willing to break down their ego and team up for something greater, leaving 2 options; A) the hopes of the Internet being interested enough to blow them into national stars or B) praying they survive the drug and crime riddled underbelly of the entertainment circuit long enough to find a career behind the scenes. Orlando is fractured much like Miami, but with a much lower ceiling and even harsher floor. The ceiling is leaving town and finally getting your shine within a more solidified ecosystem, while the floor is performing for crowds of other artists waiting their turn to hop on the mic instead of performing for open minded fans looking to buy in to someone new. It's a depressing pergatory to exist in. Made up of a dozen tiny townships, each with their own unique demographics and points of interest, Orlando is a sprawling world without an identity and an increasingly pushy mayor looking to limit nightlife for the sake of “family friendly environments” (all political speak for “we need to do something to look good for the family of 4 from Iowa looking to spend July in Disney and its surrounding area”. Because community outreach just can't do the job, right?). Of the hole-in-the-wall open mics and big tent artist showcases still standing you can find a new budding creative to hitch your wagon to every other weekend. While still in college I met celebrity at such an event.
As an Orlando native bouncing around everywhere from Pine Hills to Windermere, celebrity found joy in creation. Local legends never pushed her to pick up a pen, but the respect for hometown heroes like Woop despite not knowing their faces still is held. “As a creator you see your steps unfold in front of you…copying another man's steps is not me”. It’s that dissent from the norm that intrigues her still. From bonding with her father over Outkast to her mothers adoration of R&B music, her musical journey started casually. By 2020 her private poems had morphed into page long verses, to be cautiously shared with friends. As 2021 rolled in, real studio time was clocked, allowing her to workshop her inflections, tinker with new sounds, forging ideas from ethereal interests into who she is meant to become as an artist. Today her breath control, and bar focused writing style still pique my interest, along with her musical curiosity that play out in her endeavors into off kilter deliveries and production choices. She’s conscious of the process. What it takes to find ones self within their artistry. Across our hour long talk we focused on the albums and acts that help push her closer to that final form as well as how music is consumed.
The following interview took place February 4th, 2023 and has been shortened and edited for clarity.
1) Beam Me Up Scotty by Nicki Minaj
A: Which of the 5 albums came into your life the earliest?
C: The earliest isn’t even that early, it was like 2009. It was Beam Me Up Scotty by Nicki Minaj. It was specifically because of the song “Envy”. Back then you didn’t have lyrics to go and run to so I was writing down the lyrics. It gets me thinking about how my mom had found my journal, ‘cause like what is privacy as a child? So she’s like “you don’t have to curse so much, what’s wrong honey?”. I told her it was Nicki Minaj lyrics, and she was like “ooooh ok. Just don’t put the curse words ok?”. So that would be the earliest, even though I know it wasn’t that early. I don’t have that cliche “i’ve been rapping since i was this young” thing. It was just life experiences that lead me to want to create and express myself in that way. It’s been more of a spiritually experience in that way
A: When it comes to Nicki, do you feel like the relatability of it being another woman played in to it? Like did you think that made it connect more or could anyone have delivered these words and it would have hit me like that?
C: Honestly I wasn't considering gender back then. Whatever inspired me inspired me, and Nicki was just the thing that was popping. Maybe it was because she was a woman because as a woman she had different things to say than a man, but I think she just had that certain flair that worked for me.
2) Feed The Streets II by Roddy Ricch
C: So now y’all gonna look at me crazy when you start hearing these years, it’s all extremely recent. Next i’d go Roddy Ricch Feed The Streets II from 2018.
A: What was it that drew you in?
C: It was the experiences I had with it. I was living life and having a good time. I was visiting family down in Hallandale Beach, and my aunt had taken me and my cousins for a drive. Now just imagine all the windows down, music blasting, good vibes, and “Down Below” is blaring through the speakers. It felt like a movie moment. That’s what brought me into the project. When we headed back to Miami I drove and played the project all the way back on repeat. It’s one of those you can press play and all the way through. It’s a great experience
A: The way he hits that hook on “Down Below” is just so infectious.
C: Whole project, 10 out of 10.
A: Did you ever see him getting to the heights that would come later, or did you think like “cool I found this guy me and my friends can just enjoy and I can put people on to”? It wasn't long after that project “The Box” came out and then he’s the biggest name in the world.
C: Based on the way he made me feel for sure. But that big? It did surprise me. Not because he didn't deserve it but I didn’t think people would see what I saw.
3) FEVER by Megan Thee Stallion
C: I got into FEVER after I heard “Big Ole Freak”. But honestly what really put me on before I even heard that was “Run It Up Freestyle” I think. That’s when I was like “oh nah, that’s her.”
A: That Roddy is a lot of singing party music, but I see a pattern from Nicki to Meg of you liking the hard, rap focused, powerful voices presenting something new and fun. Which I feel like is really a big part of your style. Before hopping on I checked out “Outta Nowhere” by you, and that rap focused part of you is prevalent. No matter what’s going on production wise, it’s always a real thought out verse surrounded by this fun energy and experimentation.
C: Exactly, I appreciate that. I try to find that fun balance where i’m not like being serious and scaring people off. I gotta ease them into it then one day i’ll be like “hey guys this is the real me”.
A: What would be your standouts from this album?
C: The opener (“Realer”) and the closer (“Run It Up Freestyle”) are the ones for me. “Realer” is the one for me though. Simply because I like the message of it. This is when Meg really made me comfortable being an alpha, black woman, and not worrying about coming off too aggressive.
A: Before you heard it did you feel like you were actively subduing yourself within your music?
C: Absolutely. It’s one of those things i’m still soul searching about. I don’t like to be perceived as aggressive even though I naturally am. It comes from just not being some meek person or insecure. It makes me wonder why that comes out as aggressive? It forces me to learn how to be comfortable in it and see this “weakness” as a strength instead.
4) From A Bird's Eye View by Cordae
C: This one is very very recent. From A Bird’s Eye View by Cordae is one that from start to finish I really enjoy. It’s one of those that made me really feel something again when I was bored with music. I knew a couple of his singles, and knew a bunch of my friends had very strong views against his music but wanted to see more for myself. I listened to it the day it came out and it felt like an instant classic to me.
A: With him I feel like he really does flesh out full concepts versus just shifting concepts every few bars. Is it that that draws you in as well or something else?
C: He’s a storyteller to me. You can tell he probably is a big listener of Cole and Kendrick and that he really respects and is influenced by those guys. What I respect the most about any artist, and what stands out about him to me, is that he’ll say things that aren’t the “coolest” to say or may be corny. But he says it anyway because that’s where his heart goes. He does that quite often and I respect that. I have those same moments where I feel like my words are corny as shit but it’s where my heart wants to go too.
A: When it comes to those corny feeling lines, do you ever have that moment of like “Aaah i’m doing too much” here? Or do you weigh the artistry aspect of like “Aye if y’all are going to be my fans you’ll have rock with me here”
C: I always feel that sting like “Aaah man, eww we’re getting too vulnerable. It’s too close to the real thing”. Does that make me sadistic because I like that? It makes me uncomfortable and tells me I'm doing something right. If it makes me feel that way, imagine how it makes someone else feel? Maybe it’s that same feeling I have, or maybe it makes me feel it in a different way maybe, but it makes people feel something that they haven’t said out loud. It separates real stuff from fake stuff. If I'm struggling to put it out because it’s too real, I think people will struggle to listen and then have to reflect and understand their own feelings more. People don’t want the truth, but I think people need more truth.
A: It's a thinking person's music, you can’t just listen casually.
C: Yeah! I don’t expect to be everyone's cup of tea because you might need to be a little extra smart to keep up with me.
A: What’s the standout here for you?
C: Man just press play! “Momma’s Hood” and the storytelling on that is what I respected a lot. He really painted a picture with that and I respect artists who can do that. “Champagne Glasses”, “Chronicles”, “Gifted” with Roddy Ricch too!
A: When you get into a project in this way with an artist do you just hold on to the project you fell in love with or does it lead you to diving through the catalog heavy?
C: It depends on if their energy keeps me there plus where i’m at in life. Like J. Cole? I’m in every time. But if you start falling off for a project I might fall off. Sometimes I just fall off from an artist too though, I don’t want to always put them blame on the artist. It’s a vibe between two people you know? It’s not anyone's true fault. I’m not a hater though, if i liked you at some point i’m always gonna want the best from you.
A: Right, because with Cordae and Roddy both the public is kind of out on them, so i’m curious where you land. Personally something like Roddy’s Live Life Fast was so fun and interesting to me because who else would put Lil Baby and a UK garage beat in the same song, but i’m curious where you land compared to the public perception of both of these guys who have “fallen off”.
C: I loved “Move To Miami”, I still play that weekly. Regardless I respect an artist growing even if it’s not for me. True artists move with life, and life ebbs and flows so you gotta just move to that as an artist.
5) Look Up by Mod Sun
C: I know it’s not a rap album whatsoever, it’s more alternative music, but this is a project that raised me in a lot of ways. During this time I was a big Bob Marley fan, all good vibrations, hippie phase. I’m very grateful for that chapter of my life and wanted to highlight this project because of that. It might be considered corny to some people, but I'm focused more on the messages and how he was more focused on getting those out than looking cool. Even now, if you really take of the “cool guy shades” and sit back and vibe with it, you can follow him in this meditative state and learn about rerouting your mindset. It gave me the perspective I hold still about not giving a fuck, doing what I need for myself, and just being me.
A: I first heard of him from his work with Shwayze back in the day, growing up I was super deep into beach rock like Sublime and Red Hot Chilli Peppers and got into Shwayze and eventually Mod Sun through that kind of wave. Do you ever see yourself trying out that more melodic alternative wave for yourself or is it more the energy and messages you like to take from these kinds of artists?
C: I definitely will see myself expanding in that way. It’s really more just right now, I'm comfortable hopping on stage and just spitting, but I have a higher standard for performing those melodies and how I sing. I want to get better before I go all the way in on that. Right now I sing on some of my tracks, and I'm comfortable on record with that, but I want to be better still to perform it. In the vault I have a few Jhene Aiko type, vibe heavy singing tracks, but i’m not all the way there yet.
A: Which is your favorite from this album?
C: There’s a few. For the message it’s “My Favorite Shirt Is My Skin”. Yeah it’s corny, but if you’re in the right mind you go yeah, my favorite shirt is my motherfucking skin! I am sexy no matter what size my belt is!
Honorable Mentions
A: You said yourself you recognize a lot of your picks are more modern leaning, what are the albums or artists that skew older that you still find inspiration from?
C: They sound cliche for sure but 2Pac and Bob Marley are big ones for sure. They’re popular people for reasons, it’s all right there.
A: And it tracks with everything else. That soulfulness, that purpose, that pure expression that leaks into everything.
C: Raw vulnerability is something I always respect. Also too when I got into Beam Me Up Scotty I was also really heavy into Sleeping With Sirens. Anything and everything Kellin Quinn did spoke to me. It really spoke to me, and it never mattered what genre it was.
A: And that pop-punk sound is all sad angry kids screaming out their poetry. They don’t hold shit back at all!
C: If I could figure out how to use my voice like that too? Hey, don’t be surprised if you hear me screaming on a beat one day too.
A: It’s so beautiful seeing younger artists compared to older artists just being unbounded creatively. Like theirs a certain cutoff point and everyone younger will just say “fuck it” and hop on any kind of song and I love that.
C: I have such respect for the younger generations of artists for doing just that. I remember when I first started hitting the scene I met an older artist and he was asking “What kind of rap do you do, is it this subgenre, that subgenre?”. I was just there like “No, I don’t like to put myself in any kind of box, I just create”. He comes back with the “Oh, so you’re lost?”. Like damn you think that means i’m lost? At that moment I felt bad for him because doing this puts me more in touch with myself. I can’t hold on to one thing because it’s expected of me. We focus too much on a niche to the point it limits artists. You find a niche not by doing the niche, but by trying shit and going outside of it and realizing that niche is really what you love.
A: Right and you’re still only 3-4 years in. Right now is the fun part figuring out what you like and can do outside of rap more than anything.
C: We take the respect out of the creation of the art sometimes. We focus more on judging the final product and not the “why”. When people see a painting they wonder “what forced them to paint that”. When it comes to music we get so tied up in the words and what they literally mean. If we could just pull back and see a song as a work of art and wonder “why did the artist say that” not “how did they say that compared to this guy” then you’ll appreciate and love it more. It would lead to more respect to the people who think about what they’re saying more.
