November 30, 2023 • 46 mins
Queen Naija's ruling R&B with an iron fist. Following a string of gold and platinum certifications, the former YouTuber dropped her long awaited project, After The Butterflies. But music isn't the only thing in her sights. The mother of two recently launched a podcast and plans on expanding her brand into apparel. Here, Queen talks about her latest EP, working with NBA Youngboy, Beyoncé's Renaissance tour, touring, connecting with NO ID and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yo, it's a rap raid our podcast. My name is
beat Out. Elia Wilson, Happy Post Thanksgiving, got the yams,
vestle leftovers man, Man, I got leftovers till Christmas. Man
right at White beat everything every time, the Ham, the Hog,
all that shot to Shirley season. Man, it was a
(00:21):
very thankful Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Man. We did a lazy episode. We just with everybody
happy Thanksgiving and that's all we did. But now we're
back at it, man, Man at l Man. We can't
escape this atl lifestyle. Man, these artists are all in Atlanta. Man,
what do you think it is?
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Atlanta's more than strip clubs and great wings.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Man, three thousands out here playing the flute somewhere. I
don't know what's going on Atlanta. Man, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
But we're in Atlanta for special reason, and special reason
only the Queen. The Queen. The Queen is hyped up.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Queen nodges of the building, man, menajen, Man, you know
what I'm saying, Beat. I like how we talk to
the women.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
You know what I'm saying. The culture, man, the women's
voices to be heard in this culture.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Man.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
I feel like this is the season we had the
most female voices right. So far we had the two Monets,
two Moneis, Victoria Monett and Janelle, and now we have
Queen Naja Queen Naja.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Man the project's good Man more butterflies. Man. Appreciate her
taking the time with us, man, you know what I'm saying.
We try to show the scope of it, man, you know,
and it ties to hip hop a strow too, like
that Big Sean Records, like her biggest record, and she's
been on features with everybody from Benny the Butcher, the Jizy,
the Favio Favio four.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
And she went to Utah to talk to our good
friend NBA young boy man. We all live to survive.
God bless that woman going on all the way to Utah.
She's like I'm getting him in the video absolutely like
she's like I'm not playing man, I'm working out here.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
But it's really interesting too. We talked about this in
the conversation, like she's like a broken star and especially
on the YouTube space and like in the social media era. Yeah,
but it's like she's still you know, still earning her
bones and so to speak.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
You know, you know, it's tricky because I mean, I
saw somebody quoted The New York Times in twenty eight
team says she's like the first sole star of the
social media generation, right, you know, and like you know,
like a lot of times now, like the younger generation,
that's what they see as career goals, right, like the
way you want to be a journalist, per se, Like
they want to be famous off YouTube and be a
gamer or be a streamer, and like, you know, and
(02:16):
she actually broke through that way. But at the same time,
once getting in the door that way, obviously there's a
lot of care and artistry to her actual music and
now what the goal.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
She wants to reach through her music facts, because sometimes
it's a translate. There's a lot of artists that are
big on one social media platform, but you know, outside
in the real world, they're pretty much anonymous. Absolutely, But
I feel like she's doing a great balance in that. Yeah,
we've seen that all the time.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
We got five million followers and can't sell five thousand records.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
You can't sell a free show man.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Now. But now it's interesting to hear her girl like
that as an artist. And like I said, I think
the project's really dope, and you know, just showing the range, Man,
and we're getting down to it man, beat Out. The
season is wrapping down, man. We got two more episodes.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
To a free U. We got my final countdown, Man,
final countdown down? Man, you can play that, jay Z,
Can I get an encore? Do you want more? Say?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
We're talking to man.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
We got to talk to man. You'll say, we'll see
but in the meantime in between times got Queen Naja.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
So absolutely bunkle up man. You know how we do
it man? Right off podcasts? Yeah, yeah, rap right up podcast.
Elliott Wilson's name is beat Out. Beat Out. What's up baby?
Feeling good?
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Elliott?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
We got the queen here, Baby, The.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Queen's in the building. Hello, Queen Naja.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
I like how I just bounced off each other?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Like, I like how you bouncing this truck after the butterflies?
What's going on?
Speaker 1 (03:43):
You say?
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Forget us album talk whatever, I'm about to lace the people.
Give him some music. We can't close this year out
without some new music, right Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
I was gonna drop an album. Well, the beginning is here.
I was like, I'm for sure dropping an album. But
from the paperwork and all that's the produce and lawyers
like from it taking so long, I was like, I
can't wait.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
I'm gonna just drop this as an EP.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
And I left a couple songs off because it would
have been an album if I would have kept them
on it.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
It feels like, I mean, it's hard now in this world,
like what's the EP? What's I call them projects? I
feel like it, but it feels like a full project.
It doesn't feel like an appetizer. It feels like it's
on full course.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I did, of course, Okay, some people I go do
interviews and they just like, you know, we.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Hate those people. And I know, failing way to open
her on the track is one of your favorite records?
Like what resonates with that?
Speaker 4 (04:36):
You did your research like that?
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Why why is it one of my Well, it's very
like vulnerable, you know.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
I feel like when I listened to the song, I
feel exactly like where I was in that moment I
was writing it. When I said laying next to you
while you were asleep, I was actually I was actually
laying next to him while he was asleep.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Real life.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Yeah, it was like real life.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
And I like most of the songs that I do
when they're like completely transparent. I'm not adding or subtract anything.
They just resonate with me the most.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah, I mean that seem to me a common theme
of like you tackling relationships and like and also showing
your kind of strength and resilience you like that is
that a common thing you think you kind of land
on as a writer pretty much?
Speaker 3 (05:24):
I mean people get tired of it and always writing
about the same stuff. It's kind of like, I mean,
that's that's the kind of artist I am. I write
about love and heartbreak and like really loving all aspects,
to be honest. So in this particular project, it was
me like bracing myself while embracing myself, so like I
(05:44):
was pretty much getting ready, well preparing myself to have
like another failed public relationship, and it was like gonna
be embarrassing, but I was like, fine, I gotta do it,
Like this time, I'm not gonna go to a different
man or getting another relationship. I'm just gonna have to
face it and love myself.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
And so that's.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Self love right too.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
You have two songs Butterflies and Butterflies Too. When it passed,
did those serve songs serve like inspiration for this project?
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Yeah, they do, because like I wrote those songs, well,
the first Butterflies was I was broke that I wrote
that when I was like freshly falling in love with
my current partner, and like when I say, the feeling
was so it was just so new and fresh, especially
coming from like a toxic relationship. And then Butterflies Part two,
(06:39):
two years later, I wrote that song. I was still
in a very like great space. It had been some
up and ups and downs whatever, but like you know,
I was in a good space.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
So I feel like and then I feel like I
am a butterfly. I don't know, I loved her.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
I love butterflies and I love like the story of
them and like how they grow and everything. And so
this the reason why I named this because I thought
I was clever after the Butterflies, kind of like after
the honeymoon phase or after like when stuff started hitting
a fan and stuff started getting a little ugly, and.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
That's what relationships are. It's likely challenging times. Yeah, so
that's what I wrote about.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
And the first album, Misunderstood, you released during COVID and
you weren't able to promote it. So this time around,
do you feel like you've been redeemed, you know.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
I mean it's not an album, so it's not as
much pressure around it. But I am doing I'm able
to be out and do interviews and things like this
about it that I didn't get to do in COVID.
I like the feeling better of being around. So I
did like a little run in LA and then I'm
do one New York.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
And you know here, so I feel like I redeem myself.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Yeah, what was the vision of picking these songs for
this project in your mind?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Well, there were all the songs that I had, I
mean there were well I have more MW but it
just it didn't align with the just didn't align.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
With the story of the After the Butterflies. But I
did when it was going to be an album, my whole,
the whole Uh what was it called track list?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Yeah, the track list, the order of it was going
to be different, but I had to rearrange it whatever.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Actually, Fading Away was going to be very like late
in the project. Wow, But I made it number one.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
I like that.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Yeah. I made it a number one because it was
just it sounds it was supposed to be an interlude,
but you know, it sounds like Introy so I just
made the first.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
One and even down the soul Tide, I just feels
like it has a sort of anchor to it.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yeah, I had it ended beautifully always. I feel like
that's a very pretty song. I love pretty melodies and.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
So it got some pretty voices on there. You got Monica.
I know you grew up listening to Monica.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Yeah, I love her.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
So how much of a full circle moment was it
for you to have her on the album?
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Super full circle, like big full circle, because yeah, like
I I grew up listening to that stuff, but it
was because my mom did. So like she's closer to
of course, like my mom's age, but I feel and
she's a she's a legend, like in my eyes, you know.
So it is a full circle moment when people like
Monica are just openly willing to hop on the track
(09:19):
and I don't have to tug and pull.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
And like people like Mary J.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Blige a lot of sharing the stage with me and
baby Face put me on the album.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
So like I be feeling like, dang, I.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Must really you know, they must really see something to mean,
So yeah, super full circle.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
You but you've broken barriers like I re mem by.
So some of New York Times twenty eighteen, they said,
you're the first soul star of the social media generation.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Yeah, they called me that.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Like how does that land with you? Like, how does
that make you make you feel?
Speaker 3 (09:45):
When it makes me feel like a pioneer, you know,
like I started, you know, just blogging myself on YouTube
and not that I ever really wanted to do that
in the first place.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
I just did it because I was broke. But yeah,
I mean it feels good to say I'm the first
and something I know SOLDI let me have him come
to me.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
But what was the motivation? Like you said you was broke,
But what made you think that, oh, let's let me
share some stuff on YouTube and like have that courageous
step to start sharing your life with you It.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Wasn't my idea.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
I'm gonna get a credit to my ex for that.
I'm gonna give it because he's the one that really
wanted to be famous and stuff like that, and he
was like you gotta we was you know, it was
on section eight and like we had a child and everything,
and I really just didn't care about being in front
of the camera. I mean, I've done American idol or whatever,
and that was that that was more for singing, but
he was doing I was.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Like, let's like, let's get on YouTube or whatever. And
I was all right with it.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
But my personality, people naturally gravitated towards me because I
don't know how to I didn't know how to be
like have a switch. I was just always myself on
social media, and they felt like they just could relate
to me so much, and even more so when I
made my own channel and I was able to show
them more of Queen and not just Queen being you know,
(11:02):
in a relationship. So it was more so his reason
why I got on and just being broke.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Really, it feels like you had to turn a watershed
moment five years ago in Times Square, you know, when
you cause that riot.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Yeah, that was crazy. I didn't that. I didn't like.
I never thought something like that would happen. That was
actually scared. It was actually pregnant.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
So they had to put me on their shoulders and
stuff and give me to the car and people was.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Getting trampled on. It was scary. I don't like stuff
like that. But there were a couple of videos on
the internet.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I actually made the news yeah, and it was saying,
who is that with the blond wig and they thought
it was Cardi b Or Like.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
I was like, that was crazy.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Do you feel like that was like your breakout moment?
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Yeah, I would say that because that's when I was like,
dang people, Actually I got a lot of love in
New York too, Shout.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Out to them, Shout out to New York with in
New Yorkers man. We also we also go to Utah sometimes.
We went to Utah to see this guy, young Boy.
We did an interview with him this year did very
well for us. But I thought it was so dope
that you had the song with him and you said,
I'm going to Utah. We gotta get this fool in
the video. We gotta get it done. No fake love
for sure.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Yeah, I had to go there.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
I just felt like, well, first of all, that song,
it was supposed to be released summer twenty twenty two,
so I was like, if I'm gonna put this song
out this late next year in August, like I at
least have to have something, so like I wanted to
have him in the same screen with me. I know
a lot of people he did like things on green
screen and with other artists and they did it elsewhere,
(12:45):
but I wanted to be there with him, and I
think it was Yeah, I think it was a fire.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
He was.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
He was great to work with. I was scared at first.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
I was shared first too. He's a complexion of man,
but I think he has he's a good heart.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
I think you do too.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Yeah, why do you think why? B was like the
right voice for that song.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
Okay, So I'm gonna be honest because I'm a transparent person.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
It was a few people, a few a few rappers
that I had reached out to, and a couple of
them had me running around just like giving me the
run around. I ain't gonna say no names, but young
boy I actually someone from my labels recommended him and
I was like, dang, I don't know how that would
(13:29):
go because he seemed like such a like a I
don't know how to yell. I was like, how could
he be on this sweet song? And like how could
be meshed together? But he really surprised me when he
sent me. Actually he was the first person to like
get back on, get on the track. Yeah, And I
(13:52):
really appreciated that because, to be honest, he streamed very
very high, and I didn't expect for him to get back,
and then he sent his verse back the next day,
so I was like, what the hell, Like, I didn't
know why whatever, but he sounded really good, and he said,
is there anything you want.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Me to change? And I was like yeah, I was like, dude,
like I kind of told him.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
To do the the the pre hook or something like
me the Tupac sample and I was like, oh, tonight,
I wanted him to do the same thing.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
So he changed it to that, and I think that
it messed together really well.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Right.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Yeah, he said he didn't even charge you too, Right,
he didn't.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
That's crazy, And y'all I promised ain't. Nothing happened, no
promise of how.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
He just chose not to charge me. And one of
the things he said to me was I don't know why,
but he was like I need you more?
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Do you need me?
Speaker 4 (14:44):
I'm like, what you mean?
Speaker 1 (14:45):
I need you?
Speaker 3 (14:46):
But I'm glad that it was mutual and like we
were able to help each other out.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Yeah, do all the security clearance and stuff like that too.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
Yeah, it was easy.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Pas nice was this like a continuation off the GZ
record because you had fake love with him? When one
oh four, now you have no fake love.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I didn't think about that. No, it wasn't a continuation.
But wow, I didn't think.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
About it that way.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
But you know you did songs with like Benny the
Butsher five year Like I saw something you said you
like being like you like getting on like the thug records.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
I do?
Speaker 2 (15:16):
I do.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
I just feel like I'm like the complete opposite, like
and I like to see the fusion or hear the
fusion of the two. I like how it you know,
how they used to be back in the day, the
rough necks and the sweet girl.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
And I feel like I just bring that.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
You know, how does it feel being like the go
to person for that because you have records like Big Sean, Russ,
Cheezy Benny, Like, how.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
Does it feel? I mean feel good?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I feel like, you know how two packeys ahead those
records and a girl's be on here just singing.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
I feel like if I was back in the day,
that would be me. So I feel like, you know,
it feels good.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
I'd be wondering. I'd be like, what y'all, what do
y'all see it? Why do y'all want my voice to
be on there?
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Like? Because I'm not even like that, but you know,
but you get watch.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
You with it though, too, like little customers of the
first verse and all.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
The crazy thing is I used to never want to
cuss in my song because you know, I grew up
a church girl, so I try to not. At some
point I want to cross over and do gospel, you know,
I want to do a gospel and I be trying
to not bring myself too far away.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
But sometimes you.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Gotta just it sounds good, like yeah, first it sounds
a little bit more edgier, so but I don't curse
like when I'm talking.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
But I know you love them samples too, because like
record with you in a little Dirk LT of me,
you sampled at the Barge that you know Tupac may
famous too, Like what is it about them samples that
you really enjoy?
Speaker 3 (16:44):
I just enjoyed taking older music that was so good
and just like turning it into something new and modern.
People people get on my nerves when they come and like, oh,
it's another sample, Like and people just don't understand that
even the great sample, Like when I listened to old
school music and I'm thinking they the first to do it.
(17:06):
You go back and they sampled somebody, so it's nothing
new under the sun. Like, but I do feel like,
you know, it seems like the songs that are more
known of mine are samples, and probably because it's just
so familiar to people, and they they're the ones that
make it bigger, so they obviously like it doing something right.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
When you started packing on YouTube, did you did you
see that bridge of how that's gonna help you with
your with your career take off? Like?
Speaker 3 (17:32):
I didn't see it. I didn't see it because back
then it's like I did make music and I did
record music, but it was like with him and everything
was branded under our name. It was never my own name.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
So I didn't see how that would work.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
But once I did start my channel and I got
tired of explaining myself, I just made a song out
of the situation medicine, and I really didn't think it
was gonna do what it did, but it did.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
I didn't see it coming, like on self Love, you
have this lyrics, so you try to please everybody around
me and to consumed my days. Has that really been
a struggle for you.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Just trying to I'm a people pleaser and that's not
just in relationships. That's with family and with friends and
with everybody around me. Just trying to make everybody happy
to the point where like I don't have nothing left
for myself, and it's very hard trying to.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Make everybody happy.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
And I've struggled with that since I was a little girl.
I feel like even in school, like growing up just
trying to just right. But even now I still struggle
with that.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
But I'm getting better.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
You did say on Twitter, you said I did a
lot of self work this year. It's going to pay
off next year. What are some of the things you improved.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
On saying no? It's very hard for me to say no,
and I'm a libre, so I really don't like confrontation.
But I've learned to have those hard conversations because it's needed.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
I went to therapy.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
And it helped me just like face the like talk
about what I need to talk about, so I can
do that also with like other people that I love,
have those hard conversations and you know, if that person
ends up not being in my life, no more than
that's what was meant or whatever.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
But you got to have them.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
That reminds me. Words of affirmation very powerful. Record like
what motivated that.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Because whereas affirmation is my love language, it's my top
love language. I noticed that, like, gifts are nice and everything.
I like gifts, but it's nothing like and touch is
nice too, but that's probably my second.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
But it's nothing like when hearing a man tell you
how beautiful you are, or like how proud they are
of you the man you love.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Of course, I mean that I love, and so I
was just it's okay to like request or demand how
you want to be loved, just like it's okay for
a man to do it as well, you know, because
we're all loved differently and we all give love differently.
So that's really that song was really me just expressing
(20:20):
what I would like and my man pretty much.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
One of my favorite songs is Taboo with Eric b
Like for some reason, when I heard it, it gave
me that same feeling that when I first heard Marsha
and bros Is far Away.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
Oh yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
So that was honestly, I think that's the most different
record I ever done. And I was scared to do
that because I was like, this belongs to Victoria Monette,
not me, But it turned out it turned out really great.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
That song was something because I know that don't really
fit the after the Butterfly.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Yeah, that was more so about me expressing the idea
of I mean, exploring the idea of cheating or having
like a sneaky link, because I'm always the one being
cheated on. So you know, I wanted to just make
a song about how it possibly would feel too right
she but I don't think that would feel good, to
(21:20):
be honest, I don't.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
Think I would live with myself.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
But it's funny you mentro Victoria MiNet, like you're not
afraid to show love to other women, like I saw
you said that her album is the Teeto.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Oh yeah I was.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
I was listening to her album for days after it
came on, for weeks. Actually, I'm not afraid to give
women love even if they don't show me love back.
That's fine because what when I give love is like
genuine and it's like I don't really expect nothing.
Speaker 4 (21:44):
Back in return.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
How you can connect with La on that note for
the project.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Yeah, Lama been connected for some years now. I think
I don't know, I forgot where we met, but we've
always like had each other's numbers, so anytime I would
run across the record.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
I thought you would fit.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
I would send it to her and see if she
liked it. And obviously this is the one that she
liked the most, so she got on it.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
But that's probably because of the the West Coast vibe.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Yeah, I know you love Beyonce. I saw that you
went to her show. You say you left speechless. Oh yeah,
you said, I never experienced something like that in my life.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
I haven't. That was like that show was Honestly, I
don't think I'll ever.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Be able to to that.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
That was crazy, Like, that's some crazy stuff I've seen
like every you know, how you go to a show
and just like you're looking at just the stage, like
you were looking at everything around you. It was crazy
that everything was so big.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
It was just humongous.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
And I don't see how she got up there for
that long and did that, Because that's why.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
I said, that's why she's Beyonce.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Why on touring for this project?
Speaker 4 (22:49):
I do. I plan on touring. I got to get
some things together first.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
I got to get my show together because I always
like to elevate and I did my own I did
too of my own shows headline. They were all so
doubt and then my first arena tour was Mary J.
Blige and so now it's time to elevate my show
and switch it.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
What was that experience like touring with Mary?
Speaker 4 (23:14):
Oh, it was amazing. I love being an opener. Your
seat there, I mean it was in the building for
me arena early.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
So why do you love being open? And people feel
like that's that's a challenge to.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
You know, I mean because I it is a challenge
because you got to open up this show and like
started off and get the vibes going, and I did.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
I got them going.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
But like it was also like my set was shorter,
and I was fine with that because it was less
pressure and it was just a little sample of the
experience of the arena. Now I'm not scared of arenas anymore.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
So because it's so big. I guess it was.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
And then I at the end of the tour, of course,
it had like a little after party and I sat
with me and spoke to her about some things, and
I was happy that we got to like chop it
up and she dropped some gems on me.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
And stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
What was it like connected with baby Face?
Speaker 3 (24:09):
It was dope. It was super dope connected with him.
I don't know why I just giggled like that, but
I remember the first time we met. I went to
a studio in LA and he was just sitting near
all quiet, and I was like nervous. But that actually
wasn't the song that I did on his album. That
wasn't supposed to be the song that we started on.
(24:32):
I mean, that wasn't the song that we started on.
And yeah, we ended up doing something totally different. But
he was very open, like he didn't try to control
the song or the situation, like he allowed me to.
He really allowed me to do my thing because I
even changed the production up on the beat, and.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Yeah, it was dope working with a legend.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Yeah, what are you thinking about your music? Makes you
distinctive in the landscape of of this R and B
because not a lot of tensions being put to it
now right, it's doing well. There's a lot of Grammy
knoms out there, like, what's your approach you thinking makes
your your music distinctive in that landscape.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
That's a very broad question.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
People always say what makes you unique? Actually, I don't
know if I could be really honest with you, guys.
I don't know what makes it distinct your honesty, that's
really my honest, Like, I don't know what makes it distinct.
I just go in and I do whatever is on
(25:37):
my heart or you know. And I love those pretty melodies.
So a lot of times I don't just have them
pull up beats. We make beats from scratch.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
So like out here, okay, maybe this is the answer.
So I hear a melody in my head, maybe on
a plane or like really late at night, in the
middle of night, I'll hear like a melody in a show,
and I.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Just love the melody.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
And then I'll go in and I'll hum the melody
to them, and then they'll play it on the piano.
And then after that, I start beating on a table
with a pencil and I tell them yeah, yeah, and
I tell them like, you know, I want it this way,
or and then they'll go through.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
Different instruments.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
I may not know the sound, I mean, the name
of the instrument, but I'll make I'll try to make
this sound.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
It sounds funny coming from my mouth. But like it's
just a whole creative process.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Not just from everything is like from scratch with it,
and there are very few songs that I've taken, and
even if I did, I had to make it mine.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
So so you're a producer, Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
I'm not a I don't push the buttons, but I
am a producer and I maybe one day I'll learn
how to do that.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
But I don't know.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
If I don't know, I get a lot of money.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Though, but.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Good though executive producer looks, yeah, that's fire.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
But I guess you've been.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
But you have to have a vision in places you're saying, like,
you're not just people sending you tracks, You're just singing
all yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
So I don't know if that makes it distinctive, because
I'm sure maybe other people do it too, you know.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
But I feel like when people hear my voice, they
know it's me. Yeah, I will say that absolutely.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
So maybe my voice is distinctive because even when like
I was trying to be so low in New York
and I was just talking and people knew it was me.
I had on a mask and everything.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
Oh I knew it was you. I started talking. I'm like,
I don't know how they know my voice.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
But I think your writing is also a strong suit.
How did you develop that?
Speaker 3 (27:37):
I've been writing since I was a little kid, so
like I used to I was like six or seven,
and I used to be in my room beating on
a window sill and making up songs about love, like
since I was little. And then when I was in
third grade, instead of playing like on swings and at recess,
(27:58):
I used to have like three girls come under the
little thing where like our voice can echo a little.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
What is it called pavilion or whatever?
Speaker 3 (28:08):
Our voices would echo, and I would go home and
make up songs for us all to sing together, like
we was like destiny child. But I've been writing songs
really about love since I was little, And that's funny, wow.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
And like, do you like the idea of giving other
people songs so just keeping everything for yourself?
Speaker 4 (28:25):
I thought about that, but I'm kind of stingy.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Like if I write a song, I write a song,
I want to I want to set.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
Voice to be honest. I mean, there are a there
are a few.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Songs actually that I wrote that are maybe someone else
will sound better singing it. Like I have like a
country kind of song and this, I have this like
pop rock song that if I put that out.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
Myself, they're gonna be like, girl, what is you doing?
So it would be.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Nice to give it to someone else, but maybe I
haven't got to that point yet to I'm still trying
to work on myself.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
And so yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
What's going on with you trying to take us out? Man?
You start your own podcast?
Speaker 4 (29:06):
What's going on trying to take your It was an accident.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
It was an accident, to be honest, So I was
so when I left YouTube. I love so many people
like I still my subscribers are still there.
Speaker 4 (29:20):
I still have five million.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Plus subscribe left me, and I felt like, dang, that's
really bold, like for me to leave them behind, you know.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
But I didn't want to go back to YouTube doing.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Pranks for challenges or any of the things that I
used to do when I was younger, because that's not
me anymore and that's out of style now, like does
that anymore?
Speaker 4 (29:38):
So I wanted to find a way to go back
to YouTube in.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
A more like mature way, where like they could maybe
hear my voice and my perspective of things more. And
so I brought my best friend on so it could
be more like a chitchat girl talk thing. But I
don't know why I called it a podcast because once
I called it a podcast, people start running with it.
And now it's a podcast, like you know, and and
(30:02):
now we're about to get like a podcast trainer, and
like I'm like, oh, this is getting serious and people
already reached out to like buy it, right, and it's
not even like but I don't.
Speaker 4 (30:12):
I ain't trying to do that, Like I.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Just want to wait and I guess work on it
because we ain't even like we don't even know we
got to speak on topics of this trending and stuff.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
I don't really know how to do that. We just
talk about, right, girl talk.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
But it's a balancing that because you're a singer, not
your podcast, but you're also a mom. Yes, right, that's
a full time realist job job out here, Like even said,
you just can't get up in tour without feeling guilty
because there were the kids, Like how have you been
able to balance stuff?
Speaker 4 (30:43):
Man?
Speaker 3 (30:43):
My last tour, when I went on the mary Ja tour,
that was the first time I ever left my kids.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
At home and I was boohoo crying. Wow, I was
so sad.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
I didn't want to leave them because but you know,
they're in school, so they got to go to school.
But there was a time when when I was pregnant
on my first tour, I was like eight months pregnant,
and I had my three year old with me and
I didn't care, Like I ain't care.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
I would bring them if I could, but they got
to go to school to school. So it's it's.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Really a I'm going to try to tour like at
a time where they're not in school, maybe like summer,
but I really like the fall tours. But it's a
it's a lot because they're getting older now and now
they realize like when I'm not there, and I don't
want them to grow up saying, you know, Mama didn't
raise me, the babysitter did or the nanny did, like
(31:33):
I want to raise my kids.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
So that makes it very tough. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Is your oldest son a fan of the music? Is heap? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Yeah, yeah CJ.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
He is.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
And my youngest eight eight and four. They're about to
be five and nine, so January and February. Yeah, but yeah,
they know it. I think my youngest son is going
to be a producer or like a singer.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Ok, yeah, you got the bug getting already.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Yeah, he's very smart. My youngest and like he's so
weird because I'll do it on purpose.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
I'll like go up the key the scales of singing, and.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Like if I do the wrong key, you'll be like no,
like that's not the right one. He knows his keys
like and he'll keep restarting something if he's just really
gifted when it comes to music.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
I think that's something you said in the podcast about
how you think it went viral a little bit about
how it's different with your parent you have kids. Like
women that are single have way more freedom to do
certain things, and you have so much responsibility to balance
those things out.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Yeah, it's crazy, like I said it. I said, I
envy women a little bit with no kids, but you know,
sometimes they mvs because we have kids, and sometimes you
want what you can't have at the moment, or what
you don't have not cant But yeah, it's very hard.
Like I don't I've never really gotten a chance to
(33:00):
know myself. So I'm still trying to learn myself because
I've spent my twenties having kids.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
How challenging is that to share so much of your
life to the world.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
It's not as challenging. I'm like an open book I
have to really watch.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
Myself with oversharing stuff. Even when it comes to talking
to strangers, sometimes, like you get into a good conversation,
you start just oversharing. So I've always been a person
that talks a lot, like tell my business a lot,
and I really need to slow down and do that.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
But it's not it's not a challenge.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
But I think what the most challenging part is like
when you tell your business and then people come back
with all of these opinions.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
About it or like what they their theories of what
may have happened.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Because even though I tell my business, sometimes I don't
tell everything. So sometimes people will come with what they
think really happened, and then I want to say, so bad,
what really happened, but like I can't because I can't.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Or shared or whatever.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
So that's probably the most challenging thing is when you
want to correct something but like it's none of their
business anyway.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
What's your take on a new generation where it seems like,
you know, you broke through to social media, but it
seems like we have a no generation now want to
be famous and they want to be streamers. They want
to kind of break through that way, Like is that
concerning like that so much is influenced by that culture.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
My son wants to be a streamer, my oldest son,
and honestly, it's like it's I don't it's okay, you know,
it's it could be toxic because a lot of the
things that like for my child, like I really don't
want him to see a lot of things that happen
on social media. It's too late, he already seen it.
(34:48):
But I think it's a blessing and a curse.
Speaker 4 (34:52):
I think that for singers like me, it's tough because
I don't Sometimes I don't want to get on TikTok.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
I can dance, or sometimes I want to make What
if I just want to make a song that's like
a little slower pace, Yeah, but it don't make, but
it don't go viral on TikTok because it's slower paced
or it's not trendy. Like I'm sorry, Like I'm not
that kind of artist, Like I don't. That's why I
do take me a long time to drop, which I'm
(35:21):
going to work on that. But like I want my
stuff to be perfected and like mean something, and nowadays
everything is like microwave and my stuff be baking in
an oven, you know, But I think it is challenging
when it comes to like because you know, the labels
also like nowaday, you know, they don't take an artist
(35:43):
from ground up. You already have to have a platform,
and then they'll take you from like maybe that level
to you got to meet them in the middle.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
Now.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
So it's like even with me leaving YouTube and actually
even YouTube.
Speaker 4 (35:56):
People don't watch long winded videos anymore.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
They want TikTok, and so now I have to like that.
I'm even learning something new in that. Like it's very
hard for me to not just do a vlog like
along Winter and I have to put everything in like
thirty seconds.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Yeah, that's why I don't you know, I have trouble
doing that. I'm trying to work on it.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
But it's interesting because it's like you mentioned, you have
like five million subscribers on your YouTube page. By I
guess a label standard you're developed, but you still like
have this kind of like development stage that you're going
through at this particular time. Yeah, I have to.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
Learn new stuff every day with the social media and
everything like that. They be on me about doing content,
but like I be wanting to enjoy my stuff, I
have to record. I have to make sure I take
my phone out and record everything. Like if I go
to a spa, I have to do a self love
spa and put my song on there and like put
(36:51):
self love on the music on there.
Speaker 4 (36:53):
But I have to.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Before I lay down and get it back bessage, I
got to record the bed and like set up the
I think it's real funny, like and I see people
setting up the camera and then they go walk past
it like or the camera and like turn on the shower,
like I've done it before because it's what you gotta do.
But I think it's it's just crazy what the world
(37:15):
come to.
Speaker 4 (37:15):
It is grit. It's cringe.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Just on the artist side, like because we looked it up.
Your certification game is pretty strong, got a lot of
a lot of goals, Like but I guess you saying
like you don't but seem like even with the song
with Big Sean, it doesn't feel like you're chasing hits.
So trying to like heavy handedly make force a hit.
Speaker 4 (37:35):
I don't chase them.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
I almost got to that point where I was trying
to chase a hit, and that's when I lose passion.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
I just like I remember I had an A and R.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
Named Jeff and when I you know, he was like
really trying to get me to you know, create the
you know, urban.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
Music, because it's true. If you get a.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
Number one on urban, it like change, it changes the
trajectory of like your career. And I have been very close,
but I haven't got a number one on urban yet.
But I'm not an urban artist, not an urban artist
like when I'm an R and B artist, like I'm not.
I have to compete with so many rappers and so
many popular singers that like, I don't think I'm the
(38:20):
most popular singer, like maybe on social media I'm a
little bit more, but when it comes to other artists
like my peers, I'm not the most popular. So whoever
is the most popular this song is probably gonna get
to number one quicker than mine. And I just dang,
I just forgot the question question.
Speaker 4 (38:40):
Oh yeah, yeah, I'm not yeah, I'm not chasing that.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
But what I tried to for a minute and I
lost passion and then I didn't like the music.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
Interesting. Do you feel like there's two worlds, like the
youtwo world, the social media world, and like the traditional world,
like with people having traditionally behind a five, Like, do
you feel like it's a divide?
Speaker 3 (39:03):
Yeah, I think it is. It's definitely a division there.
And I feel like also people that work nine to
fives or regular people sometimes look at us differently or
like as maybe more privileged or whatever because we're like
(39:24):
in the spotlight, and so we don't get to have
regular emotions or feelings or we don't get to express
it because.
Speaker 4 (39:31):
We should be grateful that we have. Who told me that?
Speaker 3 (39:36):
I think I was what Kendra g on my hour
release day and she was like if it helps. Regular
people don't look at us as like regular. That's why
when we express ourselves about certain things, they tell us
to just kind of shut up and deal with it
because you're a celebrity or you know, or you're known.
And I guess anyone that has their life on social media,
(39:57):
they're looked at as like.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
On a pedestal.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
And sometimes people on social media lives is not even
there yet, you know.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
But even as far as audience retention, like do you
feel like the YouTube fan of Queen Naja is the
same fan that listens to your music?
Speaker 3 (40:16):
Maybe there are some people that say that they only
know my music and they they caught me right when
I you know, medicine, and they don't know my YouTube stuff.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
That's me.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
And there are some people that have been on me
from ground up, like when I first first, even before YouTube,
and those people they're more likely they know my music
as well because they probably follow everything.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Right.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
I know you've been following this artist for a long time,
ain't Marie? Oh?
Speaker 4 (40:49):
Yeah, I love her.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Have you finally met her?
Speaker 4 (40:52):
I met her over the phone. She was supposed to
come on my podcast and she probably will still come,
but something going on with our babies were moms first.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (41:03):
I can't wait to meet her though.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
But we talked a lot about other things besides music
on the phone. I think she talked to me about
a holistic doctor for my kids. And you know, she
has a book club and everything on YouTube, so I'm like, girl, you.
Speaker 4 (41:16):
Could teach me some stuff ouside.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
But yeah, I met her and I told her if
she ever wants to, you know, do some music stuff,
and we could do it. I think that would be
another full circle moment for me.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
What was about Amory that you gravitate too?
Speaker 3 (41:31):
When you when I was little first of all, I
just thought she was so pretty. Like I used to
watch one on six in Park and all the shows
a lot, and she would come on a lot with
her hit records and stuff like that, and I just
wanted to be her and I wanted to look like
her when I grew up, you know, as a little girl.
I don't know why, but I always want to grow
(41:53):
up faster than my time. I couldn't wait to grow up.
And so like just looking at her, that's a woman
that I wanted to be. Like, She's the one that
made me want to be in the music videos and
and just she just had such a unique sound back then.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
Fake love. That's so many bands on running through it, like.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Yeah I did Yeah, I did that on that was
like homage, you knowing homage to her. Right, some people
are like why'd you Why did you just come up
with your own? But I did that on purpose?
Speaker 2 (42:22):
Like yeah, no for really?
Speaker 4 (42:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (42:24):
Are the people still blaming Queen Nacha? Are they over it?
Speaker 4 (42:26):
I think people are over it now.
Speaker 3 (42:29):
I think the reason why it's over is because like
I indulge in it too much, and it was like
all joke is over it. She's like onto it at first,
when I used to let it bother me, they kept
doing it because it was funny.
Speaker 4 (42:38):
But I don't really care no more so it's nothing
to really. I mean that people. I've seen people still
do it, but like very few.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
Yeah, you pulled the eight mile on them, like you
owned it.
Speaker 4 (42:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:50):
It was so stupid. It was like one of the
stupidest things ever. I don't even understand how that came about.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Twenty twenty four. So get the album twenty twenty four?
What's what's the future? Hole, What's what's next? Queen?
Speaker 4 (43:02):
Should I overshare?
Speaker 3 (43:03):
Maybe before I start creating more music. There's something I
want to do first to like change or expand on,
like my team, and I want to get that right.
Speaker 4 (43:23):
First before I start.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
So hopefully if that goes well, then I mean it's
gonna go well, but yeah, it's gonna go well, not
hopefully it will. Then I can start doing music and
working with so. Do you guys know who No Idea is?
Speaker 1 (43:40):
Right? Never heard of him?
Speaker 4 (43:44):
I love Dion.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
He's actually gonna start helping me with my next and
he actually signed me to Capitol when I first got
so he's the reason why I went there and signed.
So I'm really looking forward to working with him a lot,
a lot, and you know, bringing me because one thing
about him, Man, he made me trash my whole first album.
(44:07):
He didn't make me but like my whole first album
critics like he you know, and the music was and
I now understand.
Speaker 4 (44:15):
I look back, like, dang, I'm so glad that I
listened or whatever.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (44:19):
He didn't tell me to do I don't want nobody
think he made me do it. But from the feedback
that I got on the first batch of songs, it
was more so not It was more so about the
like production of production, not my music or anything like
that or my what I wrote about.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
But I take his.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
Opinion very very seriously obviously, So I'll be glad to
work with him on some new music and connect me
with the people I should be connected with when it
comes to like other artists I should be working with
or producers or anything.
Speaker 4 (44:52):
So that's next.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
That's so looking forward to. Man, we ever really got
nothing from no Id Sin's like for before on a
prominent level like that.
Speaker 3 (45:01):
So I know he works with Snow a lot too.
Snowgrah definite love her. Yeah, So yeah, that and then
also just outside of music becoming more and more of
like a business woman clothing line, right, I don't want
to call it a clothing line peril the more and
(45:22):
so like, yeah, cozy, comfy, because I just I'm big.
I don't like wearing heels like I like to be.
I want to be comfortable but also cute.
Speaker 4 (45:31):
So that's what my.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
Yeah, comfy and cozy, that's what's going to be based around,
like lounge e not lingerie or anything like that, but
just super comfortable. And I gotta find that uniqueness though,
because everybody can have anyone can have a lounge line up.
Speaker 4 (45:46):
Working on that too.
Speaker 1 (45:47):
We appreciate you taking the time meantime after the butterflies though,
man stream that stream that you you said, buy it too?
Speaker 3 (45:55):
Oh yeah, by it told me I really need to
you know, I hate this word train, but like encourage
my supporters to you know, if you really support me,
then buy it. You know, like we take ten dollars
all the time and go buy a combo meal or
like spend it on some throw it at.
Speaker 4 (46:12):
Something like if something that you really support and want
to listen.
Speaker 2 (46:14):
To, you know, purchase streaming streaming and by it streaming
by I'm saying yes, sir.
Speaker 4 (46:20):
Thank you, Quinn, thank you for having me. I really
appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (46:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:23):
Yeah, absolutely, rap rate all podcasts. Yeah. Rap Radar Is.
The Interval presents original production from Hyperhouse, produced by Laura Wasser,
Hosts and producers Elliott Wilson and Brian b dot Miller.
Permittival presents executive producers Alan Coy and Jake Kleinberg, executive
producer Paul Rosenberg. Editing is sound designed by Dylan Alexander Freeman,
(46:45):
Operations Lead Sarah Yu, business development Lead Cheffie Allen Swag
and marketing lead Samara Still. Make sure to follow rap
Arraator or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or
wherever you get your podcasts
Yo, it's a rap raid our podcast. My name is
beat Out. Elia Wilson, Happy Post Thanksgiving, got the yams,
vestle leftovers man, Man, I got leftovers till Christmas. Man
right at White beat everything every time, the Ham, the Hog,
all that shot to Shirley season. Man, it was a
(00:21):
very thankful Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Man. We did a lazy episode. We just with everybody
happy Thanksgiving and that's all we did. But now we're
back at it, man, Man at l Man. We can't
escape this atl lifestyle. Man, these artists are all in Atlanta. Man,
what do you think it is?
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Atlanta's more than strip clubs and great wings.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Man, three thousands out here playing the flute somewhere. I
don't know what's going on Atlanta. Man, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
But we're in Atlanta for special reason, and special reason
only the Queen. The Queen. The Queen is hyped up.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Queen nodges of the building, man, menajen, Man, you know
what I'm saying, Beat. I like how we talk to
the women.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
You know what I'm saying. The culture, man, the women's
voices to be heard in this culture.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Man.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
I feel like this is the season we had the
most female voices right. So far we had the two Monets,
two Moneis, Victoria Monett and Janelle, and now we have
Queen Naja Queen Naja.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Man the project's good Man more butterflies. Man. Appreciate her
taking the time with us, man, you know what I'm saying.
We try to show the scope of it, man, you know,
and it ties to hip hop a strow too, like
that Big Sean Records, like her biggest record, and she's
been on features with everybody from Benny the Butcher, the Jizy,
the Favio Favio four.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
And she went to Utah to talk to our good
friend NBA young boy man. We all live to survive.
God bless that woman going on all the way to Utah.
She's like I'm getting him in the video absolutely like
she's like I'm not playing man, I'm working out here.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
But it's really interesting too. We talked about this in
the conversation, like she's like a broken star and especially
on the YouTube space and like in the social media era. Yeah,
but it's like she's still you know, still earning her
bones and so to speak.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
You know, you know, it's tricky because I mean, I
saw somebody quoted The New York Times in twenty eight
team says she's like the first sole star of the
social media generation, right, you know, and like you know,
like a lot of times now, like the younger generation,
that's what they see as career goals, right, like the
way you want to be a journalist, per se, Like
they want to be famous off YouTube and be a
gamer or be a streamer, and like, you know, and
(02:16):
she actually broke through that way. But at the same time,
once getting in the door that way, obviously there's a
lot of care and artistry to her actual music and
now what the goal.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
She wants to reach through her music facts, because sometimes
it's a translate. There's a lot of artists that are
big on one social media platform, but you know, outside
in the real world, they're pretty much anonymous. Absolutely, But
I feel like she's doing a great balance in that. Yeah,
we've seen that all the time.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
We got five million followers and can't sell five thousand records.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
You can't sell a free show man.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Now. But now it's interesting to hear her girl like
that as an artist. And like I said, I think
the project's really dope, and you know, just showing the range, Man,
and we're getting down to it man, beat Out. The
season is wrapping down, man. We got two more episodes.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
To a free U. We got my final countdown, Man,
final countdown down? Man, you can play that, jay Z,
Can I get an encore? Do you want more? Say?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
We're talking to man.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
We got to talk to man. You'll say, we'll see
but in the meantime in between times got Queen Naja.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
So absolutely bunkle up man. You know how we do
it man? Right off podcasts? Yeah, yeah, rap right up podcast.
Elliott Wilson's name is beat Out. Beat Out. What's up baby?
Feeling good?
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Elliott?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
We got the queen here, Baby, The.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Queen's in the building. Hello, Queen Naja.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
I like how I just bounced off each other?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Like, I like how you bouncing this truck after the butterflies?
What's going on?
Speaker 1 (03:43):
You say?
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Forget us album talk whatever, I'm about to lace the people.
Give him some music. We can't close this year out
without some new music, right Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
I was gonna drop an album. Well, the beginning is here.
I was like, I'm for sure dropping an album. But
from the paperwork and all that's the produce and lawyers
like from it taking so long, I was like, I
can't wait.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
I'm gonna just drop this as an EP.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
And I left a couple songs off because it would
have been an album if I would have kept them
on it.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
It feels like, I mean, it's hard now in this world,
like what's the EP? What's I call them projects? I
feel like it, but it feels like a full project.
It doesn't feel like an appetizer. It feels like it's
on full course.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I did, of course, Okay, some people I go do
interviews and they just like, you know, we.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Hate those people. And I know, failing way to open
her on the track is one of your favorite records?
Like what resonates with that?
Speaker 4 (04:36):
You did your research like that?
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Why why is it one of my Well, it's very
like vulnerable, you know.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
I feel like when I listened to the song, I
feel exactly like where I was in that moment I
was writing it. When I said laying next to you
while you were asleep, I was actually I was actually
laying next to him while he was asleep.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Real life.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Yeah, it was like real life.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
And I like most of the songs that I do
when they're like completely transparent. I'm not adding or subtract anything.
They just resonate with me the most.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah, I mean that seem to me a common theme
of like you tackling relationships and like and also showing
your kind of strength and resilience you like that is
that a common thing you think you kind of land
on as a writer pretty much?
Speaker 3 (05:24):
I mean people get tired of it and always writing
about the same stuff. It's kind of like, I mean,
that's that's the kind of artist I am. I write
about love and heartbreak and like really loving all aspects,
to be honest. So in this particular project, it was
me like bracing myself while embracing myself, so like I
(05:44):
was pretty much getting ready, well preparing myself to have
like another failed public relationship, and it was like gonna
be embarrassing, but I was like, fine, I gotta do it,
Like this time, I'm not gonna go to a different
man or getting another relationship. I'm just gonna have to
face it and love myself.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
And so that's.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Self love right too.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
You have two songs Butterflies and Butterflies Too. When it passed,
did those serve songs serve like inspiration for this project?
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Yeah, they do, because like I wrote those songs, well,
the first Butterflies was I was broke that I wrote
that when I was like freshly falling in love with
my current partner, and like when I say, the feeling
was so it was just so new and fresh, especially
coming from like a toxic relationship. And then Butterflies Part two,
(06:39):
two years later, I wrote that song. I was still
in a very like great space. It had been some
up and ups and downs whatever, but like you know,
I was in a good space.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
So I feel like and then I feel like I
am a butterfly. I don't know, I loved her.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
I love butterflies and I love like the story of
them and like how they grow and everything. And so
this the reason why I named this because I thought
I was clever after the Butterflies, kind of like after
the honeymoon phase or after like when stuff started hitting
a fan and stuff started getting a little ugly, and.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
That's what relationships are. It's likely challenging times. Yeah, so
that's what I wrote about.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
And the first album, Misunderstood, you released during COVID and
you weren't able to promote it. So this time around,
do you feel like you've been redeemed, you know.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
I mean it's not an album, so it's not as
much pressure around it. But I am doing I'm able
to be out and do interviews and things like this
about it that I didn't get to do in COVID.
I like the feeling better of being around. So I
did like a little run in LA and then I'm
do one New York.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
And you know here, so I feel like I redeem myself.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Yeah, what was the vision of picking these songs for
this project in your mind?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Well, there were all the songs that I had, I
mean there were well I have more MW but it
just it didn't align with the just didn't align.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
With the story of the After the Butterflies. But I
did when it was going to be an album, my whole,
the whole Uh what was it called track list?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Yeah, the track list, the order of it was going
to be different, but I had to rearrange it whatever.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Actually, Fading Away was going to be very like late
in the project. Wow, But I made it number one.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
I like that.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Yeah. I made it a number one because it was
just it sounds it was supposed to be an interlude,
but you know, it sounds like Introy so I just
made the first.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
One and even down the soul Tide, I just feels
like it has a sort of anchor to it.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yeah, I had it ended beautifully always. I feel like
that's a very pretty song. I love pretty melodies and.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
So it got some pretty voices on there. You got Monica.
I know you grew up listening to Monica.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Yeah, I love her.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
So how much of a full circle moment was it
for you to have her on the album?
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Super full circle, like big full circle, because yeah, like
I I grew up listening to that stuff, but it
was because my mom did. So like she's closer to
of course, like my mom's age, but I feel and
she's a she's a legend, like in my eyes, you know.
So it is a full circle moment when people like
Monica are just openly willing to hop on the track
(09:19):
and I don't have to tug and pull.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
And like people like Mary J.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Blige a lot of sharing the stage with me and
baby Face put me on the album.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
So like I be feeling like, dang, I.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Must really you know, they must really see something to mean,
So yeah, super full circle.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
You but you've broken barriers like I re mem by.
So some of New York Times twenty eighteen, they said,
you're the first soul star of the social media generation.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Yeah, they called me that.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Like how does that land with you? Like, how does
that make you make you feel?
Speaker 3 (09:45):
When it makes me feel like a pioneer, you know,
like I started, you know, just blogging myself on YouTube
and not that I ever really wanted to do that
in the first place.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
I just did it because I was broke. But yeah,
I mean it feels good to say I'm the first
and something I know SOLDI let me have him come
to me.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
But what was the motivation? Like you said you was broke,
But what made you think that, oh, let's let me
share some stuff on YouTube and like have that courageous
step to start sharing your life with you It.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Wasn't my idea.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
I'm gonna get a credit to my ex for that.
I'm gonna give it because he's the one that really
wanted to be famous and stuff like that, and he
was like you gotta we was you know, it was
on section eight and like we had a child and everything,
and I really just didn't care about being in front
of the camera. I mean, I've done American idol or whatever,
and that was that that was more for singing, but
he was doing I was.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Like, let's like, let's get on YouTube or whatever. And
I was all right with it.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
But my personality, people naturally gravitated towards me because I
don't know how to I didn't know how to be
like have a switch. I was just always myself on
social media, and they felt like they just could relate
to me so much, and even more so when I
made my own channel and I was able to show
them more of Queen and not just Queen being you know,
(11:02):
in a relationship. So it was more so his reason
why I got on and just being broke.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Really, it feels like you had to turn a watershed
moment five years ago in Times Square, you know, when
you cause that riot.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Yeah, that was crazy. I didn't that. I didn't like.
I never thought something like that would happen. That was
actually scared. It was actually pregnant.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
So they had to put me on their shoulders and
stuff and give me to the car and people was.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Getting trampled on. It was scary. I don't like stuff
like that. But there were a couple of videos on
the internet.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I actually made the news yeah, and it was saying,
who is that with the blond wig and they thought
it was Cardi b Or Like.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
I was like, that was crazy.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Do you feel like that was like your breakout moment?
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Yeah, I would say that because that's when I was like,
dang people, Actually I got a lot of love in
New York too, Shout.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Out to them, Shout out to New York with in
New Yorkers man. We also we also go to Utah sometimes.
We went to Utah to see this guy, young Boy.
We did an interview with him this year did very
well for us. But I thought it was so dope
that you had the song with him and you said,
I'm going to Utah. We gotta get this fool in
the video. We gotta get it done. No fake love
for sure.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Yeah, I had to go there.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
I just felt like, well, first of all, that song,
it was supposed to be released summer twenty twenty two,
so I was like, if I'm gonna put this song
out this late next year in August, like I at
least have to have something, so like I wanted to
have him in the same screen with me. I know
a lot of people he did like things on green
screen and with other artists and they did it elsewhere,
(12:45):
but I wanted to be there with him, and I
think it was Yeah, I think it was a fire.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
He was.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
He was great to work with. I was scared at first.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
I was shared first too. He's a complexion of man,
but I think he has he's a good heart.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
I think you do too.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Yeah, why do you think why? B was like the
right voice for that song.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
Okay, So I'm gonna be honest because I'm a transparent person.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
It was a few people, a few a few rappers
that I had reached out to, and a couple of
them had me running around just like giving me the
run around. I ain't gonna say no names, but young
boy I actually someone from my labels recommended him and
I was like, dang, I don't know how that would
(13:29):
go because he seemed like such a like a I
don't know how to yell. I was like, how could
he be on this sweet song? And like how could
be meshed together? But he really surprised me when he
sent me. Actually he was the first person to like
get back on, get on the track. Yeah, And I
(13:52):
really appreciated that because, to be honest, he streamed very
very high, and I didn't expect for him to get back,
and then he sent his verse back the next day,
so I was like, what the hell, Like, I didn't
know why whatever, but he sounded really good, and he said,
is there anything you want.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Me to change? And I was like yeah, I was like, dude,
like I kind of told him.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
To do the the the pre hook or something like
me the Tupac sample and I was like, oh, tonight,
I wanted him to do the same thing.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
So he changed it to that, and I think that
it messed together really well.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Right.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Yeah, he said he didn't even charge you too, Right,
he didn't.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
That's crazy, And y'all I promised ain't. Nothing happened, no
promise of how.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
He just chose not to charge me. And one of
the things he said to me was I don't know why,
but he was like I need you more?
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Do you need me?
Speaker 4 (14:44):
I'm like, what you mean?
Speaker 1 (14:45):
I need you?
Speaker 3 (14:46):
But I'm glad that it was mutual and like we
were able to help each other out.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Yeah, do all the security clearance and stuff like that too.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
Yeah, it was easy.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Pas nice was this like a continuation off the GZ
record because you had fake love with him? When one
oh four, now you have no fake love.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I didn't think about that. No, it wasn't a continuation.
But wow, I didn't think.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
About it that way.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
But you know you did songs with like Benny the
Butsher five year Like I saw something you said you
like being like you like getting on like the thug records.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
I do?
Speaker 2 (15:16):
I do.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
I just feel like I'm like the complete opposite, like
and I like to see the fusion or hear the
fusion of the two. I like how it you know,
how they used to be back in the day, the
rough necks and the sweet girl.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
And I feel like I just bring that.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
You know, how does it feel being like the go
to person for that because you have records like Big Sean, Russ,
Cheezy Benny, Like, how.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
Does it feel? I mean feel good?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I feel like, you know how two packeys ahead those
records and a girl's be on here just singing.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
I feel like if I was back in the day,
that would be me. So I feel like, you know,
it feels good.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
I'd be wondering. I'd be like, what y'all, what do
y'all see it? Why do y'all want my voice to
be on there?
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Like? Because I'm not even like that, but you know,
but you get watch.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
You with it though, too, like little customers of the
first verse and all.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
The crazy thing is I used to never want to
cuss in my song because you know, I grew up
a church girl, so I try to not. At some
point I want to cross over and do gospel, you know,
I want to do a gospel and I be trying
to not bring myself too far away.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
But sometimes you.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Gotta just it sounds good, like yeah, first it sounds
a little bit more edgier, so but I don't curse
like when I'm talking.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
But I know you love them samples too, because like
record with you in a little Dirk LT of me,
you sampled at the Barge that you know Tupac may
famous too, Like what is it about them samples that
you really enjoy?
Speaker 3 (16:44):
I just enjoyed taking older music that was so good
and just like turning it into something new and modern.
People people get on my nerves when they come and like, oh,
it's another sample, Like and people just don't understand that
even the great sample, Like when I listened to old
school music and I'm thinking they the first to do it.
(17:06):
You go back and they sampled somebody, so it's nothing
new under the sun. Like, but I do feel like,
you know, it seems like the songs that are more
known of mine are samples, and probably because it's just
so familiar to people, and they they're the ones that
make it bigger, so they obviously like it doing something right.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
When you started packing on YouTube, did you did you
see that bridge of how that's gonna help you with
your with your career take off? Like?
Speaker 3 (17:32):
I didn't see it. I didn't see it because back
then it's like I did make music and I did
record music, but it was like with him and everything
was branded under our name. It was never my own name.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
So I didn't see how that would work.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
But once I did start my channel and I got
tired of explaining myself, I just made a song out
of the situation medicine, and I really didn't think it
was gonna do what it did, but it did.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
I didn't see it coming, like on self Love, you
have this lyrics, so you try to please everybody around
me and to consumed my days. Has that really been
a struggle for you.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Just trying to I'm a people pleaser and that's not
just in relationships. That's with family and with friends and
with everybody around me. Just trying to make everybody happy
to the point where like I don't have nothing left
for myself, and it's very hard trying to.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Make everybody happy.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
And I've struggled with that since I was a little girl.
I feel like even in school, like growing up just
trying to just right. But even now I still struggle
with that.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
But I'm getting better.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
You did say on Twitter, you said I did a
lot of self work this year. It's going to pay
off next year. What are some of the things you improved.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
On saying no? It's very hard for me to say no,
and I'm a libre, so I really don't like confrontation.
But I've learned to have those hard conversations because it's needed.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
I went to therapy.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
And it helped me just like face the like talk
about what I need to talk about, so I can
do that also with like other people that I love,
have those hard conversations and you know, if that person
ends up not being in my life, no more than
that's what was meant or whatever.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
But you got to have them.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
That reminds me. Words of affirmation very powerful. Record like
what motivated that.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Because whereas affirmation is my love language, it's my top
love language. I noticed that, like, gifts are nice and everything.
I like gifts, but it's nothing like and touch is
nice too, but that's probably my second.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
But it's nothing like when hearing a man tell you
how beautiful you are, or like how proud they are
of you the man you love.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Of course, I mean that I love, and so I
was just it's okay to like request or demand how
you want to be loved, just like it's okay for
a man to do it as well, you know, because
we're all loved differently and we all give love differently.
So that's really that song was really me just expressing
(20:20):
what I would like and my man pretty much.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
One of my favorite songs is Taboo with Eric b
Like for some reason, when I heard it, it gave
me that same feeling that when I first heard Marsha
and bros Is far Away.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
Oh yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
So that was honestly, I think that's the most different
record I ever done. And I was scared to do
that because I was like, this belongs to Victoria Monette,
not me, But it turned out it turned out really great.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
That song was something because I know that don't really
fit the after the Butterfly.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Yeah, that was more so about me expressing the idea
of I mean, exploring the idea of cheating or having
like a sneaky link, because I'm always the one being
cheated on. So you know, I wanted to just make
a song about how it possibly would feel too right
she but I don't think that would feel good, to
(21:20):
be honest, I don't.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
Think I would live with myself.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
But it's funny you mentro Victoria MiNet, like you're not
afraid to show love to other women, like I saw
you said that her album is the Teeto.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Oh yeah I was.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
I was listening to her album for days after it
came on, for weeks. Actually, I'm not afraid to give
women love even if they don't show me love back.
That's fine because what when I give love is like
genuine and it's like I don't really expect nothing.
Speaker 4 (21:44):
Back in return.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
How you can connect with La on that note for
the project.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Yeah, Lama been connected for some years now. I think
I don't know, I forgot where we met, but we've
always like had each other's numbers, so anytime I would
run across the record.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
I thought you would fit.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
I would send it to her and see if she
liked it. And obviously this is the one that she
liked the most, so she got on it.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
But that's probably because of the the West Coast vibe.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Yeah, I know you love Beyonce. I saw that you
went to her show. You say you left speechless. Oh yeah,
you said, I never experienced something like that in my life.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
I haven't. That was like that show was Honestly, I
don't think I'll ever.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Be able to to that.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
That was crazy, Like, that's some crazy stuff I've seen
like every you know, how you go to a show
and just like you're looking at just the stage, like
you were looking at everything around you. It was crazy
that everything was so big.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
It was just humongous.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
And I don't see how she got up there for
that long and did that, Because that's why.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
I said, that's why she's Beyonce.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Why on touring for this project?
Speaker 4 (22:49):
I do. I plan on touring. I got to get
some things together first.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
I got to get my show together because I always
like to elevate and I did my own I did
too of my own shows headline. They were all so
doubt and then my first arena tour was Mary J.
Blige and so now it's time to elevate my show
and switch it.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
What was that experience like touring with Mary?
Speaker 4 (23:14):
Oh, it was amazing. I love being an opener. Your
seat there, I mean it was in the building for
me arena early.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
So why do you love being open? And people feel
like that's that's a challenge to.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
You know, I mean because I it is a challenge
because you got to open up this show and like
started off and get the vibes going, and I did.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
I got them going.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
But like it was also like my set was shorter,
and I was fine with that because it was less
pressure and it was just a little sample of the
experience of the arena. Now I'm not scared of arenas anymore.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
So because it's so big. I guess it was.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
And then I at the end of the tour, of course,
it had like a little after party and I sat
with me and spoke to her about some things, and
I was happy that we got to like chop it
up and she dropped some gems on me.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
And stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
What was it like connected with baby Face?
Speaker 3 (24:09):
It was dope. It was super dope connected with him.
I don't know why I just giggled like that, but
I remember the first time we met. I went to
a studio in LA and he was just sitting near
all quiet, and I was like nervous. But that actually
wasn't the song that I did on his album. That
wasn't supposed to be the song that we started on.
(24:32):
I mean, that wasn't the song that we started on.
And yeah, we ended up doing something totally different. But
he was very open, like he didn't try to control
the song or the situation, like he allowed me to.
He really allowed me to do my thing because I
even changed the production up on the beat, and.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Yeah, it was dope working with a legend.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Yeah, what are you thinking about your music? Makes you
distinctive in the landscape of of this R and B
because not a lot of tensions being put to it
now right, it's doing well. There's a lot of Grammy
knoms out there, like, what's your approach you thinking makes
your your music distinctive in that landscape.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
That's a very broad question.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
People always say what makes you unique? Actually, I don't
know if I could be really honest with you, guys.
I don't know what makes it distinct your honesty, that's
really my honest, Like, I don't know what makes it distinct.
I just go in and I do whatever is on
(25:37):
my heart or you know. And I love those pretty melodies.
So a lot of times I don't just have them
pull up beats. We make beats from scratch.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
So like out here, okay, maybe this is the answer.
So I hear a melody in my head, maybe on
a plane or like really late at night, in the
middle of night, I'll hear like a melody in a show,
and I.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Just love the melody.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
And then I'll go in and I'll hum the melody
to them, and then they'll play it on the piano.
And then after that, I start beating on a table
with a pencil and I tell them yeah, yeah, and
I tell them like, you know, I want it this way,
or and then they'll go through.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
Different instruments.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
I may not know the sound, I mean, the name
of the instrument, but I'll make I'll try to make
this sound.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
It sounds funny coming from my mouth. But like it's
just a whole creative process.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Not just from everything is like from scratch with it,
and there are very few songs that I've taken, and
even if I did, I had to make it mine.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
So so you're a producer, Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
I'm not a I don't push the buttons, but I
am a producer and I maybe one day I'll learn
how to do that.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
But I don't know.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
If I don't know, I get a lot of money.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Though, but.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Good though executive producer looks, yeah, that's fire.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
But I guess you've been.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
But you have to have a vision in places you're saying, like,
you're not just people sending you tracks, You're just singing
all yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
So I don't know if that makes it distinctive, because
I'm sure maybe other people do it too, you know.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
But I feel like when people hear my voice, they
know it's me. Yeah, I will say that absolutely.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
So maybe my voice is distinctive because even when like
I was trying to be so low in New York
and I was just talking and people knew it was me.
I had on a mask and everything.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
Oh I knew it was you. I started talking. I'm like,
I don't know how they know my voice.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
But I think your writing is also a strong suit.
How did you develop that?
Speaker 3 (27:37):
I've been writing since I was a little kid, so
like I used to I was like six or seven,
and I used to be in my room beating on
a window sill and making up songs about love, like
since I was little. And then when I was in
third grade, instead of playing like on swings and at recess,
(27:58):
I used to have like three girls come under the
little thing where like our voice can echo a little.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
What is it called pavilion or whatever?
Speaker 3 (28:08):
Our voices would echo, and I would go home and
make up songs for us all to sing together, like
we was like destiny child. But I've been writing songs
really about love since I was little, And that's funny, wow.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
And like, do you like the idea of giving other
people songs so just keeping everything for yourself?
Speaker 4 (28:25):
I thought about that, but I'm kind of stingy.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Like if I write a song, I write a song,
I want to I want to set.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
Voice to be honest. I mean, there are a there
are a few.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Songs actually that I wrote that are maybe someone else
will sound better singing it. Like I have like a
country kind of song and this, I have this like
pop rock song that if I put that out.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
Myself, they're gonna be like, girl, what is you doing?
So it would be.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Nice to give it to someone else, but maybe I
haven't got to that point yet to I'm still trying
to work on myself.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
And so yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
What's going on with you trying to take us out? Man?
You start your own podcast?
Speaker 4 (29:06):
What's going on trying to take your It was an accident.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
It was an accident, to be honest, So I was
so when I left YouTube. I love so many people
like I still my subscribers are still there.
Speaker 4 (29:20):
I still have five million.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Plus subscribe left me, and I felt like, dang, that's
really bold, like for me to leave them behind, you know.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
But I didn't want to go back to YouTube doing.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Pranks for challenges or any of the things that I
used to do when I was younger, because that's not
me anymore and that's out of style now, like does
that anymore?
Speaker 4 (29:38):
So I wanted to find a way to go back
to YouTube in.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
A more like mature way, where like they could maybe
hear my voice and my perspective of things more. And
so I brought my best friend on so it could
be more like a chitchat girl talk thing. But I
don't know why I called it a podcast because once
I called it a podcast, people start running with it.
And now it's a podcast, like you know, and and
(30:02):
now we're about to get like a podcast trainer, and
like I'm like, oh, this is getting serious and people
already reached out to like buy it, right, and it's
not even like but I don't.
Speaker 4 (30:12):
I ain't trying to do that, Like I.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Just want to wait and I guess work on it
because we ain't even like we don't even know we
got to speak on topics of this trending and stuff.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
I don't really know how to do that. We just
talk about, right, girl talk.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
But it's a balancing that because you're a singer, not
your podcast, but you're also a mom. Yes, right, that's
a full time realist job job out here, Like even said,
you just can't get up in tour without feeling guilty
because there were the kids, Like how have you been
able to balance stuff?
Speaker 4 (30:43):
Man?
Speaker 3 (30:43):
My last tour, when I went on the mary Ja tour,
that was the first time I ever left my kids.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
At home and I was boohoo crying. Wow, I was
so sad.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
I didn't want to leave them because but you know,
they're in school, so they got to go to school.
But there was a time when when I was pregnant
on my first tour, I was like eight months pregnant,
and I had my three year old with me and
I didn't care, Like I ain't care.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
I would bring them if I could, but they got
to go to school to school. So it's it's.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Really a I'm going to try to tour like at
a time where they're not in school, maybe like summer,
but I really like the fall tours. But it's a
it's a lot because they're getting older now and now
they realize like when I'm not there, and I don't
want them to grow up saying, you know, Mama didn't
raise me, the babysitter did or the nanny did, like
(31:33):
I want to raise my kids.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
So that makes it very tough. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Is your oldest son a fan of the music? Is heap? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Yeah, yeah CJ.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
He is.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
And my youngest eight eight and four. They're about to
be five and nine, so January and February. Yeah, but yeah,
they know it. I think my youngest son is going
to be a producer or like a singer.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Ok, yeah, you got the bug getting already.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Yeah, he's very smart. My youngest and like he's so
weird because I'll do it on purpose.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
I'll like go up the key the scales of singing, and.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Like if I do the wrong key, you'll be like no,
like that's not the right one. He knows his keys
like and he'll keep restarting something if he's just really
gifted when it comes to music.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
I think that's something you said in the podcast about
how you think it went viral a little bit about
how it's different with your parent you have kids. Like
women that are single have way more freedom to do
certain things, and you have so much responsibility to balance
those things out.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Yeah, it's crazy, like I said it. I said, I
envy women a little bit with no kids, but you know,
sometimes they mvs because we have kids, and sometimes you
want what you can't have at the moment, or what
you don't have not cant But yeah, it's very hard.
Like I don't I've never really gotten a chance to
(33:00):
know myself. So I'm still trying to learn myself because
I've spent my twenties having kids.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
How challenging is that to share so much of your
life to the world.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
It's not as challenging. I'm like an open book I
have to really watch.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
Myself with oversharing stuff. Even when it comes to talking
to strangers, sometimes, like you get into a good conversation,
you start just oversharing. So I've always been a person
that talks a lot, like tell my business a lot,
and I really need to slow down and do that.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
But it's not it's not a challenge.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
But I think what the most challenging part is like
when you tell your business and then people come back
with all of these opinions.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
About it or like what they their theories of what
may have happened.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Because even though I tell my business, sometimes I don't
tell everything. So sometimes people will come with what they
think really happened, and then I want to say, so bad,
what really happened, but like I can't because I can't.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Or shared or whatever.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
So that's probably the most challenging thing is when you
want to correct something but like it's none of their
business anyway.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
What's your take on a new generation where it seems like,
you know, you broke through to social media, but it
seems like we have a no generation now want to
be famous and they want to be streamers. They want
to kind of break through that way, Like is that
concerning like that so much is influenced by that culture.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
My son wants to be a streamer, my oldest son,
and honestly, it's like it's I don't it's okay, you know,
it's it could be toxic because a lot of the
things that like for my child, like I really don't
want him to see a lot of things that happen
on social media. It's too late, he already seen it.
(34:48):
But I think it's a blessing and a curse.
Speaker 4 (34:52):
I think that for singers like me, it's tough because
I don't Sometimes I don't want to get on TikTok.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
I can dance, or sometimes I want to make What
if I just want to make a song that's like
a little slower pace, Yeah, but it don't make, but
it don't go viral on TikTok because it's slower paced
or it's not trendy. Like I'm sorry, Like I'm not
that kind of artist, Like I don't. That's why I
do take me a long time to drop, which I'm
(35:21):
going to work on that. But like I want my
stuff to be perfected and like mean something, and nowadays
everything is like microwave and my stuff be baking in
an oven, you know, But I think it is challenging
when it comes to like because you know, the labels
also like nowaday, you know, they don't take an artist
(35:43):
from ground up. You already have to have a platform,
and then they'll take you from like maybe that level
to you got to meet them in the middle.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
Now.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
So it's like even with me leaving YouTube and actually
even YouTube.
Speaker 4 (35:56):
People don't watch long winded videos anymore.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
They want TikTok, and so now I have to like that.
I'm even learning something new in that. Like it's very
hard for me to not just do a vlog like
along Winter and I have to put everything in like
thirty seconds.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Yeah, that's why I don't you know, I have trouble
doing that. I'm trying to work on it.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
But it's interesting because it's like you mentioned, you have
like five million subscribers on your YouTube page. By I
guess a label standard you're developed, but you still like
have this kind of like development stage that you're going
through at this particular time. Yeah, I have to.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
Learn new stuff every day with the social media and
everything like that. They be on me about doing content,
but like I be wanting to enjoy my stuff, I
have to record. I have to make sure I take
my phone out and record everything. Like if I go
to a spa, I have to do a self love
spa and put my song on there and like put
(36:51):
self love on the music on there.
Speaker 4 (36:53):
But I have to.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Before I lay down and get it back bessage, I
got to record the bed and like set up the
I think it's real funny, like and I see people
setting up the camera and then they go walk past
it like or the camera and like turn on the shower,
like I've done it before because it's what you gotta do.
But I think it's it's just crazy what the world
(37:15):
come to.
Speaker 4 (37:15):
It is grit. It's cringe.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Just on the artist side, like because we looked it up.
Your certification game is pretty strong, got a lot of
a lot of goals, Like but I guess you saying
like you don't but seem like even with the song
with Big Sean, it doesn't feel like you're chasing hits.
So trying to like heavy handedly make force a hit.
Speaker 4 (37:35):
I don't chase them.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
I almost got to that point where I was trying
to chase a hit, and that's when I lose passion.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
I just like I remember I had an A and R.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
Named Jeff and when I you know, he was like
really trying to get me to you know, create the
you know, urban.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
Music, because it's true. If you get a.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
Number one on urban, it like change, it changes the
trajectory of like your career. And I have been very close,
but I haven't got a number one on urban yet.
But I'm not an urban artist, not an urban artist
like when I'm an R and B artist, like I'm not.
I have to compete with so many rappers and so
many popular singers that like, I don't think I'm the
(38:20):
most popular singer, like maybe on social media I'm a
little bit more, but when it comes to other artists
like my peers, I'm not the most popular. So whoever
is the most popular this song is probably gonna get
to number one quicker than mine. And I just dang,
I just forgot the question question.
Speaker 4 (38:40):
Oh yeah, yeah, I'm not yeah, I'm not chasing that.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
But what I tried to for a minute and I
lost passion and then I didn't like the music.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
Interesting. Do you feel like there's two worlds, like the
youtwo world, the social media world, and like the traditional world,
like with people having traditionally behind a five, Like, do
you feel like it's a divide?
Speaker 3 (39:03):
Yeah, I think it is. It's definitely a division there.
And I feel like also people that work nine to
fives or regular people sometimes look at us differently or
like as maybe more privileged or whatever because we're like
(39:24):
in the spotlight, and so we don't get to have
regular emotions or feelings or we don't get to express
it because.
Speaker 4 (39:31):
We should be grateful that we have. Who told me that?
Speaker 3 (39:36):
I think I was what Kendra g on my hour
release day and she was like if it helps. Regular
people don't look at us as like regular. That's why
when we express ourselves about certain things, they tell us
to just kind of shut up and deal with it
because you're a celebrity or you know, or you're known.
And I guess anyone that has their life on social media,
(39:57):
they're looked at as like.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
On a pedestal.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
And sometimes people on social media lives is not even
there yet, you know.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
But even as far as audience retention, like do you
feel like the YouTube fan of Queen Naja is the
same fan that listens to your music?
Speaker 3 (40:16):
Maybe there are some people that say that they only
know my music and they they caught me right when
I you know, medicine, and they don't know my YouTube stuff.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
That's me.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
And there are some people that have been on me
from ground up, like when I first first, even before YouTube,
and those people they're more likely they know my music
as well because they probably follow everything.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Right.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
I know you've been following this artist for a long time,
ain't Marie? Oh?
Speaker 4 (40:49):
Yeah, I love her.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Have you finally met her?
Speaker 4 (40:52):
I met her over the phone. She was supposed to
come on my podcast and she probably will still come,
but something going on with our babies were moms first.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (41:03):
I can't wait to meet her though.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
But we talked a lot about other things besides music
on the phone. I think she talked to me about
a holistic doctor for my kids. And you know, she
has a book club and everything on YouTube, so I'm like, girl, you.
Speaker 4 (41:16):
Could teach me some stuff ouside.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
But yeah, I met her and I told her if
she ever wants to, you know, do some music stuff,
and we could do it. I think that would be
another full circle moment for me.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
What was about Amory that you gravitate too?
Speaker 3 (41:31):
When you when I was little first of all, I
just thought she was so pretty. Like I used to
watch one on six in Park and all the shows
a lot, and she would come on a lot with
her hit records and stuff like that, and I just
wanted to be her and I wanted to look like
her when I grew up, you know, as a little girl.
I don't know why, but I always want to grow
(41:53):
up faster than my time. I couldn't wait to grow up.
And so like just looking at her, that's a woman
that I wanted to be. Like, She's the one that
made me want to be in the music videos and
and just she just had such a unique sound back then.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
Fake love. That's so many bands on running through it, like.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Yeah I did Yeah, I did that on that was
like homage, you knowing homage to her. Right, some people
are like why'd you Why did you just come up
with your own? But I did that on purpose?
Speaker 2 (42:22):
Like yeah, no for really?
Speaker 4 (42:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (42:24):
Are the people still blaming Queen Nacha? Are they over it?
Speaker 4 (42:26):
I think people are over it now.
Speaker 3 (42:29):
I think the reason why it's over is because like
I indulge in it too much, and it was like
all joke is over it. She's like onto it at first,
when I used to let it bother me, they kept
doing it because it was funny.
Speaker 4 (42:38):
But I don't really care no more so it's nothing
to really. I mean that people. I've seen people still
do it, but like very few.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
Yeah, you pulled the eight mile on them, like you
owned it.
Speaker 4 (42:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:50):
It was so stupid. It was like one of the
stupidest things ever. I don't even understand how that came about.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Twenty twenty four. So get the album twenty twenty four?
What's what's the future? Hole, What's what's next? Queen?
Speaker 4 (43:02):
Should I overshare?
Speaker 3 (43:03):
Maybe before I start creating more music. There's something I
want to do first to like change or expand on,
like my team, and I want to get that right.
Speaker 4 (43:23):
First before I start.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
So hopefully if that goes well, then I mean it's
gonna go well, but yeah, it's gonna go well, not
hopefully it will. Then I can start doing music and
working with so. Do you guys know who No Idea is?
Speaker 1 (43:40):
Right? Never heard of him?
Speaker 4 (43:44):
I love Dion.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
He's actually gonna start helping me with my next and
he actually signed me to Capitol when I first got
so he's the reason why I went there and signed.
So I'm really looking forward to working with him a lot,
a lot, and you know, bringing me because one thing
about him, Man, he made me trash my whole first album.
(44:07):
He didn't make me but like my whole first album
critics like he you know, and the music was and
I now understand.
Speaker 4 (44:15):
I look back, like, dang, I'm so glad that I
listened or whatever.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (44:19):
He didn't tell me to do I don't want nobody
think he made me do it. But from the feedback
that I got on the first batch of songs, it
was more so not It was more so about the
like production of production, not my music or anything like
that or my what I wrote about.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
But I take his.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
Opinion very very seriously obviously, So I'll be glad to
work with him on some new music and connect me
with the people I should be connected with when it
comes to like other artists I should be working with
or producers or anything.
Speaker 4 (44:52):
So that's next.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
That's so looking forward to. Man, we ever really got
nothing from no Id Sin's like for before on a
prominent level like that.
Speaker 3 (45:01):
So I know he works with Snow a lot too.
Snowgrah definite love her. Yeah, So yeah, that and then
also just outside of music becoming more and more of
like a business woman clothing line, right, I don't want
to call it a clothing line peril the more and
(45:22):
so like, yeah, cozy, comfy, because I just I'm big.
I don't like wearing heels like I like to be.
I want to be comfortable but also cute.
Speaker 4 (45:31):
So that's what my.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
Yeah, comfy and cozy, that's what's going to be based around,
like lounge e not lingerie or anything like that, but
just super comfortable. And I gotta find that uniqueness though,
because everybody can have anyone can have a lounge line up.
Speaker 4 (45:46):
Working on that too.
Speaker 1 (45:47):
We appreciate you taking the time meantime after the butterflies though,
man stream that stream that you you said, buy it too?
Speaker 3 (45:55):
Oh yeah, by it told me I really need to
you know, I hate this word train, but like encourage
my supporters to you know, if you really support me,
then buy it. You know, like we take ten dollars
all the time and go buy a combo meal or
like spend it on some throw it at.
Speaker 4 (46:12):
Something like if something that you really support and want
to listen.
Speaker 2 (46:14):
To, you know, purchase streaming streaming and by it streaming
by I'm saying yes, sir.
Speaker 4 (46:20):
Thank you, Quinn, thank you for having me. I really
appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (46:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:23):
Yeah, absolutely, rap rate all podcasts. Yeah. Rap Radar Is.
The Interval presents original production from Hyperhouse, produced by Laura Wasser,
Hosts and producers Elliott Wilson and Brian b dot Miller.
Permittival presents executive producers Alan Coy and Jake Kleinberg, executive
producer Paul Rosenberg. Editing is sound designed by Dylan Alexander Freeman,
(46:45):
Operations Lead Sarah Yu, business development Lead Cheffie Allen Swag
and marketing lead Samara Still. Make sure to follow rap
Arraator or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or
wherever you get your podcasts
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