January 23, 2025 • 42 mins
In this episode, we sit down with Brooklyn’s own Maiya The Don, the Afro-Latina Lyricist who took 2024 by storm as a member of the XXL Freshman Class. Maiya shares how her journey from makeup artist to TikTok star to Rapper unfolded during the pandemic and dives into how her Latina roots and abuela’s wisdom shaped her always-fly aesthetic.
We also talk about her favorite Rappers, the iconic collaboration with Telfar, and them big plans for 2025. Get ready for laughs, hip-hop bonding and the tea on Maiya’s dynamic rise in the music game.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Come Again, a podcast by Honey German. Come on, come on,
sound guy, Come on, Mayaa don welcome my love.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I'm so excited you were on the list. I put
a wish list together and I said, I need to
talk to Mayaa don Oh.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I've been in your space a couple of times, and
I know the music, I know the career path, I
know everything. But I was like, I need to know
her as a person. The energy is just so contagious.
Dare I say, your confidence, It just it's just so
like the way you exist in your own skin is
(00:46):
just thank you. It's something that I aspire to be
able to do. All.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
I appreciate that. That's all nice.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Seeing you on stage, seeing you just interact with people,
and just watching you exist. Like I was at the
Angie Barbecue, I caught a glimpse of you. I was like,
she's just living, like she's just so herself. And I
was like, she's so unaware of like everyone, that right,
because I'll just be like in my own Lila Land.
(01:13):
But but it's definitely a good thing. Now Brooklyn born
and raised, Yes, yeah, we're part of Brooklyn. It's New York.
Are you still there.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
No, I haven't lived in Instadic for a while because
you know, when you donna get out, you know, you
stay stuck. And it's like, you know, I feel like
sometimes staying where you grew up gives you like small
town syndrome a little bit.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
You know. So we live in a big city, like
New York is big, but it's so small, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
So like I went to college, and where did you
go to college?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Were you home?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
No? I went to sunnip where Sunni Nepal?
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Okay, yeah, and you graduated, congratulations degree in psychology. Are
you currently in your gap year? Oh?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
I took now, So I took a year off because
my song like went crazy, tell me yeah, And I
couldn't do my homework.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
I was like doing stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
And like when you like finishing school and trying to
explain to your teachers like they don't just here, they.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Don't they don't care create your celebrity exactly.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
It sounds crazy, especially when it's not like big your
professor like girl byb like we all got stuff going on,
you know.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Professors are like that. It's like, you know, you can
have kids, you can have exactly anything. The professor's like, yeah,
midterm tomorrow exactly pretty much. They're like, listen, I got
stuff to do too, You should do your homework. I
don't know why I thought your gap year was going
to be between graduating and getting your doctorates. Oh no, no, no, no,
I don't think that I'm going to make it into
a document program.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Why. I don't think people get that's like rigorous application.
You know, it's not. It's more than just like oh,
I'm I can't afford it and I'm a you don't go.
They like, you know, look you up and yeah, pretty much,
and my like digital footprint is a mother's Nah, it's bad,
or like, oh they can look me up exactly. So
(03:15):
don't nobody want me any doctor program?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
It's clip you're sleep. They have here giving doctorates, honorary
doctorates to fake propaganda that you know you paid for that. Yes,
I just want that.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
I was like, oh my god, this is propaganda. You
can't do nothing, you can do nothing with it. Anybody
gonna let me be the psychologists.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
I would like to be my psychologist. I'll say you
this much. I feel like we would have a great time.
I feel like we would I feel like we would
have we would get no work done exactly.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
That's what I do as a psychologists.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Now, speaking of work, you're fairly young. Yes, your only
job was a makeup artist or did you work anywhere else?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
First of all, I was working since I was like thirteen,
and it's the baby' I like sold candy. I worked
in like this like nursing home.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
I worked at.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Dunkin Doughnut yeah, multiple jazz. I was like, okay, I
was working because I needed money.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I've always been like that, Like it was the money
for you, it was the money for the family. Money
for me. Okay, I guess like a mike a both
like my parents got they own money.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah, Like I just I guess because I'm com from
like a bigger family, like a baby of the family.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
No, I'm like the middle. I'm like the youngest of
the oldest and the oldest of the youngest, so like
there's like two exactly. Okay, it's like very awkward, but
I just never felt comfortable asking my parents for money.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
So like I just was like I got to figure
out how to do this by myself.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
That's when you're a born hustler exactly. So that's why
I was always working and I kept the job.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I said, you like me, I was, I've been working
some fifteen. But again it was also I didn't want
to ask anybody for money because I wanted my prom money.
I wanted my hair money, my nail.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Money, everything. I put myself through college like we did.
Yeah you, I bought my first car, like everything I
did for myself.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
What was your first car?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
A two thousand and seven? Yeah, it was red and
it was cute.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Didn't have a name. Yes, her name was Baby. There
you go, Yes, it was Baby in big red.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
She was like both.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
My current car right now is called Sexy Red. I
know that's all right. It's a red X five and
it's a metallic And as soon as I saw that paper,
I said, this is Sexy Red. I love her. Now
you're Latina side, Where does that come from? I'm Puerto
Rican New Yorkan.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yes, I'm New Yorkan, but I want to Puerto Rico
back and forth and really, yes, talk to me, but
it's not good, okay h.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
And I'm like, because.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Because I'm a New York Arican, my spind is just broken.
It's all messed up and ugly. But I could understand it,
like you can talk to me and I'm gonna be like, yeah, yeah,
I know what you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Let me tell you one thing that has no bearing
on your Latini da or how Puerto Rican you are.
You are just as Latina as the Latina that doesn't
speak English. Okay, you're one of us. Nobody could take
that from you. That's one thing that nobody can do.
They cannot kick you out of your latini da or
hispanicness after Latina. That shit belong to you. I don't
(06:20):
care if I can't speak no Spanish exactly.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
And I speak it. It's just it sounds like messed up.
You could tell im from me.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
But I feel like that. That's a lot of a
lot of Puerto Ricans, you know, especially if like parents
are born in America. Yeah, exactly. It's like it's not
like you had to speak Spanish to your mother, she
wouldn't understand you. Like me, I had to speak My
mom speaks no English, so I had no choice. But
once a lot of like my husband's mom, she was
born in Brooklyn, Exactly, you speak Spanish.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Apeacans are like funny, They be like we American like
speak English, like they don't want to.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Be like, you got to passport, honey, I don't need
a visa.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Quotomicas are so funny like that. They just be like
especially if they from Puerto Rican and they just be like,
you're not cut it out, like we got blending.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I'm really one of your interviews. And you know, if
you don't know Maya, she is beautiful. It is about
the fashion. It is about the hair, it is about
the makeup, the nails, like everything. And you said it
it's in your DNA as a Latina. Yes, absolutely, Where
did you learn that from? Did you see it? And
(07:31):
you're like, yeah, like all the women that I grew
up around like.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Always decked out like my well, she I've never seen
her look a mess like to this day she's like
seventy four years old.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
She would kill me.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
If she don't she would kill me. But she's like
overer and to this day she'd be like, O, get
my good wick.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
She said my lipstick like still a bad ye okay.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I've never seen her with like her scarf one unless
she's just waking up, you know, Like I don't know.
And I used to watch Sho do her makeup and
we used to go get our nails done together, like
from very young, I'm going to get maholos.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Okay, okay that fails done, hair done.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Everything, and like, I don't know, it was just like
a thing like every Saturday we go get our hair
pressed out Dominicans.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yes you know.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
And so I think as just watching everybody just be beautiful,
and I just thought everybody was so Gorgina and I
was obsessed and I was like, that's gonna be me.
And I love the America's Next Top Model. I wanted
to be Taber Banks and Mariah Carey. I was obsessed
with them.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Really, yes, it's so weird Tyra. I feel like everybody
was obsessed with Tyr, especially with that show.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I was obsessed as a kid. So I was just like,
that's gonna be me. And like I just want to
beautiful all the time, and you are absolutely.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I just feel like when you look your best, do
you feel your best? I say that all the time.
I'm like, if I look if my hair is not right,
I'm in a bad mom real. If my hair not that,
I'm not going to were what you're talking about? Go
where I can't. It's like, yo, I'm in a bad
mood walking around the house looking at a mask, like I
can't even look in the mirror. I'm like, exactly, she
is raggedy, bro like, and I'm like, why am I
(09:10):
a bad mood? And then I'm like, it's the hair.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
This is the hair depression is so real. Hair depression,
nail depression, lash depression. You gotta get yourself right. I'm
telling you, No, you're not ugly.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
You just need your hair. Then, No, you're not boring
or whack or stupid.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
You just need your nails.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Like that's that's it. Like we could we could take
a couple hundred dollars in one day and be a
whole like, no, you don't need that, men, you just
need your hair dying. Go get your hair done. Oh
my god, now let's talk music. Most you're this will
happened for you during the pandemic.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Pandemic, like mid pandemic and a pandemic. It's like an
odd timeline. I think I would say, like more closer
to like twenty twenty two. So like, so we were
we were still kind of like I kind of think
of it, but like at this point, we're like outside again.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Okay, the doors was open, yeah, those was open, but
at that point you were like, I'm not trying to
make up no more.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
So really what happened was I was doing makeup and
then I started to get like like popping on six tack,
which is I started it because I wanted more clients.
But then it just became this like weird thing.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Where and then you became kind of like an influencer.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Yeah, and it was like weird because people were like
booking me because they liked me on the internet, and
it was like.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Because people hired people they liked. Yeah, but it was
like awkward because like because I want to put on
when you went to do that, I felt like I
was like being who I was on like the internet,
even though I'm like the same person.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
It was just like odd. I was like, do you
want to make up artist? Or do you want a friend?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Like you know what I'm saying, fel like you have
to turn it on and then the whole time they're
walking exactly.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
It wasn't really like I don't know, it just started
getting weird. And then I was like I started making
money just from talking on it, and noet I was
like man exactly, I was like, man, I forget this
makeup stuff. Like, and then I also realized I don't
like servicing people.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
I saw that, and I guess what, me and you
were connected.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
I was like, man, I waste the money in time
and energy learning how to do this because I can't
stand y'all. I don't bless everybody working in any type
of service industry because I can't do it like people.
I'm like a thousand percent not professional enough in that way,
like the customer always writes situation Now.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
That's why I got fired from Dunkin Donuts.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
But you did a duncan I was terrible to like
you had one time with people to me, and I'm
showing you something.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Like you start swirling that coffee, talking about my coffee.
You want to get the coffee? What?
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Get out my line? Get out of here. You're done,
Like I just can't. I'm not like a certain this
industry person. So like doing make up, it was like
I did a wedding, and after that wedding, I was like,
I'm done this clip. She was like, I want to
look like himkay, but I want to look natural.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
But she sat like nothing Like I said, Bookie, I
got something to tell you.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
She's like, I want to look natural but I want
to look unrecognizable. And I was like, you gotta pick one.
And then like the mom was like warm me bad
and she was like, oh the wrinkles. I'm like, yo,
you gotta get botox if you want to give her of.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
That now, Mommy wanted you to make your wrinkles disappear.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
It was like a lot and when I was like,
I will never do this again. I gotta figure something
else out.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Now. How happy are you that you went into music?
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (12:34):
So happy.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
I feel like I'm like living in my purpose now,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Like I feel like.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
This is what you were meant to do exactly. Like
I get up every day and I do what I
have fun doing. I don't feel like even when i'm
like discouraged job exactly, It's like, well, don't get me wrong,
I'll be working and I feel like a job, but
like not the music part. You know what I'm saying.
Everything was fun and that's fun. I like I never
run out of ideas. I'm never like like oh I
(13:01):
hate this. I'm never sad in the studio, you know
what I'm saying. Like it's my favorite thing ever. I
feel so lucky. I feel like only ninety two percent
of people get to and you nice do what they want,
you know, if not myself, I don't even like to
pat myself on a bag, but at.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
The punchline, the flow just you're funny, like, hold on this.
She just made me back right now because I love it.
I love it now. For Halloween, you did Missy Elliott
and fifty seven the whole album covers. Was that albums
that influenced you or you just chose those album covers
because you like them. I would say I mix the Bowl.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
I chose Missy definitely because that's my favorite Missy album.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
I love her so much. Like I love her. I
just seen her at the Barclays with Sierra.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
And Bust and it was like I was just like,
oh my gosh, she's incredible. I think I find new
ways to fall in love with music every time I listen.
And I'm like a student, so I listen to music
forwards and backwards, and I read things and I find
like old Magazine is what he's talking about the interviews.
I love stuff like that. I'm like like a hip
hop nerd. So like I was just listening to the
(14:07):
album and I was like, I gotta do this for
like Halloween, because it just feels so good, it looks good.
And then at did fifty just because I was being sunny.
I was like, YO, want to be dumb if I
he said. I was like, I think that would be
so dumb and like funny, and like that's what I
wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
So I chose a princess Jasmine too. Yes, princess killed
that one. Those are your dogs? Are who the dogs
is painted?
Speaker 3 (14:35):
He was supposed to be the genie, but he wasn't
messing with his costume. He and like the mask at all.
He was like fighting me.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
The dogs and mom, you're doing two damn mud exactly.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
And he's like super chill. So it's like I'm not
even gonna mess with.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
You, like stressing the damn dog for Halloween. You're gonna dress.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Double Excel Magazine, Like did you know this was coming?
Speaker 3 (14:58):
So No? I found that like right before like we
shot everything.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Double Excel Freshman twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Yes, And I was so exciting, like it was crazy.
I wanted to tell everybody, but I.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Couldn't you have How long did you have told that secret?
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Probably like a month and a half, two months, I.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Don't know that it was long enough, like definitely long enough.
And I was like, oh my god, who you told me?
I didn't tell any person. You know what's so funny.
I wasn't gonna do nothing to you.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Now.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
I was in the car on my DJ and he
was talking about Double Exile and I had known that
I had it for like a week already, and he
was talking about it like, yeah, you gotta get in
the pressure.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
He only get pressure and you talk about you better
make here, like yeah, da, And I was like, let's
see what. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
I'm trying to be okoy about it, but it was
just so nice, Like it was so exciting to be
a part of hip hop history. You know, nobody can
take that away from me.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Ever.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
That cover is immortalized exactly.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Like at some point in twenty years, somebody's gonna like
look back and see me there. And that just means
the most to me, you know what I'm saying, even
if like nobody you know, thinks that I'm this or that,
Like I'm a part of hip hop history forever, and
that's just so cool because I'm the type of person
that's going to go back and look at the beginning
(16:15):
and who was in the first freshman class. You know,
I can tell you that, so to be a part
of it, it's so super cool.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Now, I wasn't you know. Here in New York at
Power one of five to one, we wait for that cover,
like we wait for that cover and then we talk
about it and it's like a round table and self
talks about it and talks about it, and we have
our people that we're like, I hope this person makes it.
Hope this person and you were on my list. I
said time makes it this year because you know, to
write a passage and so many superstars have been part
(16:45):
of a freshman come exactly exactly. It's so cool. That's
the coolest part about it. Literally the coolest knowing knowing
everyone who came before you and the level of stardom
and you know, the you know, the littletunity that comes exactly.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I'm like five and to the whole team over there,
so sweet.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I love this and I love this for you. Now,
women and hip hop? How did this happen? How did
women end up running hip hop?
Speaker 3 (17:10):
It was bound to happen, but it's like one.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Day we wake up and I'm like, men, no, longer
matter appar have they ever?
Speaker 3 (17:19):
No, I'm kidding, no, I love it, especially because like
women in hip hop is kind of coming from a
place where like they're almost like objects in the sense
that like when you see women and hip hop at
the start of it, they're kind of like a piece
of a male dominated cool, right, you know, and if
(17:40):
you have.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Are bringing it back to Kim Foxy Brown, Kim.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Big and bad Boy and you know you have evil
rough riders and you were part of Yeah, like it
was almost like accessorized, like we got all the illness
rappers and now we need a girl just you know,
to look good. And that's kind of like what they
painted it as. And it was just never that, you know,
we just were never given the respect and platform that
(18:06):
we deserved.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
And let's shout out Queen Latifa Tho. Okay, let's shout
out Queen absolutely like she stood ten toes down because.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
When you talk about women and music and like who
pioneered that movement, like she's.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
And she was part of Okay, she was just standing
alone South But in the nineties, in the nineties, yes, yeah,
that is where it was.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Just from like the birth, from the start, because hip
hop is still so young and ever changing and growing.
So I'm just so proud to be a part of
kind of like this golden age of women in music
period where we're just like at the forefront and given
the respect that we just worked so hard for it.
You know.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
I feel like twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four,
females and rap held it down absolutely. And I'm talking
to everybody. I'm talking I Spice, I'm talking Card to
Me Minaj, I'm talking Mega Stallion, Like it's just you know,
flow MILLI like every but it was just everywhere, say
what happened? I love this? Okay, That's what I love.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
I think all the women just work so hard and
it's paying off, you know. And I always say, like
hardwood be its talent. When talent's not working any day.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Talent didn't go to bed for two three months and
you know.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Not do nothing, but you can't dedicate time is going
with both, you know. So like I think that's just
the proof of it, like what we're doing right now.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
And I hope it never goes away. They can't take
it almost never ever goes away. Let these guys stay
sleep wherever they are, you know. Taking vacations exactly. Make sure, Drake.
I'm waiting for you to do something major. My guy, this,
How do you feel right now? I was watching a
video of you. I guess you did an episode of
(19:54):
you Know your Life on YouTube and you were standing
in front of your billboard and you mentioned in poster syndrome. Yeah,
and it's something that so many people, you know, suffer with.
Where are you today?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
With that?
Speaker 1 (20:07):
I think I'm still there. You're still there. I think
I'm still there. Sometimes I just feel like, do you
still feel like you're watching somebody else's life? Or I
think I'm in it now now you're part of the cast. Yeah,
like I'm in it now.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
But it also feels like everything's moving in slow motion
kind of you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Like I feel so.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
In it that I'm almost out of control, you know
what I'm saying. It's like you can become like so
obsessed with everything, like because I want it, you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
I want It's so bad that you're obsessed with it right.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Exactly, and you feel crippling, you know, because I don't
want to play in the NBA. I want to be
Lebron James. You know what I'm saying. I'm want to
make music. I want to be Prince, I want to
be Beyonce. I want to you know what I'm saying,
a lot of pressure. You're playing exactly, but it's what
I want. And I only put this amount of pressure
on myself because I know that I can achieve.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
You have the potential, you know, and you have to
tell exactly, and it's like you got to lock in.
You have to do the work.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
So I think sometimes like I'm still young and I'm
still figuring things out, and like in on Him book,
nobody's like holding my hand and walking me through. I
have to like make choices and decisions that I didn't
think that I would be.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Making so soon. You know who's there for you?
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Who?
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Who who did your hand?
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I got my manager. That's my best friend. Shout out
to El.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
He's a guy.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
He's a guy, but he's he's amazing and he's been
like with me from the beginning. And I don't think
I trust anybody's opinion, like more than his, but like
other than him. It's just like me and like myself.
Sometimes I'm like my biggest support system and my biggest enemy.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
You know enemy.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
I know it's me telling myself, like, you need to
work harder.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
That makes me get up every day to.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Go in the gym, and that's like motivate rap and
while I'm running and you know, building endurance because I
just know that I'm gonna go sell out a world
tour in a couple of months.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
You gotta be on stage.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
I feel like at some point, like when you're an
artist and you want to succeed, you have to be
like like a great amount of delusion on you know
what I'm saying, Like you have to be because the
delusion in my head is telling me that I'm going
to get a call from somebody that's gonna be like, yo,
we want you to open up for Beyonce and you
have three months.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Like that's my delusion. It's manifesting both both of them.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
I need both, okay, because that's in my head, that's
what's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
So that's why I'm like, Okay, I gotta get up
and do this. Okay. I gotta write every day. Okay,
I need to because if you stay ready, you don't
got to get ready exactly. Just always be prepared. And
are you writing every day still like.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Jah, yeah, shut you know, to this day, everybody's.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Like, well Jake Cole got that from a book, and
well don't matter what he got where he got it from.
Like it hit me and I'm glad it then that's it.
But I definitely do still try to keep up with it.
There's periods where I like slack off. Do you write
in a composition book or phone? You write notes on
your phone? On my phone?
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Sometimes I'll like write on my hand or like when
you up line or hate to see me come in
because I will not a good lip anything that I
can get like my hands on, like my phone be dead,
So like you write this down, like real quick, write
this down, write this down, or like you know what
I like to do, Like you know when you wake
up in the morning, you got pee.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
That's what I do.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
I write down like my dream like whatever my dream was.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Oh, I do that too when I wake up. Yeah,
I forget later on.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Exactly and I we want to talk about it. That's
how I got my the name for my mixtape, How Commodity.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
How Commodity came from a dream.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Yes, I literally was sleeping and like was dreaming. I
was having a conversation about what I was gonna name it,
and that's what the name was, and I was like,
I'm like on the toilet when I.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Opened and you know, it's a dope name. I love it.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Now, who are your rappers? Who do you listen to? Oh?
Speaker 2 (24:19):
You know what?
Speaker 3 (24:19):
I listen to everybody right now. I've been really into
like R and B or kind.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Of like current. I am R and B or old
school R and B current, but like R and B adjacent. Okay.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
I really like will Face Joey Okay, Now, I just
love him. He's so talented and I listened to a
lot of Childie. I love him, like I don't know
something about I think there's a lot of humor in
his music.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
You have humor in your music too, so I see
where the connection comes in today.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Yeah, I've been really into that. I've been really into
Kai Lannie.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Like I saw I saw that. You know, you guys
had like a moment Bookie.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
I just I love kay Lannie. So I've been really
into While We Wait too, the like mixtape kind of
thing that they put out. Yeah, I think, well, I'm
in the process of making my own music, so.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
I try not to be influenced by because all of
a sudden you rap and like the imagine shit.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
You're like, what exactly you've been in a studio recreating
people's songs, like it's just you know, So I think
I try not to listen to too many things that.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Might influence you exactly. It'd be subconsciously you don't even
realize exactly. Sometimes you hang out with someone a lot
and then all of a sudden, you're talking like that
and you're saying the things.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
They say to control the other day. Because one of
the songs just reminds me of like when I was young,
are we talking John and Jackson?
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Okay, And I was like, like just unintentionally singing the
song while I was like trying to create. Sometimes I
was like I can't do this, Like I gotta.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Go home, shut that off exactly. What about Spanish music?
Do you listen to? Bad Bunny? What idea with music?
Speaker 3 (26:01):
I'm first of all, I'm so obsessed with She Cares album.
I feel like not enough people are talking about it.
I love her. Woman's so good, like honestly her best work.
I don't know, like it's so good, and I love
that Bunny of course I'm into like like a lot
of the young kids that's coming out of d R
(26:23):
right now.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
They're like young and and yeah noah, yeah exactly like
I like them. We sat down with her Dope interview
shout out. She's super super dope. You know your parents,
who did they listen to? What's the music you heard
at home growing up?
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Probably like a mix of like everything, like lots of
like because we're from New York, like lots of like
New York rappers like jay z Lot, like all the
logs like I got pictures of me and Jada kiss
when I was a baby, Get out of here for Yeah,
I like yo exactly that it wasn't like like so
(27:04):
I can't remember like so much like Spanish music outside
of like don Omar and.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Like okay, the Golden era because that was everywhere exactly.
You couldn't go outside and not listen to yeah Daddy
their own Like.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Yeah, I just remember like like them liking like mixes
of stuff. So when like DJs would put like hip
hop music over get their own meats and stuff, so
like that's kind of like what it was. It was
like a lot of like that mixtape ever kind of stuff.
When all those to the corner store.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
And you get the when they were all they were
like making crazy because I was just watching a documentary
about you know, and they were talking about how their
music was just being pirated and brought here sold in
the corner store.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
There's so many songsn't know was like like like an
English version?
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Oh yeah, because it's biggod for that too. Like the
Spanish artists will recreate your whole song? Are you crazy? Listen? Listen?
Was English reyae songs turned into Spanish reggae song exactly?
Or like like yo, there's so many like fifty cent
songs that they then stole. I don't even know if
you know Dominican Republic? Are you crazy?
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (28:19):
So the candy shop definitely, I've heard it the Spanish.
That's why I'm like I was.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
I remember like hearing that and being like, wait a minute,
what's going on?
Speaker 1 (28:27):
Like the whole is that they said I'm hearing in Spanish.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
It's just like it's so funny.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
So yeah, that's definitely signing you know us latinos are good. Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
So if you're an artist and your song popping and
you don't on top forty, there's definitely a Spanish version
somewhere that you don't know about.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
That was you know, in That's a documentary they were
talking about this pasito, which is like one of the
biggest songs of all times, and they made that song
into like every single which in the world. There was
like Asians singing it. Music is very universal. Yeah, it's
very healing. Also is very therapeutic. Absolutely, And you know
what you're doing here is something super dope. The way
(29:06):
that you know, just the way that you come across,
the things that you say. It just it feels very
right now, very New York, very very gen z.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yeah, I think I'm like dangerously that, but I love
it because we need it.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Yeah, it's important.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Like there's so much of trying to like recreate what
was and not enough of living and what's here, and.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
You know, you can take a little bit here and there,
you know, because it's like I was watching you and
I was like, okay, you know that that's just a
little bit from this song. You know, even when you
did love you Better, but it was still your take.
It wasn't that a blatant like.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Kind Yeah, I'm like I'm super intentional about the things
that I'm like sampling. I hate a lazy sample. I
hate it like I'm not I'm not recreating a song.
I'm never gonna make the song better than what it was,
you know what I'm saying. Like, I think I appreciate music,
and I appreciate instruments. So when I'm here aring like
production and it's like musical because it's a sample because
(30:05):
back then producers actually know how to play instruments and
they don't know more. I think that's what kind of
draws me to it. And also like I just be
having like these ideas in my head, you know what
I'm saying, creative exactly. And it's like if I know,
oh my gosh, it would be overweight. If I know
how to make a beat, please get it. I'm trying
to learn. I'm in the process of learning. I learned
(30:25):
how to record myself for that because when I have
my idea, I want to record it and I want
to get it out.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
So I'm the same way with like beats. I just
hear these things, and I don't know how frustrating is
it to have something in your brain and not be
able to get it out.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
It is incredibly frustrating. I'd be like, listen, you gotta
make it go.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Give me.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
I know they'd be sick of me, But like at
the end, I get what I want and it's quality music,
and I'm glad that that I can work with producers
who kind of understand me and can like break down
what you know, I'm trying to communicate with them, because
it's really something special when you like dealing with people
who are like equally or more incredible than you are
(31:07):
and can hear things and see things, so you know,
I feel like I can see music, if that makes sense,
Like feel like I can see it happening right now.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
You just got to do it this way. Hit me
out while it's happening. You were born to do anything.
If you can actually see the music. You should see
my face right now because I'm looking everyone like she
sees the music I'm trying to see.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Sounds crazy, right, but like it's real, especially like I
don't know, like you just gotta be like I think
it's anything that you pour your heart into or.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Like obsessed with it, obsessed over.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Like you're gonna be able to understand it in a
way that nobody else is. And that's why people be
like the top stars. You know, I'm sure that uh,
nobody understands how to pass the all the way that
Kobe did.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Nobody understands how to you know, shoot from this angle
and tuck your arm this way the way.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
You know what I'm saying exactly. That's what I think.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
When you obsess over something and you really invest the
time that's necessary, it's like, can't nobody tell you nothing
about it? You know? And that's where I'm trying to
get with music. That's why I want to learn how
to produce. That's why I want to learn how.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
To And you're going to learn how You're gonna be
sending the five packs out to every different people. You're
the one that's gonna be right. And we need more
women producers, you know, because like sometimes I go to
events and they're like, you know, we want to involve
more female producers. Do you know female producers? And I'm
like do I? And I'm like, no, I don't.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
It's a sky study, But I don't know. I've met
so many talented people like just working and you know,
being in it's so cool.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
Tell me tealthy, right, did you think that was going
to happen. So you knew it well. I know that
that someone in your team was like, this.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Is the song, my manager, here's the one. But I
know when I recorded it, really I know it was
the best song.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Oh my gosh. I wish I had done so much
other music, because yeah, I was making like songs a day.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Tell Me was the fifth song that I recorded that day,
and it was the last one that day.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Because the kind of animal are you?
Speaker 3 (33:07):
I'm a psychle.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
I was like writing every day. Literally, I'm writing a
song a day, Like and where are you writing this song?
And I need to see what space.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
I was on the basement my mom's house, literally.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
On a computer. We're not going to pay phone on
your so on my phone typing yes, and I like,
I used waste my mom and I listened to the
be over and over and on. So you're actually this song?
Speaker 3 (33:31):
Yeah, And then I wrote it out and structured it
and then recorded it like two days later. But I
always every time I tell the story, I wish my
engineer was next to me because we were screaming.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Like I was when you finished it.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
So when I was recording it and like listening back,
I was literally screaming my head off, like this is
too good, and I know that it was the one
because it's the only time that I did a song
and it was like it wasn't like, oh, let me
go on live and play it because that's what I
like to do.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
I like to go on live as I you'll be
selfish with it.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
You were like yeah. I was like, nah, they can't
hear this, and so it's it's time.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
You know, there was magic there. I just knew it.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
And then when I posted it, it like went crazy
and I was like, where did you post it? Everywhere?
I posted it on TikTok first, and the.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Whole song you just started teasing because I see it.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
And I was so intentional about the teasing. Everybody was
talking about together no because so it just I had
the ill set up. So I made a song called
the Telfee. My menag just told me to call it
Telfee because I was going to call it the Dawn
Song because it was the throng song flip. So I
was like, oh, yeah, I don't know what to call it.
I think I'm gonna just call it this. He was like,
you'll call it Telfee, Like cool.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
That's when we were all obsessed with the toe for bags.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Everybody's talking about Telephone right now because he did the
collab with Rainbow and they.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Were in store for the remember that craziness.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
Right, So when everybody was talking about it because of this,
like instance, I was like, yo, I'm a like tease
the song like this is perfect common genius. Everybody was
talking about it because of that, and it was like, oh,
this called me the song about the top and everybody
wanted it. So I was like, okay, I'm I'm gonna
move with it and I shot the video. This all
happened like a week apart. I teased it September twenty six,
(35:17):
and then the song came out October seventh, Soeb twenty six.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
By September thirtieth, I.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
Was shooting the video you put those together, I was
fighting for my life.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
I can imagine. I was literally fighting for my life.
I don't know what was going on.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
And even before the song came out, I'm getting like
calls and emails from labels and an.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
R are you signing now?
Speaker 2 (35:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Do you love it or do you feel like it
h like cripples you a little bit? Creatively?
Speaker 3 (35:44):
I think I can't move as fast.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
As I want to. Oh, that's got to be so frustrating.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Yes, incredibly, you gotta wait. There's no freedom, Like I
can't just like move how I want.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
You know, you got to email somebody who got to
email somebody who then got to get back to you.
Wouldn't approve and.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
What I said, I'm not I'm not professional, so i'd
be like, yo, y'all dumb, like what's going on? While
we take it so long? It's like, oh, well you
need this, and it's like, oh, do I hear?
Speaker 1 (36:11):
I didn't even think about that.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
I wish sometimes that I can just you know, like be,
you know, and I can't just be. But it also,
like is teaching me a lot patience exactly. It's teaching
me a lot of patience and like structure and to
be more intentional.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
That's beautiful. That is very important exactly.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
And you know, I think slowing down has made me
like not make mistakes by mistakes, I mean, like you
don't want to drop the wrong song or like, oh
just because you're like it in this moment, thought me
gonna like it a month from now or two months
from now, you know. So I think that's like the
best part. It's like made me a rounded out artist.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
You know. Did they do like artist development with you
or did they take you just as you were?
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Woa?
Speaker 1 (37:02):
They were like you ready to go right away? Or
did someone say wait, we gotta wait a little while. No,
no, no no. They was like pretty like we gotta get
you right now, right now, right now, right now, okay please?
They were like you hot right yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
Like it was like I had a little bit on war,
a lot a big bit on war, not even a
little one.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Yeah, I feel like a lot of A and R
has lost their job over we now kidding, I'm kidding.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
I'm being cocky as you should. Man, toot your old horn.
What you did is is super super dope and this
is just the beginning exactly that could your career. Like
I can see so much for you, you know, stardom,
just world tours, awards, you know, stages, you know, thank you,
I got lock in twenty twenty five. Talk to me,
(37:48):
what is the plan for twenty twenty five?
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Wow, I'm about to drop my song called ten. I'm
so excited dream.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Yeah, It's like, why are you shouting out the dream?
Because of simple Okay, tell me you work it with you.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
I'm gonna play it for you. Play it for me, please,
I'm gonna play it for you. And yeah, I'm about
to wrap that. I'm so excited. I just did like
a little visualizer for it. Okay, it's about to come
out and then I'm just busting everybody upside they head
with the new music top of the year, like, I
hope everybody gets hired of here money, Like that's how
(38:23):
I'm coming to went he's twenty five.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
That's the energy you bring in. Yes, I love, I love,
I love, I love, I love, I love man. I'm
excited now as far as you know anything outside of music,
I feel like fashion is something that I want you
to do. Like you already got the glamor to hear,
the makeup it, but I feel like you have to
design something. Didn't you do something I did?
Speaker 3 (38:46):
I did the Dunim back connab with them that was
so amazing.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
But that's successories.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
I don't know if I'm I don't know if fashion
is ready for me to step in yet.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
Okay I'll say that.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
I don't want to say that I'm not ready because
I'm always ready, but I don't think they are ready
for that, you know, and like I fel like the
space that I'm willing and ready to take up in
that area. I see what you're saying, you know what
I'm saying, Like, I think, I think timing is everything,
and I have ideas and I have so many things
(39:18):
that I want to do, but I think just being
smart about it. You know, music is my first love,
my passion, and that's where I want to hear it's
Beyonce doing that. I'm trying to be mytill. You know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
I don't want you to.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
See thank you. I think I think I'm ready to
do it. Yeah, when it's time to happen, it will happen.
I think I'll be doing my little one too. And
I get my calls and I'm friends with like amazing
designers that are just like credible. So I think that
(40:04):
when I am ready, I have the ecosystem and.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
You get all the little priss is aligned exactly.
Speaker 3 (40:12):
I think I know that I can call like so
far and be like, yo, I want to do this,
tell me how to do it, you know, just because
he's so sweet and like people like Brandon Blackwood honeyfa
like just amazing designers who are just incredible. Okay, I
don't even want.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
To like you are ready to do this, man, I
really want to thank you for sitting down with me today.
You were on the list and I love when I
could put a check next to the list, and you know,
I'm super proud of you. Thank you so much, and
I want you to know you know we're here for
you as a community. iHeart Radio Power one oh five,
(40:51):
Honey German, whatever you need, you reach out man. This
is what this is about. This is about community, This
is about facilitating and doing what we can do for
each other.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
Absolutely, I appreciate you so much. I'm gonna put your
name on.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
A song Sprinkling It. You should have put it in Dusties.
That's my favorite song listen because I could be so
like a different person and you're my alter ego in
that song.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
You really got to get you a drop, like like,
we're gonna put it in another song like Honey Germany,
messing with these that's.
Speaker 1 (41:21):
Really and I was like, I was like, that's me,
but you know I can't act like that. But Maya
don is gonna hold it down for me exactly. This
is the beginning you know of you know, a friendship
between me and you, and I want you to know
that I'm here for you whatever you need, and we're
gonna uplift you. We're gonna support you. We're gonna make
(41:41):
sure you know you go as far as possible because
you're representing all of us, representing New York, You're representing Latina's,
he's representing Puerto Ricans. It's a whole big group. You know.
This is kind of like a cultural humans that's supporting you. Okay,
exactly to put it nicely, but I appreciate you sitting
down with me today.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
Thank you for having.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
And Grass Yes Come Again. Yes, don't play with me
once you got me nominated right, hopefully hopefully. Manifestation Yestation
Grass Yes Come Again is a production of Honey German
Productions in partnership with Iheart's microen through That Podcast Network
Come Again, a podcast by Honey German. Come on, come on,
sound guy, Come on, Mayaa don welcome my love.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I'm so excited you were on the list. I put
a wish list together and I said, I need to
talk to Mayaa don Oh.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I've been in your space a couple of times, and
I know the music, I know the career path, I
know everything. But I was like, I need to know
her as a person. The energy is just so contagious.
Dare I say, your confidence, It just it's just so
like the way you exist in your own skin is
(00:46):
just thank you. It's something that I aspire to be
able to do. All.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
I appreciate that. That's all nice.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Seeing you on stage, seeing you just interact with people,
and just watching you exist. Like I was at the
Angie Barbecue, I caught a glimpse of you. I was like,
she's just living, like she's just so herself. And I
was like, she's so unaware of like everyone, that right,
because I'll just be like in my own Lila Land.
(01:13):
But but it's definitely a good thing. Now Brooklyn born
and raised, Yes, yeah, we're part of Brooklyn. It's New York.
Are you still there.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
No, I haven't lived in Instadic for a while because
you know, when you donna get out, you know, you
stay stuck. And it's like, you know, I feel like
sometimes staying where you grew up gives you like small
town syndrome a little bit.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
You know. So we live in a big city, like
New York is big, but it's so small, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
So like I went to college, and where did you
go to college?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Were you home?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
No? I went to sunnip where Sunni Nepal?
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Okay, yeah, and you graduated, congratulations degree in psychology. Are
you currently in your gap year? Oh?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
I took now, So I took a year off because
my song like went crazy, tell me yeah, And I
couldn't do my homework.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
I was like doing stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
And like when you like finishing school and trying to
explain to your teachers like they don't just here, they.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Don't they don't care create your celebrity exactly.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
It sounds crazy, especially when it's not like big your
professor like girl byb like we all got stuff going on,
you know.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Professors are like that. It's like, you know, you can
have kids, you can have exactly anything. The professor's like, yeah,
midterm tomorrow exactly pretty much. They're like, listen, I got
stuff to do too, You should do your homework. I
don't know why I thought your gap year was going
to be between graduating and getting your doctorates. Oh no, no, no, no,
I don't think that I'm going to make it into
a document program.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Why. I don't think people get that's like rigorous application.
You know, it's not. It's more than just like oh,
I'm I can't afford it and I'm a you don't go.
They like, you know, look you up and yeah, pretty much,
and my like digital footprint is a mother's Nah, it's bad,
or like, oh they can look me up exactly. So
(03:15):
don't nobody want me any doctor program?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
It's clip you're sleep. They have here giving doctorates, honorary
doctorates to fake propaganda that you know you paid for that. Yes,
I just want that.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
I was like, oh my god, this is propaganda. You
can't do nothing, you can do nothing with it. Anybody
gonna let me be the psychologists.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
I would like to be my psychologist. I'll say you
this much. I feel like we would have a great time.
I feel like we would I feel like we would
have we would get no work done exactly.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
That's what I do as a psychologists.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Now, speaking of work, you're fairly young. Yes, your only
job was a makeup artist or did you work anywhere else?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
First of all, I was working since I was like thirteen,
and it's the baby' I like sold candy. I worked
in like this like nursing home.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
I worked at.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Dunkin Doughnut yeah, multiple jazz. I was like, okay, I
was working because I needed money.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I've always been like that, Like it was the money
for you, it was the money for the family. Money
for me. Okay, I guess like a mike a both
like my parents got they own money.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah, Like I just I guess because I'm com from
like a bigger family, like a baby of the family.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
No, I'm like the middle. I'm like the youngest of
the oldest and the oldest of the youngest, so like
there's like two exactly. Okay, it's like very awkward, but
I just never felt comfortable asking my parents for money.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
So like I just was like I got to figure
out how to do this by myself.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
That's when you're a born hustler exactly. So that's why
I was always working and I kept the job.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I said, you like me, I was, I've been working
some fifteen. But again it was also I didn't want
to ask anybody for money because I wanted my prom money.
I wanted my hair money, my nail.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Money, everything. I put myself through college like we did.
Yeah you, I bought my first car, like everything I
did for myself.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
What was your first car?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
A two thousand and seven? Yeah, it was red and
it was cute.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Didn't have a name. Yes, her name was Baby. There
you go, Yes, it was Baby in big red.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
She was like both.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
My current car right now is called Sexy Red. I
know that's all right. It's a red X five and
it's a metallic And as soon as I saw that paper,
I said, this is Sexy Red. I love her. Now
you're Latina side, Where does that come from? I'm Puerto
Rican New Yorkan.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yes, I'm New Yorkan, but I want to Puerto Rico
back and forth and really, yes, talk to me, but
it's not good, okay h.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
And I'm like, because.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Because I'm a New York Arican, my spind is just broken.
It's all messed up and ugly. But I could understand it,
like you can talk to me and I'm gonna be like, yeah, yeah,
I know what you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Let me tell you one thing that has no bearing
on your Latini da or how Puerto Rican you are.
You are just as Latina as the Latina that doesn't
speak English. Okay, you're one of us. Nobody could take
that from you. That's one thing that nobody can do.
They cannot kick you out of your latini da or
hispanicness after Latina. That shit belong to you. I don't
(06:20):
care if I can't speak no Spanish exactly.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
And I speak it. It's just it sounds like messed up.
You could tell im from me.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
But I feel like that. That's a lot of a
lot of Puerto Ricans, you know, especially if like parents
are born in America. Yeah, exactly. It's like it's not
like you had to speak Spanish to your mother, she
wouldn't understand you. Like me, I had to speak My
mom speaks no English, so I had no choice. But
once a lot of like my husband's mom, she was
born in Brooklyn, Exactly, you speak Spanish.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Apeacans are like funny, They be like we American like
speak English, like they don't want to.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Be like, you got to passport, honey, I don't need
a visa.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Quotomicas are so funny like that. They just be like
especially if they from Puerto Rican and they just be like,
you're not cut it out, like we got blending.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I'm really one of your interviews. And you know, if
you don't know Maya, she is beautiful. It is about
the fashion. It is about the hair, it is about
the makeup, the nails, like everything. And you said it
it's in your DNA as a Latina. Yes, absolutely, Where
did you learn that from? Did you see it? And
(07:31):
you're like, yeah, like all the women that I grew
up around like.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Always decked out like my well, she I've never seen
her look a mess like to this day she's like
seventy four years old.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
She would kill me.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
If she don't she would kill me. But she's like
overer and to this day she'd be like, O, get
my good wick.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
She said my lipstick like still a bad ye okay.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I've never seen her with like her scarf one unless
she's just waking up, you know, Like I don't know.
And I used to watch Sho do her makeup and
we used to go get our nails done together, like
from very young, I'm going to get maholos.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Okay, okay that fails done, hair done.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Everything, and like, I don't know, it was just like
a thing like every Saturday we go get our hair
pressed out Dominicans.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yes you know.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
And so I think as just watching everybody just be beautiful,
and I just thought everybody was so Gorgina and I
was obsessed and I was like, that's gonna be me.
And I love the America's Next Top Model. I wanted
to be Taber Banks and Mariah Carey. I was obsessed
with them.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Really, yes, it's so weird Tyra. I feel like everybody
was obsessed with Tyr, especially with that show.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I was obsessed as a kid. So I was just like,
that's gonna be me. And like I just want to
beautiful all the time, and you are absolutely.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I just feel like when you look your best, do
you feel your best? I say that all the time.
I'm like, if I look if my hair is not right,
I'm in a bad mom real. If my hair not that,
I'm not going to were what you're talking about? Go
where I can't. It's like, yo, I'm in a bad
mood walking around the house looking at a mask, like I
can't even look in the mirror. I'm like, exactly, she
is raggedy, bro like, and I'm like, why am I
(09:10):
a bad mood? And then I'm like, it's the hair.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
This is the hair depression is so real. Hair depression,
nail depression, lash depression. You gotta get yourself right. I'm
telling you, No, you're not ugly.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
You just need your hair. Then, No, you're not boring
or whack or stupid.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
You just need your nails.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Like that's that's it. Like we could we could take
a couple hundred dollars in one day and be a
whole like, no, you don't need that, men, you just
need your hair dying. Go get your hair done. Oh
my god, now let's talk music. Most you're this will
happened for you during the pandemic.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Pandemic, like mid pandemic and a pandemic. It's like an
odd timeline. I think I would say, like more closer
to like twenty twenty two. So like, so we were
we were still kind of like I kind of think
of it, but like at this point, we're like outside again.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Okay, the doors was open, yeah, those was open, but
at that point you were like, I'm not trying to
make up no more.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
So really what happened was I was doing makeup and
then I started to get like like popping on six tack,
which is I started it because I wanted more clients.
But then it just became this like weird thing.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Where and then you became kind of like an influencer.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Yeah, and it was like weird because people were like
booking me because they liked me on the internet, and
it was like.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Because people hired people they liked. Yeah, but it was
like awkward because like because I want to put on
when you went to do that, I felt like I
was like being who I was on like the internet,
even though I'm like the same person.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
It was just like odd. I was like, do you
want to make up artist? Or do you want a friend?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Like you know what I'm saying, fel like you have
to turn it on and then the whole time they're
walking exactly.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
It wasn't really like I don't know, it just started
getting weird. And then I was like I started making
money just from talking on it, and noet I was
like man exactly, I was like, man, I forget this
makeup stuff. Like, and then I also realized I don't
like servicing people.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
I saw that, and I guess what, me and you
were connected.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
I was like, man, I waste the money in time
and energy learning how to do this because I can't
stand y'all. I don't bless everybody working in any type
of service industry because I can't do it like people.
I'm like a thousand percent not professional enough in that way,
like the customer always writes situation Now.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
That's why I got fired from Dunkin Donuts.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
But you did a duncan I was terrible to like
you had one time with people to me, and I'm
showing you something.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Like you start swirling that coffee, talking about my coffee.
You want to get the coffee? What?
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Get out my line? Get out of here. You're done,
Like I just can't. I'm not like a certain this
industry person. So like doing make up, it was like
I did a wedding, and after that wedding, I was like,
I'm done this clip. She was like, I want to
look like himkay, but I want to look natural.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
But she sat like nothing Like I said, Bookie, I
got something to tell you.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
She's like, I want to look natural but I want
to look unrecognizable. And I was like, you gotta pick one.
And then like the mom was like warm me bad
and she was like, oh the wrinkles. I'm like, yo,
you gotta get botox if you want to give her of.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
That now, Mommy wanted you to make your wrinkles disappear.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
It was like a lot and when I was like,
I will never do this again. I gotta figure something
else out.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Now. How happy are you that you went into music?
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (12:34):
So happy.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
I feel like I'm like living in my purpose now,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Like I feel like.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
This is what you were meant to do exactly. Like
I get up every day and I do what I
have fun doing. I don't feel like even when i'm
like discouraged job exactly, It's like, well, don't get me wrong,
I'll be working and I feel like a job, but
like not the music part. You know what I'm saying.
Everything was fun and that's fun. I like I never
run out of ideas. I'm never like like oh I
(13:01):
hate this. I'm never sad in the studio, you know
what I'm saying. Like it's my favorite thing ever. I
feel so lucky. I feel like only ninety two percent
of people get to and you nice do what they want,
you know, if not myself, I don't even like to
pat myself on a bag, but at.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
The punchline, the flow just you're funny, like, hold on this.
She just made me back right now because I love it.
I love it now. For Halloween, you did Missy Elliott
and fifty seven the whole album covers. Was that albums
that influenced you or you just chose those album covers
because you like them. I would say I mix the Bowl.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
I chose Missy definitely because that's my favorite Missy album.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
I love her so much. Like I love her. I
just seen her at the Barclays with Sierra.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
And Bust and it was like I was just like,
oh my gosh, she's incredible. I think I find new
ways to fall in love with music every time I listen.
And I'm like a student, so I listen to music
forwards and backwards, and I read things and I find
like old Magazine is what he's talking about the interviews.
I love stuff like that. I'm like like a hip
hop nerd. So like I was just listening to the
(14:07):
album and I was like, I gotta do this for
like Halloween, because it just feels so good, it looks good.
And then at did fifty just because I was being sunny.
I was like, YO, want to be dumb if I
he said. I was like, I think that would be
so dumb and like funny, and like that's what I
wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
So I chose a princess Jasmine too. Yes, princess killed
that one. Those are your dogs? Are who the dogs
is painted?
Speaker 3 (14:35):
He was supposed to be the genie, but he wasn't
messing with his costume. He and like the mask at all.
He was like fighting me.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
The dogs and mom, you're doing two damn mud exactly.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
And he's like super chill. So it's like I'm not
even gonna mess with.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
You, like stressing the damn dog for Halloween. You're gonna dress.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Double Excel Magazine, Like did you know this was coming?
Speaker 3 (14:58):
So No? I found that like right before like we
shot everything.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Double Excel Freshman twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Yes, And I was so exciting, like it was crazy.
I wanted to tell everybody, but I.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Couldn't you have How long did you have told that secret?
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Probably like a month and a half, two months, I.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Don't know that it was long enough, like definitely long enough.
And I was like, oh my god, who you told me?
I didn't tell any person. You know what's so funny.
I wasn't gonna do nothing to you.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Now.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
I was in the car on my DJ and he
was talking about Double Exile and I had known that
I had it for like a week already, and he
was talking about it like, yeah, you gotta get in
the pressure.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
He only get pressure and you talk about you better
make here, like yeah, da, And I was like, let's
see what. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
I'm trying to be okoy about it, but it was
just so nice, Like it was so exciting to be
a part of hip hop history. You know, nobody can
take that away from me.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Ever.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
That cover is immortalized exactly.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Like at some point in twenty years, somebody's gonna like
look back and see me there. And that just means
the most to me, you know what I'm saying, even
if like nobody you know, thinks that I'm this or that,
Like I'm a part of hip hop history forever, and
that's just so cool because I'm the type of person
that's going to go back and look at the beginning
(16:15):
and who was in the first freshman class. You know,
I can tell you that, so to be a part
of it, it's so super cool.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Now, I wasn't you know. Here in New York at
Power one of five to one, we wait for that cover,
like we wait for that cover and then we talk
about it and it's like a round table and self
talks about it and talks about it, and we have
our people that we're like, I hope this person makes it.
Hope this person and you were on my list. I
said time makes it this year because you know, to
write a passage and so many superstars have been part
(16:45):
of a freshman come exactly exactly. It's so cool. That's
the coolest part about it. Literally the coolest knowing knowing
everyone who came before you and the level of stardom
and you know, the you know, the littletunity that comes exactly.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I'm like five and to the whole team over there,
so sweet.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I love this and I love this for you. Now,
women and hip hop? How did this happen? How did
women end up running hip hop?
Speaker 3 (17:10):
It was bound to happen, but it's like one.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Day we wake up and I'm like, men, no, longer
matter appar have they ever?
Speaker 3 (17:19):
No, I'm kidding, no, I love it, especially because like
women in hip hop is kind of coming from a
place where like they're almost like objects in the sense
that like when you see women and hip hop at
the start of it, they're kind of like a piece
of a male dominated cool, right, you know, and if
(17:40):
you have.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Are bringing it back to Kim Foxy Brown, Kim.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Big and bad Boy and you know you have evil
rough riders and you were part of Yeah, like it
was almost like accessorized, like we got all the illness
rappers and now we need a girl just you know,
to look good. And that's kind of like what they
painted it as. And it was just never that, you know,
we just were never given the respect and platform that
(18:06):
we deserved.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
And let's shout out Queen Latifa Tho. Okay, let's shout
out Queen absolutely like she stood ten toes down because.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
When you talk about women and music and like who
pioneered that movement, like she's.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
And she was part of Okay, she was just standing
alone South But in the nineties, in the nineties, yes, yeah,
that is where it was.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Just from like the birth, from the start, because hip
hop is still so young and ever changing and growing.
So I'm just so proud to be a part of
kind of like this golden age of women in music
period where we're just like at the forefront and given
the respect that we just worked so hard for it.
You know.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
I feel like twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four,
females and rap held it down absolutely. And I'm talking
to everybody. I'm talking I Spice, I'm talking Card to
Me Minaj, I'm talking Mega Stallion, Like it's just you know,
flow MILLI like every but it was just everywhere, say
what happened? I love this? Okay, That's what I love.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
I think all the women just work so hard and
it's paying off, you know. And I always say, like
hardwood be its talent. When talent's not working any day.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Talent didn't go to bed for two three months and
you know.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Not do nothing, but you can't dedicate time is going
with both, you know. So like I think that's just
the proof of it, like what we're doing right now.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
And I hope it never goes away. They can't take
it almost never ever goes away. Let these guys stay
sleep wherever they are, you know. Taking vacations exactly. Make sure, Drake.
I'm waiting for you to do something major. My guy, this,
How do you feel right now? I was watching a
video of you. I guess you did an episode of
(19:54):
you Know your Life on YouTube and you were standing
in front of your billboard and you mentioned in poster syndrome. Yeah,
and it's something that so many people, you know, suffer with.
Where are you today?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
With that?
Speaker 1 (20:07):
I think I'm still there. You're still there. I think
I'm still there. Sometimes I just feel like, do you
still feel like you're watching somebody else's life? Or I
think I'm in it now now you're part of the cast. Yeah,
like I'm in it now.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
But it also feels like everything's moving in slow motion
kind of you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Like I feel so.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
In it that I'm almost out of control, you know
what I'm saying. It's like you can become like so
obsessed with everything, like because I want it, you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
I want It's so bad that you're obsessed with it right.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Exactly, and you feel crippling, you know, because I don't
want to play in the NBA. I want to be
Lebron James. You know what I'm saying. I'm want to
make music. I want to be Prince, I want to
be Beyonce. I want to you know what I'm saying,
a lot of pressure. You're playing exactly, but it's what
I want. And I only put this amount of pressure
on myself because I know that I can achieve.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
You have the potential, you know, and you have to
tell exactly, and it's like you got to lock in.
You have to do the work.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
So I think sometimes like I'm still young and I'm
still figuring things out, and like in on Him book,
nobody's like holding my hand and walking me through. I
have to like make choices and decisions that I didn't
think that I would be.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Making so soon. You know who's there for you?
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Who?
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Who who did your hand?
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I got my manager. That's my best friend. Shout out
to El.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
He's a guy.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
He's a guy, but he's he's amazing and he's been
like with me from the beginning. And I don't think
I trust anybody's opinion, like more than his, but like
other than him. It's just like me and like myself.
Sometimes I'm like my biggest support system and my biggest enemy.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
You know enemy.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
I know it's me telling myself, like, you need to
work harder.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
That makes me get up every day to.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Go in the gym, and that's like motivate rap and
while I'm running and you know, building endurance because I
just know that I'm gonna go sell out a world
tour in a couple of months.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
You gotta be on stage.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
I feel like at some point, like when you're an
artist and you want to succeed, you have to be
like like a great amount of delusion on you know
what I'm saying, Like you have to be because the
delusion in my head is telling me that I'm going
to get a call from somebody that's gonna be like, yo,
we want you to open up for Beyonce and you
have three months.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Like that's my delusion. It's manifesting both both of them.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
I need both, okay, because that's in my head, that's
what's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
So that's why I'm like, Okay, I gotta get up
and do this. Okay. I gotta write every day. Okay,
I need to because if you stay ready, you don't
got to get ready exactly. Just always be prepared. And
are you writing every day still like.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Jah, yeah, shut you know, to this day, everybody's.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Like, well Jake Cole got that from a book, and
well don't matter what he got where he got it from.
Like it hit me and I'm glad it then that's it.
But I definitely do still try to keep up with it.
There's periods where I like slack off. Do you write
in a composition book or phone? You write notes on
your phone? On my phone?
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Sometimes I'll like write on my hand or like when
you up line or hate to see me come in
because I will not a good lip anything that I
can get like my hands on, like my phone be dead,
So like you write this down, like real quick, write
this down, write this down, or like you know what
I like to do, Like you know when you wake
up in the morning, you got pee.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
That's what I do.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
I write down like my dream like whatever my dream was.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Oh, I do that too when I wake up. Yeah,
I forget later on.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Exactly and I we want to talk about it. That's
how I got my the name for my mixtape, How Commodity.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
How Commodity came from a dream.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Yes, I literally was sleeping and like was dreaming. I
was having a conversation about what I was gonna name it,
and that's what the name was, and I was like,
I'm like on the toilet when I.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Opened and you know, it's a dope name. I love it.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Now, who are your rappers? Who do you listen to? Oh?
Speaker 2 (24:19):
You know what?
Speaker 3 (24:19):
I listen to everybody right now. I've been really into
like R and B or kind.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Of like current. I am R and B or old
school R and B current, but like R and B adjacent. Okay.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
I really like will Face Joey Okay, Now, I just
love him. He's so talented and I listened to a
lot of Childie. I love him, like I don't know
something about I think there's a lot of humor in
his music.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
You have humor in your music too, so I see
where the connection comes in today.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Yeah, I've been really into that. I've been really into
Kai Lannie.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Like I saw I saw that. You know, you guys
had like a moment Bookie.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
I just I love kay Lannie. So I've been really
into While We Wait too, the like mixtape kind of
thing that they put out. Yeah, I think, well, I'm
in the process of making my own music, so.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
I try not to be influenced by because all of
a sudden you rap and like the imagine shit.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
You're like, what exactly you've been in a studio recreating
people's songs, like it's just you know, So I think
I try not to listen to too many things that.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Might influence you exactly. It'd be subconsciously you don't even
realize exactly. Sometimes you hang out with someone a lot
and then all of a sudden, you're talking like that
and you're saying the things.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
They say to control the other day. Because one of
the songs just reminds me of like when I was young,
are we talking John and Jackson?
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Okay, And I was like, like just unintentionally singing the
song while I was like trying to create. Sometimes I
was like I can't do this, Like I gotta.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Go home, shut that off exactly. What about Spanish music?
Do you listen to? Bad Bunny? What idea with music?
Speaker 3 (26:01):
I'm first of all, I'm so obsessed with She Cares album.
I feel like not enough people are talking about it.
I love her. Woman's so good, like honestly her best work.
I don't know, like it's so good, and I love
that Bunny of course I'm into like like a lot
of the young kids that's coming out of d R
(26:23):
right now.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
They're like young and and yeah noah, yeah exactly like
I like them. We sat down with her Dope interview
shout out. She's super super dope. You know your parents,
who did they listen to? What's the music you heard
at home growing up?
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Probably like a mix of like everything, like lots of
like because we're from New York, like lots of like
New York rappers like jay z Lot, like all the
logs like I got pictures of me and Jada kiss
when I was a baby, Get out of here for Yeah,
I like yo exactly that it wasn't like like so
(27:04):
I can't remember like so much like Spanish music outside
of like don Omar and.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Like okay, the Golden era because that was everywhere exactly.
You couldn't go outside and not listen to yeah Daddy
their own Like.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Yeah, I just remember like like them liking like mixes
of stuff. So when like DJs would put like hip
hop music over get their own meats and stuff, so
like that's kind of like what it was. It was
like a lot of like that mixtape ever kind of stuff.
When all those to the corner store.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
And you get the when they were all they were
like making crazy because I was just watching a documentary
about you know, and they were talking about how their
music was just being pirated and brought here sold in
the corner store.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
There's so many songsn't know was like like like an
English version?
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Oh yeah, because it's biggod for that too. Like the
Spanish artists will recreate your whole song? Are you crazy? Listen? Listen?
Was English reyae songs turned into Spanish reggae song exactly?
Or like like yo, there's so many like fifty cent
songs that they then stole. I don't even know if
you know Dominican Republic? Are you crazy?
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (28:19):
So the candy shop definitely, I've heard it the Spanish.
That's why I'm like I was.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
I remember like hearing that and being like, wait a minute,
what's going on?
Speaker 1 (28:27):
Like the whole is that they said I'm hearing in Spanish.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
It's just like it's so funny.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
So yeah, that's definitely signing you know us latinos are good. Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
So if you're an artist and your song popping and
you don't on top forty, there's definitely a Spanish version
somewhere that you don't know about.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
That was you know, in That's a documentary they were
talking about this pasito, which is like one of the
biggest songs of all times, and they made that song
into like every single which in the world. There was
like Asians singing it. Music is very universal. Yeah, it's
very healing. Also is very therapeutic. Absolutely, And you know
what you're doing here is something super dope. The way
(29:06):
that you know, just the way that you come across,
the things that you say. It just it feels very
right now, very New York, very very gen z.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yeah, I think I'm like dangerously that, but I love
it because we need it.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Yeah, it's important.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Like there's so much of trying to like recreate what
was and not enough of living and what's here, and.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
You know, you can take a little bit here and there,
you know, because it's like I was watching you and
I was like, okay, you know that that's just a
little bit from this song. You know, even when you
did love you Better, but it was still your take.
It wasn't that a blatant like.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Kind Yeah, I'm like I'm super intentional about the things
that I'm like sampling. I hate a lazy sample. I
hate it like I'm not I'm not recreating a song.
I'm never gonna make the song better than what it was,
you know what I'm saying. Like, I think I appreciate music,
and I appreciate instruments. So when I'm here aring like
production and it's like musical because it's a sample because
(30:05):
back then producers actually know how to play instruments and
they don't know more. I think that's what kind of
draws me to it. And also like I just be
having like these ideas in my head, you know what
I'm saying, creative exactly. And it's like if I know,
oh my gosh, it would be overweight. If I know
how to make a beat, please get it. I'm trying
to learn. I'm in the process of learning. I learned
(30:25):
how to record myself for that because when I have
my idea, I want to record it and I want
to get it out.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
So I'm the same way with like beats. I just
hear these things, and I don't know how frustrating is
it to have something in your brain and not be
able to get it out.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
It is incredibly frustrating. I'd be like, listen, you gotta
make it go.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Give me.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
I know they'd be sick of me, But like at
the end, I get what I want and it's quality music,
and I'm glad that that I can work with producers
who kind of understand me and can like break down
what you know, I'm trying to communicate with them, because
it's really something special when you like dealing with people
who are like equally or more incredible than you are
(31:07):
and can hear things and see things, so you know,
I feel like I can see music, if that makes sense,
Like feel like I can see it happening right now.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
You just got to do it this way. Hit me
out while it's happening. You were born to do anything.
If you can actually see the music. You should see
my face right now because I'm looking everyone like she
sees the music I'm trying to see.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Sounds crazy, right, but like it's real, especially like I
don't know, like you just gotta be like I think
it's anything that you pour your heart into or.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Like obsessed with it, obsessed over.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Like you're gonna be able to understand it in a
way that nobody else is. And that's why people be
like the top stars. You know, I'm sure that uh,
nobody understands how to pass the all the way that
Kobe did.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Nobody understands how to you know, shoot from this angle
and tuck your arm this way the way.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
You know what I'm saying exactly. That's what I think.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
When you obsess over something and you really invest the
time that's necessary, it's like, can't nobody tell you nothing
about it? You know? And that's where I'm trying to
get with music. That's why I want to learn how
to produce. That's why I want to learn how.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
To And you're going to learn how You're gonna be
sending the five packs out to every different people. You're
the one that's gonna be right. And we need more
women producers, you know, because like sometimes I go to
events and they're like, you know, we want to involve
more female producers. Do you know female producers? And I'm
like do I? And I'm like, no, I don't.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
It's a sky study, But I don't know. I've met
so many talented people like just working and you know,
being in it's so cool.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
Tell me tealthy, right, did you think that was going
to happen. So you knew it well. I know that
that someone in your team was like, this.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Is the song, my manager, here's the one. But I
know when I recorded it, really I know it was
the best song.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Oh my gosh. I wish I had done so much
other music, because yeah, I was making like songs a day.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Tell Me was the fifth song that I recorded that day,
and it was the last one that day.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Because the kind of animal are you?
Speaker 3 (33:07):
I'm a psychle.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
I was like writing every day. Literally, I'm writing a
song a day, Like and where are you writing this song?
And I need to see what space.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
I was on the basement my mom's house, literally.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
On a computer. We're not going to pay phone on
your so on my phone typing yes, and I like,
I used waste my mom and I listened to the
be over and over and on. So you're actually this song?
Speaker 3 (33:31):
Yeah, And then I wrote it out and structured it
and then recorded it like two days later. But I
always every time I tell the story, I wish my
engineer was next to me because we were screaming.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Like I was when you finished it.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
So when I was recording it and like listening back,
I was literally screaming my head off, like this is
too good, and I know that it was the one
because it's the only time that I did a song
and it was like it wasn't like, oh, let me
go on live and play it because that's what I
like to do.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
I like to go on live as I you'll be
selfish with it.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
You were like yeah. I was like, nah, they can't
hear this, and so it's it's time.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
You know, there was magic there. I just knew it.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
And then when I posted it, it like went crazy
and I was like, where did you post it? Everywhere?
I posted it on TikTok first, and the.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Whole song you just started teasing because I see it.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
And I was so intentional about the teasing. Everybody was
talking about together no because so it just I had
the ill set up. So I made a song called
the Telfee. My menag just told me to call it
Telfee because I was going to call it the Dawn
Song because it was the throng song flip. So I
was like, oh, yeah, I don't know what to call it.
I think I'm gonna just call it this. He was like,
you'll call it Telfee, Like cool.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
That's when we were all obsessed with the toe for bags.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Everybody's talking about Telephone right now because he did the
collab with Rainbow and they.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Were in store for the remember that craziness.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
Right, So when everybody was talking about it because of this,
like instance, I was like, yo, I'm a like tease
the song like this is perfect common genius. Everybody was
talking about it because of that, and it was like, oh,
this called me the song about the top and everybody
wanted it. So I was like, okay, I'm I'm gonna
move with it and I shot the video. This all
happened like a week apart. I teased it September twenty six,
(35:17):
and then the song came out October seventh, Soeb twenty six.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
By September thirtieth, I.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
Was shooting the video you put those together, I was
fighting for my life.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
I can imagine. I was literally fighting for my life.
I don't know what was going on.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
And even before the song came out, I'm getting like
calls and emails from labels and an.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
R are you signing now?
Speaker 2 (35:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Do you love it or do you feel like it
h like cripples you a little bit? Creatively?
Speaker 3 (35:44):
I think I can't move as fast.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
As I want to. Oh, that's got to be so frustrating.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Yes, incredibly, you gotta wait. There's no freedom, Like I
can't just like move how I want.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
You know, you got to email somebody who got to
email somebody who then got to get back to you.
Wouldn't approve and.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
What I said, I'm not I'm not professional, so i'd
be like, yo, y'all dumb, like what's going on? While
we take it so long? It's like, oh, well you
need this, and it's like, oh, do I hear?
Speaker 1 (36:11):
I didn't even think about that.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
I wish sometimes that I can just you know, like be,
you know, and I can't just be. But it also,
like is teaching me a lot patience exactly. It's teaching
me a lot of patience and like structure and to
be more intentional.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
That's beautiful. That is very important exactly.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
And you know, I think slowing down has made me
like not make mistakes by mistakes, I mean, like you
don't want to drop the wrong song or like, oh
just because you're like it in this moment, thought me
gonna like it a month from now or two months
from now, you know. So I think that's like the
best part. It's like made me a rounded out artist.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
You know. Did they do like artist development with you
or did they take you just as you were?
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Woa?
Speaker 1 (37:02):
They were like you ready to go right away? Or
did someone say wait, we gotta wait a little while. No,
no, no no. They was like pretty like we gotta get
you right now, right now, right now, right now, okay please?
They were like you hot right yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
Like it was like I had a little bit on war,
a lot a big bit on war, not even a
little one.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Yeah, I feel like a lot of A and R
has lost their job over we now kidding, I'm kidding.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
I'm being cocky as you should. Man, toot your old horn.
What you did is is super super dope and this
is just the beginning exactly that could your career. Like
I can see so much for you, you know, stardom,
just world tours, awards, you know, stages, you know, thank you,
I got lock in twenty twenty five. Talk to me,
(37:48):
what is the plan for twenty twenty five?
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Wow, I'm about to drop my song called ten. I'm
so excited dream.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Yeah, It's like, why are you shouting out the dream?
Because of simple Okay, tell me you work it with you.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
I'm gonna play it for you. Play it for me, please,
I'm gonna play it for you. And yeah, I'm about
to wrap that. I'm so excited. I just did like
a little visualizer for it. Okay, it's about to come
out and then I'm just busting everybody upside they head
with the new music top of the year, like, I
hope everybody gets hired of here money, Like that's how
(38:23):
I'm coming to went he's twenty five.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
That's the energy you bring in. Yes, I love, I love,
I love, I love, I love, I love man. I'm
excited now as far as you know anything outside of music,
I feel like fashion is something that I want you
to do. Like you already got the glamor to hear,
the makeup it, but I feel like you have to
design something. Didn't you do something I did?
Speaker 3 (38:46):
I did the Dunim back connab with them that was
so amazing.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
But that's successories.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
I don't know if I'm I don't know if fashion
is ready for me to step in yet.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
Okay I'll say that.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
I don't want to say that I'm not ready because
I'm always ready, but I don't think they are ready
for that, you know, and like I fel like the
space that I'm willing and ready to take up in
that area. I see what you're saying, you know what
I'm saying, Like, I think, I think timing is everything,
and I have ideas and I have so many things
(39:18):
that I want to do, but I think just being
smart about it. You know, music is my first love,
my passion, and that's where I want to hear it's
Beyonce doing that. I'm trying to be mytill. You know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
I don't want you to.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
See thank you. I think I think I'm ready to
do it. Yeah, when it's time to happen, it will happen.
I think I'll be doing my little one too. And
I get my calls and I'm friends with like amazing
designers that are just like credible. So I think that
(40:04):
when I am ready, I have the ecosystem and.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
You get all the little priss is aligned exactly.
Speaker 3 (40:12):
I think I know that I can call like so
far and be like, yo, I want to do this,
tell me how to do it, you know, just because
he's so sweet and like people like Brandon Blackwood honeyfa
like just amazing designers who are just incredible. Okay, I
don't even want.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
To like you are ready to do this, man, I
really want to thank you for sitting down with me today.
You were on the list and I love when I
could put a check next to the list, and you know,
I'm super proud of you. Thank you so much, and
I want you to know you know we're here for
you as a community. iHeart Radio Power one oh five,
(40:51):
Honey German, whatever you need, you reach out man. This
is what this is about. This is about community, This
is about facilitating and doing what we can do for
each other.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
Absolutely, I appreciate you so much. I'm gonna put your
name on.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
A song Sprinkling It. You should have put it in Dusties.
That's my favorite song listen because I could be so
like a different person and you're my alter ego in
that song.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
You really got to get you a drop, like like,
we're gonna put it in another song like Honey Germany,
messing with these that's.
Speaker 1 (41:21):
Really and I was like, I was like, that's me,
but you know I can't act like that. But Maya
don is gonna hold it down for me exactly. This
is the beginning you know of you know, a friendship
between me and you, and I want you to know
that I'm here for you whatever you need, and we're
gonna uplift you. We're gonna support you. We're gonna make
(41:41):
sure you know you go as far as possible because
you're representing all of us, representing New York, You're representing Latina's,
he's representing Puerto Ricans. It's a whole big group. You know.
This is kind of like a cultural humans that's supporting you. Okay,
exactly to put it nicely, but I appreciate you sitting
down with me today.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
Thank you for having.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
And Grass Yes Come Again. Yes, don't play with me
once you got me nominated right, hopefully hopefully. Manifestation Yestation
Grass Yes Come Again is a production of Honey German
Productions in partnership with Iheart's microen through That Podcast Network
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