Maithili Raelle With DJ Pup Dawg

In this high-energy interview, DJ Pup Dawg sits down with the incredibly talented Maithili Raelle to dive into the success of her latest single, "Used to Love," and the "miraculous" process of clearing its massive sample. Maithili shares what it’s like balancing her final months as a senior at NYU while her music career takes off with tracks like her Afro-beat record "Let You Know". The conversation gets personal as the two connect over their shared Ugandan and South Asian heritage, discussing everything from traditional Bharatanatyam dance to the evolution of brown representation in the music industry. From the halls of NYU to the top of the charts, this is a must-watch look at an artist who is officially moving the needle.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Straight from Pakistan to La to Boston on the line
right now.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
I've interviewed a lot of people in my career, but
not many of my own people.

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Mike Tilly, what's up? How you doing? Hi?

Speaker 3 (00:09):
I'm good? How aut you?

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Congratulations? Man? Are people moving? I like this?

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Thank you, Thank you so much. It means so much
to be here, and thank you for the opportunity.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Of course, man used to love you sampled not an
easy sample to clear.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
How'd you guys make that happen?

Speaker 3 (00:25):
Honestly, the story that of how I even got it
was like crazy, like I didn't even realize. Like we
were like some producers came into the studio. They were
playing some beats and they weren't even actually supposed to
play it. And then we were like, wait, wait, hold on,
go back, let's listen to it. And we listened to it,
I kid you not eight times in a row, and

(00:46):
everybody in the room is like thinking, oh, like you
know this is for a Tilly, like the nickname for me,
And I was like, oh, it's just a great song.
It sounds it has that big sound. I wasn't even
thinking it's for me. I was just thinking it's a
great song and then they're like, no, Tilly, it's for you,
And I was like, oh my god. But I was
definitely fortunate enough to even get the B and I'm
so fortunate enough to get it clear, just literally miraculously.

(01:09):
I don't even know how Still.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Do you know that side of the business buying chance
or is this all you learning that side of the
world now?

Speaker 1 (01:15):
Too?

Speaker 3 (01:16):
Well? Because I go to NYU, I am minoring in
music business, so I have to hold a little bit
into it.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Oh yeah, yeah, and you haven't graduated yet, you're still going.

Speaker 3 (01:25):
Yes, I'm a senior. I walk next month and then
I finished up in the summer, my last two classes.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
So how is it in school that you've got records
out and you know you're you've got to label out
and it's moving, like the record is moving. You've got
a couple of records that are moving. So yeah, how
is it when you're walking around school in NYU?

Speaker 3 (01:43):
It's definitely surreal. I feel like NYU is so big,
so definitely across Like some of my classmates and my friends,
they know that I do this outside, but a lot
of artists actually go to NYU and like models and
like content creators, like it's like kind of insane and
you just kind of run into each other sometimes. But

(02:05):
I definitely know, like not as many people know the
side of me nice, I.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
Love it well.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
So before you come in the studio, I was like,
you know what, like I said earlier, I know your people.
Let's get you on, go to introduce the record for everybody,
and then we'll come back with some more Tilly.

Speaker 3 (02:18):
Okay, hey guys, it's Matilli Rayal and this is my
new single I used.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
To love, used to love right there, huge sample. She's
actually on with me right now, my Tilly Ryelle. How
hard is it gonna be to tell people to pronounce
your name? Because I'm your people and I have a
hard time saying.

Speaker 3 (02:38):
So since like kindergarten, like fifth grade, I've gone with Mattilli,
but the actual Indian pronunciation is mightily. It was just
too hard, and then it's honestly been a part of
my identity, like calling me Mattilli, so I still feel
like myself. So I leave them miightily for like family,
right right.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
But you can if you get around a bunch of
Indian people, they're gonna correct you Tilly.

Speaker 3 (03:02):
They're like, you're an impostor.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Right, Well, to talk about real quick before we continue
or before you come in the studio, how is it
with your upbringing? Because I've been in this game for
a long time, but now I see a lot of
brown people in the music industry and you see a
lot of TV and stuff like that. So was your
family completely supportive or being an nyu? I know you
did some Bollywood stuff when you were younger. I think
everybody in our culture like have to do the Bernathium dances,

(03:26):
we have to do the variety shows and all that, right,
but then you're actually pursuing this.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
How was that support system with your with your family.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
I'm definitely very grateful. My parents are like one in this.
They've been in this since like the star. Definitely, the
emphasis has always been like, Okay, I still want you
to graduate. You know, still have that degree just in
case as a backup.

Speaker 1 (03:48):
Oh yeah, we gotta graduate. I didn't graduate, but yeah
we got to graduate for us, go for us.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
Okay, Well I like it. Well, you're gonna be in
the studio next week. We just wanted to get you
on a real quick thank you for taking the time
and jumping on. I know you got a busy schedule.
You're doing a lot of promo. I really like heavy
on it. You got that home the Home on that one,
and then you got an afro record too that let
you know that one goes too.

Speaker 3 (04:12):
Okay, thank you, Okay, yeah.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
Okay, okay.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
I know you dance from Uganda and everything, so we
could dabble in. My wife's family is from Uganda too,
so like you know, we can dabble into afrobeats.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
It's all good.

Speaker 3 (04:24):
Maybe we're like long lost family.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
With my wife yet maybe maybe yes, maybe yes, we're
definitely all related somehow.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
Or the other. Right, Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
You got some bangers on your hand, man, I'm looking
forward to watching your growth. I know this is really
early in our the next step, but I know you've
been doing it for a while. So congratulations on everything.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
No, thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
It's such an opportunity. And also like it's so cool
like talking to someone you know that comes from my
cultural background in the space so which I haven't come
across too much.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
Not many of us.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
It's not Yeah, I think me you Jay Shawn.

Speaker 1 (05:03):
There's a couple of a couple of other people but
that's it. Yeah, we're good. We're gonna stick together, all right, buddy,
that's true. Yeah. All right, there you go, man, I'll
see you next week.

Speaker 3 (05:11):
All right, Okay, sounds good.