I was working three jobs and going to school full time. I was really unhappy and I told myself, You are not this girl. This sounds corny but I would tell myself, You are an Icy Girl. I’m a confident person, but that was the first time I experienced insecurity and low self-esteem.
I performed in high school for Black History Month at a talent show, but besides that, I didn’t have the resources to perform so I spent my time as a teenager writing music.
I get extensions, but when they start to get spotty, I go buy wispy lashes and cut them up. I put them where the gaps are when I don’t have time to get a fill.
When you’re a college student interested in music, you hear all these rappers talking about dropping out. For me, when I heard someone like J. Cole rapping about school and staying in school, it inspired me to keep going.
It used to take me a really long time, and I used to not be able to write in the studio because I felt there was a lot of pressure to be perfect. The more I’m collaborating with other artists, the more I realize being in the studio is about catching a vibe.
I had to work a lot. I was doing YouTube videos, but I wasn’t getting a lot of love. How do I make a living off rapping when no one knows me? I got kind of discouraged. But hard work shuts people up.
