Rising rapper BIA is one to watch this year
Read about starting her a new chapter in our Summer 2020 issue.
Being from Massachusetts, has anything from your home state influenced your current style and sound?
To be honest, I think my wittiness comes from being from Massachusetts. There’s a tough skin that comes with being from Mass and I’m grateful for having that. Culturally It’s pretty diverse if you know where to go.
Can you share with our readers how you began getting involved in the music industry?
I started writing songs because it was therapeutic. I put out my first video on YouTube and the rest was history. I haven’t stopped since
What’s your creative process as an emcee? Do you freestyle or take notes on your phone or write in a notebook? What is your overall process in the booth?
I’m a feeling writer so I do whatever feels good to me whenever I’m in the booth. Sometimes I cut melodies and freestyle and sometimes I write full verses on my phone. Depends on what I’m trying to get off at that moment and my mood.
You’ve definitely got some dope collaborations under your belt. To name a few, you’ve got a song “Safari” on J Balvin’s Album featuring Pharrell Williams, “Miami” with Kali Uchis, Victoria Monet’ on her Freak Remix, “Remember Me” with Dove Cameron and “BEST ON EARTH” with Russ. What next artist would be an ultimate dream collaboration for you?
If you know me you know my dream Collab is with my girl RIHANNA. The taste child… I just love her.
Any current collabs in the works?
I have a few collabs on my project I’m excited about. I’ll let you wait and see but I like for all my interactions & collabs to come naturally. I love working with people who can make my mind go somewhere I wouldn’t have taken it myself.
Speaking of collabs, “BEST ON EARTH”, How’d you get to be on the hook? The song and the video is straight FIRE, not only did the song achieve a gold certification and reach #46 on the Billboard Hot 100, but Rihanna also posted a video with “Best On Earth” playing in the background and declared it, “my new fav song”. *****How does it feel knowing that your video has over 31M views on YouTube? And What was the best memory from that video shoot with Russ?
Best on earth was born when Russ invited me to the studio on his last trip to LA. We listened to beats and picked that one and we made the song right away. Russ is a true artist so we chatted and got right to it. Its surreal B.O.E has taken me so far, thankful is an understatement. My favorite moment from the video was the tub scene, it’s just iconic to me.
Also congrats on the endorsement of Savage Fenty! What is that like, working with Fenty?
Thank you! Girrrlllll … I love Savage X Fenty. Let’s just talk about lingerie with class… again it’s the taste for me.
Since the majority of people have been in quarantine and at home, how are you coping with this lockdown? What has your lockdown experience been like? What are you looking forward to the most once things are back to “the new normal?”
The lockdown was starting to drive me crazy only because I love traveling and being outside. I’ve been finding new ways to do the things i like to do so that’s been different, mentally challenging at times but overall it’s given me a lot of time to focus on other things. I’m really looking forward to getting back to shows and being out with my loved ones.
On the bright side during this pandemic, you’ve released another banger called “COVER GIRL”, the song has caught a heavy buzz and already has over 600k views on YouTube and 1M streams on Spotify. How did the process go for recording and shooting the music video?
COVERGIRL is my baby! I wrote that in the studio with my boy Aziz on the beat and I felt like I just had to get some things off my chest! There are so many things women can’t say or will be looked at a certain way, I tried to find a powerful way to say those things. Since there was a quarantine restriction we had to shoot that one in the house but I plan to shoot another video for it as well.
Another song that caught my eye was “FREE BIA (1st Day Out), like the first time I heard it was, “SIS Snaped! This Song goes Hard AF!” The song definitely delivered some heat. What did you want to express to the public with “FREE BIA”?
FREE BIA was my truth. I had to tell that part of my story because so many artists experience that and don’t get the chance.
What advice do you have for young women out there looking to get into music and break into the scene?
The best advice I have for young women is “KNOW THE BUSINESS” & “KNOW YOUR BRAND” you have to know who you are, and what you doing if you want to be successful and that’s with anything in life.
Female representation within rap continues to grow. Who are your favorite new acts?
BIA, BIA… and BIA HA. No, But really.
You’re always snatched. What’s your secret? What do you do for self-care?
My friends make fun of me for this but my alter ego is a beauty YouTuber. I do fake Tutorials when we’re getting ready lol I just love makeup soo much. I harass my makeup artists for tips and I just snatch myself when I can. Practice makes perfect.
What’s your relationship with fashion? Your style is always on point. How do style and fashion come in to play with your music?
Fashion for me is expression without speaking. I’ve always had to come up with looks especially when I didn’t have a lot of money to do it. I think that’s how style is born. Seeing what you can make memorable out of new or old clothes. I love signature pieces, for me, it could be something small that takes your outfit to 10.
It’s been a crazy year so far, what do you have planned for the upcoming months?
More music, a capsule line, and more BIA. This is the first time I feel creatively free, and my most authentic self so I’m excited to share that with the world.
This spread appears in the pages of TB158 Cover Girl: BIA – Exclusive Interview taken from This Bitch Spring /Summer 2020: Fashion Issue out now and available to buy here.