Saweetie Shines for Paper Magazine

Saweetie broke the internet for her latest feature with the trendy, non-traditional and independent New York City-based Paper Magazine. The 26-year-old rapper talks chasing fame, being a fashionista, her new single “Tap In” off of her forthcoming album, The Migos’ Quayvo and what it’s really like on the slow but steady rise to the top.

Paper Magazine Q & A

How has everything been since the successful release of your second EP, ICY?

I have to be honest with you. I didn’t feel like I reached stardom until yesterday. For the first two projects, I wasn’t happy because I had to record in such a strenuous time only because “ICY GRL” blew up and then “My Type” blew up. I began working like crazy — working like a mad man. I didn’t have time to really sit down and absorb what was really happening in my life and translate how I was feeling as a woman, as an artist, as a rapper, as a fashionista. So I’ve been really living with my new project, Pretty Bitch Music. Now, I am not a pretentious person, so I never really campaigned for my first two projects. I always had to meet these deadlines, and I was recording in so many different cities like NYC, Atlanta, Miami, LA and the Bay. I never really got the time to advance myself. It always felt like I was rushing. This is the first time where I can honestly say I have the hottest shit out there.

What aspects of your career are you still learning to juggle?

Since we are all in quarantine, I am juggling at a comfortable pace because I am at home. I don’t have to wake up every morning and hop on no damn commercial flight. You know, I’m going to go private this year. Hopefully, I know this project is going to change my life. Going from commercial to private is definitely a better way and feeling of travel.

How do you think you’ve grown since the beginning of your career?

I wish this was the project that introduced me as an artist into the game. When you get to listen to Pretty Bitch Music, you will realize why. People don’t understand that I rap great over other people’s beats with no chords, no bridge, no hooks, because I love to just write straight bars. I wasn’t used to writing in song format — like, song format was foreign to my brain. Now that I finally got the gist of it, I can portray what I was giving in my car raps split into songs. So I am very excited about that.

Do you live by yourself?

Myself, my boo and my pool. It will always be me at the end of the day. I stare at the same four walls every day. I’ve literally been living, sleeping, breathing, eating and regurgitating my music. If you come to my house, I am only playing my music. I am analyzing my body of work so heavily because I really believe this is my time to shine. It’s my official footprint into not only the rap game, but the music industry. When you hear this body of work, you are able to understand me as a person. As a new artist, it can be very difficult to do that when you are searching for a sound and you are young and you are still finding yourself as a person. In a way, you can compare it to running two different types of races, you feel me? I’m finally understanding myself as a woman, as an artist and even as a producer because I have co-produced some tracks.

What advantages or disadvantages has quarantine introduced you to?

I made sure to have the advantage of coming up with a game plan. The disadvantage is not being able to interact with my fans through future festivals and concerts that are trying to create a safe place for people to enjoy music. I can’t do meet and greets. I love meeting my fans and being able to do concerts. I love looking at the front row to see my diehard fans go off. What I love about my fan base is that they understand that I was kind of thrown into the game. They understand that I am still developing and I know they are going to be proud of [Pretty Bitch Music]. I am going to give a bomb ass show with this new body of work.

Will there be collaborations with other artists on the project?

I got my wish lists and we are working on it right now. I know that certain artists can’t record because they are in quarantine, but I definitely have my wish list for collaborations. On my previous projects, I didn’t really do collaborations and this time I really wanted to share the love. Normally, I am very stingy with my tracks, but I will definitely not ever collaborate just for the hype.

What have you been doing in lockdown outside of music?

I have been cooking. I like cooking seafood meals, boiling crab. I make seafood macaroni cheese. You know, I got a man who is from the South, so he loves home cooked meals. It is important to me that I keep his belly fed. So this week has been a complete hurricane, which is good because I love to work. But before this, I was cooking like every three days. It kind of slowed down because I am about to release this new body of work and I got to make sure everything is in line. I really do miss going out to restaurants and eating out. I am a home body, but I love going out to a great restaurant.

Read the entire Paper Magazine interview here.

Saweetie the Fashionista