We catch up with rising 21-year-old rap ‘It Girl’ Brazy to discuss Paris Fashion Week, RECESSLAND, and her plans for global domination.

It’s Brazy’s world: we’re just living in it.

 

If you’ve been on TikTok in the past year, you’ve likely come across Brazy, aka Brazy Bih, at some point. Gliding across her instrumentals with a carefree vigour – Brazy contorts language, melody and cadence to her will. The ascendant Nigerian star isn’t rap’s new femme fatale; she’s the new blueprint.

 

While still a newcomer on paper, the 21-year-old rapper’s impact is already hard to deny. Outside of her aforementioned TikTok stardom, she’s amassed over 200,000 streams on her breakout joint “Attends” and locked in 13,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone. Catching the attention of the revered photographer Gabriel Moses and the fashion brand Ai Mei Li, Brazy’s well-aligned with the fashion scene. Set to appear at Paris Fashion Week later this summer, all eyes are on Brazy.

For 2023, Brazy’s mission is growth. She’s collaborated with Nigerian Alté legend Cruel Santino [“Matilda”], UK rap whiz Len [“Addicted”] and the genre-bending Odeal [“Be Easy”] – sandwiched in-between stellar performances at Boiler Room and RECESSLAND.

 

Her discography is full of motivational anthems for the girls, making for the perfect addition to your summer playlists. The L0LA-assisted “Siren” is a serene trap-soaked offering. On the other hand, “Gingerbread” is a stick of bubble-gum pop-rap The Powerpuff Girls would probably listen to as they wallop Mojo Jojo. Describing her music as an uplifting reminder that women can do anything they set their minds to – Brazy is easily one of 2023’s most promising new artists.

 

On a sun-kissed Thursday afternoon in Hackney, for her first sit-down interview, we spoke to Brazy about her musical journey thus far, the difficulties of being an independent female artist and her fashion endeavours.

How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it? 

My sound is something fresh and new. My goal with music is to balance authenticity and individuality. I don’t want my music to sound like anything from this planet. It might sound like Y2K or a derivative of something else, but that’s just one element. There are so many moving parts that make up my art.  

 

It’s also challenging for me to put myself into a specific genre because all my songs sound so different. But I have devised a phrase for how I like to describe my music. I call it ‘Afro-Future / Afro-Sexy’. 

You’ve been making music since 2021. How has your sound developed since then? 

My journey into music was very spontaneous. It was just me, hopping on beats my producer friends would make. She put out a song, and everyone thought it was crazy.  

 

After that, people would ask me for features, so it was just based on demand. Now, my music is much more intentional. I like my new sound, and it’s still very experimental. The 2021 Brazy is still a part of me, though. I still have the high-pitched thing that I do, coupled with my Afro-type instrumentals from Selecta.  

Recently, you’ve worked with Len and Odeal. How did these collaborations come about? 

Len was a friend. He just messaged me, and we crafted “Addiction” from there. It was a very cool process – it was random and spontaneous. When people hear “Addiction”, they must think, ‘Who are these two young sexy artists?’ [laughs]. 

 

I love working with Len. We make music in a similar same way. With “Addiction”, we worked virtually because I was in Lagos at the time. But this year, we had our first studio session and made four songs in a few hours. 

 

When it came to Odeal, the process was different. He messaged me, telling me he loved my music. He told me he made beats and wanted to sample “Attends”. It worked out great because I’m a massive fan of Odeal, and the way he sampled my song was beautiful.  

Do you feel pressure to use social media, especially as an independent artist?  

I feel so much pressure, and it isn’t very pleasant. Social media is just not my vibe. As much as my social media looks put together, I’m all about face-to-face interactions. I like to meet people. I take cute pictures and post them, but I don’t really post with a purpose.  

 

It’s so hard for me to find a balance. In this day and age, social media is so important. Even with “Attends”, the way it took off on Tik Tok showed me that if I push something, things can happen. So, with social media, it’s a real love-hate relationship. It can create so many blessings but also share many expectations.  

 

What other challenges do you face as an independent artist?  

There are lots. I’m young and only 21 years old – people don’t take you seriously sometimes.   

 

People always ask for validity. It’s hard to provide the evidence and say, “I am a good artist”. Just because I don’t have a label backing me doesn’t mean I’m not good. “They have wanted to (sign me); I just don’t want to”. 

Your music is definitely for the girls, would you agree? 

It’s funny because my music is for the girls – it’s empowering. It’s weird because I have a lot of male fans, too. It’s I love you guys, but it’s not for you. I’m joking, my music is for everyone, but I have the girls at the forefront of my mind when creating.  

What message are you trying to get across with your music? 

You can do whatever the fuck you want. I feel like a lot of girls are told they can’t do certain things. But deep down, every single girl knows, yes, I can. With my music, I bring that ideology to the forefront. I hope people listen to it and exclaim, ‘Brazy’s that bitch, but so am I’. 

You have a Biomedical Engineering degree, you’re multilingual, and you have fashion detours under your belt on top of your music career. How do you decide what passion of yours to focus on? 

I’m a firm believer that you should never focus on one thing. I’m multi-talented, and I love trying new things. The reason why I speak Mandarin is based on the fact that I was already speaking French, English, Arabic, and Yoruba. I was bored [laughs] – let’s do something else.  

 

The goal I set for myself is whatever you try to take it to the furthest level you can. With my music, I’m always trying to level up. I started off making music with my friends, and it sounded good. I asked myself what else I could do. It turned into collaborating with my favourite artists, making videos and performing. 

Speaking of performances, what was it like performing at RECESSLAND? Can we expect to see any more live performances from you this summer? 

I love performing. People know Brazy Bih on Instagram, like in the Lagos scene. Then there’s Brazy, that makes music. For some reason, people don’t put them together. Performing, I get to put those people together. Like “No way, it’s you on the song!”  I thought it was apparent.  

 

RECESSLAND was cool. I feel the event spotlighted myself and my peers like Len and BXKS in a real authentic way – we are like the new wave. We got to perform alongside already-established stars like NSG and Zinoleesky. All our friends were there; everyone was there. It was a lovely sunny day in Margate and a fantastic time.  

 

I hope to perform more this summer. I’m going to be performing in Paris next week. It will be fashion week and ‘La Fete de La Musique’. 

Your style is insane in the best way possible. What are the top three pieces in your clothing rotation right now?

I have these Crocs I love. I’m telling you, they’re the most comfortable shoes ever – they’ve got a four-inch heel. Heels are my thing, so I love those Crocs because they’re my casual go-to heels. I love a good wig. Right now, I love this black pixie wig that I have. It goes with everything. Lastly, I’d say my stripper heels. I haven’t worn them yet. They’re pink and furry with a huge platform. 

What are some songs in your getting-ready playlist right now? 

Probably “Any Weather” by Vybz Kartel or “Beat of Life” by Sarz – they’re big in my getting-ready playlist right now. I also love “Bashiri” by Moonchild Sanelly or “XR2″ by M.I.A. too, as well as my unreleased track with L0LA.  

Let’s play a game of This or That. I’ll give you two options, and you tell me what you prefer. 

  • Braids or wigs? 

I’m a braids girl. Growing up in Nigeria, I used to change my braids every week. I have probably done every colour, apart from yellow. 

  • Makeup first or outfit first?

Makeup first, unless I’m running late. 

  • Mowalola or Ai Mei Li?

I love them both. Like me, Emily Macfie [Ai Mei Li’s founder] is very spontaneous. I remember when I went to try some of her pieces, and she let me wear them however I wanted. We’d subvert expectations by turning tops into skirts and skirts into tops. But I love Mowa, too – it’s very sexy and sleek. 

  • Custard or ice cream?

Oh my days – custard, of course! 

  • Clubs or house parties?

House parties. I don’t drink or smoke when I go out, so the music is my vice. Clubs often play the same music. I want to hear my friends DJing and playing music from YT, L0LA, Len and the rest of my peers – not charting songs from two years ago.  

And finally, what’s up next for you? 

Expect more visuals. I’m trying to merge Brazy the icon with Brazy the artist. An EP is definitely on the way too. Expect more performances and generally just more fun shit. That’s all I can say for now.