The artist behind the viral track, “Icy Girl” is named Saweetie if you didn’t know already.
She began pursuing her music career while juggling multiple part-time jobs and studying Communications in college. She was making 1-minute long “car raps,” where’d she rap out of the driver seat of her car. Her manager convinced her to convert “Icy Girl” into a full length song and the rest was history.
Over 40 million views later, Saweetie inked a deal with Warner Bros. Records and now she’s looking to expand her Icy Girl brand, with the production of merchandise and her own record label.
Miss2Bees caught up with the Bay Area rapper, and learned that she is gearing up for the release of her forthcoming album, and maybe her dreams of collaborating with J. Cole can come true.
I read that your moniker was inspired by a nickname that your grandmother gave you. Why did she start calling Saweetie?
Um, it’s just kind of like her pet name for me. I spent a lot of time with my grandma, so she would just call me her sweetie and I needed a name for myspace. I said ‘hmmm’ I might use this, but I didn’t like how the regular way it was spelled.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Growing up my mom listened to a lot of [Lil] Kim and Foxy [Brown]. Out the gate I was always drawn to female rap. I mean of course I’m a female, but you know I feel like our stories are very um you know shared. And um I went to college. J. cole was an artist I really loved because he was putting out dope music while getting his degree in communications, which I got as well. I have a lot of influences and inspirations and I feel like every artist has something to share. Something to you know, share and tell.
How did your hit “Icy Girl” come about?
Well I was doing car raps, so what I mean by that is I was showing myself rapping in my car and um icy was around my last car rap. And my manager felt that I should record it. So I recorded it, put it on soundcloud, a couple months later made a video for it, it went viral. Its great to see it grow from like Instagram, twitter, youtube, to radio, and even television. Shonda Rhimes put me on her show.
Do you have any special memories revolved around the song, “My Neck, My Back”?
Yeah, haha. It was the Summer time with my cousin and I must have been 9 or 10 me and my cousin were getting ready in the bathroom doing our hair. I think we were going to go to like bible study that night. We were at my poppa and grandmas house and we were singing it, “my neck my back.” I hear the biggest bang on the bathroom door and I hear, “Y’all stop singing that song ya don’t know whatcha talkin about!” We just got so scared. It’s crazy because at the time I knew what she was saying but I didn’t understand it. It was just like a great song to me, that’s definitely one of my fondest memories with that song.
Did you ever get a chance to connect with Khia?
No, not yet. I haven’t
Did you ask Kehlani to hop on the remix or did she volunteer?
So we were looking for somebody for the remix and randomly my manager was like Kehlani is going to get on it. So idk how that came about but I was super excited when I got the vocals. We actually just shot the video for it and it should be coming out soon.
Define an ‘Icy Girl’?
Well first and foremost she’s a hustler because I feel like it’s important to be about your business and get money. I feel like she’s high maintenance and by that I mean she takes care of herself. I don’t think anyone wants to be with someone who doesn’t take care of themselves. She’s a hustler, she’s high maintenance, and she’s educated.
What plans do you have with your Icy brand and Icy Records?
Well as far as the brand you know, I’d like to expand it to a clothing line. I have a couple of ideas. When I have some downtime, I have to make them come to life. Definitely clothing, I’d like to create a scholarship program for college students, especially for minorities, for women. For record label goals, I’d love to give the opportunity to artists that I didn’t have. I just want to give back in any way that I can.
Why was the “High Maintenance” single on your EP so short?
Girl, you understand like, my fans love me but that’s one thing they were coming at me with like gifs all over on twitter, angry gifs, saying like, ‘really sis?’ I thought you was about to expand “High Maintenance.” You know what’s crazy, I wasn’t even going to put “High Maintenance” on the EP because it was one of my one-minute raps on ig.
How did you enjoy your overseas performances last week?
Yea, I got a lot of great reviews. You know I don’t have the typical performance for a rapper. I have like choreography. You know, I’d rather you see it than talk about it.
You revealed in an interview that you rapped for J. Cole and told him that you’ll meet him at the top. Did you guys ever get a chance to re-connect?
No I haven’t, and I feel like it would happen at the right moment. I don’t want to just meet him, I want to work with him. He’s one of my favorites. So I’d love to work with him.
What is your most favorite hairstyle?
I love my natural hair and my blonde hair. Shout out to my hairstylist. When I wear my natural hair people think it’s a weave but I have really long thick hair. The fact that my stylist could put it under those wigs is just amazing to me. I see that changing hair has become a trend but I feel like the reason I do it is growing up, I didn’t have the resources/money for wigs and I used to dye my hair with kool-aid. So now that I have money it’s such a great, that’s why I sometimes wild out with my hair sometimes because I never had the opportunity to do this in High School. These young girls be on it. No kool aid.
How do you feel about coming into this new wave of female rap?
You know what it’s great. One thing that my listeners tell me is finally an artist who I can relate to. and I feel like I’m not the only artist out there that giving music with stories that haven’t been told yet. I feel like it’s great that a lot of women are emerging and sharing their story because it allows like those groups who felt like they didn’t have a voice, to have a voice.
Do you have any new projects that we can expect?
I’m working on my album right now. My single called, “Day and Night.” So im super excited about that.
