Baby Tate is a Self Empowered Rapper, Singer & Producer Prepping us to be a Self Caring Bad Bitch

Beauty

Feb 3, 2023 @ 2:00 pm By Shirley Reynozo

Happy Black History Month! Here at Galore we want to kick off the month by celebrating major icons paving the path for black futures across the states. We are honored to highlight Tate Sequoya Farris, otherwise known as Baby Tate, an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. We know freedom takes generational work, and often music is where folks feel the most free. This is why it’s amazing to know that Baby Tate is the daughter of singer Dionne Farris.

Baby Tate released her debut project, ROYGBIV, in 2015. She has since her single “I Am” featuring Flo Milli which went viral. She blessed our ears with her empowered EP After the Rain, among others. Her song “Beckham” was featured in the pilot episode of Euphoria in 2019. In 2021, she signed a record deal with Warner Records and has gone viral on TikTok with her song “Hey Mickey“. We had the pleasure of interviewing Baby Tate on numerous subjects from her journey, musical aspirations, her self care routine for mental clarity, fashion trends, wildest DMs, her upcoming album and one of her secrets. Tune in to the full feature interview!

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**Galore Art Direction:** Carlos Graciano @sadpapi666

FEATURE INTERVIEW

Where did your creative journey begin?

I would say my creative journey begin before I was even born. Honestly, I feel like as soon as I popped out of the womb I was creating. I think we were all created to create so that’s what I’ve been doing my whole life. I started off as a child, singing songs and writing songs, and then once I hit adolescence I started actually recording those ideas and putting not just a pen to paper, but into a microphone.

Where are you now in your journey and how has it evolved since you started?

I would like to say that I’m in an evolutionary stage right now. I think that I’m always evolving but right now I feel like a Pokémon that’s on like it’s third life or whatever you call those things. Since I first started making and putting out music, I have grown and changed shape but I think I’ve always wanted to purposefully stay true to my core, which is fun, it’s bubbly, it’s energetic, outgoing. It makes you feel good. What I’m learning to do now is to take all of the life lessons that I’ve learned no matter how much they may have hardened or jaded me, and transforming them into something beautiful and full of love.

Where would you like to see your career headed in the near future? What would help you get there?

I’d like to see Grammys in my future I think just like any other artist in this industry that takes the art they create seriously and respects organizations like the recording academy. I’d like to see myself in movies, TV. I would love to see world tour’s, world domination, the whole nine. I don’t think any of us truly have the answer on how to get there or what will help me get there, because everything doesn’t work for everyone but what I do know is that I won’t get there if I stop. So for me, it’s all about continuing to work hard and to grow, which is what I’ve been doing for the past seven years and it’s not stopping anytime soon!

**Galore Art Direction:** Perrin Johnson @editsbyperry

How would you describe your style of rap?

I would describe my style of rap as fun, bubbly, quirky, witty, funny and girly. I’m definitely a super girly girl, and I think that shows and shines through my music. I don’t rap like a gangster because I do not live that life! I rap about the things that I know and the things that I feel, and I think that’s why people gravitate towards my music because it’s real. It’s relatable. It’s honest and at the end of the day it makes you feel good. Like a bad bitch.

Biggest musical inspiration and why?

That is a super hard question for me to answer because I’ve been inspired by so many people throughout my life, but I will say one of my largest inspirations musically is Rihanna. I love the boundlessness that she approaches music with, and I feel like every artist should be able to create that way. Unfortunately sometimes we all can’t and people get boxed in, a lot of times into boxes that they don’t want to be in, so when I see an artist like Rihanna it’s really inspiring not only because the music that she makes is amazing but because she’s making whatever the hell she wants.

You worked with Issa Rae, dropped an empowered EP, you’re signed to Warner… what is next for Baby Tate?

Well, I guess after dropping an empowered EP I gotta drop an empowered album, right

What can we expect on your debut album?

My debut album you can expect Tate in full effect. I’m going to be producing again. I’m going to be writing from that core of me again. I think that through the pandemic I grew a lot, but I lost a lot of myself and in these past couple of years I’ve been able to find myself again in a more mature way, but still in a way that I think a younger me would be proud of, so I guess I say all that to say you can expect my album to be fucking amazing!

TikTok is going viral with “Hey Mickey”, how does that feel and how important is social media to your growth as an artist?

First of all, let me say how much I love TikTok as an app in general, but what it is doing in the music industry right now is amazing. The success of Hey, Mickey! has been absolutely crazy. Sometimes I deal with the critique that I make TikTok music, but with Hey, Mickey! blowing up like this, it’s funny because this is a six year old song that was out when the app didn’t even exist. It just goes to show that great music will always be great music and what you create shouldn’t be decided by what you think society will like or what you think will go viral on the Internet. Just make the music that you want to make and use these platforms to your advantage.

Who is your favorite female rapper of all time?

Nicki Minaj. Forever.

Atlanta is known for some of the top rap heavyweights, what has the city taught you about music and how has it inspired you?

The biggest thing that Atlanta has taught me through rap is that you create your own lane, your own wave, and you don’t have to be boxed in by what people think you should be making just because you’re “from this place” or just because “you look like that” or just because you’re a woman or whatever your situation may be. Atlanta is truly one of the greatest cities in the world and I’m grateful to be from there because it just showed me so much diversity growing up.

Your style game is on point, who is your favorite fashion designer at the moment?

Period, thank you. I love Jeremy Scott. I think he’s my favorite of all time.

Beauty trend you love at the moment?

Colorful under eyes. Shoutout to Naezrah.

One fashion trend you are tired of seeing?

Honestly, I try my hardest to not be a hater, so I want everyone to do what they want with their own personal fashion.

Dream musical collaboration?

Pharrell!

Wildest DM you ever got?

I get a lot of wild DM‘s and I’m pretty sure that whatever the wildest was, I’ve repressed the memory of it. Queen of forgetting that ever happened.

What current song of yours do you play for yourself to stay in Bad Bitch mode?

“Perfect”, and not to be cliché, but it is the perfect song to make yourself feel like the baddest bitch. Like, look at me, bitch! I’m perfect! Do you see this?

What show are you currently binge watching?

I actually just moved and I have not mounted my TV yet, so I’m not watching anything at the moment! But before I did, I was watching Emily in Paris.

Favorite music producer?

Pharrell!

Favorite musical moment of your career so far?

Performing on Jimmy Fallon with Babyface and The Roots. Iconic behavior.

What song did you hear as a kid that made you fall in love with Hip Hop?

It was probably something by TLC. I think it was Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg. I used to listen to Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip all the time.

What can we expect in 2023 from Baby Tate?

We can expect new music, an album, hot stuff, things that make you want to get up and dance!

Thoughts on female empowerment in Hip Hop?

I have so many thoughts. I think the biggest one I have is that while we do empower our listeners so much through our music, we could also spend a bit more time empowering each other. You know when you were younger and someone might’ve been talking about your sister or your friend and you would stand up for her? I feel like we don’t do that anymore and I wish that we did.

What self care routine do you swear by for mental clarity?

My skin care routine has become extremely important to me. I don’t feel like a functioning human if I have not properly washed my face. I also love to do nice soaking baths at every new and full moon. It just helps me feel whole.

Tell us a secret.

I was supposed to be a twin, but I ate my twin in the womb.