“If I say I want it, I’m not asking, I’m bragging” Miniskirt out now
Twenty-three year old Bay Area raised artist, KHADIJAT, has recently debuted her music career with a growing collection of rap singles. After completing her bachelor’s in Environmental Science and Biology, she moved to New York to focus on her artistry.
Currently residing in Brooklyn, her path as a rapper, singer, and songwriter continues to evolve with standout tracks including “Dangerous,” “Heartbreaker,” “Head of State (H.O.S.)” and “Splurge.” Her new single “Miniskirt” , produced by Arty Furtado is now available.
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
What is your overall artistic intent / goal?
KHADIJAT: Art is not stagnant. My goals grow and change as I do. My only intention is to express and champion myself.
What are you trying to represent with your music as a whole?
KHADIJAT: I wouldn’t say that I’m trying to represent anything. I’m just being myself and if people feel that they can identify with certain aspects of me then, that’s cool.
What was the production process for “Miniskirt”?
KHADIJAT: “Miniskirt” began as freestyle, but for lack of better words “bitches be pressed” so I had to complete it. The energy of the song is if you’re checking for me and I’m checking for me, who’s checking for you?
For the beat, I sat with producer Arty Furtado and made phonetic sounds and described different emotions I wanted the beat to express. He constructed it seamlessly resulting in a really fire song.
How has growing up in the bay has influenced your sound and/or you in general?
KHADIJAT: A joy of the creative process is getting stuck and having to be spontaneous and think on your feet. Most of the time this results in a product better than envisioned and this was exactly the case with the “Miniskirt” official music video shot by Bytunde and shot and edited by Ceojay.
I was a kid during the Hyphy movement. I grew up watching and listening to everything my brothers did and that was everybody from D-Lo, to Trunk Boiz , to Mac Dre, to E-40, to Keak Da Sneak, Mistah FAB, Too Short etc. I feel like I didn’t realize how Bay I was until I was in New York because people would point out my accent which really comes out in my music.
How does your lyricism aim to promote female empowerment? In what ways should female empowerment break from the binaries of expected gender roles and the expectations of mainstream music
KHADIJAT: I feel like anybody should feel empowered when boasting about themselves. Women are constantly told and taught to dim themselves and not be boisterous when that is the exact energy propelling men forward. When you really embody my lyrics, there’s no way you won’t feel like the baddest in the world. I believe life is better lived when lived confidently. Female empowerment to me is the freedom to live however YOU decide. If you feel confident subscribing to the roles the binary presents, that’s your choice. Some people aspire to be Susie Homemaker, others Susie Badass or anywhere in between. At the end of the day as long as you are happy with yourself and your decisions and not tearing down the next person for not sharing the same desires as you then that’s as empowering as it gets.
To connect with KHADIJAT you can follow her on Instagram and stream her music on Spotify and Apple Music.