Saweetie has been making quite an impact of late. Though many came to recognize the name via her breakout single "Icy Girl," the Bay Area rapper has been putting in work long before a music career ever materialized. With a keen entrepreneurial spirit and hustler's sense of purpose, Saweetie has been carving out her own lane, and on her own terms no less. From curating her own clothing line, to navigating a social media come up, to the nonstop nature of her current enterprise, Saweetie has proven adept at adapting to whatever situation might arise. Now, with a new EP set to arrive in the imminent future, we sat down with the rapper for a candid conversation on the past and future yet to come.
On the latest episode of "On The Come Up," Saweetie opens up about her formative influences, the "golden era," J. Cole's production, and her music yet to come.
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"I grew up in a very hip-hop household," reflects Saweetie. "My mom was listening to Lil Kim, Foxy, Lauryn Hill. My Pop was listening to 2Pac, Biggie, E40, Mac Dre, some Bay artists. Very hip-hop. The Bay is such a hip-hop atmosphere, so you're just kinda born into it. I just grew up loving hip-hop." She proceeds to praise Hill's talents, citing the replayability and consistent nature of The Miseducation, a project many deem to be one of the genre's timeless classic. Yet before music popped off, Saweetie found herself balancing three jobs with her own sense of education, ultimately graduating from university with a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Business. "I've always believed in hustling and staying proactive," she explains, looking back on how her early-game entrepreneurial endeavors went on to soften the blow of her college tuition."
Despite emerging in a decidedly modern era, Saweetie remains grounded by her predecessors. "Big, 2Pac, Jay-Z, 2Pac, Eve. People don't mention Trina a lot, but even Trina," she says. "When they rap, you felt it." She also promises a dose of the "old school flavor" on her upcoming endeavor, citing a slight disinterest in what's current. Case in point, she reps the nineties as the genre's finest hour. "To be alive, being a rap star and artist in that era, that had to be a crazy feeling," she says. "If I could go back and be who I am in that era. Those big budget videos were just so fly."
She also laments the fact that she has yet to rap for J. Cole since her rise to prominence, despite having done so during her college days. "I told him I was going to be at the top with him one day," she reflects. "When I meet him it's going to be the right time." She also makes sure to show some love to a more slept-on element of his toolkit: his production chops. "I'd love for him to produce a song," she says. "Maybe even a project. He's just such a talented individual I respect a lot." Though she didn't manage to secure the Cole feature this time around, she does tease a pair of upcoming collaborations with Gunna and 2 Chainz. "This time, I'm stepping outside the box," she says. "Just collaborating."
Peep the latest episode of "On The Come Up" with Saweetie and subscribe to HNHH TV for a new episode, dropping every Wednesday.
