New Jersey-born rapper Coi Leray is having the biggest year of her career, and she's only going to continue to elevate. With each new release, it seems Coi simply keeps growing, surpassing the goals she previously set for herself and moving on to bigger ones. With the release of her official debut studio album nearing, the 24-year-old rapper is filled to the brim with confidence, and she's beaming with pride from her meteoric rise in the music business this year.
"No More Parties" was really only the start for Coi Leray, who has followed up her viral success with follow-up hits including "Big Purr" with Pooh Shiesty, "At The Top" with Kodak Black and Mustard, and "TWINNEM," her most recent single that came attached with a fun dance on TikTok. In addition to her own releases, Coi has lent her vocals to some of rap's quickest rising superstars, going on a strong feature spree with Sleepy Hallow, Bfb Da Packman, and others. And she just got off tour with Lil Baby and Lil Durk, opening up for them at twenty-three different shows.
She's closing out the year even stronger than she started it, performing on the main stage of Rolling Loud New York last weekend and arguably delivering the most fun performance of the weekend. She came out with her dancers on kick scooters, and every last part of her set was choreographed. Coi Leray was built for superstardom, and she's coming for her spot at the top.
We caught up with Coi following her performance and spoke about her upcoming debut album, why she chose to work with DaBaby on the "TWINNEM" remix, her recent studio session with Justin Bieber, and much more.
Read the unabridged editorial copy of HNHH's new interview with Coi Leray below, and stay tuned for her upcoming album, which is coming next year.
HNHH: Hey, Coi. How are you?
Coi Leray: I’m good, how are you?
I’m great. “TWINNEM” is going crazy right now on socials and streaming. How do you feel?
I feel good. It’s a blessing. All my hard work is just paying off. I just got nominated for an AMA award too!
Congrats! It's such a fun record, what was it like making it in the studio?
I actually played a big part in producing the beat too, so shout out to Bankroll Got It, shout out to Jae Roc, who were all in the studio. We were cooking up the beat. I started recording on a loop, and then we added the beat. We added the drums. I was like, “Yo, we need chords.” [We] added the chords in.
How did you like stepping in on the production side? Did you enjoy that?
I don’t know how to do the buttons, but I know what to listen for, so they guided what I wanted. They still put their input, of course, in the drums and everything ‘cause they’re great, but such a great time.
How’d you come up with the dance for "TWINNEM?"
I didn’t come up with that dance. It was actually trending on TikTok, so I just hopped on the trend.
And now everybody’s doing it. You were just in the studio with Justin Bieber and you had him doing the dance! What was that experience like?
He’s a star. It’s amazing to even be in a room with him, in the studio with him. He believes in me so much. He said he loves my music, and I can’t wait to... wait on it.
Did you guys make any songs together?
Yeah, we made something together.
I'm excited to hear that. You also just got off tour with Lil Baby and Lil Durk. Was that fun?
The experience was crazy. It was 47 days, 23 show dates, and I’m just glad to be able to build our relationship with Live Nation. Shout out to Lil Baby and Lil Durk— crazy, crazy superstars. It’s just a blessing.
Recently, you've been teasing a few new records, including one called "Anxiety." When can we expect a release for that one?
That will be on my project. I will be dropping my project next year. I got so much going on— ‘bout to drop “TWINNEM” with DaBaby for the remix.
Why did you choose DaBaby for the remix?
I feel like he’s super talented. He’s a super talented person when it comes to music, when it comes to his videos. He’s super animated, brings a lot of energy, and I have a lot of energy, so I felt like he’s just perfect for the song automatically.
In previous interviews, you mentioned that you wouldn't mind making more pop music. Do you have a preference between making pop and hip-hop?
I like what I like. I don’t even know how to answer that, because when I go in the studio, I pull a beat and put it on my mood and I record it based off my experiences. It all depends on what I’m going through. Whatever they label it as— if they think it’s popping, it’s popping.
What can we expect from you before the end of the year?
Like I said, “TWINNEM” remix with DaBaby dropping soon. Get ready for my album dropping next year. Debut album. Can’t wait. Going crazy.