We can all point to times in pop culture where someone has truly had a moment. Some people’s moments last for longer than others but nothing is better than seeing a talented Black woman get her chance to show the world what she can do. Needless to say, Saweetie’s time is now. The bombshell rapper who burst onto the scene with her single “Icy Grl” has been on everyone’s lips for all the right reasons. From her catchy lyrics to her effortlessly sexy style to her innovative and highly creative social media content, Saweetie is a certified it girl with all the ingredients for a long-lasting career. Her success has come with mixed reaction and critique from fans of hip-hop but that hasn’t seemed to slow her down. When many new artists would have succumbed to the onslaught of negative feedback, Saweetie has seemed to take it in stride and use it as a guide to help her keep improving as an artist and a performer.
But we all know that things are not always glitz and glam.
Recently, the 28-year-old and Grammy nominee sat down with People magazine for their podcast series, People Everyday, and she spoke in detail about how her career and the demands of fame can weigh on her. Saweetie, who was just recently named the global cultural consultant for Champion, says, “I just feel like as artists, you know, we have it tough. I feel like we have all the spotlight on us and people think that it’s glamorous when in all actuality there are a lot of difficult things that happen behind the scenes.” She adds, “Hopefully you have a great team. Hopefully the creatives that you’re working with, aren’t overcharging you … It’s like everyone who’s around: You have to pay for this. You have to pay [for that] … “ Sharing a sentiment that many in the spotlight have expressed, Saweetie says she can sometimes find herself longing for the early days of her career when it was all about creating. “I miss college Saweetie, and me meeting other creatives,” she says. “I just wanted to make something else. Now everyone wants to charge for every second and it kind of just takes the art out of it.”
Though many came to know her via her viral social media movement from her first single, Saweetie’s career has been one that was riddled with stops and starts before truly taking off, which she says was partly because of lack of patience. When asked what she would tell herself back then, the rapper had this to share, “”Take your time. And don’t [jump] at the first opportunity. I felt like those tough lessons definitely made me a wiser woman, but I think I would’ve just taken my time … Who [you] surround yourself really, really affects the trajectory of your career.” But even now she can still feel herself being overwhelmed, “Balance needs to happen. I feel like I’m being run down to the ground right now and my body doesn’t feel good. I’ve had mental breakdowns and it’s just really stressful, but it’s nice to be acknowledged because it lets me know that my hard work isn’t going unnoticed,” she said.
Well be rooting for her at next week’s Grammys where she is nominated alongside rapper Doja Cat for their viral hit, “Best Friend” and for the coveted best new artist trophy.