Kamaiyah’s success as an independent artist is a testament to her exceptional talent and willingness to persevere, even if it means doing it on her own. Not one to hold back, she shares her truth about her experiences, her goals, and the music industry as a whole.
Now, you’ve sold over five million records in your career so far. How does it feel to have reached such a milestone?
I don’t know. I feel like I’m still complacent. I ain’t going to be satisfied till I get like my own five times or ten times platinum record. I feel like it’s a good place to be in, but it’s just like a stepping stone to where I really want to go.
What challenges would you say that you have faced as a female artist in a male-dominated industry and how have you overcome them?
I feel like the biggest challenge with anybody in the entertainment industry is just ego. You just overcome it by ignoring people and not trying to take everything personally. If you take it personally, you will never survive in the entertainment industry because everybody’s about an opportunity.
I agree. You were originally signed to Interscope, but then you decided to go independent. What prompted that decision and how has that impacted your career?
The artist I was signed to at the time, I just didn’t feel like it was imperative for me to stay. I was being halted when it came to my releases. Every time I wanted to release an album, or I wanted to release a single, there were always discretionary issues. So, at that point, it just wasn’t a good fit. It was best for me to go figure it out on my own.
You recently sold out seven shows on your tour, which you fully funded yourself. What is the most rewarding part of that experience?
I think it’s just really getting to build with the fans and becoming personal and going into that world because I feel like touring in itself is a different type of machine or beast. Everybody’s not able to do that so I feel like it’s a blessing. And the markets that I sell out in are very unorthodox. You’ve never really heard of somebody going to Hawaii and selling out a 1,500-cap room. But I’m doing it. So it’s like, shit, why not keep going if you can make it to an island and sell it out? Ain’t no telling where else I can be in the next five, or ten years, I think.
How do you balance the creative and business aspects of being an independent artist?
I try to keep people in place to help carry the load. But essentially, it’s kind of hard because you’re trying to achieve your goals with your vision. So, you take on a lot of hands-on, day-to-day work just to make sure that everything’s fulfilled. And I just try to stay focused, knowing where my end goals are and my bigger vision is.
You plan to drop projects every six weeks for the remainder of the year. What inspired such an ambitious release schedule?
Me not being complacent. I just feel like I want more. And I’m very determined to get it. I feel like the streaming cycle has made the attention spans smaller. When you have full releases on LPs, on actual CDs, people have to wait for that. You have to be intentional with your releases and your singles. Now, a person can drop a song every day if they feel like it, which has made people’s attention span so small. If you’re not standing in their faces, they forget about you.
How do you stay motivated and inspired to keep producing music at such a rapid pace?
Well, I just got to give credit to the producers. Because if they can send me a great beat, I’m going to make a great song. So, I’m nothing without my producers, honestly. I hear music all day, but it all starts with the musicality of it. And I always feel like if a producer’s not giving me fire, then I’ll never be able to make a great song. I just always give them their flowers.
No doubt. Now, as a trailblazer for future women artists, what advice would you give to women trying to break into the music industry?
I just tell people to keep going. Just be yourself. Don’t get deterred. I don’t feel like you’ve got to alter who you are to become who you want to be. That’s the hardest thing to navigate. Because you start seeing somebody else winning, and you may start to feel like you have to become that… It may take you a little longer, but you’ll get it.
Since you’ve been in the game, how has your sound evolved throughout your journey?
I don’t know. I feel like the content and the lyricism in music have evolved. I’m just talking about different things. But sonically, I don’t feel like I stray too far away from where I’m from, because I feel like that’s the problem with the entertainment industry these days. Somebody from Atlanta sounding like somebody from fucking New York and vice versa. It’s just all over the place. Almost nowhere do we have a regional sound. The only people who have a regional sound right now are Detroit and Memphis. Everybody else is kind of a blended gumbo pot. I’ve got to determine where you’re from, because a person can be from one place, and they don’t even sound like that.
That’s true. I see people in New York do Crip Walk to a game like this or whatever. That’s crazy to me.
That’s how I was supposed to be when I grew up. Wu-Tang sounded like New York. Flip Mode sounded like Flip Mode. So So Def sounded like So So Def. No Limit sounded like No Limit. Cash Money sounded like… Nobody sounded the same. Nowadays, you don’t know who the fuck is what. Even with the features, you look on everybody’s albums and it’s the same people. It is usually Travis Scott, Don Toliver, one of the damn Migos. It’s like the same people.
What role has your fan base played in your journey as an independent artist?
They have been phenomenal. I ain’t gonna hold you. They held me down. They just keep me inspired. Whether people see them or not, I feel them when I go out and do these shows. And that’s all that really matters to me, to know that they’re there. I look at my analytics a lot. And the audience that I really have, I haven’t even touched yet. I have fans all the way in Australia, Canada, and even Africa. There are all these rushes, markets that I haven’t even been in yet. And it’s like, how the fuck are you listening to me? Why are you listening to me? But I’m so grateful, folks.
What are your thoughts on social media and how music is contributing to that?
As I previously stated, I feel like it’s making it harder for somebody to survive if you don’t have a hustle. Unless you’ve got a machine spending X amount of dollars on you to make sure a record or ensure a record is successful, you’re going to cycle out. And when you cycle out, every time you’re going to psych yourself out mentally, thinking you’re not good enough. You’re looking at something that you could never go against, which is a million-dollar budget. A new girl, probably a rapper right now, looking at Sexyy Red, not even realizing who she signed to. She signed to a person at Apple Music.
Why do you think it’s so big? It’s these things that you have to know. Even when you look at Ice Spice. She signed to Lucian Ramsey’s son, which is the nigga who runs Universal. So, it’s no way possible she’s going to feel all the money they put in. So, you know, there’s just different little things that you have to be well-versed in to understand. That’s just not your lane. Just do you. Like I said, the internet makes you feel like you’re never going to be good enough. They’re all paying the same blogs, The Neighborhood Talk, The Shade Room, and the rest of them. They post their articles all day. They got them on retainer… But, you know, you got to keep hustling.
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals for your career and your legacy in the music industry?
I want to start writing music and producing. Obviously, I want a Grammy and I really want to go diamond. After that, I’ll be satisfied. If I can go diamond and get a Grammy, I’ll probably bail out. I love my fans and supporters but I don’t really too much care for the entertainment industry.
Be’n Original
