Ayana Fite is one of the stars of WEtv’s Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta and she’s out here living her best thug life. Even though she is the daughter of the legendary DJ Hurricane, she is not in a rush to follow in Dad’s famous footsteps. She’s a woman pursuing her own destiny. Ayana sits down with me as we speak about the realities of reality TV, her new fashion line, Cozy Closet and her upcoming YouTube channel.
How has growing up in hip hop taught you everything about your career?
I think, more so, it taught me that I didn’t wanna be in the music industry, so I try to stay as far away from that as I could. I know my dad was busy a lot, and I feel like it’s kinda stressful. I feel like my dad was kinda stressed.
What do you think is one of the biggest myths and misconceptions of reality TV?
I think that people automatically assume that it’s scripted. It’s not because people be like “how did they know that they were gonna be at that place at that time.” It’s not scripted, but it’s very situational. They are not gonna sit there and listen to me talk to somebody for 4 hours and hope that I get around to the parts that they wanna hear. They’re like, “Okay, we want you to talk about this situation,” so it’s not like them giving you a script and telling you what to say, but they are gonna tell you, “This is what we wanna hear. This is what we’re fiming this scene for. We’re not gonna sit here and listen to you talk forever about something else.” So, yeah people think that it’s scripted.
Of course, if I’m going to a strip club and I didn’t tell my girl friend, of course one of the producers is gonna tell her that I went to the strip club, because they know she’s gonna pop up.
Do you feel that reality TV, as a whole, is beneficial platform? If so, how do you plan to use yours?
Yes, it definitely can be a beneficial platform, depending on what you wanna do with your life, but then sometimes it’s a platform to force you into figuring out what you wanna do because being on TV, being on reality TV was never anything that I set my sights on. The opportunity came out of nowhere, so that kinda forced me to be like, “Okay, what do I wanna do with myself,” because clearly, I can’t work my regular 9 to 5 anymore, you know, like….you’re on TV, people know who you are now so you can’t be at work without causing a ruckus. So, I think it kinda forced me into thinking that I actually wanted to do. I have a clothing line. But to be honest with you, your personality can be kind of harmful to your brand, as well. There are a lot of people from reality TV that I don’t know what you will be able to do outside of that because people don’t like you.
I can agree. It’s what you do with it. If you have a great personality, the odds are totally in your favor, but if people don’t like you…
Yeah, you’ll fall off real quick.
I also understand you are media correspondent with your own YouTube channel, so let’s delve a little more into that.
As of right now, my YouTube has only one video on it. This is kinda new for me. I’m trying to figure out where I wanna take my YouTube channel. The first video I did, I wanted to talk about my breast reduction and there were a lot of questions about it, so I actually did a Q&A and that’s on my YouTube channel right now, but that is what I intended it to be only at first. The video did so well that my girl friend was like “Why don’t you just start a YouTube channel? You can get good business.” So, I did. My channel is called Beauty With Bae. A lot of people call me Bayana instead of my name. I think I’m gonna do like…a few “Get Ready With Me”, some people that know me for my skin care routine, but keep it interesting, like let people know certain things about my life that people ask me all the time. People wanna know how I came after my parents, you know, stuff like that. Just life situations that I have been in, there are a lot of people that happend to ask be about it, so, I think that I wanna mix the makeup with answering questions about my life the people definitely wanna know.
This part I love because you are a strict critic of the music industry and I respect that because nowadays, things tend to be a bit biased instead of having an honest and open opinion, especially in hip hop. Being you are a daughter of a person with vast knowledge and roots tied into the genre, you opinion my be a bit different from others. So my question to you is what is your take on today’s hip hop culture?
I feel like it’s just different, and I feel that people should give it a chance! I don’t think anything is wrong with it, it’s not like how hip hop used to be, but it’s a different time. You either like it or you don’t. There’s new school people that don’t like old school and people jump down their throats, like “That was real music,” but I think that is an opinion. You can’t tell someone what real music is. We’re in a different time where people wanna hear certain things. That’s why the type of hip hop today is so popular because that’s what people wanna hear. Back in the day, y’all was making it what people wanted to hear. So i don’t think anything is wrong with it, I just think it’s different.
I also don’t think that it’s fair to shoot people down that is in the rap game, now because there are so many other things that can be harmful to them that they could be doing. So if rapping is what you need to do to get out of that bad lifestyle, go ahead and do it. It’s so many other things that could be harmful to them and their families, and they are not doing that, they are rapping. So, let’s be proud that they are not out in these streets.
That is true, but sometimes the consumer, it’s life imitating art, and will do whatever the artist is talking about on audio. Remember, they’re just in the studio rapping about this.
Yeah, and that’s why it’s important to be a role model about things.
Do you think hip hop has overpowered R&B?
Yes. Point blank. Period. I feel like even in R&B, these singers are coming out with songs that have a bit more hip hop to it because that’s what everybody is flocking to. When I listen to R&B, it’s very rare…not rare, but when I listen to R&B, I listen to old school. I’m not really into the R&B that is out now. Of course, Beyonce and Rihanna is two different artists of like realms, but back then there as so many R&B artists. It was feel good music and I don’t get much of that anymore.
Have you ever felt pressure from the industry to follow in your father’s footsteps?
Not pressure from the industry, but just my father. He always wanted me to do music, but I don’t understand why. Like, he has two other kids. He doesn’t force them to do it. I’m not sure why I’m the child who he just feels like I should be in music, and I feel like at this point, at the age that I am now, he’s kinda over asking.
What was the best advice you father ever gave you?
Hmm…let’s see because he’s always giving out advice without anybody asking. I don’t know! I guess the best advice he ever gave me was “Don’t fight on the show,” when the show came about, and it’s so crazy because you know with shows like this, that’s what they be wanting and that’s what some people feel like they have to do to get screen time, get noticed and to get more money and I’m just like, “No. It’s not for me.” My dad told me not to do that, so I’m just gonna keep my cool.
And your father is right. Some reality stars feel like fighting is the way to go. I don’t understand why reality TV shows even bank on that. I guess because of the ratings and whatnot, but we have to do better, especially with us women of color. We are always put in a bad light when it comes to reality TV shows, so fighting only puts more gasoline to the fire.
Exactly.
Did you ever tried to DJ? I know you father does it. Did you ever get your hands on it?
No, that’s another thing my father tried to get me to do a few months ago. He asked it I wanted to learn and I was like “No!” (laughs)
So tell us more about your fashion line, Cozy Closet.
When I started Cozy Closet, it was more about trying to make women feel sexy wearing comfortable clothes because I don’t like when I go shopping and when I wanna feel cute or sexy, i always have to risk feeling comfortable, so it’s all about having breathable fabrics. Stuff that still has quality and gives you the feel of looking beautiful and sexy but still being comfortable with it. I would say that my first line was a little bit more sporty because I knew that it would sell, and it sold out very quickly. The second line is more so sexier than the first line and more of what I wanted to design in the first place. It’s more of me doing what I wanted to do regardless of what the feedback was gonna be. i was playing it very safe with the first collection, but the second collection is way more risque.
Do you carry plus sizes as well?
I go up to 2X and everything will be available on the website soon.
Shamika Sykes
