Saweetie's Next Chapter Is About The Single Life & Living In Her Truth
To say that I love Saweetie is basically an understatement at this point, as time and time again, she's in the news or on my timeline giving me all of my life. Whether she pops up on a thread with her signature, "I know that's right!" or she's seen purchasing an item that an up-and-coming designer made for her just because "everything costs money," like. I mean. She's everything.
And her approach to being a carefree, successful, modernized 20-something-year-old is everything as well.
In her latest quest, Saweetie sat down with Teen Vogue to discuss everything from growing up, to the release of her debut album, Pretty B*tch Music. Rocking a giraffe-print turtleneck dress, baby hairs laid for the gawds, a few outfit changes and a long, waist-length braid, we learned a bit more about Saweetie and what's next on her journey.
Continue reading for our favorite highlights!
On life after her first single, "ICY GRL":
While discussing how her life has changed since she released her first single, "ICY GRL", Saweetie revealed that she recorded it in her Toyota Corolla Sport because she couldn't afford studio time. But now, much of her life has changed.
"After 'ICY GRL' hit, I was in such high demand, and it really was like night and day. I had no artist's development. I realized that I never equated attention with happiness, so all that attention I was getting was overwhelming for me and I didn't know how to handle it. Which is why — fast forward to last year and this year in quarantine — I had a lot of time to reflect, and that made me want to take back my power of being confident and made me want to rethink my career."
On living her truths:
"I went from only wanting to write freestyles to having to create a hit. Now I know how to make the hits. I need to let people know that I'm a West Coast girl. I'm tri-racial. I come from a poppin', big, male-dominated family, which explains my masculine energy at times. People were only seeing 'icy girl,' but who was the girl under the blonde wig?"
On how having a Black father and Filipino mother shaped her:
Saweetie's mother was a model and manager who appeared in music videos for many artists, and her dad was a football player. But their careers didn't stop them from raising her with certain values.
"Growing up, I was confused a lot. Like, I would get mad. I think my parents not being together really just affected me emotionally as a child, and I carried that stress and disappointment [when I was] a teenager. I used poetry as a way to express myself. Because I had young parents, I had to grow up quicker because I was always being babysat by someone else. My parents are very 'do as I say, not as I do.' They're like Bay Area legends. My mom's a tiger mom. She wanted straight A's. Her disciplining me at a young age got me into the habit of achieving high goals."
Saweetie also speaks Tagalog, the language of the Philippines, which she plans to incorporate more into her music.
On her thirst for the finer things almost landing her in jail:
"Before I went to college, I almost went to jail because I got caught stealing. At a young age, I just always liked the finer things—and I'm not even talking about name brands. I just like looking good. In that moment, I was like, I'm not really about this life. I get straight A's, I'm a year-round athlete. I think the lesson was that [I had worked] too hard for everything to be thrown away."
On how movements such as BLM or 'Stop Asian Hate' has affected her:
"I felt helpless. No amount of money can bring back these lives or can Band-Aid the bruises, pains, and scars a lot of these families experience. And it makes me feel like, 'Do I matter? If I wasn't a celebrity, would they care about me if I was to get beat up?"
Eventually, she decided to put her money where her mouth is through her nonprofit, Icy Baby Foundation.
"Growing up, my mom always asked me, 'Where's your heart?' When she would question my actions and my motives, she'd be like, 'Diamonté, do you care? And if you care, what are you going to do about it?'"
On maintaining her integrity in a chaotic industry:
Maintaining her authenticity has always been a priority for Saweetie.
"When you are a young woman in L.A., sometimes you're put in situations that can help you financially but will take a jab at your soul, your body. I remember basically just having the opportunity to get some money, but in doing so I would have violated my morals and my values. I was broke but I was like, I will never do anything to disrespect myself ... no matter how desperate I get."
She didn't go into detail about exactly what happened, but she did chalk it up as a learning opportunity.
"That's a story within itself, but I think it was a moment where I was like, it's okay. You'll eventually get what you want out of life as long as you're praying and working hard."
And in the words of Saweetie, herself, "I know that's right!"
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Featured image via Rich Fury/Getty Images for dcp
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy