Lakeyah Aims to Be the Biggest Artist in the World as Quality Control Music’s Next Up – XXLMAG.COM

Show & ProveInterview: Sowmya KrishnamurthyEditors Note: This story originally appeared in the Spring 2021 issue of XXL Magazine, on stands now.

Milwaukee is known for its breweries, cheese curds and NBA basketball star Giannis Greek Freak Antetokounmpo, but hip-hop has struggled to escape its city limits to make it on the big stage. Lakeyah, a native of the Wisconsin city, wants to change that. I aspire to be the biggest artist in the world, she affirms. The 20-year-old rapper-singer has always had grand aspirations beyond her hometown. I never saw myself doing anything else besides being an artist, she conveys. That dogged determination catapulted Lakeyah to joining Quality Control Music in 2020home of superstars like Lil Baby, Migos and City Girls. Hold on. Its something different about this girl, remembers Pierre P Thomas, CEO of Quality Control Music, when he first stumbled upon her Instagram in October of 2019. She just had so much passion.

Lakeyahs journey from the Midwest to one of raps most exciting record labels didnt happen overnight. The artist, who formerly performed under the name Lakeyah Danaee, was shy and reserved while growing up. She remembers being bookish, loving to read and do poetry slams. In high school, she used her diary and iPhone Notes app as her creative outlets. She listened to artists like Nicki Minaj, Lauryn Hill and Tee Grizzley, but making music didnt enter her purview until 2016s So Gone challengebased on singer Monicas 2003 lovelorn song of the same namearrived. The internet challenge, which featured artists such as Chance The Rapper and NBA star Damian Lillard flipping the track, was the perfect way for the high schooler to flex her skills. In her clip, the fresh-faced teenager rapswhile in bracesfrom her bedroom. That was one of my first viral moments, she remembers.

Viral fame became her driver as she released content on YouTube and Vine. By the time she dropped 2018s Fucked Up Love Story which she says was inspired by R. Kellys 2005 sonic saga Trapped in the Closether flow was more confident and the views went up. Bold-faced names like Rod Wave and singer Tank took notice as did people in her immediate orbit. It really was a creative moment, Lakeyah reflects. Thats when people started knowing me around my city... People were my moms age coming up to me like, Oh my God, youre so talented.

She was also briefly in a local girl group called BTM that disbanded. In the aftermath, Lakeyah needed to take the reins of her own career. She graduated high school and moved to Atlanta in 2019 in hopes of signing to Quality Control Music. It was her singular vision to join the QC roster. I always liked studying the artists, she explains. I watched all the documentaries, the interviews and it just seemed like they always put so much into the artists that they signed. This goal was bolstered by a 2018 trip to Atlantas Trap Music Museum. I saw their little [exhibit] in there and Im like, This is who I really want to be signed to, and thats what I was working towards ever since.

Despite those affirmations, nothing manifested at first. Trying to get the attention of QCs P with a barrage of Instagram direct messages proved futile. Its thousands in my DM every day, P says. Its hard for me to actually comb through all those different artists sending their music. Lakeyah was down in Atlanta but not out. It definitely was hard, she admits. Being 18, down here by myself with my partner and just trying to figure things out.

It was her love of freestyling that aligned the stars. She jumped on JTs First Day Out in early 2020not once but twice, after someone alleged that she had copied their style and thats when Ps ears perked up. I went to my DM and I think she had been DMing me for like, months, he recalls. A back-and-forth ensued and when Lil Baby cosigned her remix to his song We Paid, that sealed the deal. In July of 2020, Lakeyah signed to Quality Control Music.

But there was no time for popping bottles. Signing a record deal during a global pandemic and lockdown meant no fanfare, touring or partying. When I signed it was straight to work, the artist maintains. I believe like, the first night that me and P actually met, he said I want to see your recording process and Ive been recording ever since that night.

Being holed up in the studio has paid off. In December of 2020, she released her Times Up mixtape, which includes the standout Big FlexHer featuring 42 Dugg. The stuntin anthem is a fitting introduction to the rap game. I feel like Im up now, fuck all that Im up next/A bitch gon really have to iron me to say that Im pressed (Yessir)/And its my last time sayin Im the G.O.A.T. around this muthafucka (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)/And in my eyes, Im the coldest round this muthafucka, she raps on the track. The video for the song has over 2 million YouTube views. Female Goat, a girl power collaboration with label mates City Girls, made a bigger splash and racked up over 4.6 million YouTube views.

She calls the first mixtape an appetizerand the main course isIn Due Time, which dropped in April. At press time, both Lakeyah and P are vague about detailshe promises a club banger with Gucci Manefor now. Theyll see that this is about the grind, she expresses. Like, Ive been working nonstop on music. P highlights her dexterity, not just as a singer and rapper, but also thematically. Shes not just stuck on one subject, he adds. Shes very open with talking about relationships, with love life, heartbreak. She can talk about club shit or some self-empowerment women shit. Shes diverse.

Candor and being open, personally, often turns into fodder and gossipespecially for female artistsand Lakeyah being a lesbian has become an unwanted focal point. She doesnt hide who she is or her partner, but she wants the music to define her narrativenot her personal life. I just think its kind of weird that people even care about artists sexualities, she asserts. As an artist, its really about the music. Its about what I bring to the world. My personal life is my personal life.

With In Due Timeout now, Lakeyah encourages fans to be open-minded about her journey. I dont want people to try to box me into who I am, she says. The details of my life, of who I really am, is going to come into my music and, you know, people are going to love me or hate me.

Check out more from XXLs Spring 2021 issue including Cardi B's cover story, howrappers are legally making money from the cannabis boom and the social justice that comes with it,Snowfall's Damson Idris on how hip-hop impacted his life, A$AP Ferg reflects on the making of his Always Strive and Prosper album, Shelley F.K.A. DRAM talks about his comeback, Trippie Redd speaks on how Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert helped change hip-hop, Show & Prove with 42 Dugg and more.

Cardi B covers the spring 2021 issue of XXL magazine.

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Lakeyah Aims to Be the Biggest Artist in the World as Quality Control Music's Next Up - XXLMAG.COM