Saweetie is ALLURE’s March Cover Star!

PinIn her cover story with ALLURE, Saweetie discusses her long-awaited first album and why despite her mainstream success – or perhaps because of it – she took a year out of the spotlight to reconnect with herself and her artistry that had been lost since becoming an overnight sensation. Now she’s back with a sharper vision, a budding acting career, and the grit to make this era the one that she’s been waiting for all along.

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On the biggest mistake the music industry makes: “The labels, they always want you to go straight pop, but the reason I came into the music industry is I love to get my thoughts off. My stream of consciousness is in my freestyles. It was just like, ‘I’m releasing it. I have to.’ Before we go into the radio and whatever y’all want to do that’s cool, but let me do what I like. It all started with me rapping in my car. I think that’s the biggest mistake labels make these days. They take the artists away from what they’re inherently good at — the reasons their fan base fell in love with them. And I think it’s unfortunate that sometimes the art gets lost in that transition.”

On being underestimated while growing up: “I’ve always been underestimated — it’s like a recurring theme in my life. That’s why the internet don’t really bother me. There’d be moments in classes when the white teachers would be like, ‘Does your mom do your homework for you? Because we know that you’re not this smart.’ Or when I would try out for sports, they’d be, ‘Oh, she’s a pretty girl, she probably sucks.’ It was just constant doubt, all the time. But, that created the confidence, created me depending on myself, and me always wanting to break boundaries.”

On losing confidence in her team early on: “I was told I should twerk more on my Instagram. I was told that my voice was very boring. I was told that I rapped too monotone and needed more energy. I was told that I needed to share more of my life on the internet.”

On why it’s taken a few years to drop her debut album: “I just feel like nobody was caring about my music. To me, music is sacred. It’s coming from your spirit. You can’t just go finish an album in a week. That’s why it’s taking me so long. That’s why I haven’t dropped an album yet…“I don’t mean to dampen the mood. But this is, realistically, how my career has been. We were constantly criticized for every drop. I was just very insecure. I’m a confident woman, but I was a very insecure artist.”

Writer: Lakin Imani Starling
Photographer: Dan Beleiu
Stylist: Jordan Boothe
Hair: Evanie Frausto
Makeup: Sheika Daley
Manicure: Temeka Jackson
Set Design: Lizzie Lang

[Photo Credit: Tom Schirmacher/Allure Magazine]

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