Go Getta
She would not work jobs, she is a job. With a lauded new podcast, extra music on the way in which and large targets to realize, City Girls’ Yung Miami is about on constructing an empire.
Interview: Georgette Cline
Editor’s Note: This story initially appeared within the Fall 2022 problem of XXL Magazine, on stands quickly.
There’s a choose few artists whose indelible colloquialisms are endlessly ingrained in popular culture, and Yung Miami is speaking that speak. Since rising in 2017, as one-half of Miami rap duo City Girls, her signature phrases—“period,” “flewed out” and “City Girls” included—with group member JT have gone past lyrics. Social media handles, Instagram captions, commencement caps, a T-Mobile business and even Diddy emphasizing The Notorious B.I.G.’s greatness with a “Period” throughout the music mogul’s Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech on the BET Awards earlier this 12 months signify the City Girls’ affect.
The longtime buddies have established their place as hip-hop’s racy but playful tandem. The albums Period in 2018, Girl Code that very same 12 months and City on Lock in 2020 launched their lascivious, get-cash anthems. “Take Yo Man,” “Act Up,” “Pussy Talk” that includes Doja Cat and the Cardi B-assisted “Twerk” are self-explanatory track titles, however Miami and JT’s celebratory adages and humorous quips take them excessive. They’ve bought gold and multiplatinum certifications, the backing of Quality Control Music and Motown Records, plus a fandom that rides for them identical to Yung Miami did for JT when the latter needed to do a virtually two-12 months jail sentence in 2018 for bank card fraud.
Miami, born Caresha Brownlee, stored the momentum of the group going by acting on her personal throughout JT’s bid. As the City Girl who prides herself on her enjoyable vitality, Miami is the rap greatest good friend everybody needs that they had. Her Instagram Lives are an invite to the flip up. Miami’s candid commentary on the social platform sparked the thought to launch her very personal podcast, Caresha Please, which debuted on Diddy’s REVOLT this previous June and has persistently earned tens of millions of views. Diddy, with whom Miami is romantically linked, Kevin Gates, JT, Megan Thee Stallion, Saweetie and Latto have all taken a seat for what Miami describes as “real, raw and uncut” conversations.
As the 28-12 months-previous rapper embarks on this new profession path, what does that imply for City Girls? The mom of two units the file straight with XXL whereas choosing up her son from college on a late August day. From courting Diddy, to overcoming a breakdown, to performing alongside Eddie Murphy and extra, Yung Miami retains it actual.
XXL: First of all, congratulations in your new podcast, Caresha Please. You carry on grabbing headlines. What’s the story of how that got here collectively behind the scenes?
Yung Miami: People simply loving to listen to me speak, you recognize? Whenever I speak or every time I am going on [Instagram] Live, it go viral. So, sooner or later I used to be speaking with Diddy and he was like, “Yeah, [you] should do a podcast. It would be good for you,” and that’s the way it got here out. It was only a dialog of me simply at all times going viral off the way in which I speak and the engagement that I used to get off of Instagram Live.
What’s a purpose that you just need to accomplish with this new podcast endeavor? I need to take it to the following stage. I need to be like—I feel she has a podcast now—an individual like Wendy Williams. I’m dreaming huge. I need to go to the best of the best. I need to be the Black Oprah.
People relate to you numerous due to the way you’ve described your self as a goofy individual. It reveals on social media. How did that come about in your persona?
You know what’s so loopy? I actually assume I’m a shy individual. I actually assume that I’m very goofy and bubbly and open round my buddies, however I do it on my [Instagram] Live. I do it within the privateness of my dwelling, however I’m broadcasting it for everyone to see. So, it comes off as, “Oh my god, I love her. She’s my friend.”
When I’m personal with my buddies and my household, I’m very open and I’m going to have enjoyable and I’m going to do no matter. And I get on [Instagram] Live as a result of I’m within the privateness of my dwelling. But once I get in entrance of individuals, I’m kinda shy. But as soon as I get to know you, we’re going to have an excellent time. Growing up in class, I wasn’t a category clown, however I used to be kinda like a enjoyable woman with my group of buddies. So, if we’re out at a celebration, I’d be with my group of buddies and we’d be getting lit.
In the music enterprise, there’s so much that comes at you abruptly. You tweeted you had a breakdown in August. How did you overcome that?
I simply needed to undergo it. I really feel like I work so much, so, I by no means actually get time to undergo my feelings. I’m at all times on airplane to airplane, metropolis to metropolis, state to state. It was simply a type of days the place I had simply bought off an airplane and I needed to be again on an airplane the following day. When I bought to the airport, I missed my flight. I attempted to get on one other flight and I missed my different flight. It was simply a type of moments. And I used to be identical to, pay attention, I’m simply having a foul day and it simply all got here down on me as a result of I haven’t had an opportunity to have me time. It was a type of moments the place I bought actually depressed and I needed to take off work and I needed to undergo that emotion. I didn’t have time to undergo that emotion as a result of I used to be working a lot that I hadn’t had time to sit down down and simply actually maintain myself. I simply assume it’s important to actually undergo the emotion. It’s OK to cry. It’s OK to not be OK. And it’s OK to precise that you just want a break otherwise you simply overworking your self. I simply really feel prefer it was a type of conditions.
You made solo songs like “Rap Freaks” and “Strub Tha Ground” prior to now. Are you planning to file and launch any extra solo music?
No, I simply actually need to fuck with City Girls. I simply felt like as soon as JT bought out [of prison], COVID hit, so it kinda set us again so much. We haven’t had an album since she’s been out of jail. We launched an album when she was in jail. We had to make use of a few of her verses to make a track. I really feel like we’re the City Girls now. I feel it’s essential to simply deal with a bunch as a result of we haven’t skilled the moments collectively the place we actually dropped an album since she’s been out of jail. We haven’t been out on tour. We are about to go on tour subsequent month. So, I simply actually need to deal with City Girls as a result of I really feel prefer it’s our time. We haven’t had our shine collectively as a bunch but.
For the file right here and for the followers, City Girls continues to be 100% collectively, appropriate?
Of course, we’re nonetheless collectively. Before we began rapping, we was at all times shut buddies. I don’t really feel like we must always let the music trade, followers or anyone come between us as a rap group. Outside of a rap group, we’re buddies. I’m by no means going to let no followers or no trade or no cash get between our friendship. Our friendship looks like household.
I’ve been realizing [JT] for half my life. So, you assume I’m going to start out doing music with you and let these individuals get our ears and say, “Hey, y’all should go solo.” Solo for what? People like her for why they like her and other people like me for why they like me. We are higher as a bunch. I at all times really feel like two is healthier than one.
Where do you are feeling City Girls match as a rap duo proper now?
I really feel just like the City Girls are very iconic. I really feel like we can be legendary as a result of, in our era, we’re the one woman group proper now. We did so much. I really feel like we introduced the slang, like the way in which we speak. I really feel we introduced a distinct kind of really feel to the rap recreation—identical to the way in which we speak, the way in which we gown, the way in which we symbolize sisterhood. I undoubtedly really feel like we’ll go down as a legendary woman group of our era.
Are you women engaged on a brand new City Girls album?
Yeah. We have been speculated to drop. We do have an album. It was speculated to drop on July 29, however, you recognize, it’s so much placing out an album. You should get data. You should get pattern clearance. You should get options cleared. You should do producers’ agreements. So, it was so much that set us again. We plan on dropping an album very quickly. I don’t need to give a date as a result of I stated it was dropping on July 29 and we bought a variety of backlash [when we didn’t release the project]. We can be dropping an album earlier than the 12 months is out for positive.
Is there a track that you just’re actually enthusiastic about that’s on the way in which?
I’m enthusiastic about this track that we bought proper now. It’s known as “Percocets Pink,” however I don’t assume that’s going to be the title of the track. But I simply love that track. It’s only a very completely different sound for me. I’m on the hook and my voice may be very completely different and JT come and it’s a enjoyable track. I personally assume it’s one of the best track on the album and, after all, “Good Love” with Usher.
An enormous a part of your life is motherhood. How do you stability being a mother of two whereas additionally being an artist?
It’s fairly straightforward for me as a result of I’ve assist. My mother watches my youngsters and my son is 9 years previous and he’s within the backseat. He is aware of that I’m a rapper. He understands my job. So, it’s not like, “Where’s my mom?” He be watching my movies. “Mom, you got a show?” I simply did Rolling Loud in Miami. I used to be capable of carry him to the present. He’s been with me to the BET Awards.
So, it’s sort of straightforward having assist with my mother. I don’t have a nanny, I’ve a mother. I’m not worrying about my youngsters as a result of I do know my mother is caring for them and she or he goes to boost them how she raised me, which is completely positive.
You additionally co-father or mother your daughter with producer Southside. How do you navigate that with additionally being within the public eye?
Yeah, that’s my child daddy. He’s actual cool. I’m not gonna lie, at first, it was sort of rocky, however, you recognize, we needed to put our variations to the facet and simply perceive that we bought youngsters collectively. We can’t increase our children in a foul atmosphere as a result of it actually takes a toll on the youngsters.
Dating is a really actual dialog you had in your podcast. You bought proper to it with asking Diddy, “What we is?” He confirmed you’re courting. In the second, have been you happy together with his response?
We are courting. We single, however we’re courting. People don’t know what courting means. He’s single, I’m single, however we’re courting. That’s what I imply once I say we go collectively. When we’re collectively, we’re collectively. We’re having the time of our lives, however we’re nonetheless single.
He see different individuals outdoors of me and I see individuals outdoors of him. I’m younger. I’m courting. I’m, you recognize, having enjoyable. I’m doing me. He’s doing the identical factor. I can’t communicate for precisely what he doing or who he seeing, however we single and we courting. But we’re courting one another, however we single. I feel it simply went over individuals’s heads, you recognize? People identical to to take no matter they wanna take from.
What’s one thing about him that you just like or find out about him that others could not?
He’s very humorous. He’s supportive and I really feel like he brings a distinct facet of me that—I received’t say that I didn’t know that I had—he brings out a greater facet of me. He dig deeper into me to say, “OK, you’re this and you’re that. And you don’t need this, you have that.” He brings out the higher qualities of myself. That’s one factor I like about him. He brings out extra confidence in me.
You’re stepping into performing extra. Have you had any roles which have come your approach?
I did two TV reveals and I did a Netflix film. The film that I did, it stars Lauren London. It has La La Anthony. It has Nia Long, Eddie Murphy. So, I’m up there with the massive actors. It must be popping out I’d say October or November. It must be out earlier than the 12 months is over with. I don’t need to spill it. I bought a task. It’s a comedy. It’s very humorous. You are going to see me on the TV display screen. They modified the identify, so I don’t know the brand new title of it.
What different targets in music do you need to obtain this 12 months?
I need to get a No. 1 on Billboard. I would like our album to go No. 1 on Billboard or only a single. All the City Girls and City Boys, if you end up studying this interview, if you end up listening to this interview, get us to No. 1 after we drop. I would like us to have a No. 1. I would like us to achieve success. I simply need us to go up. I need to have a No. 1 track on the radio. I need to have the No. 1 track on the charts. The No. 1 track all over the place. I need to carry out on each awards present. I’m simply able to go up in our profession. I really feel prefer it’s time. We have been rapping for some time and it’s time for us to get our breakthrough.
Are there any girls in rap proper now that you’re taking note of or happy with to see their profession rising?
Yeah, I like GloRilla, the “Fuck N***a Free” [song]. I like her. Every time I see her, it simply make me so pleased. She remind me of just like the City Girls after we got here out, once they did the “Fuck N***a Free” track together with her and her buddies. I’m like, Damn, that was me and JT. Three or 4 years in the past, that was us. It simply makes me so pleased. It offers me chills. I’m so excited for Megan [Thee Stallion]. She simply dropped her album. She’s been via so much. I’m simply excited for each lady within the trade proper now that’s doing their factor, feeding their household and doing what they love. Latto, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B. I’m excited for everyone.
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Read the interview with Yung Miami within the twenty fifth anniversary problem of XXL journal, on newsstands on the finish of September 2022. Check out extra interviews within the journal, together with our cowl story with Eminem, Bobby Shmurda, JID, GloRilla, Yvngxchris, Sleazyworld Go, Styles P, Jim Jones, Symba, Reason, singer Jessie Reyez, actor Trevante Rhodes and music government Katina Bynum. The problem additionally features a deep dive right into a narrative piece on the U.S. court docket programs’ battle towards rap lyrics, rappers’ longstanding connection to anime, the renewed curiosity music supervisors have in inserting 1990’s hip-hop in as we speak’s lauded TV collection and the 254 previous covers in XXL historical past.
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