Lakeyah has released a new music video for her track, "Hit Different," and she's not shy about celebrating her come up.
The 19-year-old Milwaukee rapper/songwriter started singing in her early childhood, and has been rapping since age 15. Her music career formally began in 2017 when she joined the duo "BTM" (Beyond the Music) and the two took off, reaching more than one million YouTube views.
When Lakeyah graduated high school, she moved to Atlanta and has since released more music independently, one track being "Hit Different" off her new album, Time's Up, which includes the City Girls and more. The rapper's companion video features her incredible style and smooth raps, juxtaposed with old videos from before she rose to fame.
PAPER recently caught up with Lakeyah to talk about her latest release and rise to popularity.
What was the inspiration behind your single, "Hit Different"?
The track was definitely inspired by my story and grind to get where I am today. I went through a lot of trials and tribulations, and sacrificed a lot my first year in Atlanta working to be noticed. So I wanted to make sure my listeners felt me when I said everything I have now "hit differently."
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How'd you approach creating the "Hit Different" music video?
I knew I wanted my video to depict my story. I wanted the video to have my first viral moments , my move to Atlanta, me getting signed and my first performance in my hometown. The director, KeeMotion, added all of his ideas and it was perfect. I think getting signed in a pandemic was a huge blessing. It was crazy, almost surreal. It's helping me for when the world opens up, though. I've been in the studio knocking so many records out and meeting so many important people. I just can't imagine what's to come When the world opens up.
"The track was definitely inspired by my story and grind to get where I am today."
What's the significance of all the personal clips throughout the video?
Every video that was inserted was significant for its own reason. Most of them were viral moments. The moment P contacted me to sign me. My image before I got signed (braces and glasses). It's all important to my story and process.
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In the track you say, "It hit harder when you come up from the bottom." What has your experience been like rising to fame?
It's been crazy. Going from a small amount of people knowing me to big blog pages posting me and huge celebrities that I grew up looking up to noticing me. It's really a dream come true. For 6 years I've known the life I wanted to live, so all of this is amazing to me. It's hard adjusting, but it's amazing.
Stream Time's Up by Lakeyah, featuring "Hit Different," below.
Photo courtesy of Chad Lawson