Majilla Interview by PALM

Earlier this year PALM turned you on to a 20-year-old female emcee from Ohio by the name of Majilla (then known as Kat Majilla). Her debut mixtape Naked Bliss dropped a year ago and has remained a soundcloud smash ever since. Earlier this spring I got the chance to chop it up with Majilla about being a bi-racial LGBT rapper, the lack of a scene in her hometown of Akron,  Ohio, her journey into the world of independent hip-hop.

DF: Congratulations on putting out Naked Bliss. I was just reading about you and it came out last year during April. So really what lead to that coming about?

M: I literally woke up one morning and I was like ‘I’mma make a mixtape. So that’s what I did. And that’s it.”

DF: Prior to that how did you get started rapping?

M: I never rapped before. Ever. When I woke up that morning I was serious. I found beats and then I just wrote naked bliss.

DF: Interesting. So you never wrote music before prior to naked bliss?

M: Yep.

DF: So how did you develop a following?

M: That’s a good question! I don’t know, I think I just got lucky.

DF: Was it the people around you who put [others] on?

M: No I don’t have any friends. I never let anybody know I make music and I still haven’t told anybody. It’s just me, I was just posting it on twitter. I got an Instagram and I posted it [on there], and I don’t know why but people seem to like it.

DF: And now for the typical interview question- tell me who are your influences? I know Lauryn Hill’s gotta be big because of her cuts on the tape.

M: The Fugees and Eminem.

DF: Right now is there anybody that your currently into? It doesn’t have to be hip hop but who do you play?

M: I don’t have an AUX cord but when the radio’s on but it’s either Adele, Drake, or The Weeknd.

DF: Tell me about the producers on Naked Bliss. How’d you get the beats all together?

M: I think I got them off soundcloud. From Soulection. That’s how I got the Lauryn hill one and I think that’s where I got the majority of the other ones like “Beach of Sorrows”

DF: Yeah beach of sorrows is dope

M: I gotta redo it though but thanks.

DF: Who are the guys who are featured on “Beach of Sorrows” and “Miss Got it Going on?”

M: On “Feel Good Movement” it’s Quindon Johnson. He’s a rapper/producer. Loveatfirstsound is on “Miss Got it Going On” and Jay Yung is on “Beach of Sorrows”

DF: Now are those all kids who you grew up with, or you just met them through the internet.

M: I just met them through the internet. I liked Jay Yung’s voice so I was like ‘Ok you gotta hop on.’ And Quindon I heard one of his songs so I hit him up. And Loveatfirstsound he liked the concept so he just hopped on.

DF: So you’re from Ohio, Akron to be exact. What’s that like? I asked Joel Kellem about the music scene in Pittsburgh which is not far from there. The music scene in Akron is blank.

M: Blank

DF: No, as in fill in the blank.

M: It’s blank! (laughs)

DF: So the blank doesn’t get filled?!

M: I don’t know anybody in Akron. People in Cleveland say there’s nothing to do in Akron.

DF: I live in L.A. when I heard “Cali Vibes” I thought you did too from looking at the palm trees on the cover.

M: Well I’ve been because I have family out there. But Akron’s boring

DF: would you consider located to anywhere else?

M: Probably like New York or Canada.

DF: Yeah, you definitely have that east coast flavor. But the palm trees do add a cali vibe. How old are you?

M: I just turned 20.

DF: Wow. I feel old as f*ck now because I’m 23!

M: Well my girlfriend’s 23.

DF: It’s like I feel like you’re still in your early 20s but there’s more expectations.

M: Congrats! That’s wassup!

DF: Thank you. Okay so dream collab, if you could work with anybody who would it be?

M: That’s so tough! Give me like five people to work with.

DF: Like a rapper to work with, a producer to work with. Like do you wanna get J. Cole on a song, do you wanna work with Kendrick, Alchemist, do you wanna work with Snoop Dogg? Like who?

M: Probably J. Cole, Kendrick or Snoop. There’s this producer named Juanay Love or illangelo. I think that’s it.

DF: Is there anything else you want people know about you?
M: Well I’m mixed so I can say n*gga!

DF: (laughs) Because all I can see right now is black, and I’m worndering like ‘are you black?’

M: People ask all the time ‘can you say it?’ and I’m black like when you look at me you can tell that I am. I’m a light skinned but yeah I’m black.

DF: People think I’m mixed too.

M: You do look mixed.

DF: Hair game proper!

M: Yeah you’re kinda light skinned. Hair game fleek tho!

DF: Hair game fleek! But naw my mom’s black and my dad’s black. But out here you can’t tell because everybody looks kinda weird.

M: but yes I can say it. Don’t think I’m racist.

DF: So let me guess, your dad’s black and your mom’s white?

M: My mom’s black and my dad is mixed.

DF: Mixed with what?

M: Creole, French, Hattian, and Dominican.

DF: No pictures of yourself. Tell me what’s the reason for this?

M: I think it’s just because I’m shy. And also I haven’t told anybody and they’d be shocked. I’m waiting until I get a 100,000 plays on soundcloud.

DF: How many plays do you have now?

M: I think I have like 75,000 but once I get 100,000 plays I’ll tell my mom.

DF: Right before you called me I just saw, on the back of the Naked Bliss cover, is that you?

M: Hell nah!

DF: That girl did look cool as f*ck though. Do you like skater white girls?

M: I just like the picture. I mean if a skater white girl and I clicked then maybe.

DF: What kinda girls do you like?

M: I prefer my women thick!

DF: Hell yeah!

M: Yes! (chuckling)

DF: I like my girls BBW! I ain’t never talked to a skinny chick—well that’s not true because I talked to like two at school.

M: Think thighs make the world go round.

DF: (laughing) Thighs, ass, titties, everything! So have anybody else approached you? Like editorials or famous people?

M: Some blogs have, some people have asked me to pay them to be featured. Like I was on Boi-1da

DF: What did he do for you?

M: He just posted a review of a song. But as far as famous people no. I mean Steve Labell. I’ve have a couple A&R’s but nothing to serious.

DF: Where can people find you?

M: Majilla Music. [Twitter and Instagram]

Look out for Majilla’s sophomore project Cigs & Silence coming late May!

Stream Naked Bliss on soundcloud here:

https://soundcloud.com/majillamusic/sets/nakedbliss

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Twitter: @PALM_UrbanBuzz

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