From your Tumblr days as Twiggy Rasta Masta to where you’ve come now as an artist, what was the point that you realized that this is what you were meant to do in life?
The first time I ever recorded a song.
Can you tell me more about that?
I've been writing songs my whole life, since I was a child. I used to do poems and a lot of songwriting with my friends in school. In a little slam book we used to have. My mom still has all those things. When I was younger, I thought you had to be famous to record, or if not famous, you had to know someone. I didn't know how easily you could record from your home. So as soon as I found out that I could record at home, I made my own song. I was like, Oh yeah, that's it. And at that time, I was like in college, so I was maybe 20 or 21. At that point, I said “okay, this is what I’m doing.” I just knew.
What were the songs and poems you wrote as a kid about?
Kid shit. I don’t even know. Shopping, boys, amateur shit. When I look at it now I be like “this is so elementary.”
Could you explain what it means to be a Chonga?
This is a question I get all the time. Some say it’s basically an aesthetic. For me, it’s a lifestyle and a reminder of who I am and where I come from, Miami. In middle school, everybody had that little Chonga aesthetic. It was something that kind of always stuck with me. I just love it because it's not expensive to be a chonga. Chonga’s love flea markets and earrings that are like 2.99. If you've ever heard the Chongalicious song from the Chonga Girls back in like ‘07, It was one of the first videos that went viral on YouTube. It's something that's stuck with me my whole life. It always reminds me of my culture and where I am from.
What are the essential elements that go into embodying the Chonga look?
For sure you need the big gold hoop earrings. The lip liner with the clear gloss. Acrylic nails. We love accessories like a chain belt. Tight leggings, short shorts. Hair slicked back with gel.
It sounds like something that is really instinctively feminine.
Yes. It’s very, very feminine. Even though some people would say that there are Chongo, I always say no. It’s its own thing that has nothing to do with a masculine counterpart. It’s all about the girly things. Our big hoop earrings and little Chinese sandals we get from the dollar store.
What are the ways that you express this femininity aside from clothing and makeup, in your music and performance?
If anything, I would say dancing. But other than that, it really is my clothes and my jewelry and all that. It’s kind of like a second skin? Yeah for sure. I’m just so feminine. Some people say they are a balance between masculine and feminine, but I’m just all the way feminine. I want all the girly shit: all the diamonds, all the pink!