SIYA Interview

IKONS Staff | August 5, 2010

Artist Spotlight

with SIYA

IKONS Magazine: Tell us about Siya who is she ?
SIYA: Siya the Infamous Siya, just another [girl] from Brooklyn, Bed Stuy. Trying to make it out the hood you feel me! I’ve been rapping since I was 7, officially 22. [I'm] about to be 23 on my grown sh**, lol! I’m young as fcuk, lol!!

IM: Who are some people that influenced you and why ?
S: A lot of people ask me that, they automatically expect me to say a rapper. But I love, [just] love Aaliyah! She influenced me a lot. How young she came out & she came out on [some] “I’m going to do me” type sh**. She was crazy talented. Uh, of course Hov (Jay-Z), Biggie. To me that’s appreciating some of Brooklyn. You know how I have to say that! [The] old school you know, Mc Lyte, Queen Latifah, a lil bit of Wu. Anything inspires me. Anything that I [have] been through [and] everything that I’m still going through. My hood inspires me. Sitting on this bench inspires me, know what I mean ?

IM: Who or what made u say, “Yeah this what I want to do. I want to be an MC” ?
S: I think the first artist was Bone Thugs & Harmony, I used to sit in front of the (Goddamn) TV you know , actin’ like was Bizzy & them (niggas) lol lightskinned haha(cracksup), out in Cali that’s when I was still in Cali & shit before I moved out here . So they definitely had a lot of influence over me actually as far as me sitting down saying, “this what I want to do”. What I’m saying this is a passion of mine. This ain’t some [stuff] I do just to do. I breathe this [stuff and] a lot of people don’t understand it.

IM: What hip-hop artist do you listen to today ?
S: Weezy ! I be in the car bumping Nicki Minaj going off on her shit!

IM: Your from Brooklyn , but now you in the “A”. Why did you make that transition ?
S: I had to man. I grew up in the projects, I was young & dumb going out here doing dumb [stuff]. I became a product of my environment. So I had to get out of New York, I had to mature musically. I had to mature mentally, I had to get my mind right. I felt like being in New York, I couldn’t really do what I [had to do]. I just had to get away from home for a minute. And on the musical tip, Atlanta is Black Hollywood!! [It's] open minded to anything, you feel me! So when I went down there, I started rocking the shows. At first [they] was like, “Aight, She a up North [chick]” woot, woot, woot. But good music is good music and [they] respect me for that. You can’t put me in the lane with chicks, you can’t do that! So I had to make that move to better myself. For real!

IM: How long have you been down there ?
S: October made a year.

IM: How often you come home?
S: This is my first time home since I left. Lol, yeah man I drove out here & what not. Saw my Grand-moms. I can’t even front tho man seeing her, makes me want to pick up & come home. But I know I got to finish what I started.

IM: So how is the family doing ?
S : Great great.