Up next in 10
Kyah Baby Talks Joins The A&R Room and Talks About Her Latest Album’P.S. It’s Not About You’
Aug 25, 2021
Kyah Baby released ‘P.S. It’s Not About You’ in June of 2021 and has been making some major waves with this project. She checked in with the A&R Room to talk about the album and more.
Subscribe Here! http://bit.ly/SubscribeSU
Watch the Best of Sway In The Morning! http://bit.ly/BestOfSITM
Check out More From Sway’s Universe
http://swaysuniverse.com
http://twitter.com/swaysuniverse
http://instagram.com/swaysuniverse
http://facebook.com/swaysuniverse
#KyahBaby #PSItsNotAboutYou #SwaysUniverse #SwayInTheMorning #SiriusXM #Shade45
About SWAY’s UNIVERSE
Exclusive interviews from Sway Calloway and the Sway In The Morning/ SwaysUniverse.com team with some of today's biggest celebrities, like Kevin Hart, Kanye West, Eminem, Usher, Jessica Alba, Steve Aoki, Torey Lanez, Julia Stiles and so much more.
Kyah Baby Talks Joins The A&R Room and Talks About Her Latest Album’P.S. It’s Not About You’
https://youtu.be/sLAurIVSv-4
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
takes talent are you ready are you ready for the stage big screen tv it's the a&r room on sway in
0:08
the morning all right all right we're in the middle of a&r room and we got your favorite
0:11
producers favorite producer the one and only rich nice with us right and today is a special version
0:17
of the a&r room i wanted to play that story that that song off of her new album uh because you know
0:24
what her latest album let me say that her latest album because that was the one hb that really
0:28
stuck to my ribs because it's a true story right she's been on this show before i talked about it
0:35
she rapped with bangladesh and millies and steve aoki and we had a good time
0:39
and she's been banging ever since putting in this work i see her freestyles i see her out
0:46
there on stage i see her glowing rich nice tell them who we got on with us right now
0:50
New York one and only Kaya Baby Kaya Baby Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
1:00
How you been Kaya? What up? What's up? Blessed by the best. How are you all
1:08
I like that Blessed by the best Can't complain We're going to talk about
1:16
the music and everything but it's good to hear your voice because I know we probably haven't seen each other in how long
1:22
You haven't seen us in a couple of years. Well, definitely a year full by that we all keep forgetting about the quarantine
1:28
I'm going to go with probably two years now. Two years now. It's so much that has happened in two years
1:34
Yeah, right? Right, HB? So much that's happened in two years. And when I listen to your music, it helped me catch up to what's happening with you
1:42
You know, that true story. That's a powerful song on your project
1:46
Thank you. Yeah. that's a really true story though absolutely absolutely you know the times i would be
1:54
struggling i was down and out like i said i was on my mom's couch so you know um from the first
1:59
line that you heard to the end every line is true and so imagine being a different person
2:06
yeah uh imagine being a rapper and not rapping and not making it you felt like you wasn't when
2:12
did you how long did you feel like you weren't making it because you've been doing interviews for years now you know you've been getting exposure for years but even doing see that's
2:21
the trip right there that's the crazy part right hb you could be in the middle of this
2:25
you could be doing interviews moving sticking and moving but still feel like you ain't making it
2:30
is that how you feel right yes yes because it's like uh um it's basically like a thing like you
2:37
know you're around all these uh quote-unquote celebrities and high-end people and fashion
2:43
designers and you go into these mixes and these events and these parties and then you're still
2:47
going back to the projects you know and and then like you said you're stuck like you said i'm doing
2:52
all these interviews i'm doing all these shows i'm doing pay shows but then you still have those
2:57
people that um you know hit me up like hey you want to perform at such a sense okay well we're
3:02
going to charge you 1500 and i'm like you aren't charging me i i charge that to perform so it's
3:08
like you know i still deal with those people that look at me as just still another upcoming
3:12
artists or because my single was in buzzing on every radio station morning noon and night and
3:17
in the club that some people look at me like that they don't see when i go out of town like
3:21
everybody knows like oh that's kaya baby like okay went to she hosted a lounge and sold out
3:26
everybody came and they don't really always see that even if i posted on my instagram you know
3:30
how the algorithm is etc etc so um yeah sometimes i definitely feel stuck uh for a couple years now
3:37
it's you know time for me to level up so you know i put that all in my music like you mentioned
3:43
before i've been grinding for a while now thank you kaya baby man you see her new um hairstyle i
3:48
say i don't know how old the new it is but you see her new hairstyle hey kaya what's up it's
3:55
heather good to talk to you thank you for uh joining us this morning we appreciate it it's
3:59
good to hear your voice again um as well i echo everything sway said i wanted to because you
4:04
mentioned doing shows and i was just curious not that you have to give out all your secrets but
4:08
as an artist um there's ways of getting out your music and probably like you come up with an idea
4:15
you may go and write it and then go into the studio and record it um maybe you'll just you
4:20
feel like freestyling you get up hit the stool you just go and record it but do you ever think
4:25
about like writing songs with the intention to perform only like this song right here is just
4:31
going to be strictly for shows or I don't even care about that right now I'm just I just got to
4:36
focus on getting out what is your process and recording um my process is really just focus
4:42
on focusing on the music uh usually the way the world works now and the internet um the fans
4:49
usually determine you're a single and then sometimes you got to go with that um like timing
4:54
right now I didn't expect for it to be still rocking out for this long and I try to you know
4:59
released another single of the project, but people, Tanya was still growing. And then recently I just, you know
5:05
received an email for a song to be like movie placements for a single
5:10
of my last project. So, you know, sometimes as an artist, you get caught up in social media
5:16
like, man, I need to release another song. I need to release another video. I need to keep pushing
5:19
But then you still have those artists that, oh, like Voodoo, LMA
5:24
Everybody's like, oh, that's a hit. No one knows until they look like she's been pushing that single
5:29
for over a year and change. So people don't really see that. My process, yeah
5:34
I learn my audience. That's what I do. I'll have a certain show
5:39
like how Sway play True Story. I wouldn't really go to a crowd
5:42
I know is like 21-year-olds and younger and perform that like that
5:46
I'll probably perform Time and it'll go Savage or something. If I'm more like, you know, hip-hop
5:51
Sway put a show together or something like that, I'll perform a split, something like that
5:54
So I just learned how to more so target my audience when I perform
5:58
and I don't really make music with the intent like I'm going to perform this song. Got it. Okay
6:04
Just go with the flow, yeah. Yeah. Kaya Baby sound like she running her own
6:08
record label right now, HB. Well, you got to, yeah. You got to have that mentality
6:14
That's your, you own that company? What is it, Just Us? Just Us Music, yes
6:18
Just Us Music. You hear that, HB? Just Us, isn't it? Come on, I like that, man
6:26
Hey, Kaya, that's big. That's big. You got, you got, you got, so you got a, obviously, I'm sorry, Rich
6:32
I mean I know this day in our room but we miss Kaya baby It Kaya baby Give her a round of applause Yeah I miss y too Come on Trying to celebrate her celebrate her Trying to celebrate Thank you What your team
6:42
So you're the owner of your record label. So you set up, you know, you got accounting, you got marketing
6:49
or how are you doing it? You're doing it to yourself? I'm building all of that right now
6:54
I got definitely working on a marketing end right now, you know. Having a business is always hey and make, you know
7:01
your first chef is not, might not be your best chef. So, um, I'm definitely working on that now as far as marketing and accounting and
7:08
doing all of that and just getting myself pretty much established as an artist
7:12
first, but I'm definitely looking at other accents and, you know, keeping that in mind because you have to
7:18
when you have a label or trying to establish a label. I like it, man. She went from true story
7:25
sleeping on her mother's couch to owning her own label. Rich, nice. That's something to be celebrated, Rich. Absolutely
7:31
Absolutely. I want to congratulate you on all that you've been doing
7:35
Hey, Rich, do me a favor. Talk directly on your phone for me. Go ahead. Go ahead
7:40
Hey, hey, hey. There you go. So I just want to congratulate you, Kaya, on all you've been doing
7:46
You know, I'm always watching, even though sometimes I feel like I might not be watching
7:50
And I've seen all the movie, the guest appearances you've been doing. You know what I'm saying? Congrats on that
7:55
You know, and just all the things you've been putting together. the timing video
8:01
for the song Timing I see you got you know the artwork is great
8:05
for the project and the boxing motif do you feel like you're in a fight
8:11
with the rap game right now? I guess I can say yeah
8:18
I do feel like I'm in a fight with the rap game with life
8:22
and the way the music and the world is in itself honestly because I can't be mad
8:26
it's a business like I'm an artist I've been well groomed I've been doing this for so long
8:32
I've grown to understand and accept that it's a business so I have to learn
8:36
to go along with the business so I can't be mad if someone puts out a silly
8:42
behind song about a shoelace and a dance goes with it and it goes viral I can't be mad like yo
8:48
why is this person getting the chance and I'm not that person is going to make that company
8:52
they look you know their money right then and there they don't they can't bank on
8:56
tiny baby right now. We're not in a town, unfortunately, anymore where people
9:00
are looking for talent and building an artist and, you know, putting money
9:04
or whatever needs to be put behind an artist. So I definitely feel like I'm in a fight
9:07
with that, per se. How do you balance the combo of being an actual spitter
9:16
and sometimes having to, you know, make the, I don't know, drill-esque
9:22
new wave sound on an album because this project is a solid project, you know, and I didn't listen to it piece by piece
9:29
I sat down and listened to it from beginning to end so I could fully digest it
9:33
But how do you balance that combo? When I go in the studio, sometimes a beat just knocks
9:41
and I just flow with it. It just flows. So that's how I work in the studio
9:46
When it comes time for me to put the project out, that's the key word you use right there
9:50
I like to find and add a balance. Like I could have put out a project with all this boom, bat rap
9:55
I could have put out a project with a bunch of songs like Time and Like You Heard, and I could have put out a song like A Bunch of True Stories
10:01
But me as an artist, I'm a well-rounded artist. So I feel like I always have to put those type of records on my project
10:09
just to let my fans know. Because some people, they only discovered me from freestyle
10:14
but they only like that. I know some people didn't like Time and When I Put Out a Record
10:18
Move and Trouble. Some of my audience didn't like it. However, I did garnish a bunch of new fans from a record like Time
10:25
And so it's definitely, I just, I just go with the flow, how I feel and staying to myself
10:31
That's really how I found balance. I put out the project, of course, for my fans, but I mostly go with how I feel
10:37
Like, this is me. This is what you're going to get in the project. Cause this is me. Taya, baby, man
10:42
Big round of applause. I'm just applauding you. P.S. Thank you. It's not about you
10:48
It's the name of the project. If you haven't picked it up, P.S. It's not about you
10:52
We're going to play the new single that Rich Nice brought up, Timing. Check the video out if you get a chance
10:59
Look at her sitting in the corner like she rocking or Claressa Shields
11:03
Claressa Shields. It's out there. It's out there. It's out there. We're going to play that
11:07
We're going to open up the phone line, citizens. You want to talk with Kaya Baby? It's 888-742-3345
11:14
Yeah. It's all about timing. It's all about timing, man. That's on so many levels
11:22
timing is so key when you're placing your bars timing is key when you're approaching someone
11:28
timing is key when you're making that essential move timing is key there's a lot that goes with
11:34
timing everything right timing's everything when you discover that kaya baby that timing is everything
11:39
so i'm just going through the years of um my music um like pertaining back to the question
11:45
when you actually i feel like i'm having a fight or a rich act or you know just feel like i'm stuck
11:50
or in a fight with the music business. Sometimes I think back, like, if I would have blew up
11:55
or was bigger than what I am now back then, I don't think I would have been prepared at all, like mentally
12:02
more so mentally, because this business is a lot to handle. So I discovered that throughout my journey
12:08
and it's really definitely due to quarantine. I've seen a lot of people break down during the quarantine
12:15
and other people got stronger. I'm one of the ones who got stronger, so I appreciate the quarantine
12:20
actually um so yeah everything's all about timing and i'm ready i'm definitely ready now if i wasn't
12:26
ready for before i'm definitely ready now i love it i love it you mentioned you sick of comparisons
12:31
in this song well one of the lines you said was you're sick of comparisons who do they compare you
12:36
to oh everybody unnecessarily people leave comments like i love you you're way better than
12:42
nikki or cardio you're way better than me like there's so many female artists now like that
12:47
That's got to stop. You got Saweetie, you got May, you got Snow, you got Greedy and the T
12:53
There's so many female artists out there that that line is so corny and played out now
12:58
When I first started, it was only Nicki. Like, oh, you're trying to sound like Nicki
13:02
You're trying to sound like Nicki now. Now it's Cardi going in there. You sound better than Cardi
13:07
Whether it a compliment to them or not or it a diss is unnecessary You could compliment me and give me my flowers without bringing up another female We don need to do that Guys do not go through that at all It always the ladies that got to deal with that nonsense
13:22
Hey, come on. You could have the same 10-mail artist that dress exactly alike, sound exactly alike
13:29
They could all have the same similar name even. But you will not get that one
13:36
You're right about that. If anything, if somebody compare me to Eve, cool
13:41
I've got the short blonde haircut now, cool. But comparing me to anybody else really doesn't even make sense
13:48
No, not even to be cocky, I'm not like any female at all. So the comparison is very unnecessary
13:55
There you go, Kyle, your baby. Act like you know. Hey, the short blonde hair, I remember when I had my locks
14:01
and it just attracted so much different than my high-top fade back in the day
14:07
You know what I mean? Like different kind of people start approaching me
14:11
When you cut your hair short, how did that change for you? Absolutely
14:15
The same thing. The same thing. I was just recently in Jacksonville for a show I had
14:21
and I got the chance to stop by a show. Michael Collier was hosting with Juvenile and all of them
14:27
It was crazy. And he just kept looking at me, and he finally asked, like
14:31
what are you doing? You just look like you do something. I was like, I do music
14:36
He's like, oh, you sing? I was like, no, I rap. He's like, well, shoot, if you look as good as you rap
14:40
if you rap as good as you look, then I know you bomb. And I ended up being on his morning show. So, yeah, the hair has definitely been working for me
14:47
because I'm able to stand out. Like, people automatically know, like, catch Kaya. Or sometimes people will tell me
14:53
if somebody thought I was you because of the blonde hair, yeah, it definitely works for me
14:57
It brings out my face more. You know, it just makes me stand out for sure
15:01
Powerful. Kaya, you hot in these streets. They hitting my DM like, yo, what's up with Kaya
15:06
You're hot to be a street. Hey, thank y'all, thank y'all, thank y'all
15:11
Hey, we got, let's go to New Orleans. We got Carolyn on the line. Carolyn, how you doing
15:15
What's up, Carolyn? There you go again. There you go, Grant Rises. Okay, okay
15:19
Take that all out of my name. I do that every time. Carlin, how you doing, Carlin
15:24
Like George Carlin. Just think of that. I mean. Okay, it's not about you
15:29
Let's talk about Kai. That's the name of her album. Yes, it's not about you
15:33
There you go. It's not about you. It was out about you. I had a long question that I'm going to make sure
15:38
But first, I'm going to tell you, welcome to the Sharp Blonde Club. They look at us, and they just want to know us
15:44
And I'm going to tell you welcome and get ready for all of that. I'm proud of you
15:49
You sound like you have, and you are getting it all together
15:55
And you mentioned to Heather that the first chef is not always the best chef
15:59
And I want you to get with Heather with that on the side. But I want you to talk to us, especially the young people, trying to do their own thing and put their stuff together
16:09
And when you've got to let some of them first sous chefs go, how are you handling that
16:14
Because then everybody wants to become a thumb thug that may have worked with you in the past
16:19
So how do you let them down gently? You've got your paperwork in order
16:23
Look, we were good together when we were good together, but now I've got to move on to a different type of weather
16:29
so I need you to kind of tell the up and coming people
16:34
how you handle when it's time to just break bread but literally break bread I don't need these crumbs
16:40
I need to move on so I'm going to hang up and listen and you keep pushing it
16:43
and doing your thing this is Carlin Sway and I'm proud of you
16:48
and again welcome to the Short Blonde Club see that's what happens when you call all your hell
16:52
you ain't got shit to worry about that is Carlin okay damn Carlin
16:58
Carly, Carly. Thank you, sweetie. How are you doing? Handle that? First and foremost, I always tell any and everybody
17:06
do not take anything personal when it comes to this business, which is why I don't even like to do business with my friends
17:12
but I do because I love to look out for the people that I just came up and struggled with
17:17
But, however, I always tell, especially young people, do not take any of this personal
17:21
You always have to look at things from a business mindset and not your heart
17:25
Some people feel like, oh, I wouldn't do that to my friend if they did XYZ for me
17:30
And then you have to remind them, like, well, you and your friend are stuck in that position for five years
17:34
So you're going to be stuck for another five years or you're going to let them go and they can grow with someone else
17:38
And you both can grow separately. And y'all can always come back and work together. I go through it with videographers
17:44
Some people I started out with, they do free videos for me. Well, who have done free videos for me when I really didn't have it like that
17:51
We grew as the money came. the payments were coming in but I grew to um meet directors who have better cameras better visuals
17:58
and they understand that and they you should as an artist myself you should want to learn
18:03
from other people who have more experience than you so that's how I deal with it I just let them
18:08
know it's never a bad thing me letting you go you got to get out you know gotta you know get out
18:12
the world sometimes and learn for yourself that's all you might learn something better from someone
18:17
know there it is sky your baby man never a negative always a positive always sound battle
18:23
tested over here queen queens get the money yo who from queens reached out to work on you
18:33
work with you what what emcees from queens reached out to say hey man i gotta represent our bro you
18:38
you holding us down any any queens emcees reach out you know what you know what's sad no one
18:44
reached out to me yet to work with me however uh nikki did show me crazy love when i did that
18:53
um challenge she had going on um she had like defended me in the comments i was mad hype
18:59
so she was like i got a jay-z close i was mad about that and 50 had randomly shouted me out
19:05
he was doing a morning show and he just shouted me out he compared me to like a lauren hill so i
19:10
So that was pretty dope. I'm still waiting for them to reach out and do that feature, man
19:14
Come on, guys. Nas, 50, Nicki, one of you guys. There it is. You know, Rich Nice actually
19:20
one of the reasons why Nas got signed in the first place
19:24
and worked on a lot of his first projects. Hey, listen, Rich, what's up
19:29
Are you trying to repeat history? That's a lot of pressure. That's a lot of pressure
19:34
I won't say I was responsible. I'll just say I was there. But you know what? I do know a lot of Queens rappers, New York rappers
19:41
that I think would be dope for you to rap with. You know it interesting that we talking about that You know in the comic book world you know there a thing that the big i big in the comic books called what if it a what if series and you know i feel like now especially rappers are kind of like superheroes so in the what if mindset if
20:02
verses were really verses like rap verses not songs rap verses who would you see yourself up
20:10
against in a friendly bout of verses, of real rap verses? Out of anybody
20:17
Out of anybody. Um, shoot. A real rap verse, like sign or unsign
20:27
Doesn't matter. Whoever you think would be a great friendly bout with you in a rap verses
20:35
I'd say probably me and Miss Hustle because we already got a track going back and forth with each other
20:46
and our voice and our energy just bounce off each other. With the bars, I've worked with her in the studio
20:52
so just meeting another teammate that you know right for herself or just be coming up the top, I think that would be pretty dope
20:59
I think me and Victor Moan, too, if we're going to keep her clean. I think me and Victor Moan would definitely do well together
21:05
Mm-hmm. Okay. I like this. Okay. I like that. Yeah, yeah. Okay
21:10
All right. It's just a couple. You know, it's a couple. A couple people bars that I respect, so
21:15
Okay. You know, I thought you was going to say Rhapsody or 3D9T or
21:19
Oh, yeah. See, I respect them so much. I feel like, you know, all jokes aside, every time I say I'm the best rapper in the world
21:26
I feel like I might have set my pin up. I feel like I'm going to go to the top. I got to read a couple books
21:31
Okay. I got to read a couple more books before I go toe-to-toe with those ladies right there
21:34
That was a, yeah. That's real. All right. That's real. We got Kaya Baby on the line
21:41
The album is P.S. It's Not About You. What was your intent with that title
21:50
The P.S. actually came, I was going to close off, I started my first project, I believe it was The Rough Draft
21:56
And that was just a compilation of freestyles over industry beats. I was like, you know, getting my name out there
22:01
then I did To Whom I May Concern that was really my sound
22:07
that was me finding my sound original producers I worked with and then I did
22:11
follow it up with Sincere Likaya when I put out two years ago
22:14
and then I was just gonna end it with P.S. but in the midst of that
22:19
my brother had passed away so he used to say this one line
22:22
all the time like it's not about you like he was not confrontational at all
22:26
he didn't like arguments at all if he could go to a rooftop in the city
22:29
every freaking night and party that's what he would do like he was just so positive and a light in everyone's life
22:36
and um you know back then i really didn't get it when he where he said like it's not about you i
22:41
didn't get the depth really of that that saying of what he how he was saying it um so as i started
22:48
to read more i read this book uh the full agreements and one of the chapters don't take
22:54
it personal i had that line and it was like yo it's not about you like you think a person has
22:59
an attitude with you, but it just came from their husband just beat them before they
23:03
got to work. And you're mad that this lady got an attitude and you're having a fine day. It's not
23:07
about you. So that definitely applied to me so much in this music business
23:11
The things I used to take personal from certain DJs not playing my
23:15
song or certain people not sharing my music or, you know, this thing, emotions you go through as an artist
23:21
I'm like, yo, what's not about me? When I make certain songs, I don't want anybody listening to it
23:25
Like, it's not about you. The more you apply that to life
23:28
The less you will let things bother you, the more stretched for you will actually be. And that's the message behind the whole project
23:36
Love it. Kaya, baby. All right. Really love it. Love your growth, Kaya
23:42
Thank you. I've been watching you. Love your growth. Can't wait to get you back in the studio
23:46
I know last time Bangladesh was hitting y'all with something unique. Did y'all ever connect
23:52
Did y'all ever connect? I know we had talked about it back then. We spoke after
23:57
We never got in the studio to work, but we did speak afterwards or whatever. So I'm definitely going to get not an outside scene
24:04
Like it's playing tricks on us. It's open and it's closed. It's open and it's closed
24:09
Yeah, we definitely got to get up, though. That's done. It just got to get done
24:14
Ain't it about timing? You see how timing works? All about timing. All about timing
24:19
All right. We need them bars, Kaya. Yeah. Listen, I know when we're outside, listen, we'll be coming up there, man
24:27
Okay. We'll let you know. I know. You know, the FDA just, what happened, Rich
24:32
Rich, just send me some information. What the FDA do, Rich? I just got a notification that the FDA has approved the Pfizer vaccine
24:41
This just happened this morning. So it's. You're going to see stuff moving
24:46
You'll see stuff moving soon, Kaya. But looking forward to seeing you. We're very proud of you
24:51
continued success. I'm going to end with Love Story. Okay, yes, yes, yes
24:57
Some nice sound, right here? Yes, yes, yes, indeed. You want to talk that up and talk us into the song
25:03
Love Story, yeah, that was just a fun, that was actually, my homegirl did the beat
25:07
and I was playing around on it and I actually didn't even like it at first
25:11
until she put her little touches on it as far as my vocals. I was like
25:15
oh, this song sounds nice. And I was just going to throw it out for Valentine's Day
25:19
like a not so common love story. It was actually the opposite
25:24
So that grew on its own too. That was just like, I wasn't even going to put that on a project at all
25:29
That was just a record given to the fans because, you know, outside was closed
25:33
I wasn't really dropping any new music and it just picked up on its own
25:38
Timing. There it is. Kaya, baby, y'all make sure y'all follow her citizens
25:42
and check out the project. P.S. is Not About You. This is Love Story
25:46
Kaya, good to hear your voice. Stay blessed and stay focused. okay great thank you yes absolutely have a beautiful day we're gonna cook make sure everybody
25:56
the social k-y-a-h underscore baby k-y-a-h underscore baby i need y'all to follow her
26:03
right now check out her project citizens all right kaya take care all right see you soon all right
26:19
Bye
#Arts & Entertainment