First off what have you been up to lately – any new projects or things you’d like to promote?
I’m going to be re-releasing a lot of my music and am working on some TV projects as well – but those take a long time to do. I’m still writing music and next Summer I expect to be performing again.
I also own the Aiken House with my husband – it’s a venture house that, as we say in our tagline, turns ideas into brands. I like working with brands that, as cliche as it sounds, want to change the world.
You started early as an entertainer- a rap group at age nine? What promoted that singing career and why rap?
I sang in church as a kid and then discovered Salt -N-Peppa and TLC – I fell in love with hip-hop then. I listened to ‘Lil Kim, Missy Elliott – I got into female rappers and female songwriters like Tori Amos and Fiona Apple. They had deep, personal lyrics and influenced me as a songwriter.
When I got to high school I tried to get my friends to listen to Outkast and Wu Tang Clan – but I lived in a small town then and most didn’t listen to that music.
How did the move to Pittsburgh impact you personally and career-wise?
I met a lot of local artists when I went to Pitt. Through the station there we formed the Mindbusters Alliance – I started singing with others then, then started recording my own music after college. E.Dan – he produces Wiz Khalifa’s music – he produced my first album at his house. He didn’t have his studio then. But I never released that – I felt like I was hiding more then – it was more singing versus rapping. I didn’t find my identity yet.
When I was at Pitt I’d go see a lot of artists like Strict Flow when they opened for Erykah Badu – those artists influenced me. The Strato Lounge – I performed there – the first time I ever performed live. And the Shadow Lounge was huge – everyone connected with each other there.
When I was working at the City Paper, I ran the events as a promoter. I started my own marketing company called Näkturnal and we brought in many of the hip-hop artists from 2004-2011. That was a big part of my story. I didn’t put myself on stage at first – I learned so much from those other artists. I checked them out. But after a while I started performing and one year did over 100 shows.
What is the Pittsburgh music scene like – how can it improve for musicians?
I’m not active in it now so it’s hard to judge. But when I was active the Shadow Lounge was so important. I think as gentrification happens and cities grow, it’s impossible to keep it open next to million dollar condos. They need rent or other incentives to stay open.
That’s the story of a lot of amazing venues. It’s so important to make sure those venues exist for music. There’s still incredible talent in the city too.
You’ve taken rap to some different places lyrically – covering more spiritual topics and on women’s rights, racism and poverty, etc. What sparked the desire to work so strongly on those issues and do so through music?
It was definitely different – you can see how misunderstood I was at the time by looking at the YouTube comments! I am an activist by nature. I saw children starving in Africa and would ask my mother “Why would this happen?” Maybe it’s because I was adopted – that may have some role in my world view. I do believe opportunities should be equal for everybody. That’s a view I learned as well through hip-hop and college. Trauma impacts all of us and this was a way to make others aware of that.
You’ve discussed how your music has helped you deal with tragedy/life issues and your use of approaches like astrology and Transcendental Meditation – how essential is it for people to find these kinds of outlets – and are they more coping mechanisms or to grow spiritually?
I think performing was in my DNA but it still freaks me out to be known and judged. I’ve been privileged to experience many different healing modalities before they became mainstream – like yoga and the wisdom and treatments of indigenous cultures.
I was a seeker – I had a predisposition to think about death. Losing your mom when you don’t get that connection at birth…then my grandfathers passed away when I was 18 and I got depressed – I became even more of a seeker. I took mushrooms in high school and experimented and had other spiritual experiences. I was willing to try things.
I look at a child that has no trauma – they live in the present and have great imaginations that are so expansive. Then the practice of domestication helps us lose who we are. I think in the world now we need to get back to being more conscious on being human beings versus the grind culture. I love to work – I’m a Capricorn! But science has proven unequivocally that meditation is important. We all get damaged by the world around us. The quiet healing of the mind is important. We all impact each other.
Do you enjoy the writing or singing more?
I decided when I perform again I will make sure to lock in a protective shield around me. I can tell how people feel about my performance and that’s uncomfortable for me. But I still love it and it’s important for me to do to get people to hear my music. But I prefer the process of writing more.
When did you learn that your biological father was Jeremy McNichol and aunt was Kristy McNichol – what did it mean for you to meet them both in your early 20’s and what prompted the desire to do so?
My birth father – I didn’t have any information on him – he was an unknown. A random encounter with a nurse who was speaking to my aunt led to her telling her who he was. When I found out who he was my family was worried about how I would handle it. My birth mother had refused to meet me but she may now soon.
I had a feeling my aunt knew more then she was telling me about my birth father and I held a grudge against her for years feeling she knew more than she was telling me. I finally apologized to her one day for the grudge and she told me she was just trying to protect me and she really did know more!
Meeting my birth father has helped me to understand myself more. It felt strange I was such a creative person – my family really wasn’t as much. I sat on it a long time. After my dad passed away I meditated and after that I decided to call my birth father. It’s been fabulous. To have them all in my life now is a blessing. It’s so comfortable being with them now – and all of the family that raised me have passed away. So having them in my life now means everything. I found out I even had another brother and sister – so I am the oldest of five!
You’re also a doula correct? How and why did that start for you?
I stepped away from it when Covid hit. I had a third child and haven’t done it in years. When I had my son I wanted a home birth – after three days of labor it turned into an emergency c-section. I didn’t sleep for three days – I had post-partum depression. I had a great raki experience where I relived my birth. I needed to do that – I realized that in that trauma my son and I comforted each other, and I didn’t get that with my mother. I wished thinking on it that I had a doula – I saw their importance. I did the training and cried through half of it!
You’re a big Pittsburgh sports fan too, correct? Any good Pittsburgh sports memories you can share?
In 2005 I went to a Steelers game with my boyfriend – we were at the highest seats I think in the stadium. My boyfriend asked if I was going to watch any of the game – I was writing about how I was going to create this big company that would be like the Wu Tang Clan for women. I told him they’d win and they did. After that I told him they would win the Super Bowl – and they did! My boyfriend told me that if I was right I was a witch! I was in a different reality when I made that prophetic statement!
Since then I’ve gotten to go on the field with the team and have gone to a few Penguins games too. I haven’t been to a Pirates game in years but want to take my kids to one soon!
What prompted the song “City of Champions” and how exciting was it to get so much attention for that?
That was around the time when I really felt connected to the city – I really started feeling like I belonged here. I was committed to it – it felt like my city. There were so many artists and and beautiful people there and I felt like they were just all champions. I pointed out some concerns in the song too – that while it was voted the most livable city it wasn’t so for everyone. What I like about the city is that we all want to make it a better place. I want to live here forever – and I want my kids to as well!