Rapper Br3nya Is All For Hype Music And Empowerment

Mar 23

Mar 23 Rapper Br3nya Is All For Hype Music And Empowerment

When I catch up with Br3nya, she’s just returned from Ghana after filming the video for her single ‘Homecoming Freestyle’. Celebrating the Independence of her Motherland, the video features Br3nya sporting heart-shaped hoops and sleek Fulani braids, fraternizing with her peers in local spots as she spits over a breezy beat. Returning to Ghana was important as she hadn’t visited in almost ten years, “it was the right time. I’m no longer an unknown, people know me there. They all support and like what I do.”

One of the hottest faces in the UK rap scene, Br3nya’s sound manages to channel her Ghanaian heritage whilst showcasing her lyrical ability. With bars designed to empower, (Bitch – I ain’t a snack I’m a whole damn meal / When I step up in the place, bitch I’m bound to kill), her infectious tunes mirror the star’s personality. Like Br3nya, her sound is bold, unashamed and enrapturing. “My musical style is very fun. For me, African music translates that vibe. My songs never lack culture. I want people to feel good!” Br3nya continues, “I want people to be listening to my music in the clubs. I want them to be shaking their nyash!”

Jacket: AMY BARRIE, Corset: BRIAN DE CARVALHO, Earring: ELVHAM

Growing up with her three sisters and widowed mother in West London, she recounts how Ghanaian music shaped her upbringing, “my house is very musical. We’d have weekly singing battles, seeing who sang the best in the house”. Her cousins from South London exposed Br3nya to the art of rapping, “my cousins made music, and I’d rap their 16 bars as if they were my own”. From a young age, she was confident that she’d end up in show business, “even in secondary school, I was singing, writing, rapping”, but as a child, it was nothing more than a party trick”.

““I was that girl in parties that would freestyle when I was drunk. But everyone would be like ‘wow, this girl can actually rap!””

Pursuing a rap career became a serious option for Br3nya during Nicki Minaj’s ascendency in the 2010s. Nicki’s eccentricity and supreme confidence cemented her place in the hip-hop canon early in her career. Nicki’s offbeat wordplay struck a chord for 14-year-old Br3nya, “I’d never seen anything like that before. She was important to my generation. I saw her success unfold live in the flesh.” Before Nicki, Br3nya saw rap as a man’s game reserved for her male cousins. Witnessing Nicki’s success allowed Br3nya to actually see herself as an MC, “I would use her beats and freestyle on them. It was something I became obsessed with.” Without Nicki, there wouldn’t be a Br3nya, “she created a whole movement; she birthed a generation of female rappers. I’d be doing different things if it wasn’t for her.”

Shirt: BERTHOLD, Waistcoat: APUJAN, Earrings: LUCKY LITTLE BLIGHTERS, Boots: SIMMI

Even though Nicki’s fame ignited a fire inside Br3nya, she was still methodical when planning her future, so attended college, followed by university. “I went to study history and politics at university,” she tells me. When I voice my surprise at this revelation, believing it to be off-brand, Br3nya laughs, “I know, it always throws a spanner in the works. So random, right?” To throw even more spanners into the works, after graduation, Br3nya worked in finance for a year. “I worked for two different companies and set myself a deadline to leave. I always said I’ll leave after releasing my first song. Then I released Good Food, and I left! I haven’t looked back since.”

Dropping hits like Double Dutch and Plenty, as well as collaborating with Ivorian Doll on Bezerk, Br3nya sits comfortably in a music scene inspired by the African-Caribbean sound, with artists such as J Hus, NSG and Kojo Funds pioneering the genre Afro-swing. For Br3nya, this melting pot of sounds is what makes the current musical landscape so great, “because we first-generation immigrants, we are not afraid to bring in our backgrounds into our music and blend it with the UK influence. It makes it very fresh; music is a hub for the culture”. But the men aren’t the only ones dominating the scene at the moment, with Br3nya noting the dark-skinned black women rising in multiple musical genres. Listing Ms Banks, Alicai Harley, Darkoo, Tiana Major9 and Bree Runway as examples.

““it just shows you how far we can go, every single dark-skinned black woman is killing it. Times are changing, allowing us to challenge the narrative and status quo.””

Jacket: KA WA KEY, Shirt: BERTHOLD, Boots: SIMMI

Although her peers finding success bolsters Br3nya’s confidence, it can only go so far. “I feel like you could have serious confidence, and then you get into music and realize it's a whole other ballgame. You have to find extra confidence because you're putting yourself out there to the world.” Even though Br3nya doesn’t feel the need to hop on what’s trending or constantly share her opinion online, social media still takes a toll on her, “I don't put out a certain energy and I don't really give people too much access to me. I try to control it, probably even too much. I'm always overthinking and not putting myself out there as much as I need to.”

Jacket: CLAIRE TIPLAY, Corset: BRIAN DE CARVALHO

Jacket: CLAIRE TIPLADY, Corset: BRIAN DE CARVALHO

““I feel like you could have serious confidence, and then you get into music and realize it’s a whole other ballgame. You have to find extra confidence because you’re putting yourself out there to the world.””

Ironically, some of this fear actually stems from the recent success black women have found in music; with challenging the status quo comes unwarranted abuse. “Someone as popular as Megan Thee Stallion, the amount of hate I see coming her way on social media is very scary. Seeing another female go through that almost makes me want to put my guard up. If they can do that to someone as talented as her, what the hell are they going to do to someone like me?” It’s led Br3nya to be incredibly tactful and selective when it comes to being on social media. For those starting in the industry, she stresses that the music should always come first. “If I could do it again, I would have made sure that I didn’t pressure myself to be perfect at everything at once. That's why you see people doing foolishness on social media because they want to stay relevant. That's not the way. You don't want to feel like you always need to be viral. It’s the music that needs to be the most polished over anything you do.”

After learning this tough lesson, the only way is up for Br3nya, who has big plans for the future, “I see myself being a global star. I don't really see myself confined to the borders of the UK or Europe. I need my name known all over the world. I'll be on bigger stages working with big guys.” I sincerely believe she’ll make it happen.

Follow Br3nya on Instagram @br3nya

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