Final month, after I ran out of pals to textual content about KISS, I referred to as up Heaven for a dialog about bounce tradition and its commercialization and the lovergirl sensibilities of her breakout EP. She was at dwelling in Atlanta, the place she relocated from New Orleans not too way back, becoming a member of a lot of her household who’ve been residing within the hip-hop hotspot since Hurricane Katrina.
Pitchfork: The place do the connection tales on KISS come from?
OnlyHeaven: I identical to to speak about real-life conditions, issues folks can relate to. That might be love or simply one thing about myself.
What’s a lyric on the tape that got here from a real-life state of affairs?
On “By no means Onerous,” I’m going, “She mentioned, I obtained a bit abdomen, that’s from consuming niggas bread.” Like, I’m an enormous lady, so typically folks attempt to come for me, although they know to not come for me for actual. They’ll be like, “Oh, she obtained a abdomen, da, da, da.” So I turned it into that’s from consuming all of the nigga’s bread, that’s like taking his cash.
You’re all the time stunting on folks if you write about them.
[Laughs.] Yeah, like after I went, “I obtained your textual content nigga/Say the place I’m at nigga/Actually been in your thoughts,” I had actually obtained a textual content from somebody who had tried to be bizarre with me, and I form of simply brushed them off. I bear in mind they hit me up late at evening after which hit me up once more speaking about “good morning.” So I used to be like, “Nigga, I actually been in your thoughts, huh?” and was saying all of it day to myself till I went to the studio.
Has somebody ever been offended by you rapping about them?
If I rapped about you, I advised you about it. I’m gonna ship you the track and say, “That is about you.” However one time somebody reached out to me, you already know what… let me not be too messy with you.
Go forward.
OK. Someone reached out and thought my track “No Associates” was about them. And I needed to be like, “Sir, you’re not even related.” Individuals be thinkin’ songs about them as a result of they really feel responsible, however lots of my music is about latest exes or issues my pals advised me.
Are you a romantic?
I’m so candy. I feel I’m a hopeless romantic as a result of I don’t give no one an opportunity. However, as soon as I’m on you, I’m on you. However, additionally, as soon as I’m off you, I’m off you.
What’s bounce tradition to you?
Ass shaking. Booty poppin’. Everyone cute. Everyone fly. It might be totally different. It might be harmful. You by no means know. However it keep enjoyable.
Is there one thing distinctive about New Orleans that permits bounce tradition to thrive?
It’s simply the surroundings. I grew up throughout New Orleans, Uptown, Seventh Ward, wherever. I went again to New Orleans final week and simply being away let me go searching and be like, “We’re actually our personal goddamn every thing.” All the pieces about New Orleans is its personal world.
What’s one factor New Orleans does higher than another metropolis?
Drink all day, on a regular basis. Anyplace, anytime, anyplace. We may purchase a bottle at three o’clock within the morning. We do no matter we wish. We don’t haven’t any guidelines. Once we exit of city, it’s humorous, like “What you imply I can’t carry my drink exterior of the membership?” I went someplace, I forgot the place I used to be, and I had obtained a drink and was simply strolling away from the bar with the drink. The doorman was like, “You’ll be able to’t do this,” and I simply checked out him. In New Orleans, I might have taken that drink and walked proper by the police with it.
Is there a distinction between the bounce music you grew up on and the bounce music of at the moment?
I consider so. The music again then was much more uncooked. It’s nonetheless specific now, nevertheless it was once much more specific. They obtained straight to the purpose. Issues are extra industrial now.
What was a number of the music again then that had the rawness you miss?
Undoubtedly Sissy Nobby; he don’t care what you see. And Kelly Pounchin. Kelly probably not spoke on, however they was so uncooked; relaxation in peace.
Are these your favourite bounce MCs?
I really like Calliope Ceedy. I all the time knew I wished to be a bounce artist, however her music was all the time it to me. She had the power, all the time appeared like she was having enjoyable. It appeared like 100% her. I really bumped into her a few months in the past.
Do you bear in mind a particular turning level within the commercialization of bounce?
Massive Freedia doing work with Beyoncé. VickeeLo collabing with Meg Thee Stallion. That SupahBadd track, the one the place it goes, “There’s a gathering in my bed room.” All of that confirmed me that bounce was effervescent exterior of town. After all, Magnolia Shorty had been doing that, however again then, it was simply her.
How do you are feeling about it?
I really feel it’s all optimistic as a result of I don’t need bounce to only be a New Orleans factor. I need to take it worldwide. Some folks in New Orleans don’t like when folks take it outta city, however I really feel with out that we’ll all be caught in a single place.
Have you ever ever been someplace exterior of New Orleans the place somebody has requested you to tone down your music?
No, each artist that has come as much as me needs me to do me, like Drake and artists of that caliber.
Drake? How did that come about?
He reached out. I can’t speak an excessive amount of about it, however he noticed my video for “In Right here” on WorldStar. He wished me to do one thing for his challenge with PartyNextDoor. We did one thing and he actually wished it to be on his album, however issues occur.
