The devil might wear Prada, but the self-assured Fashion Bitch, Leaf – a New York based rapper, songwriter and model extraordinaire, is slated to take the music industry by storm, one uplifting melody at a time.
A different type of ambition, the baddie-preneur blends an appreciation for fashion-forward prose with a transparent perspective that champions her “chase a bag” mentality.
Leaf is unapologetically blunt with her delivery. She promotes women empowerment through cryptic mentions that reiterate her stance on feminism, penning her truth over synthesized chords and feel-good production. But when it comes to Leaf’s devoted adherence to advocacy, this quality of her character is intrinsic. “I’ve always been a feminist and in support of female talent, empowering women to make their own money,” she admits.
Born and raised in one of the more celebrated boroughs, Brooklyn, the free-spirited emcee graces the cover of her recent EP release donning a two-piece Louis Vuitton swimsuit. A subtle reminder that money is the motive and fashion is forever. But don’t get it confused, Leaf is more than a pretty face with a keen sense of style. She’s also a badass, multihyphenate boss chick with hella aspiration. “Being a Fashion Bitch is very important to me, so I call myself a baddie-preneur because I don’t look like what the stereotypical entrepreneur looks like,” Leaf states.
Even with looks that can kill, maneuvering through a male dominated industry can come with its fair share of unsolicited comparisons and crosses to bear. “I feel like as a woman in music, it’s so much harder,” Leaf shares. “They are always trying to force an image on you and you really have to be a lot more persistent than a lot of guys,” she continues. With all of this in mind, it’s almost like female artists are often viewed as the minority of the music industry. Moreover, this isn’t the first instance where the music business being biased towards a specific group conversation has surfaced. More importantly, Leaf’s cognizance on the current state of the industry and its inequitable practice towards women is warranted and needed.
Leaf’s melodic style and poised demeanor will not only transcend sound, in terms of acoustic appreciation – but it will also bring forth a new wave of headstrong creatives, hellbent on rewriting the narrative behind success – and it’s about damn time.
In an effort to deconstruct Leaf’s unique emergence onto the music scene, I had an opportunity to interview the f–k you anthem composer to talk about her unconventional lifestyle, the Fashion Bitch EP and more.
Our conversation follows below, lightly edited for clarity and context.
What exactly does it mean to be a baddie-preneur?
It’s a lifestyle.
There’s a lot of young girls right now, and women in general, who have a different look. Traditionally, being a CEO, an entrepreneur, a boss – you have to dress a certain way.
Now, we’re the first generation of women who can come into the office and look however we want and dress however we want.
Being a Fashion Bitch is very important to me, so I call myself a baddie-preneur because I don’t look like what the stereotypical entrepreneur looks like.
I own a lot of businesses and I do my thing.
How do you feel about this new surge of women entrepreneurs and bosses alike?
I’m excited about it. I feel like it’s something I’ve been fighting for since I was 16 years old.
I’ve always been a feminist and in support of female talent, empowering women to make their own money.
I’m glad that I’m able to live in this generation and see it actually happen for women of all colors.
It seems like music has always been an integral part of your life, even dating back to your high school days at LaGuardia (High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts). With your great-grandfather being the famed saxophone player, Jackie McLean, what does it mean to follow in the footsteps of an elder relative, musically?
Jazz has always been a huge part of my upbringing, 100%.
There are so many great women in Jazz, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, so many women that have powerful messages.
I felt that through my lineage, I had to take that on – having a powerful message in my music, regardless of if it’s in every single song or not.
I just wanted to continue the legacy that my family has left behind.
How would you best describe Leaf’s story?
My parents are divorced, so I’ve lived in two different parts of New York my entire life, but I always tell people that I’m from Brooklyn, on the lower east side, because that’s where my family originated.
My mom’s side is from Brooklyn, so throughout my whole life I’ve lived in different parts of Brooklyn.
Being from the lower east side, I grew up there. We first immigrated to America to the Baruch projects and that’s where I spent a lot of my Christmas’.
I really don’t know anything but New York City. I’ve moved to Atlanta, I’ve lived in London and Los Angeles, but it was still too slow for me.
Talk to me about Fashion Bitch – what is the general creative direction behind this EP concept?
You mean the cover or just creatively, like the music?
Both, I want all the details.
The cover I shot two days before the EP actually. I was like fuck it, this the designer I got in my room right now, so let’s put it all in one picture (haha).
My friends are clowning me cause I don’t have that much money on me, but I didn’t go to the bank before I took that picture. It was what I had on me, in my wallet at the time, so I was like fuck it.
The music was a culmination of like – culmination, that’s such a big fucking word (haha) – but it was like three months of me in the studio with my producer, smoking hookah every night, drinking Tequila, 1942.
Just doing my thing and making music about me – I wanted to share more about my story.
I was really lit during a lot of those songs, talking a lot of shit.
How does Fashion Bitch differ from some of your previously released work?
With my previous project, Trinity – I was on Fool’s Gold.
It’s an independent label, but I still had to talk to people about what I wanted to put out and send my music in and we had to talk about it. It was really a stressful situation, I didn’t like it – and I don’t think I’d go back to a label because of that.
Even being with an independent label, it felt so inorganic to me, having to send in my music for approval, when I should just be able to put my music out.
So, with this project, I really wanted to give people more of me, because I feel like with my last album, I disappointed myself, because I wasn’t able to give them enough of me.
I want people to know that I’m from New York, I love fashion, I love making money, I love empowering females. I want people to know these things about me, and to make it very clear about what I do and my lifestyle.
Personally, what does it mean to be a woman in the music industry today?
I feel like as a woman in music, it’s so much harder.
They are always trying to force an image on you and you really have to be a lot more persistent than a lot of guys.
Guys music, that’s the market, especially in hip-hop.
If you’re a guy and you come into hip-hop with a little bit of buzz, if people fuck with you, then it just works.
Whereas if you’re a female, there’s always people around you like, “Oh, are you the next Lil Kim.” It’s like, why do I have to be the next anybody, why can’t I just be the next myself.
That’s another big thing for me, I like to help other female artists because I know how hard it is to be a female artist in this industry.
Do you think sexual independence is frowned upon in society today or is it a social construct that’s starting to become universally embraced?
I don’t think it’s frowned upon. I feel like it’s something that’s becoming more and more acceptable, which is really important.
What are your thoughts on the internet’s favorite new word, entanglements?
I think there are all types of entanglement, business wise, relationships – you can get entangled anywhere these days.
I know that phrase has taken the internet by storm recently, so I just wanted your opinion on the subject. Especially considering how the last titled track on your EP reads, “Fuck My Ex.”
Yeah, that’s definitely an entanglement.
What do you feel like is one of the most challenging part finding your identity as an artist?
Having the time to make music. When you’re going through the whole musical process, you continue to rediscover your sound.
Sometimes, you don’t even really need an image, but finding your sound is important and that definitely takes time.
Does your duality as an artist and model further enable you to explore the depth of creative insight behind your brand?
Fashion is a huge part of my brand and I’m going to expand on it this year.
I also sow clothes, so later this year, I plan on coming out with some stuff – I’m not going to put a title on it, cause I don’t like titles.
What does the remainder of this year withhold for Leaf?
No details yet, but COUTURE is going to be really good.
