NOUGHTIE DEE

Interview by Steven Logan | Photos by Shea Petersen

After starting to take music seriously in school, Noughtie Dee bounces between genres and styles just as easily as she bounces from coast to coast and back again. I sat down with the Chicago based rapper to talk her new EP Noughtie Not Nice, astrology, inspiration from travel, and - of course - Chief Keef.

Tell me about the new EP.
So Noughtie Not Nice. 

I had initially dropped “Dekko” on streaming services, and then all the other songs just came to fruition with me being like, “Let me get back to what was fun, like when I was dropping early EPs. Let me get back to talking shit, talking about being fly.” I'm coming off the Sad Girlz EP where I'm heartbroken, so this is kind of like my return to self. 

So what was that like, switching between those two modes? The sad girl music versus the shit talker music?
I put that out after a really bad situation-ship, and I just needed to say some things that I would never be able to say to that person. Then after that, after I had finally healed from that, it was like “Oh, I'm the shit.” 

It's that period of time where you finally realize that you're over a person, over a breakup, and that's how I was able to switch back to like, “Oh, girl, you take flights. You like to talk your shit.” Like, remember who you are, who you were before this person. You are still a whole person. 

So that’s who Noughtie is to me. She's my confidence boost. She's my shit talker.

So you don't like to stick to one lane when you're doing your music.
First of all, I'm an astrology nerd. I’m a Gemini Rising. So it's like, I'm always thinking about what I wanna show people. And then I'm a Sagittarius, so I love adventure. So it's like, on this new EP, I'm trying out random beats. Any beats that I have on this, I want it to sound like something I haven't done before. 

So like, “Pin That” is a whole new vibe. I'm singing in auto-tune. I'm talking openly about being sexual, I'm very confident in my identity as a lesbian, so it's like there's no lyrics about being bi. I'm only talking about women on this project.

And that’s brand new for this project compared to what you did in the past? 
100%. Other EPs have been me, like, appeasing to both. I would say that “Pisces Venus Awakening” was another true lesbian single that I dropped recently. 

Did you have other songs you were working on while you were were making this project? How did you decide what made the cut and what didn’t? 
Yeah, so I write best when I'm on a plane. So me taking trips throughout the year is when I was able to complete these songs.

Where have you been going on trips?
So I went to Cancun. I talked about Cancun in “Challenge”. And then I talked about me and my friend Diamond, because me and Diamond take trips together. So yeah, I went to Cancun for my birthday, I was in Miami and then I took the ferry to the Bahamas, I was back and forth to Atlanta, back and forth to Oregon, like my regular stomping grounds. I have upcoming trips to like Nashville. I love taking trips and putting those new experiences in the music. 

And you're from Atlanta?
Born and raised. I'm a Georgia peach. 

And then, where does Oregon fit in?
My mom is born and raised in Portland, so I would visit family as much as we could afford to. Then I actually ended up going to school at Oregon State University, where - once again I'm into astrology, so when I look at my astral cartography, I have a line for rebirth, peak creativity - and that’s when I start actually recording music and rapping, while I'm at Oregon State in the city of Corvallis. So that's where everything starts musically for me. 

You said astral cartography - what is that?
So basically, it's based on the time you were born, your placement, everything, and it'll show you the whole map of the entire world. And it'll have your lines of conjunction and all that. 

So it's showing you where important places will be for you in your life?
Exactly. So my mom, for example, loves New Orleans, always feels alive when she's there. Okay, Mom, let's look at your chart. Maybe she has her sun nearby, maybe she has her moon, something on her chart is aligning with the city and that's making her love it so much. 

So if I want to find love, my Pisces Venus self, I need to be looking at where my Venus line is on the map. Unfortunately for me, I think it's like in Colorado or somewhere random in Texas where I have not thought to live. 

Now is Chicago on your map? 
Chicago is on my map, but what is so interesting is that it says it's good for study, and good for friendships. It's good for scholars, people who write books, stuff like that. And I'm back in Chicago right now for grad school. So like, it makes sense that I'm doing that. 

And you're honing your artistic craft too, like your musical craft. 
100%. So that makes sense. I'm studying, I'm doing what I gotta do. I'm perfecting my craft. I'm trying to build at this point in my career.

I feel like what I want more than anything is to just have my small group of supporters. Aminé has this thing where I think it's like, whoever his twelve core fans were in the beginning, he still fucked with them and I think he donated them a star or something. And I feel like that's just what I want. I'm not even like, “Oh, I want the whole world to know about me.” I just want like a couple people to really just genuinely fuck with me and be tapped in with me consistently through every phase that I'm in, because like I said, I switch it up so often. So I need people that also like to ebb and flow and go through the seasons with me.

So did you move to Chicago specifically for school, or what brought you to Chicago? 
So actually, I graduated high school from Chicago as well. My dad's from Chicago. Like I said, I was born and raised in Atlanta, transferred junior year of high school out to Chicago. And while I was here, I took a “Music as Literature” course, and my teacher in that class was truly my spark of making music. Like my first song I ever recorded and wrote intentionally was for this class, for this project and my teacher thought it was the dopest. She wanted me to play it for the class, and I was just so scared. 

My identity before then had always been as an athlete, I played basketball since I was a child at the highest levels in Atlanta. So when it came to me rapping in front of the whole class, it was like “Hell no.” I used to tell people, “I don't have the voice for rapping.” Like, I don't have a distinct Atlanta accent. I don't have a distinct Chicago accent. No West Coast accent. I just sound like Destiny. 

But my friends would be like “Girl, shut the fuck up. You keep sending me audio messages of you freestyling. I need you to get on a beat and go to the studio and just get it over with.” 

What made it a blessing was that this was also 2018, so we get Megan, we get Rico, we get Bbymutha, we get all these different flavors. It was a renaissance of women rappers. It wasn’t one-size-fits-all. People wanted something new, so it was a good period for me to start for sure.

Tell me more about the “Music as Literature” class and what that was like. What did you study there?
We would go through different eras. My favorite was when I was able to learn about the Riot grrrl scene and all that stuff. It was the first time that class was taught, so we were really doing random shit. First we went through all the eras of music, then we had to make our own beats. 

It was fun. I've always been a music lover. Like I'm the type of nerd that's up Thursday night listening to all the new drops. People always are like, “Destiny put me on to new music.” So making music makes sense, because I know what people want to hear. I know what a good beat is. 

There's an app called Untitled where you can just give people links to your music in a secure spot. Like I said, I want my core fan base, whoever my real ones are who really fuck with me, who are still fucking with me after all this time…if y'all want the link, let me know and let me know what you think.

Is it hard to share stuff that's a work in progress or do you like getting that feedback? How do you react to that? 
I actually appreciate the feedback, because even if I'm not asking fans, I'm asking my friends ahead of time. As soon as I get out the studio, I'm sending songs to my best friends. What do we think? What needs to be fixed? Do the levels sound good in your car, in your headphones, on your speaker? 

I don't like to bring people in the studio with me, but when I'm done, they definitely hear it immediately. So I appreciate feedback as long as it makes sense. Like you can't just be like, “Man, I don't like that song.” You know what I mean? I need to know exactly what you don't like, what I can improve on.

You said “Pin That” was kind of the toughest nut to crack on the new EP, just in terms of yourself getting comfortable with it. What was it about that song? What was holding you back?
So when I first had the song, I wasn't singing for real or doing auto-tune, I was just regularly rapping. And I was like, “I don't think I like this.” And after I sat with it I realized I needed to add some doubling, something needed to be behind it. It was too flat for how vibey the beat was.

So then I came back into the studio and I sang in auto-tune as backup. If you really keep your ear out, you’ll hear me singing behind the rapping. So I added that and I tweaked some other things, re-recorded some other words that I felt like weren't clear enough.

But even then, it was not what I was imagining. I couldn’t even tell you what I was imagining, how I wanted it to sound, but it wasn’t there yet. I didn’t have that feeling of, “Yeah, this is it. This is crossed off the list.” I loved it while I was in the studio, but something was lacking. But my friend Diamond from New York is the one who was really excited about “Pin That”, and she had only heard the lyrics, I hadn't even had a beat picked out for it. 

But just hearing me talking about like, “I'm trying to pin that, 123, tap out”, she was like, “Oh, bitch, yeah -  you need to finish this song now.” And other friends would be like “Pin That, that’s the one. That could be a single, you need to preview that.” And I would always be so shocked. Like, what?

It's funny how it’s never the song you think people are gonna connect with. 
Never. I remember SZA saying “This song is like a fucking throwaway. Like I was just clearing my palate for the next big song that should be your favorite.” But everyone has their own favorites. You can't control what people connect to. And I'm just glad that I have that variety on this project to where it's like, “Okay, you got four choices mama, I know one of them you gonna like.”

And they're all different. On that note, tell me about “Dekko”.
“Dekko” is so funny because it has that Chicago inspiration. You hear the beat, you know it’s like that old Keef. I had made that…when did I make that, what trip was I coming from…when I previewed that song it was like with clips from my birthday trip.

And just to preface this, I do not fuck with Bishop Eddie Long and what he did, but I grew up Southern Baptist, so I grew up going to New Birth Church and he’s the pastor. And what he does before he gives his sermon is he’ll go “Watch this watch this watch this” and the whole crowd loses their fucking mind, you got people praise dancing and passing out and all that. So when I say “Watch this” like Eddie Long I’m telling you, “Bitch, listen up. Watch, cause I’m about to say some shit.” 

“Dekko” is just fun. It was the my fun song, the first one I made after being a sad girl. And I saw a Tweet that said something like, “Why the gay girls don’t be rapping about girls? Why don’t the gay girls actually rap about what they like?” And I’m like, okay, hold my purse. Hold my purse. Let me give the gay girls something they can really vibe with.

“Challenge” is also super fun.
Let’s get into “Challenge”. The closing of the whole thing. So like I said, type beats. So I’m looking at Azealia Banks type beats because my song “Nastifying” is one of my most streamed songs on Spotify right now. It's a fun song though, but like it caught me off guard because I'm like, ”This is y'all's favorite for real?” Once again. 

But I thought I needed to do that vibe again because I actually had hella fun with “Nastifying”. I love house music. I love electronic music. Those are some of my favorite genres. So I was like, “I'm still gonna do me, still rap, but I wanted to be on a beat like this.

So then I'm thinking of what I want to say. And my friend Diamond that I just mentioned, she was like, “Okay, I've been fucking around with these dudes, can you write me a song?” So I'm literally starting to write songs for each dude. And this one was one that she wanted to make about being a fun girl. So she had her lyrics, whatever whatever, but she ends up never doing it. I'm like, “Girl, are you ever going to do this for real?” And she's like, “Nah, girl.”

I wanted other people to hear it and be like, “I'm gonna put this on when I gotta work out. I'm gonna put this on when I need to get in my bag, when I'm getting dressed for the day” It's a fun girl song.

You mention Chief Keef on this EP twice, I think. Is he a big inspiration and what’s your history being a fan?

Oh my God. So my older brother was in high school during that early Keef era in 2012, 2013, of Keef really coming up on the scene. And then I’m in middle school exploring my own music taste. I feel like that’s who a lot of people find out about music, through their older siblings. But Keef was just the culture, he moved the culture ahead. Like he’s just that guy to me, he’s just so chill about it, he’s so humble but he can really pop his shit if he wants to. 

And he inspired the world, like we got artists like Sexyy Red who loves him. In both ways. But you can see where her inspiration comes from Chief Keef. And “Young Black Bruce Lee” like, oh my God, mixtape era Keef is unmatched. Even my cover art I had for “Dekko” is inspired by throwback Keef cover art.

I don't know, he's just so Chicago. I just love him. 

So what other artists were foundational to you growing up, who inspired you? 
If we’re sticking to Chicago, definitely Noname. Middle school for me was Acid Rap, Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa. And in middle school I loved The Weeknd, that was the sad girl influence. 

And growing up taking road trips from Chicago to Atlanta, my parents would play Wu-Tang, Biggie, Pac, Cube, that one group that sings “Insane in the Membrane”. Then we’re listening to Lauryn, the Erykah, we’ve got the neo-soul and R&B. 

And then I get my older brother’s iPod and I’m listening to A$AP Mob, I’m listening to A$AP Rocky, I’m listening to Keef, Chance, The Weeknd, all those people and my mind is just blown.

And what about now that you’re a working artist?
Here are the artists I usually say help me in the beginning. Bbymutha, Rico Nasty, Megan the Stallion, Hook, Chynna - RIP Chynna - Babyxsosa, love her down, Anytime Babyxsosa drops I’m sat, I’m there. That’s my girl, that’s who I say is my number one.

And Megan will always have a special place in my heart because she just made me feel confident about being a stallion. Like I’m tall, I got long legs, I’m thick, I’m Southern. That’s who I am. So she was a big boost for me in college.

Last question, what is your favorite song you've ever made? 
Ooh! That's a toughie. It's always the next one. It’s so weird. 

Like it's always the one you're working on next?
It's always the new one. But if I pick out of my whole discography, what's my favorite? “Welcome In” was something newer for me because I was singing. And I love that song because I was talking about my coming out. But I call it “Welcome In” instead of coming out, you know? I also feel like the song “G.A.N.” has gotten me so many opportunities. That’s one that I’ll send to people if they’re like, “Oh, I want to hear your music.” I send “G.A.N.” and I’ll send “Welcome In.” 

But truly, my favorite is “Ur Idyll.” That's my favorite. I just like the guitar on that. What I'm talking about, my lyrics, “Ur Idyll” is my favorite. 100%. 

Okay, I lied. Since you said your favorite is the next one, this is the real last question. What can you say, like what's coming next? What are your plans after this EP?
Yeah, something that's really hard as an indie artist is finding ways to promote what you just put out, because of how quick we have to be like, “On to the next thing.” 

But  maybe we'll end up doing some visuals, making a music video because I haven't put one out in so long. I'm definitely thinking about trying to cultivate some really cool merch, because like I said, I am trying to build that day one fan base. Like my gang, that's what it is, my Noughtie Gang.

And then I can definitely foresee, if all goes well, in January I want to drop a project about all the songs that I've had related to grief that I haven't put out yet. I feel like grief and death and dying is just something that we don't talk about in music, and least not in depth. And you know, so that's what I wanna do, I wanna get vulnerable again. I've had my fun, now I’m trying to get back in my vulnerable bag. 

And you'll just keep bopping back and forth. 
That's all I do. I ebb and flow, y'all. You gotta go with my seasons, my moods.