“also transparency: no one likes dick riding, hone your skills and be amazing at what you do & you will make an impact”
CF —— Hey Nani, thank you for taking the time out of your day to talk to us. How’s everything going with you lately?
NANI —— Hey, thank you for having me. It’s been intense but i’m grateful. Really just been traveling, working, and gaining inspiration for my next projects.
CF —— fire, It sounds like you’ve been exploring a lot creatively. To help our audience get to know you better Nani, can you start by telling us a little about yourself and how you got started in your creative journey?
NANI —— creating is my passion so as far as being an artist, it started as soon as i could pick up a pencil really. but getting older has helped me realize what avenues i’d like to explore deeper. I was making music at 15 with my friends in cleveland but it was ass. I didn’t care though because it was always for fun even now, this is all for fun. Things really picked up for me when i moved from my hometown, Cleveland, Ohio to Atlanta.
people in atlanta kind of respected my style more and would always ask me to model. seeing people appreciate my expression gave me inspiration to take it further. people in cleveland sort of hop on and appreciate things once it’s a trend or enough people have co-signed it. it’s just a small place, so different can be interesting. i still have my day ones from there that have always appreciated my creative weirdness .
but to clarify my current avenues are modeling, creative direction, and music
CF —— makes a lot of sense, sounds like the A really gave you that space to be seen and appreciated for your originality, which is huge for any creative. Loving that you’re keeping your Cleveland day ones close too, they’re like your creative roots in a way
Since you’re focusing on modeling, creative direction, and music now, how do you balance all three? Do you find that one inspires the others, or are they pretty separate for you?
NANI —— I’m not sure if my mind could even focus on just one avenue , maybe with age i’ll settle down. but i’m so young i don’t see why i shouldn’t explore all my passions. To me they all seamlessly pour into each other to build a world.
CF —— very real and honestly, that balance between curiosity and confidence is what makes your work stand out. You can really feel that sense of world-building in everything you touch.
Speaking of that, your creativity really comes through in your music too. Your new single “Sxy Btch” feels like a statement piece — what space were you in when you created it, and what inspired the vibe behind it?
NANI —— i appreciate that, it is a quite provocative song. I had no idea i would release the song when i was making it . This new single is actually my first release as a musician. It was for fun. After making it my friends loved it so much and felt the care free energy and pushed me to drop it . Alot of women like the song and i like making women happy haha. the inspiration came from the sample sexy bitch by akon and david guetta .
“they say she’s low down , it’s just a rumor and i don’t believe em”
“nothing you could compare to your neighborhood whore”
lyrics such as these stood out to me from the original song and made me wanna make my own song from my perspective as a sexy woman. sometimes being a sexy woman is hard people will make up anything about you and know nothing but you have to pop it regardless. stand on who you are and your beauty. some will try to make it negative but it’s really something to be grateful for.
CF —— such a fye breakdown, you really turned something familiar into a message with depth and attitude. I love how you reclaimed that energy for women everywhere.
When you were creating “Sxy Btch” what did you want listeners especially women to feel when they heard it for the first time?
NANI —— like they want to dance !!! (Laughs)
i want them to feel confident to the point where they don’t give a fuck about other people’s perception . just enjoying their life and their beauty
CF —— amazing, love your confidence and how you embrace your own style. At Creativeface, we celebrate people who live unapologetically.
who do you draw inspiration from in the fashion industry can be now or past creative and who influences your taste in music?
NANI —— A$AP rocky has always been a big inspiration of mine . I believe he is skilled in his world building and has done a successful job of making his fashion sense and creative direction a big part of his identity as an artist.
even with his self expression with being an unapologetically metrosexual man . i didn’t even know the term for it until recently . just saw him as a super clean , fly , good looking gangsta
i feel like he is one of those people that help normalized men being more up-kept, getting their nails done, etc
i can’t say any one person influences my music taste if anything it’s really my mood . i love all types of music and hop in different bags based on how i feel
CF —— hella insightful, and it’s fye how you let your mood guide your music taste, it keeps things authentic. Before we wrap up, we’d love to hear from you for the upcoming creative directors, artists & models out there.
For someone starting out, what’s the best route to take, and what tips or advice would you give them to having an impact in this industry?
NANI —— the best route to take is the one that’s true to you . everyone has their own path. look at your resources within yourself and your community. take time to think , genuinely sit there and find what speaks to your heart and where you true passion lies. then find your way. it’s a combination of heart and logic, that balance is critical
also transparency: no one likes dick riding hone your skills and be amazing at what you do & you will make an impact
CF —— *laughs, that’s real asl and a perfect note to end on. We appreciate you taking the time to chop it up with us ,it’s been dope hearing your story and energy. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for what you’ve got coming next. Thanks again for tapping in with Creativeface.
