Kelela

“We don't want it to be obscure music. We're not trying to be indie. We want to be popular.”

“I want to empower.”

“I like smart rappers who aren't necessarily trying to be deeper than you, like Danny Brown.”

“It definitely feels different to perform to people who know your music. Because people's feedback is not just, 'Oh my God, that was amazing. Who are you?'”

“My queer black women peers are the ones who make me not feel crazy. The way we act is so instinctive.”

“No one is making extraordinary things alone. They might be alone in their bedroom while they're recording or writing, but they didn't actually conjure that thing out of nothing - without influence - without assistance - without anything.”

“Innovating something that is familiar. That's the general approach, and that's what I want to do with the melody as well. It should ring true - you should like every melody sequence without knowing what's happening next.”

“As a black woman, there's so much pride and communication through hair. It's naturally something that you are excited to embellish on and be creative about.”

“After it became clear that I was not going to graduate, I had this moment where I was like, 'I need to not sulk. I need to pursue - at least try - to pursue music. But if I don't try, I'm going to be a really bitter middle-aged lady working in a cubicle.'”

“I'm coming from the zone of Faith Evans, but with weird production.”

“I would say there is a zone of R&B that hadn't been quite innovative.”

“When I was little, my parents would have these gatherings, and it was a common thing for me and my cousins to have to put on, like, shows.”

“I'm interested in bridging and filling in space that hasn't already been filled, so when it comes to making music, I've just always wanted to be able to reference things that producers in the big pop major label context do, without compromising the entire sound of the record.”

“How much closer can I get to the common ear, the mainstream, and how much it can still be from this other world, this other place? That's the line I keep trying to tread but have my wings extend more on both sides.”

“I don't want you to feel defeated, like, 'Oh boy, why do you do this to me?' We have too many of those songs.”

“There is this feeling among black artists that you have to be really careful. We're not inclined to talk about this stuff because, if we do, we put ourselves in a position where we're not marketable or where we can't win.”

“I think I'm taking risks and putting myself out there.”

“A lot of people of color in the music industry are still more interested in embracing things that are considered white canon, and looking radical. Like when people point to punk in the indie world: If you point to the history of punk as what you see as your legacy, that's more prized and praised.”

“It is very rare that I am just coming up with melodies off the top of my head. I usually am responding to something - it could be chains dragging on the floor - but I am usually responding to something.”

“Most artists are going into the studio for a fixed period of time, and they say that's their album. I can't relate, because I've never made music in that way. I come from a culture of editing and remixing.”