Flyest on Fairfax - DOPE Magazine Cover Girl Tinashe
Tinashe is a firefly hummingbird, the thunderbolt contemporary music needed - a lightning rod for cuteness, coolness, and creativity without the meltdown controversy now commonplace amongst pop stars. Her music screams freedom, chants rebellion, stands sex symbol, and unapologetically argues a level of liberated self-expression unheard since the days of a dancing Madonna and purple raining Prince. The pretty-20 with the articulate timbre, runway sashay, and flyest on Fairfax face refers to her empowering persona as “un-bounded-ness”: Freedom.
Tinashe took a moment between looks at her DOPE MAG cover shoot in Hollywood to discuss her debut album, collaborations with Future and Mike Will, and why Rhythmic-Pop needed a mega-popular new poster girl. We out’chea workin’… but who are we working for?
Written by Tone Swep
Photographer: Karen Curley
Creative Director & Stylist: Brittany “Bella” Graham
Hair: Gretta Roberts MUA: Amanda Busche
Location: ADBD Studios on Fairfax in Los Angeles, CA
Date: October 25th, 2013
Read an Excerpt from the Full Length Interview
(Tone Swep: TS) When you first interviewed with DOPE a year ago, the Reverie mixtape had just dropped. So much has happened on planet Tinashe since then. Bring us up to speed.
(Tinashe) The biggest overlying theme of 2013 is that I started working on my first studio album with Sony/RCA. I’ve been in the studio working with the Crème de la Crème of Hip Hop producers. I have this amazing catalogue built up, and that’s really the most exciting time for an artist, when you have all of this new music and also with a deal and date to release it. I’m just really excited right now.
(TS) There’s a certain classy rebellion in your music. This is represented on songs like “Who Am I Working For?” and “Boss”. Where does your sense of rebellion derive from?
(Tinashe) I think what makes me interesting as a person is that I have so many contradictions to my personality. I’m obviously somebody who has good intentions and doesn’t have any ill will toward anyone, but then there is a side of me that doesn’t follow rules or conform to societal norms, and has issues with authority.
photographed by: Karen Curley / styled by: Brittany “Bella” Graham
(TS) You have been a professional in the entertainment industry since your early teens. What has been the biggest revelation you’ve experienced thus far?
(Tinashe) Honestly, I feel like I made the most important discovery kind of early on. And then I’ve affirmed it continuously throughout my career. You’re going to experience a lot of resistance and people are always going to tell you no. No matter how close you are to achieving your goals. No matter how great the art you create is. You will never reach a point where everyone is always agreeing with what you’ve created. Art is not universal at all times, or in all instances. You have to be confident in order to survive in the world of art and entertainment. This is something I realized early on.
(TS) What can you tell us about your debut album?
(Tinashe) It has some inspirations that have something to do with astrology. There’s stuff on there that has to do with relationships. There are a couple songs that are more youthful, just more about being young, getting drunk, and having fun (Laughs!). It will cover a wide variety of projects. I can’t tell you the theme or I’d be giving away too much.
MUA by: Amanda Busche / Hair by: Gretta Roberts
(TS) If there was one musical icon who you’d love to learn listened to your music, who would they be?
(Tinashe) I would love if Janet Jackson liked my music (Laughs!). If she said something like: “I’m just chilling right now, you know, cleaning my mansion. Listening to my girl Tinashe” (Laughs!). I would die!
(TS) What do you want from the entertainment industry? What do you feel the entertainment industry, in turn, wants from you?
(Tinashe) I want to be able to reach a level of success where I can make a difference in a notable sense in the world. I want to impact a lot of people’s lives in a positive way, so to be able to do that consistently. And I feel like they’re just ready for a new voice and fresh face. I feel like we’ve had the same artists in the spotlight for that last six or seven years and something new and someone refresh is needed to spice things up.
(TS) What makes you DOPE?
(Tinashe) My sense of un-bounded-ness, if that’s even a word. It’s not having a fear to do what you think is cool. Because some people doubt what their instincts are and shift to the norm because that is what is readily accepted. But that’s what creativity is about, believing in what you create and in yourself, especially when it shifts from the norm. And I believe in my own creativity. That has been my personal greatest asset over the years: Self-reliance. Believing in my art and creativity. Believing that I’m DOPE.
Follow Tinashe on Twitter
Watch Tinashe‘s Hit Video “BOSS”
Watch Tinashe‘s Hit Video “Who Am I Working For?”
Watch Tinashe‘s Hit Video “Chainless”
Read Tinashe‘s DOPE Magazine Cover Story in the Winter 2k13 Issue - Available Worldwide 11.29