My biggest influence is Tupac. He was a poet, and listening to Tupac is what inspired me to start rapping.
I remember I rapped for a friend, and my friend really encouraged me and was blown away, like 'Whoa, that was dope!' Ever since then, I kept going.
I'd rather be busy, working non-stop, than being bored at home, you know?
I know what it's like to have guys make you feel like you need to flirt with them or be sexy or hook up with them or something, and you don't have to do those things. You just have to be strong and stand your ground.
It's hard being a woman in this industry, period. A lot of the time, guys make you feel like you need to hook up with them - especially as an artist - producers and other artists trying to collaborate with them, they make you kinda feel sometimes you need to hook up with them or flirt with them just to make a song.
From Snoop, I've learned quite a bit. I learned that sometimes I need to keep my mouth shut. It's a long story, but definitely to sometimes keep my mouth shut. I also learned to always ignore the haters.
Just growing up and maturing has made my music so much better.
Honestly, the biggest setback to my music career was people's perception that I was a reality TV star, not a rapper.
These people that watch our MTV shows, they're not music fans. They're people that are lazy on their couch and want to watch funny videos or whatever.
I just wanted to express myself and put out music of how I'm feeling - give back to my fans and gain new ones in the process.
I don't think a lot of people know what a real artist I am. I don't think they know I write my own music.
It's not easy to go from reality TV to being taken seriously as an artist, so I don't think I'll be doing reality TV again because of that.
Music is what I do pretty much all the time. I'm always in the studio. I'm always rehearsing for shows. Always doing shows.
I grew up listening to a lot of rap music. My dad's a DJ from Brooklyn, and he's a very soulful guy, so he always spun a lot of hip-hop, and that's where I get a lot of my hip-hop influence.
I'm a girl, and I like girly things even though I'm a tomboy also, you know?
I would say Tupac influenced me the most to start rapping, but as far as a female icon that I've looked up to since I was six or seven is definitely Gwen Stefani.
Coachella is a melting pot of cultures, vibes, style, and, of course, music. I look forward to it every year.
