This week, Her Campus DU sat down with the lovely and hilarious Denver native Sierah Chavez, but you probably know her as 2Chainz.
Year: Sophomore
Major: Pre-law
Her Campus: What made you want to go into law?
Sierah Chavez: Tyler the Creator. He inspires me.
HC: How so?
SC: I was watching interviews of him and his manager and I started thinking, I want to do that someday. I want to watch an artist grow. I figure that going into law and management would be a good route to getting to contract law someday.
HC: Tell me about the nickname 2Chainz.
SC: Well I kind of gave it to myself. The nickname started in high school. I would wear these two chains all the time; one had cats on it and the other said dope. I was wearing the two chains around and was like, “Yo call me 2Chainz.” It just stuck. My freshman year of college the nickname stopped, but then O-Week of this year, I told some DZ sisters about the name and it caught on again.
HC: It’s pretty impressive that you could pull off a self-proclaimed nickname.
SC: Yeah, most people just accept it. Like “Oh, that’s just Sierah.” I introduce myself at parties like, “Hey, I’m Sierah, but you can call me 2Chainz.” I even have a chain with “2Chainz” on it now. My dad gave it to me. Oh my god it’s perfect.
HC: Are you a 2Chainz fan at all?
SC: Not a big fan. He’s like the worst rapper ever.
HC: So what attracted you to DU?
SC: I’m from Denver, and my mom is a DU alumni. She created this sort of pipe line for girls at my high school to go to DU. Out of five, I was the only one that decided to go though.
HC: And you enrolled in the Women’s College right away?
SC: Yeah, it sounded really appealing, and I loved it right away. The classes are small, which I really like because it gives me a chance to grow in a classroom. Classes with hundreds of kids…I would just get intimmidated and scared. I really like the all women aspect too. It reduces intimidation and creates a more intimate setting where I get to know my classmates and they get to know me. I also have great relationships with my professors, something that I didn’t experience in high school.
HC: That does sound pretty appealing.
SC: I mean, do I pitch a lot of dumb ideas in class? Yes. But being in the women’s college, I say, heck yeah, I got this. I’m confident.
HC: When you’re not busy with school, what do you like to do?
SC: I like to make money, get turnt. What do I like to do? What do I like to do for fun? I don’t know. I like making other people laugh. Just basic things. I like listening to music. I love anything to do with Disney. I have a little mermaid tattoo on my back.
HC: That’s awesome. Do you plan on getting any others?
SC: Yeah. I plan on getting only Disney tattoos. I want two stars right above my heart. You know, like “2nd star from the right.” It’s from Peter Pan. I also want Cinderella on my rib cage.
HC: What kind of music do you listen to?
SC: My friend once said to me, “With the nickname 2 chainz, no one would believe that you listen to old folk music,” but I do.I love Fleetwood mac, Paul Simon, James Taylor—he’s my favorite. I’m also really into old soul, like Al Green and Marvin Gaye. If I could, I would be a go-go dancer. But if I could travel back to any time period, it would probably be to 1969 to go to Woodstock.
HC: What’s something that most people wouldn’t know about you?
SC: I deeply believe in meditation. It makes me feel good and centered in my life. I need meditation.
HC: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
SC: Happiness. Genuine and utter happiness. Happiness is where I am in my life right now. Now matter how dark it can get, I am happy with myself. I am happy with the way I look, the way I think, and the way I am. I’m just not embarrassed for being me. Some people get so caught up in living in negativity and darkness. My mom always carries around this Sweet and Low packet and says, “Sierah, do you want this to be your life?” Meaning: do you want to live in the artificial world?
HC: You strike me as someone who is extremely true to themself.
SC: It’s all about being true to yourself and living a true life. My mom also used to tell me that everything before the word but does not matter. All your true feelings come after. It’s important to be genuine from the start.