This past weekend I attended Rolling Loud Los Angeles and witnessed a star-studded lineup including acts such as Post Malone, Cardi B, and Wiz Khalifa. Something that stood out most about the festival was that there were only seven female artists performing. I decided I would make it my goal to witness all of their powerful performances.I am SO thankful I did!
All of these women owned every minute on stage, showing their audience members what they were made of. Each of them are strong, inspiring women who confidently showed their power and strive within the male-dominated music industry. A female artist who especially stuck out to me was 22-year-old, Yung Baby Tate.
Tate is from Atlanta, Georgia and has been making music since she was just 13 years old! She’s been grinding ever since and we are thankful she is because her music & lyric writing is catchy af. Her 2018 album called BOYS, is filled with lyrics that many women can relate to, causing these songs to be an anthem for women around the world. With lyrics like, “Why these boys don’t know? The only reason I gave you my number is so you would leave me the f*ck alone. You getting blocked soon as I get home” from her song “Bugaboo” and other lyrics like “Boy B quiet, when a queen is speaking you can hear the crown. Boy B quiet, so when I’m talking I don’t want to hear a sound” from her song “B Quiet”, easily become songs you can sing along to with power and pride.
We love how Tate takes shitty circumstances and turns them into moments where she can use her power and be a bad bitch.
(Yung Baby Tate looking fire AF performing at Rolling Loud Los Angeles, Photograph by: Lydia Haug)
We were girl crushing hard on Tate during her Rolling Loud performance and reached out to her team to set up an interview. Tate was so kind and met up with us to take some pics and answer a few questions for Her Campus:
How do you feel being in an industry where women are underrepresented? What does that make you want to do for women?
Tate: I feel like I have to shine harder than a lot of these men out here and it makes me want to let women know that it’s okay for them to shine and don’t dim your light at all. It makes me want to let women know that they need to be seen in this industry and let them know that it’s able for them to be seen in this industry and like it’s not f*cking hard. You can do this sh*t yourself, you don’t need no man to help you get to the places you really want to be. You can do this sh*t on your own, you can do this sh*t with a whole bunch of women around you. Strong women, smart women, and just let them know, don’t let these men downplay you, because they will try to just because you’re a woman.
Does being a WOC effect how you are viewed in the industry and how does that affect your aspirations going forward every day?
Tate: It definitely does affect how I’m viewed in the industry. I feel like people view WOC, especially black women as you know, super sexual beings. We have to like show our ass in order to be seen and for me I feel like I take that and I take the reins on that. Like, I’m going to show you my ass if I want to, but if I don’t want to then I’m not going to and you’re still going to look at me. You’re still going to listen to me. You’re going to listen to what I have to say because what I have to say is important. I feel like it’s affected me in a way, just to make me work harder because there are so many non-WOC that have it so much easier. Whether they want to believe it or not, they have it so much easier than we do in this industry just because of their skin color and you know, just because of privilege. I just want to come in this game like look, I don’t care what the f*ck is on my skin. I don’t care what the f*ck is going on. I’m still going to kill this sh*t and I’m going to let other women know, they can kill this sh*t too.
Any advice for aspiring female artists that are trying to get into the industry?
Tate: Be on your f*cking sh*t. Make good music. Don’t try so hard to be seen, try to be heard. I feel like a lot of women coming into the industry want to be seen, seen, seen so bad, but it’s like your message has to be important. It has to be strong. It has to be inspirational. So, focus on your message. Focus on what you’re doing, your purpose in this industry and just kill that sh*t. Regardless of what any man tries to tell you, and even any woman tries to tell you. People will hate on you as a woman, period. They’ll hate on you, they’ll tell you you can’t do this because you’re a woman. Don’t let any of this phase you and just keep on pushing because there are women that look up to you. No matter what stage you are in the game, people look up to you as a woman because that’s amazing and that’s inspirational for other women to look up to. So, just realize other woman look up to you and keep on striving for you and everyone else around you.
(Yung Baby Tate after interview with Her Campus, Photograph by: Lydia Haug)
After the interview, I was left feeling empowered and motivated myself. Tate is such an inspirational artist and we love how she is setting an amazing example for females around the world. We highly recommend everyone to check out her music and to keep an eye on this woman! I’m no psychic but I see great things in her future.
Thank you Yung Baby Tate for being such an empowering figure! We love you!