I have the privilege of reminding the fans and introducing the newcomers to this special artist. I met her around a devastating time in my life. I was just leaving the point of sadness about the earthquake in Haiti and going towards determination to help. The question was.....how? This phenomenal woman answered that question by founding Hip Hop 4 Haiti, which I joined shortly after. She's all about helping the underdog and educating the youth, and looking fly doing it. She's probably not an artist. She's probably an activist but just took the artist route. So pay attention to this gangsta; Minister Louis Farrakhan's stepdaughter who collabed with Wu-Tang. A Queen. Queen Yonasda:
1. State your name cannon: YoNasDa (pronounced Yo-Naja-Ha)
2. Tell the people about your upbringing. I read your bio and it was inspiring to say the least.
Well thank you I am a proud Native American and Black woman I was born in Washington DC during the Longest Walk a protest from the American Indian Movement. My mother was an activist and motivational speaker and my father was in and out of prison all my life. I lived everywhere, so I developed a national and bigger way of thinking.
3. Tell me what Yonasda mean.
It was given to me by a Navajo Medicine Man it means Precious Jewel in Dine which is the language of the Navajo people. I am Oglala Lakota, my mother and family is from Pine Ridge, South Dakota
4. How did you first meet Minister Louis Farrakhan and what important role does he play in your life?
He and my mother were great friends before I was born, my mother use to work for Muhammad Ali, when my mother went to prison, the Hon.Min.Louis Farrakhan and his family adopted my brother and I, he is like a father figure in my life.
5. What got you to start rapping?
I looked at Hip Hop as an escape from the struggles I was going through, I started off engulfing myself in all aspects of hip hop from breakin, deejaying, graffiti and rhyming, I started doing spoken word and just rap with some of my high school crews, but I took it professionally when I met Ked from the Dungeon Family and he told me I should really do it forreal, he said that I gotta story to tell and a nice voice I should really go in and since then I went in =)
6. How did you link up with Raekwon and how was it when you went on tour with him out of your own pocket?
Well I met Cappadonna in 2004 and I woud be his hype-girl at his shows and pay my dues, recording songs with him, grinding out with Cappa. Well, being around Cappadonna I met the rest of the Clan, plus I was living in Staten Island so I met the Clan and affialiates,etc. So, I met management for the Clan members and they saw my hustle, heard my music and my first show I booked was at BB Kings in New York City with Raekwon and Cappadonna, it was funny cuz I rocked it and Cappa was shocked I booked that show. So from there I paid my dues on the Method Man & Redman tours, then the Footprints of Hip Hop Tour, the 8 Diagrams Tour with Wu Tang Clan and I would do spot dates or region dates. When I was about to do a few dates with Ghostface I got a call from Icewater INC and they gave me the go ahead that I can do the whole Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 Tour. I was estatic cuz bein a female rapper is hard and it was my opportunity to go to city to city and really show everyone that yes the female rapper is not dead. Yes, I recieved alot of naysayers like "Who is she? She doesn't deserve it, she isn't signed, who's vouching for her etc etc" But I put my best foot first and smashed every show. The love I recieved was overwhelming, yeah it was difficult at times but I stepped out on faith and went to over 25 cities with $2500 and I thank Raekwon and the whole IceWater Inc team and Capone for believing in me and showing me love and respect on that whole tour.
7. Talk about your album, "God, Love, and Music". How you linked up with legends like Cappadonna and Keith Murray? I'm a very electic person, I love and experienced so much in life there isn't nothing that anyone can say that I cannot relate to, yeah it was hard but from my life experiences is what has me make music people from all various backgrounds can relate to and God.Love & Music is the 3 elements of the universal language of man. It has rock,soul,concious, salsa,reggae all on this album. I met Keith Murray surprisingly through myspace, he admired my music and of course I always loved his music and he is truly an emcee and performer. So after hours to months to years of building over the phone, he flew out here and we begin recording something raw and different but it didn't transpire to what we wanted to he did a guest appearance on a song I already had. But I pray there will be a Keith Murray and Queen YoNasDa collab very soon. In regards to Cappadonna and myself, well that's a book..... but I could say that we have songs for days together.. some on this album and some that either he or I would release in the near future. Thats over 5 years knowing eachother so we got stories,memories and music to last a lifetime.
8. Talk to me about your single "So Special" produced by NO ID.
Oh my God!!! I am soooo excited about this song. Because when No ID met me, he told me he wanted to work with me, and really produce me. After a year of talking he FINALLY gave me a beat and told me to write to it, tell my story but still make people dance, he gave me advice on what I need to do as an artist. Now, I admire No ID because he has wrked with the best of the best Common,Jay Z, Nas, Kanye West and the list goes on and on, and when I wrote So Special and emailed it back to him he said he loved it. Its very testimonial for me, every line I wrote is exaclty what I have been going through but at the end of the day through it all I am blessed!! And you are blessed as well!! I am shooting the video in 2 weeks and I believe people are gonna be surprised on how I flip it, its gonna be on some movie, Michael Jackson type of vibe.
9. When is "God, Love and Music" coming out?
Its out in stores now you can get it at Best Buy, on all digital stores I-Tunes, Rhapsody,Amazon and retail internationally. So please cop it today!
10. Are you signed under anybody or 100% independent?
I'm 100% independent
11. Besides Wu-Tang, who would you want to collab with?
I would love to collab with Rhymefest, Kanye West, Common, Talib Kweli, Mary J, Santogold, Eve, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef, The Neptunes, Jay Electronica, Jill Scott, Rakim, Nas, Eminem, Ludacris, Diddy, Maroon 5, Eric Sermon, Denaun Porter, 9th Wonder, Keyshia Cole, Monica, E.Badu, Stevie Wonder, Bono, Public Enemy, Melonie Fiona , Black Eyed Peas... I seriously could go on and on I just admire so many people old school, new school, I don't care if you got the number 1 song out, if its not raw talent I don't wanna work with you. I love realness and rawness.
12. To all that doesn't know, you are the brainchild that started the Hip Hop 4 Haiti movement, which I am proud that I'm part of. Tell everyone how did you start it and the process of this growing from you to 35+ cities: DJ Benz it was a pleasure that you reached out to make this happen. When I saw it all over the news I just couldn't text to send money when I am an activist and rapper and I know the influence hip hop has on making a difference. So I used all social networking sites and made Jan.30th a National Day of Obeservance for Hip Hop 4 Haiti. It was amazing that the Hip Hop Caucus and Allhiphop.com and other national media all helped us get the word out. We didn't have a huge budget, it was all people like you and I that said we are gonna put together events on this day and stream it live on ustream. It was sooo beautiful on that day. And we made sure that everyone in Haiti got all our money and our donations, we went through trusted Haitain American organizations that have history in Haitian Relief before the earthquake and tsunami which I am more proud of especially when so many people donated to other organizations and no one still havent gotten anything.
13. What's next for Hip Hop for Haiti and the Caucus? I'm still very much involved and will not stop, period. And I have my people that want join.
After Jan.30th we urged everyone to continue to stay informed with the Hip Hop Caucus Hip Hop Help Haiti, because they are an organization and Hip Hop 4 Haiti was a movement. On local levels many of the organizers met soo many people and continue to do things in their community. In Phoenix, the Haitian Church opened a Haitian Relief Center that goes directly to their familiies in Haiti. Next year I wanna have another Hip Hop 4 Haiti on Jan.30 so we can continue keeping people aware and the progress of Haiti.
14. You know how commercial Hip Hop is doing: Songs that just have a gimmick or a catchy phrase. How important is it to be intellectual and to teach lessons in our artform?
Its very important! A rapper's responsiablity whether they like it or not is to be a role model, children today are more being raised by media than their parents. I mean they use hip hop to teach kids now, so we have a huge resposiablity. I try not to be preachy cuz I don't want my songs to fall on a deaf ear, but I do tell my story and try to uplift at the same time.
15. Remember the conversation we had way back about your family in Wyoming? Tell me more about it. How important is it for everyone to know about poverty in our own country?
Huh, Wyoming? Hahaha South Dakota, Pine Ridge... it is the poorest community in the United States, 89 pecent of the people are unemployed, I have family living in makeshift homes, its really bad there I will be filing this summer when I go out there so people can see what I am talking about. And so hopefully people can help out my tribe.
16. As of now you reside in Phoenix, same city as my homegirl J Milly. Tell me about the AZ hip hop scene:
I am back and forth from the east coast and Arizona. Arizona is my hometown though, I grew up there, we had to develop our own hip hop scene, alot of greats passed through throughout the years DJ Z-tripp, Ice Cube, Adina Howard, CeCe Peniston, Kool G Rap, now its like a melting pot so many people are not from here and taking over the hip hop scene and saying they representing Arizona, I mean I heard the sayin "its not where you from its where you at" but see the probelm with that is Arizona hasn't developed a "sound" for Arizona, so people that go outside of here and say they from Arizona but really from other places they sound like the other places and not Arizona. When I was living in New York, they would ask me where I was from? Or when I go to Cali they would ask me where I was from even in Chicago they would ask me where I was from? So I know I don't sound like those other places, I'm not saying I have a sound for Arizona, but I do know all the real Arizona rappers need to come together and develop a sound for Arizona. I love Arizona, its peaceful to me, I went through everything with Arizona, the marching for the King Holiday, the harrassment from cops on Mill Ave, the Electric Ballroom, TMC days, the days of battling at Metro Center Mall, but we need to make a sound so Hip Hop can respect whats coming out of here.
17. One thing I picked up from your bio: Your mother participated in a journey from San Francisco Bay to Washington D.C and you were born there. I want to clarifiy: She was pregnant with you during the journey?? And did she travel by foot? Tell me more about the journey. I now know where you get your strength from.
No she did all the public relations and she traveled a city before the marchers and yes she was pregnant with me, so I came out fighting for freedom, justice and equality.
18. "I'm not here to beat people in the head with a sermon, I'm here to tell the truth." A strong message to tell people. But what do you do when people don't listen? how difficult can it get for your music to fall on deaf ears? I just keep going until someone listens, if I can have at least one person listen then by the grace of God, they will turn my postive words into action that may change a nation... So I just keep telling the truth! The truth always gets heard whether in my lifetime or not.
19. What's next for the Queen?
I am releasing a mixtape called "All Hail the Queen" and it will be released on cellphone applications with other exclusive stuff that will be coming in June. I am heading back on the road hopefully by May and for the whole summer. I am basically just recording and collabing with alot of artists. I am really excited about whats transpiring and this will not be the last you hear from me!
20. What's your contact info so people can work with you?
For media inquiries you can contact Lila Brown with Ella Bee PR at lila@ellabeepr.com and my website at queenyonasda.com and my twitter.com/queenyonasda basically if you type in Queen YoNasDa on the engine thats me, I believe I'm the only YoNasDa in the world .
21. Any last words of wisdom?
I want to thank you DJ Benz you are a positve force, don't let no one tell you different. I want to tell the people that are pursuing your dreams that no matter how gray it looks there is always a light it may seem like you can't see it but God always has a way to get you out on HIS timing, there were times I wanted to end it all even my own life, but HE always showed me the light and hope and thats why I am here and able to be honored to do interviews and tell my story. I lost my mother in 2003, I was homeless, I lost children, I lost loved ones and was in horrible relationships but all this made me the strong queen I am today and that's why I was chosen to be called a Queen not because I have riches and act high and mighty but because I remained to be truthful and remain real and keep faith on God. I love you all !!!
Check out her new single" So Special" I've been spinning it crazy!
Download link under player:
Queen Yonasda - So Special
