Feature Story Draft

 “They would always look at each other with raised eyebrows before asking me, “YOU rap?”,” recalls Naijah Lynes. She grew up hearing scoffs and mocking jokes from people who doubted her as a young woman with aspirations of becoming a rapper. She “was used to always being the outlier, the only girl in a group of boys freestyling.” In the beginning of her aspirations, she would feel upset that her long hours of rapping in her room would be discredited by other people, simply because of her gender. “There need to be more female rappers for young girls like myself to look up to and feel encouraged,” Naijah claimed. “I hope to be that rapper for someone one day.” 

She did not grow up seeing a lot of female rappers besides Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim, and Remy Ma. Lynes’ inspiration did not come from seeing rappers, as she started listening to them once she fell in love with rapping. “One day my friends were freestyling in the cafeteria during lunch. When it was my turn, it came to me naturally. I felt like I had discovered my passion in that moment, so I just continued pursuing them.” Whenever Naijah feels frustrated or faces an obstacle, rapping is her escape. 

“For a long time, I would just find beats on YouTube and freestyle over them. When I grew more comfortable, I started playing around with different sounds on the piano and drums. I learned to put them together, and I composed my own beats,” Lynes explains. She likes to compose music at random times because it usually just comes to her naturally. “I hear something in my head, and I do everything to make sure I get that sound.” 

Lynes has been able to accomplish everything she has set her mind to. From proving herself in a male-dominated industry to learning how to compose music, she has demonstrated her undeniable talent. Lynes hopes to pay forth her success to her family and community “because they have formed me into the person I am.” She has indirectly done so already by inspiring her younger family members and showing them what a good work ethic looks like. 

She says that they have been very supportive of her journey as an artist, even when many around her tried to put fear into her plans. The difficulties sometimes discourage her, but she always remembers “the final goal and the large impact that I can make.” Despite the negativity she has faced, her music has gained popularity on several occasions; one of the most impactful times of her career was when she first went viral on TikTok, which helped her develop a large following on her different social media accounts and streaming platforms. Lynes uses her supporters’ positivity to encourage her to persevere. “I will know I made it when I win my first Grammy, but that will not make me feel like I finished. It will be just the beginning.”