If you told me she was a plant, I'd believe it
but she not though, she's been doing her thing and making strategic choices since before 2003. I seen her in the okayplayer forums way back then as just some random neo-soul artist networking in Atlanta doing shows, had a demo called the Audition that I heard some tracks off of. (it was meh but she was cute as fukk). then she grinded and got herself a deal with BigBoi and his Purple Ribbon imprint around 2005, was on his label compilation and on the Idlewild soundtrack. Bigboi's label kinda fell apart tho, and she put her own team together Wondaland Arts Society, built out their own recording studio and put out her first EP kinda independently in 2007 called 'Metropolis: Suite 1: The Chase'. honestly thats my favorite project she made and I still have a copy somewhere from before BadBoy picked it up and re-released it for wider distribution. after signing with Diddy he really helped get her out there to them wider audiences. thats 2008, more than 10 years ago, thats not a plant, thats just she kept grinding and made it work.
after that I havent really liked her music too much personally, cuz it sounded way more Disney-ish/sweet/saccharine, and honestly not all that weird even though thats the angle she pretends to push. but thats also when she blew the fukk up. And even though Diddy def helped with the media connections, I think it was mostly her style and the LGBTQ angle that made the media rock with her. Not really her music. but, her musical direction as much as I havent personally liked it since then, thats all her and her team that she founded when she was independent. and she was the one networking and recording with random alternative bands and unknowns getting on that 'We Are Young' song that popped as her first #1 single. She's the one that signed Jidenna and let him blow up bigger than her. she def has hustle and business acumen, even if her music is kinda mid.
I still swear she could blow up 5 billion times bigger if she actually worked with Disney. she coulda been Mary Poppins. they let her get her own musical and its over.
