Naya Ali is a Montreal-based rapper from Ethiopia. Originally starting by writing poetry and rapping as a teenager, her ability to create hard-hitting rhymes with hypnotic hooks and empowering lyrics over an incredibly catchy beat transcends the sounds of hip-hop.
What advice would you give your younger self in your 1st year working in the music industry?
Trust yourself it’s going to be a crazy ride. There’s a lot to learn, and sometimes those lessons are more difficult to digest than others. But at the end of the day the goal remains the goal. Keep staying true to yourself, everything else will fall into place.
What do you tell yourself to stay positive when you’re down?
It’s part of the human experience, there can’t be joy without heartache. I have to allow myself to feel my emotions but be mindful enough not to be consumed by them. We all lose our balance sometimes, just gotta get back up and find it again.
What has been a career highlight for you so far, or what are you looking forward to achieving?
Honestly, life has been a highlight for me so far, from doing my first international tour last year, to winning Album of the year at the 2022 ADISQ awards – I’m just really looking forward to connecting with more humans with my music and continuing to give more light into the universe.