“My parents were extremely overprotective because they really didn’t want me to become this asshole kid,” she explains. “I think my mom knew early on that she wanted me to have that mass appeal because she wanted every Black girl like me to see that they could be me. So it was on one end getting my name out there, and then the other end of it was making sure that I was a part of foundations that would allow me to remain in constant contact with my culture. So they would know that I’m still touchable.”