Published on May 21st, 2016 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

#HypeKansas Topeka, Kansas Hip-Hop duo Candii Gyrlz capture the national stage

Topeka, Kansas Hip-Hop duo, the Candii Gyrlz, are part of the new national push to expose the dynamics of smart phones on our daily lives. The young girls, Makiyah Boyd, 15, and Aliya Hazim, 13, teamed up in 2011 and began recording in 2012. Boyd and Hazim have garnered attention from national news outlets like the Washington Times as well as the support of their local newspaper The Topeka Capital-Journal and other media outlets.

Boyd is a High School student, where she’s been a starter on the girls’ junior varsity basketball team, while Hazim is a Middle Schooler that likes dance and ballet.

The young ladies came to national attention as they successfully immersed themselves into the music and fashion worlds. Their song “Computer Drugs” along with its creator S. J. Hazim’s activism and dedication, launched a national conversation and documentary series by the same name, about the dangers of smart phone addiction. The song is the music bed for the short 30-minute segment, which has already aired on PBS in Maryland. Re-broadcast of the program on a wider scale is set for June, the beginning of summer mobile device use explosions, as students enter their summer breaks and parents hit the vacation trail.

Computer Drugs: Under Device Addiction

Who are these dynamic young ladies from Topeka, Kansas who’ve begun to catch the eye of the national media? We got them to check in for a quick q&a as a followup to our earlier coverage of the group as they began to take flight:

“Huh” Video

From the outside looking in, who are the Candii Gyrlz?

(Makiyah)Two average girls pursuing our dreams as young artists using major creativity and we always stay dummy Lit and making Dope Songs.

What brought you to the entertainment industry, music specifically?

(Aliya) We met at Hillcrest community center on the east side of Topeka Kansas. I was 4 and Makiyah was 6, I believe it was 2007. Makiyah did most all the young people‘s hair and nails.

(Makiyah) one day Aliya bought a rap to the community center and was rapping for a group of girls and I really liked it. At that point she taught me the rap. That next week we made our own flyers and posted them up around the center and promoted our own show. We didn’t have a date for the show, we said come to the computer room in 20 minutes.

(Aliya) Over 30 people came. We called our selves “Major Swaggg” after the show I told my dad “SJ Hazim and that’s when we began to take things to the next level. We are not just group members but we are like sisters.

What do you want people get from your music?

(Makiyah) we want everyone to believe in him or herself and to chase their dreams. It’s not just the adults us kids have dreams too. And with the support of parents and a strong mind and God all things are possible.

(Aliya) we want people to get positive vibes and not be sad. And if you are sad we want to make them happy

Tell us about your current project.

(Aliya) the current project is a more mature vibe than our previous songs since Makiyah is a teen and I’m almost thirteen. The new project is called “Keeping it Lit” because that’s what we do.

(Makiyah) every song has a message. It either addresses haters like “IDC”(I don’t care) and the “School Song” is about people going thru things at school. Like getting bullied or teachers being under paid, fights and staying positive during times of struggle.

(Candii Gyrlz)
We are very excited about this project!! We’ve got a fast rap called “I’m fly and I kill em” all about staying fly. It’s like a follow up to “fly like my mama” from our first underground album “Look at their faces”

For new listeners, what song of yours would you pick as an introduction to you as an artist?

(Makiyah) “Hold up” will be our first single and video. The reason being it shows how turned up we can get. And this beat is a monster produced by Khrys Hollywood.

(Aliya) personally I like “Keeping it Lit” the most, but I understand people vibe to beats and turn up music nowadays more than lyrics so, yeah we riding with “Hold up”

Tell us a bit about your work and passions OUTSIDE of music…

(Aliya) sleepovers, making YouTube videos, Dancing, decorating my room, shopping, listening to music, watching my favorite shows pretty little liars , the rap game and sponge bob.

(Makiyah) Playing basketball, working out, listening to music, writing poetry, sleeping in on the weekends, shopping, watching the Rap game and streaming videos on YouTube.

Last but not least, HYPE wants to know…What’s your CRAZIEST “Where they do that at?!” moment…

(Aliya) this kid at school had on some Payless and one shoes and had the nerve to try to roast somebody in some J’s by dropping to the ground screaming “What are those.” Where they do that At????? lol

(Makiyah) Way back in the day when we was just getting started rapping a lot of our peers were saying we were trash and would never be noticed. Nowadays these same people are come up to us being real positive acting like they been supporting since day 1! Where they do that at????

Facebook – CandiiGyrlz

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.