Kiara Simone: More Than Just a Femcee

Kiara Simone took over the air waves all summer long with her hit anthem “I Got Hittas.”

This lyrical femcee is a fearless talent whose energy and musical-style is all about inspiring women of all ages from all walks of life, from all backgrounds to know just how beautiful they are. And to own their beauty.

Discovering that her inspiration for the love of rapping and performing came from old school rap, Kiara Simone set out on a serious path to her musical journey at the tender age of 14. However soon after, her life took a tragic turn when she was faced with the passing of her sister, Shawnta, her biggest supporter. Up until her sister’s untimely death, Shawnta and Kiara Simone were virtually inseparable. Shawnta’s enthusiasm towards her sister’s skills, played a major role in Kiara Simone stepping out of her shy shell into the bright spotlight. Left heartbroken and without direction, Kiara was at a crossroad and wanted to completely give up on her dreams and her music career. But her family and faith wouldn’t let up. Years later Kiara Simone is one of the hottest, most sought after femcees in the game.

Who is Kiara Simone?

Kiara Simone: I am just a girl from Alexandria, VA who wants all women to know that they are pretty. I represent all the pretty girls from across the world… I call them my Pretty Girl Gang. The Pretty Girl Gang is about being confident, loving yourself, and being fierce. We don’t have to change ourselves to fit in. I want women to appreciate their curves and love the body that they are in.

I know your sister played a major role in you deciding to pursue a career in this music game. And I know that you looked up to her and she believed in you as an artist. But back in the day, there wasn’t the worldwide internet or social media available, so what did you do at the age of 14 when you decided that you were ready to develop into a real artist that could be taken seriously?

Kiara Simone: Mannnn…. I would record with any and everybody. From guys I went to school with to guys who I knew from the neighborhood that had a studio in their basement. From hanging out with the guys, we ended up forming a rap group. They pushed me and my pin. They were my competition. Rapping with them started to get me known around the area. And the rest is history.

Yessssss, that’s what I am talking about. So I want to know, how did you end up getting connected with The Game?

Kiara Simone: Well when I first moved to LA at the age of 20, I would go out a lot and network. I would send DMs to every producer and music industry professional I knew out here. One of the people that I end up hitting up invited me out. That person was Game’s cousin. He introduced me to Game, and from there Game started inviting me out more. All I would do was talk about music with him. Nothing else. Even though we were at the parties we never talked about it, we always kept it on the music.

So your first big break was in 1992 in the Block Wars Tour. How was that?

Kiara Simone: That was such a major time in my life. It taught me how to be a real artist. It was the first time I was on tour. It was the first time I was truly on-stage and was able to understand crowd control. I remember, after I got off the stage at my first show, I went straight into the Game’s dressing room, and immediately he started giving me pointers on what I could do to improve my overall performance….And everything he told me still sticks with me today. Because of him I am now able to go out on the stage by myself, with no hype man, and command the attention of the crowd. No extras needed. Just me, the stage, and the mic.

Seeing the change between then and now in music, how do you think social media had played an instrumental part of your career.

Kiara Simone: Mannn, there was no such thing as social media back in the day. The most we had was Myspace and that was that. But now to make it you have to have all these views and followers to make it. In my mind, I always think, Beyonce didn’t have millions of followers and views when she started. There was no Instagram. But there is a major advantage to reaching new fans. Because of social media I have fans in Canada and the UK, that was very different from what it was when I first got started. Back in the day it was more so about people just in your area knowing who you are. Today, its about everyone in the world knowing who you are.

Your entire image is about women empowerment and empowering the girls of today to know just how beautiful they really are. What words of encouragement do you have for young, impressionable girls growing up in today’s society?

Kiara Simone: I want all my pretty girls to know to never, ever accept ‘NO’ for an answer and always keep pushing. Stay focused and always believe in yourself, never give up. Stay true to what you believe and understand that everything you endure is just a testimony to how great you will become. Always remember that you can’t have a testimony, without a test.

Kiara Simone is definitely a forced to be reckoned with. Make sure you head over to you your app store and download her single “I Got Hittas” which is available across all platforms.

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Tags: black wars, Female Rapper, femcee, KIARA SIMONE', The Game