Published on February 28th, 2020 | by Brittany Burton

Where Kaliwae Gets Her Inspiration From When Creating Music

Hip-hop has been around for more than 40 years. In this digital age, we can see the rise of rappers who dominate the world stage of music. We all have at least one hip-hop song inour favorite playlist. As much as a painter or author takes inspiration from other paintings or books, so does a rapper take inspiration from another. Kaliwae is a rising rapper who popularized the viral single “Disrespectful”.

At the beginning, Kaliwae didn’t envision herself as a rapper. She felt as though the odds of success were equivalent to that of a college football player wanting to join the NFL. Kaliwae often considered herself to be realistic and didn’t think that a rap career was possible. However, her views quickly changed after seeing her brother Blueface achieve platinum rapper status in a very short time.

Growing up, Kaliwae listened to a lot of R&B, pop, and hip-hop music. Her favorites during that time were Missy Elliott, Trina, and Nicki Minaj. According to Kaliwae, there was something about their sex appeal and confidence that inspired her to follow in their footsteps. Fast forward to today’s music scene where female artists are more well-known than ever, Kaliwae gets her inspiration from Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.

Cardi B, coming from nothing, was someone Kaliwae deeply related to. Cardi B’s million-dollar grind through social media inspired her to pursue her dreams. Not to mention Megan Thee Stallion who did music for more than 6 years before blowing up. According to Kaliwae, those two women inspired her “to create a beast within herself”.

Aside from Blueface, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, Kaliwae gets inspiration from other rappers as well. Her dad, who was always playing 2PAC’s songs, was the first to put a little gangsta in her. So, don’t be surprised if you catch her with NBA YoungBoy, Kodak Black or Lil Baby on repeat.

But above it all, her son is the one who inspires her the most. Kaliwae said, “I want to make him proud and I want him to know that he can follow his dreams. Whether they’re life-long dreams or new dreams. I want to show him that with the right motivation and work ethic, he can accomplish anything his heart desires.” Kaliwae’s journey definitely opened her eyes.

“Everything society has taught us is a complete lie. There isn’t anything more important in this world than to follow your dreams!” Currently, Kaliwae wants to collab with Cardi B. who was one of the first celebrities to follow her on Instagram. Maybe Cardi B saw what Kaliwae didn’t see in herself at the time.