Galway-based MC Sweetlemondae has released her new single, Never Gonna Be, and plays Ireland Music Week at The Workman's Cellar, Dublin this Friday, 7 October. We asked her the BIG Questions . . .
Her debut release on Diffusion Lab, a conversation with a friend and fellow artist Moyo about racism and the increase of violent racial crimes in Ireland inspired the track. The song reflects on the huge impact such horrific acts have on the person involved and all the people around them and how life can change so drastically after.
"I thought it would be good to shed light on that topic. I hope it can be understood that I’m not speaking from an American point of view but an Irish one," she says.
"It’s sad how such racial crimes can strain families and change a person’s life forever hence Never Gonna Be The Same."
Sweetlemondae was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and moved to Ireland at the age of seven and lived in Dublin for her formative years and now resides in Galway.
At the age of 15, she started releasing music on Soundcloud and YouTube.
She recently played Electric Picnic and is one of the chosen acts to take part in music showcase, Ireland Music Week.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I can play the piano; I studied classical piano through RIAM until Grade 6. I enjoy traveling and I am very interested in fashion.
How would you describe your music?
I would describe it as Hip Hop with a touch of R&B, Soul, and alt-rap. As a child, I struggled with expressing my emotions, and I believe that music gave me the space to do so. It also helped me develop as a person and become whom I wanted to be without judgment. My lyricism, I believe, is my musical strength. However, I'm always trying to improve it by reading and learning about myself and life. As an artist, I believe my vibe is a cross between street and hippie. IAMDDB, 070Shake, Loredana, LostGirl, Kaash Paige, Coi Leray, Kodie Shane, and Kehlani are some other artists who I believe have a similar aesthetic/vibe to mine.
Who are your musical inspirations?
It's always difficult to choose, but sonically, I admire J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, JID, Smino, and Westside Boogie. Lexii Alijai is a female rapper who has greatly influenced me. Lexii's raps were unlike anything I'd heard from a female rapper before, especially in today's music. Lexii was able to tell stories and express herself in a way that I could relate to and wanted to. She is the model for how I rap today, and she continues to influence me even though she’s passed on. Nicki Minaj was the first artist I remember listening to because she was the newest and biggest female MC to emerge in hip-hop since the 1990s. However, my mam played a lot of Luther Vandross, Anthony Hamilton, and Michael Jackson in the house, which I believe influenced my love of soul music.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
The first gig that I ever went to was a JID show in 2019. I became a really big fan of JID from an interview he did on Hot 97 in 2017. I could relate to his style of rap and his love of flow and lyricism. When I saw he was coming to Dublin, I knew I had to go! I bought tickets and went on my own. It was such a great experience! Watching the way, he performed definitely inspired me to improve on my stage presence.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Childish Gambino is someone I look up to and Because The Internet was the first album I ever bought.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Starter Jacket by Emmavie and Wakai. I first heard it from TikTok. TikTok puts me onto a lot of cool artists. Now I’ve become fans of both Emmavie and Wakai who are both on the song.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Another difficult question, but the one that comes to mind right now is "You ain’t never gon’ be happy till you love yours" by J Cole. This is my favourite lyric of all time because I’m a big J Cole fan and if I had to pick a song that really moved me a lot when I started listening to his music, it would be this song. It really encouraged me to focus on my own life and not compare myself to anybody else because everybody is going through it in their own way. It reminds me that we’re all just tryna’ figure it out and that we should continue to push with whatever little we have.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
JID and Mereba's Sandstorm. I think Mereba is such a cool eclectic artist. I discovered her through JID, she just sounds so good on any track she jumps on. I could play this song forever just because it’s got both a hip hop and soul vibe, which are my top two favourite genres. It’s not too harsh lyrically so you could easily just zone out listening to it.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Instagram, Spotify, Twitter, TikTok.
