Talia Goddess Breaking Industry Norms within Music, Fashion & Entrepreneurship

Nia: Hey! I'm Nia. So, excited to be speaking with you. I'm already inspired by your story. I was talking to Jen. I was like, 'Okay, cool. Like, tell me about this girl.

I always love just finding new artists, listening to their music, understanding who they are and how they come up with their genre and their own style. I love your outfits. I love the hoodie with the jumper. I love how you mix-match things, how do you come up with it? And how do you push that into your music?

Tayahna: My personal style has really been interesting because, for the majority of my years in school, I went to school in uniform. So, all the way up to 8th grade, I wasn't a big fan of like the Jordans or name brands, you know.

In middle school, my uniform was kept simple. And it wasn't until I got to high school, which was performing arts in the Midtown. I got a whole different ballgame that I started to see like, 'Wow. How do I express myself and how do I represent myself visually? How do I want to be perceived?

And a major part of what influences what I wear is, how I want to be treated. What I'm doing whether it's playing with my femininity and masculinity. That also influenced how I was perceived and how that channeled or how I reflected my sexuality. If I want to be all done up, you know, like super high-maintenance. Whether that's just like sweats or you know, like streetwear or shit like that.

Nia: That's fire. Where are you from?

Tayahna: I'm from Brooklyn.

Nia: Brooklyn! That's why my dog name is Biggie. I love Brooklyn. I lived in Brooklyn for three and a half years. I lived in East Flatbush right off of Utica.

Tayahna: Yeah, But I was in the 90s.

Nia: In the 90s. So, wait. Where are you now?

Tayahna: I'm in Bed-Stuy.

Nia: I love Brooklyn. They say spread love is the Brooklyn way.

Tayahna: Haha, Yeah. For real.

Nia: That's why I moved to Brooklyn and not queens or Harlem or anything because I knew I was going to get love. Are you the type of Brooklyn person that leaves their borough? Do New York people never leave their borough?

Tayahna: Haha, Yeah, that's true. I think because I went to school in the city. I was always in Harlem. First of all, I don't know, uptown ... You would have thought I was an Uptown, shorty, for real. It really depends because when I started driving I was always in Queens. I take Jackie Robinson a lot.

Nia: ....because it's the only place you can drive.

Tayahna: Hahaha, Yeah, exactly! It depends on the lengths.

Nia: No, I feel that. So, I see that you're unsigned and you're here telling me you're in Harlem, Brooklyn, and Queens. Is that how you and ASAP Ferg started linking up? And you're now doing Tommy Hilfiger campaigns and working with MCM and Converse.

Tayahna: So, ASAP Ferg is my shit. Funny story because of my friend. So, I went to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School and that's on West 66 Street. My friend Livia, called me saying, 'Girl, ASAP FERG shooting in Harlem. Pull up right now!' Mind you, I'm in 8th period. But I'm like, ' ASAP Ferg!'

But I was like, 'Damn.' I usually pop out every day. The one day I did not pop out, fucking ASAP Ferg show up. I'm like, 'Damn. What am I going to wear?' she’s like, 'Bro, pull up', so. We pull up, and I'm there. We're in the projects, real Harlem shit.

And after a while, I'm like, 'What does he even look like?' Because I don't know. Everybody knows ASAP Ferg but I'm like, 'What does he look like?' So, I googled ASAP Ferg. Then, I realize, he's right there. Like sitting right next to me. I'm like, 'Oh, Literally, it's ASAP Ferg.' I didn't have anything to say to him.

And then I met up and I linked up with him at an event that I was DJing. He pulled up and he was like, 'No, I remember you." Mind you, I was in his video. We were talking a little bit. I was like, 'Yeah, you sure you remember me?'. He gave me a follow. And then, also his younger brother, Delly, and I did a show with him. And he performed and I was with all the vibes. It's just, New York is such a small city, you know. You're always connected and meeting people. And Ferg is super local too, but he be outside.

Nia: Delly is really dope. I love Delly. He's cool. He's different. You and Delly kind of remind me of each other. What type of artist would you collab with? Would you collab with the Delly?

Tayahna: Yeah, for sure. Honestly, I'm a producer. I like his style. But honestly, that's a layered question. Because my friends are so fucking talented. And I want to collaborate and we have been collaborating. And then also, just tapping into writing for others, producing for others, features, very much like Ne-yo.

A part of me like the type of artists that are retired now.

Nia: Like a LL Cool J?

Tayahna: Yeah, like a LL Cool J. Real pioneers. The sound, neo-soul, and hip hop, especially in New York. So, I'm very much tapped into the roots. I really just, like get into that core sounds of originality.

Nia: Dope. I love it. Let's get into "Never want to fall". Which is really dope. You went back and forth with their sound and I like that.

Tayahna: So, that sound, that song, I made that in my junior year of high school. But I was basically going through a breakup, evidently. The song within itself kind of just shows the emotional rollercoaster that I went through because of the heartbreak.

The first part is like, you got me fucked up. You know, I'm frustrated. The song is a groove. You can dance to this shit. And then, the transition, that's post-heartbreak. Like, fuck these bitches. I don't need you. You start feeling yourself.

It's kind of like putting on a mask and I don't care. So, that was bad energy, fuck it. But that's the facade and that's sort of what the third part is. It's me melting and just really sinking into this vulnerable state. Which is, your grieving. I'm sad and you broke my fucking heart.

Nia: If you put all those emotions in one song, what are we going to get from this EP?

Tayahna: Haha... I'm really excited to release this EP because I think it really sums up my high school years in an EP. Freshly, I've just graduated and I was ready to go into a new chapter of my life... adulthood. I'm so excited to talk about what I've been up to, but just kind of like, releasing it. It's literally a release of all those experiences usually that pertain to love and loss, life lessons, growing up teen drama. I'm big in R&B, I'm always in my bag. So, that's pretty much it.

Nia: I love it. I love it. So, when can we expect the EP, in April?

Tayahna: Yes, I'm releasing one in April.

Nia: Awesome. What can we see from the EP, visually?

Tayahna: That's actually something I've been exploring a lot lately because throughout high school I started to get into modeling. That was actually super unexpected. I'm not signed to an agency, just like having my Instagram almost acts as a portfolio for my regular like New York-style.

I didn't really try to be anything. So, to be sort of thrust into the modeling world - I'm a muse for major brands and campaigns. I kind of see myself shapeshift, in different forms. So, it's been interesting just to explore and, see how I want to represent myself?

At the end of the day, I'm very much a down to earth true to me, type of person. I'm very low maintenance. I keep it real, keep it comfy. I keep ... relatable - just like my environment and my surroundings. I recently put out a video called "Let go" which is literally, just me in New York. I keep it super simple. And I have a duality of just like being super, you know, high-end and all done up. And then there’s also laid back me. It’s all me.

Nia: I love it. I always end my interviews with this question. What is the legacy that you're trying to leave? What's the legacy that you're building right now? And what is it that you want to do with that legacy? What is it supposed to leave for us to know from you?

Tayahna: Right. I've been thinking about that a lot. Especially, as I venture into things outside of music. I recently started a record label and I'm also recording in the studio. And I've always just had an activist background. I don't really see it as activism, this is my life. This is my reality, you know. This is my community, and I want to advocate towards people who don't have a voice, who don't have the platform and just weave that into my resistance, you know.

My art is a resistance to the status quo. I try not to force things. Maybe I could have a mission statement but I'm very much just like, everything that I do, I do out of love, I do out of passion, I do out of inspiring the future generation. But I'm super young and I'm thinking about the younger 'ME’s' because I remember when I was young, and I was super inspired by the girls who were young enough for me to relate to but still old enough for me to look up to. So, I like being in that little intersection between, the old and new. Just looking forward but also giving back. I don't know, we all have a responsibility too...

Nia: I was just about to say. So, you do feel like you have a responsibility, but at the same time, you’re staying true to yourself.

Tayahna: Yeah, I've always been an empath and super chill. I feel like music within itself, and being a performer, is catering to an audience or giving back in a sense. I like performing and because I have a performance background people like my shows. It gives them a rush of dopamine, it gets them excited, it brings people together, you know. Using music as a tool to connect people and share my voice as well.

Nia: Thank you so much.

Tayahna: Thank you for speaking with me. It's an honor.

Check out the premiere of Talia New Music Video "I'll Be Down"

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