5 On It: Ayilla

Some may question why Ayilla? She doesn't have the track record yet. She hasn't had that many performances. She's an amateur! And that's when I have to quote Chris Rock from his speak in the movie "Head of State".

You're right, Vice President Lewis.
I am an amateur.
When it comes to creating so many enemies that we need billions of dollars
to protect ourselves,
I'm an amateur.
When it comes to paying farmers not to grow food while people in this country starve every day,
I'm an amateur.
When it comes to creating a drug policy that makes crack and heroin cheaper than asthma and AIDS medicine,
I'm an amateur.
But there's nothing wrong with being an amateur.
The people that started the Underground Railroad
were amateurs.
Martin Luther King was an amateur.
Have you ever been to Amateur Night at the Apollo?
Some of the world's best talent was there:
James Brown, Luther Vandross, Rockwell, the Crown Heights Affair.
-Hall and Oates!
-The Fat Boys, Rob Base.
But you wouldn't know nothing about that. Why?
Because when it comes to judging talent and potential...
you, my friend, are an amateur!

Sorry about the rant. But I'm an artist, and I'm sensitive about my shit. But without further ado. Here's the amateur. Ayilla!

When did you start rapping? I've always wrote, I've always been a writer. But everything I wrote in the beginning was kind of like raps. I didn't actually hop on stage and stuff until this summer. I just got started. So I've been writing for a while. But I really didn't start digging in til the end of my basketball season.

So what really got you into rap?   I love, I love writing and stuff and then like MC, I love MC'n.   I love just the whole idea of rap, like solid rap, a(well) constructed wrap, that's really put together, like WOW! it's pretty amazing. So I don't know. I just love the craft and I love the whole art.

What was the first album you bought? I bought confessions, I ain't gonna lie. It was NSYNC. Real   confession. I was young and I didn't get to tap into hip hop. I'm was adopted by white people. So I didn't get to tap into this hip hop stuff until 5th grade when I got grounded and found a radio. And my first song I heard was Eminem, and that shit slapped. So I was like,  What is this! I've never experienced this. So after that it was just like love. People sleep on NSYNC, but it's a lot of people that be on NSYNC. Back back in the day I knew all they dance moves.

Who is Sarah Short?I am a loving,    I love people, I love everything about people.   I'm antisocial at times, so I like  to kinda get ducked off at times and get in my space      and my creative time. But I love music, I love people and I just want to see   everybody around me and myself to be great. Do what you want to do. I'm outgoing. 

So now you go by a new name Ayilla? It was key. It was a strategic step that I felt like was necessary in building and what I have planned for the future.

Who is Sarah Short? I am a loving, I love people, I love everything about people. I'm antisocial at times, so I like to kinda get ducked off at times and get in my space and my creative time. But I love music, I love people and I just want to see everybody around me and myself to be great. Do what you want to do. I'm outgoing.

So now you go by a new name Ayilla? It was key. It was a strategic step that I felt like was necessary in building and what I have planned for the future.

So can you tell us more about the distinction between Sarah Short and Ayilla? Ayilla is my alter ego.  I feel like when everybody steps out, we put it on that. I wouldn't even say it's a mask, but you put on how you carry yourself. When you go to a job, you carry yourself a certain way. When I step out into the music scene, I carry myself a certain way. And I feel like that's my alter ego. Ayilla! I don't care what anybody has to say. Ima wear what I want to wear. I'm going to say what I want to say. Ima spit what I want to spit. She don't care about opinions. None of that. It's very free. Very go with the flow type person. So the distinction between the two. I don't think they're really that different. I feel it's not a whole huge difference, but it's really I feel like that's the more lit me. Which I'm still finding myself in this too. It's just the beginning for me. So I'm still on a journey of my sound and forming this person that I'm becoming, I guess you would say.

What would you say inspired the song Ms. Mary? Mary Jane by Rick (Rick James), he definitely was the inspiration behind it. But I also know that song's (a) nursery rhyme. If you can get a song to sound like it's simple. People love simple. And when I created the song it was a combination of just having fun with your music and having no limitations to it. Like I can talk about cartoon characters, I mention Snow White in Rwanda and things like that. I watch cartoons, I kick it out, I'll leave, I escape. I really wanted that to be combined with the love Mary Jane. So a lot with the song, and the nursery rhyme of it, and just having fun with your music. Just being creative. 

Is there one verse, one line that you feel goes over people's heads? The explanation behind the Mawana, chilling on vacation. I've been having Snow White conversations with the birds. The Snow White and the Mawana is me predicting my future of what's to come after all of this. I'm a big believer in manifestation and when I say it and I'm thinking in my head, then I can hold it in my hands. So me saying (Singing) "me in Mawana chillin on vacation." I plan on being on a beach one day, like kicking it a blunt rolled up chillin. And also it's like a growth of me, it's kind of deep, it's like a spiritual growth within myself and things like that. Really like escaping this current state or whatever you want to call it. 

What would you define your music as? Unique. Different. Chill. Also like in tune. I feel there's still some depth to it and it's not just about nothing. So if there was a word that, put all those words together, that word. But I don't know. But really chill, expressive, and creative, or unique.

What artist would you say inspires you? Throwbacks. Of course Ms Erykah (Erykah Badu), Ms. Lauryn (Lauryn Hill). I love them. Current artists. I'm a big fan of obviously; J. Cole. Kendrick. Those are big on a lot of people people's plates. Kehlani, I love her vibe. SZA. Those are inspirations for sure. So is Erica and Lauren. One, Erica created a whole genre. Like you can't even top that. She really is like mama Badu (raises fist in the air), I love her. So that's a big one. This is just a reminder to myself. Stay you. Do you, do what you do. Nobody was doing what she was doing. Her sound is completely different and I don't feel like a lot of people necessarily are doing what I'm doing, but don't make it a bad thing. It's a good thing.

So if you could work with any artists, who would you work with? Erykah! Just every answer. Erykah! Erykah! Erykah! I would just keep saying Erykah, but Lauryn. But somebody whose  who's probably making more music right now. I'd love it to do a song with J. Cole. With SZA even. Kendrick (Kendrick Lamar). Joey Badass. It's too many dope people. It's too many people to pick just one, but those are probably my tops.

For the process of just recording your songs do you write down your lyrics? Or are you more like a freestyle type? In the studio I'm pretty much writing, and writing in my note pad. I'm all about the paper and the pencil. I've done some freestyles in the studio but I'm stuck more to my writing and planned out stuff. I've done a couple of songs freestyle. I did this one song freestyle but I sung it freestyle. It's like singing freestyle. I don't know if that's a thing. I've done one rap freestyle, but I did a couple singing freestyles that I really enjoyed. Actually I've got more coming that's pretty tight. So yeah. I do a little of both.

​So what things do you need to have in the studio while recording? Good lighting! That's weird, but I got to have a good vibe. I don't want that fluorescent light on myface.Like can we get a blue light? Can we get a black light? I gotta have good lighting. Everybody in there has to have good energy, everybody has to be positive, and has to be putting off a good vibration. Because I can read, I can feel the vibration, I can feel a bad mood when it walks in the room. I don't like that. And a little Mary J never hurt nobody. But I actually don't smoke when I sing tho because of smoking and my lungs. I like to be the best I can be. But afterwards, pass me that thang! 

What do you think the Tulsa rap scene is missing to make it that city, that Atlanta? 
I don't know if we're necessarily missing anything, but I know that the way to be like Atlanta's scene, we goota go! As much as we love Tulsa, we gotta go. We gotta get outta here. Because we have a certain demographic and the demographic here compared to Atlanta, Louisiana, and Cali. It's different here.
​It's country here! Yes. We have a music thing. Yes. It's a great place to build a foundation for your music. But we gotta get up outta here y'all. I think we have every element. We got the hood shit. We got the con (conscious) shit. We got like the my style, the chill, vibe type, So I think we have pretty much every genre almost. Even the old school hip hop sound. We just gotta expand some type of way. And it's coming. But definitely we gotta go. So that's pretty much it. We gotta keep grinding and working together. 
Do you have any plans of going out and leaving? Yes I'm Excited! I'm going to Atlanta, Atlanta soon. Networking, trying to hop on stages up there. And then I have somebody in Cali that I'm trying to build and network with also. And another trip planned after that to Houston. That's a big Area down there I'm trying to tap into. So yeah, I do have plans on getting on the road and trying to basically set up a tour by summer. So that's the one of my goals,

I see your in school. What are you in school for? Business Marketing. Which is key to what I am doing because I'm taking everything and I'm just trying to apply it to my music.

So if you got a really good job would that slow down your music? No. Because this is what I'm doing. I've already told her. It's funny even my professors are like. I haven't necessarily stopped anything that I'm doing with school. I'm still very focused. But I used to be going to all of the interviews, going to certain special meetings, and trying to get a job. But now I'm like, I'm doing music and this is what I'm doing. And I'm gotta make it. I haven't had a thought about making it. But nah, it's music all the way.

In this new streaming world. What is your focus? How do you define success? Well my personal definition of success in music is to give people peace of mind while they listen to my music from whatever it is and what is going on. And inspire them to be great and inspire people to do what they want to do. If you want to be the best lawnmower in the game. Go cut them yards! (Laughing!) I want to inspire people to do what they want to do. So that's my personal definition of success. Now when it comes to streaming and the money side of things, I think of it as a tool more than anything, not something that is success. It's just a tool that can help me achieve my next level of success. I've got a big heart for helping for like the homeless and things like that. That's my big impact. I'm trying to plan an event soon actually.

You and Tizzi seem really tight. How do you know Tizzi? 
We used to play against each other in high school. I went to memorial, she went to Central. So when we played against each other, we was always cool for some reason. It wasn't no body checks, it was just very social, very cool. Then I saw her around the town a couple times and every time I saw her we talked, even when we use to see each other outside of basketball we always spoke all the way up until this last year is when we actually got connected. My sister had invited her over. She just came over and we all just kicked it. It was just instant. We just all cool. That's how we met. And ever since it's been nuthin but good vibes, and fun, and funny. And the whole 9.

Would you ever sign to a major label? I've been struggling with this. I'll definitely be thinking  independent or signed. I talked to 2Peece about it and his advice was don't unless it's a distribution deal, don't just be signing nuthin (imitating 2Peece). Because they gonna make everything sound good. You need a lawyer. So I would if it was a good distribution deal, the contract lined up, and I had a lawyer that looked out for me and let me know. So I would but it would have to be some good shit. And I'm not even sure necessarily that it would be a major one I think I would rather sign with something like J. Cole's Dreamville or something, but I don't know if his (is), owned by (a major label). So yes but, it depends.

Who are your Top 5 rappers? I don't care what nobody say. I'm in love with Kevin Gates. So Kevin Gates even though he might not be everybody's top rapper or whatever. That's my guy. I love everything that he, how he carries himself. So Kevin Gates. I go ahead and give it to J. Cole. Put J. Cole on there. I put Mac (Mac Miller) up there. RIP. Because I was bumpin him and that last album from him like crazy before everything went down. Let me give you some throwbacks. Ms Lauryn (Lauryn Hill). She is a rapper, I don't care what anybody says. Then one more other person. A Tribe Called Quest, the whole squad. I fuck with them heavy. That's the whole line up.
 
So what have you learned from studying them? Kevin Gates. Do want you want to do and don't care what people think, say what you want to say. And also he taught me how to move. Your playing chess with people. J. Cole. Talk about what needs to be talked about, as well as Lauryn. Lauryn has taught me to embrace. I have a deep voice when I sing and so does she. And she also hits high notes and stuff. She's kind of taught me to embrace that. That sound.  It's okay to have a little deeper voice and not be singing all high pitched. It's OK to embrace your deep voice, and how she raps and carries herself as a woman. That right there, she's a big inspiration and showing me how to move also. Mac. Really his last album I felt like it was very him. So just be you. If you want to tap into that side of you then, your art is your art. So Just be you. And A Tribe Called Quest. Their flow. I really get inspired by the put their words together, their flow, their style. I love it. so that they really taught me to expand my rapping talent, my rapping technique. How to expand to get better. Like them and their wordplay.

What do you want listeners to get from your music? I want them to get, I think I kind of mentioned it before in my definition of success with my music. But I want them to have a little peace. A little inspiration to go do what they want to do, and a moment from whatever is going on in their life. And just (Exhales!), decompress. And listen to the song and just enjoy it, love it, take some time for yourself. And I think like with more songs that come out, you'll hear it more of like just be you, and do what you want to do. And create. I have like three tattoos on my wrists. Both sides say. Appreciate, Pray, Visualize, Advance, Evolve, Create, Live By It. Do that everyday and you'll be good. 

So what are you went into that is not music? What inspires you? Drawing!  I feel like drawing is a big thing. It's alsoa therapy for me, being able to stop everything I'm doing and just focus on something. Myself is very in the moment. It doesn't really have necessarily a direction at the time, so I feel like it's my brain. 



Thanks again to Ayilla. We look forward to the progression of her as an artist and as a person.

Checkout her latest single Ms. Mary below from her up and coming EP. ​​

To find out more about Ayilla and her latest music follow her social media below:

Instagram: @ayillaofficial
Twitter: @short_enough
TIDAL: Ayilla
Spotify: Ayilla
Apple Music: Ayilla
YouTube: AyillaOfficial