I got the chance to talk to a powerful artist and cultural worker, Abdu Ali, a self described ferociously soft visionary from Baldamore. Abdu gives us so many gems about making their last album, FIYAH!!!, paying homage to black radical literary ancestors and basically shares an instructional guide on how to work while de-centering the white gaze internationally.

I hope you feel as powerful while listening as I did in conversation with them.

 After you take a listen to this week's episode you're gonna wanna get to the money! Nomi is so generous with allll of her money wisdom in this episode! I felt so inspired talking to her about how valuing herself shifted her world and career, walking away when you're not feeling valued and starting her own label to support transfemme music artists!

Follow them on IG and Twitter at @nomiruiz!

Cakes Da Killa is sharing all the nuggets of truth this episode! I had so much fun talking to them about trusting your musical intuition, how important it is to not get caught up in the music industry machine and the black faggot freedom that permeates their music. 

Follow them on IG and Twitter at @cakesdakilla.

There is a transcript available, please feel free to email [email protected] for it!  Get into their playlist here that includes their bops and all of inspirations.

The first episode is with the AMAZING Latasha. We talk about everything from helpful rituals to move through self doubt (hint, maybe it means imaging  Prince in your brain to talk to), the importance of owning your story in a music industry that asks to assimilate us, Latasha's company, Lytework and how her vision of success grows and transforms just as she does. There is a transcript available, please feel free to email [email protected] for it!

To keep up with all the magic Latasha's offering follow her on IG and Twitter at @callmelatasha. Get into Latasha's playlist here that includes her bops and all of her inspirations.

For this first episode Creatrx gets the chance to talk Latasha about her rituals for moving through doubt (which may or may not include talking to Prince), her new company Lytework, and the importance of owning and sharing your story. To keep up with all the magic Latasha's offering follow her an IG and Twitter at @callmelatasha.

 Be sure to get into Latasha's playlist in the notes below that includes her bops and all of her inspirations.

Latasha inspired playlist:

Be sure to follow .WAVMAKERS on IG at @thisis.wavmakers to keep up with all the new episodes! To learn more about  .WAVMAKERS and creatrx's other work you can follow them at @creatrx. And feel free to support via buymeacoffee here.

.WAVMAKERS is an offering, archive and toolkit, providing information to help other artists as they navigate their art, life and careers. 

Join creatrx as they talk with black and latinx women, queer, and trans music artists who've been making music, breaking down barriers, and making their own waves. Dive in with us this spring. 

Hear from LATASHÁ, Cakes da Killa, Abdu Ali and many more. 

Follow us on IG @thisis.wavmakers

Trailer Transcript:

Welcome to .WAVMAKERS. I’m your captain, creatrx, a black, queer, music artist obsessed with imagining and black futures. We’re going on an oceanic voyage into the creative processes of some of the most visionary black & brown women and queer artists.

We will be getting into eveythinggg that happens before we see finished projects; how folks move through the moments of uncertainty and doubt, solidify their voice in a noisy world, and how they make coin while not selling themselves (or us!) short.

We know that black women & queer folks have always made the waves, YET don’t get the respect (or the checks!) that we deserve. That’s why .WAVMAKERS is an offering, archive and toolkit, providing information to help other artists as they navigate their art, life and careers.

Hear from Cakes da Killa “it’s like faggot freedom, I’m here, I don’t really give a fuck, bad bitch, that energy, right?”

Latasha; “I was sick of this independent story being drowned out by a bunch of bullshit. We need us right now and we need you.”

Abdu Ali; “I don’t necessarily feel exploited performing in front of white audiences because I own my music, I own my words.”

Join me and all the other .wavmakers as we create new oceans together. You can dive in this spring.