Author: grungecake

In a recent in-depth conversation with Alemeda, Richardine Bartee delved into the artist’s journey from her early days in music to the breakthroughs and challenges that have shaped her unique sound. Alemeda opens up about the struggles she faced when starting out, including overcoming self-doubt and a steep learning curve, from being relatively new to studio work to navigating industry expectations. She reflects on the impact of her cultural background, growing up in a conservative Ethiopian-Muslim household where music was limited, and how this shaped her understanding of and connection to various genres and artists over time. Through determination and self-discovery, Alemeda has developed a distinctive voice in the Alt-Pop genre, challenging stereotypes and redefining norms. Her story exemplifies resilience and highlights the complexities of representation and genre classification in today’s music landscape. For those young in spirit or mind, who appreciate exploring diverse musical styles and discovering inspiring journeys to success, you’re in for something special. Don’t miss Richardine’s interview with Alemeda below.

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Introduction of Alemeda

Richardine: I would like to start with your beginning. If you could, talk to me about what it was like making music early on. Then, take us through the journey from then till now.

Alemeda: Okay, well, in the very beginning, it was extremely hard for me. Like, I honestly wanted to quit, like, all the time. Like, this is not for me, you know? And I was… I didn’t feel like I was good at it, because when TDE found me, I was so new. Like, when I tell you I had only been in the studio maybe five times… I was so inexperienced. When I first came [to America] I didn’t know who Lauryn Hill was. Now I’m like, one of the biggest Lauryn Hill fans… I didn’t know who Erykah Badu was. I didn’t know all these people.

I know every session I would go through it, and we wouldn’t even make a song. Like, they were like, “Okay, we gotta make you a playlist!” Like, you gotta get tapped in. The first two years… was education. It was almost like college — like the Introduction to Music! It’s been four years now. Yeah, so the second two years is when I really found my sound and actually started to make music.

Richardine: Why didn’t you know about Lauryn and Erykah? Is it because of how you grew up?

Alemeda: Yeah, so, like, the way my mom… she just didn’t like music, even though she’s Ethiopian. We didn’t like any music because in our religion, music necessarily, isn’t forbidden, but it’s just like guitars… stringed instruments. So, she was kind of like, you know, just no music. Like, even, [if] it’s a theme song played on a show on TV. If she’s walking to the room, I have to mute it, because she’d be like, “Hold on, what’s going on here? Y’all trying to start a club in my living room?”

She used to get really angsty about that. But all the music that I knew as a child was just whatever was on the radio in the 2000s which was a lot of Rock, a lot of Pop, Beyoncé, you know what I mean? Like, everything that was just Pop during that time was just straight club music and that’s what I knew. Like, or, you know, Bruno Mars… all these big Pop artists from the early 2000s and late 2000s.

Richardine: Okay, [it] makes sense. And I think it makes sense for it to just be string instruments because if it’s based on religion, there’s really no interruption. It’s like a pure form of music.

Alemeda: Yeah.

Richardine: It’s just you and that instrument. It’s not like all of these other energies. So, I think I understand that.

Alemeda: Yeah.

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Challenges and Influences in Music Career

Richardine: Okay, and then, so coming up as an Alt-Pop artist, and a Black one at that, what have the challenges been?

Alemeda: I think the biggest goal for me is like, just establishing myself as it. I’ve made it a huge thing with Warner and TDE to like, just kind of like, make sure that we establish that in the beginning. Because if, if I then go in the future and make a different [genre]… Like, the moment you start making R&B music, or you start rapping, it’s so hard for you to branch out. And, like, one of the biggest things for was kind of The Weeknd. He’s, like, one of the biggest Ethiopian artists out there. I watched him do R&B and then make it one of the poppiest albums of all time. He just… they, just weren’t. You know what I mean?

Richardine: Yes!
Alemeda: It’s like, if you were White, they would like, you know, go in and out of any genre and actually give you the award for that genre. Or, like, call you… call your project that genre at least.

Richardine: Like Post Alone.

Alemeda: Like Ariana Grande. She can do multiple genres. They’ll call her Pop song a Pop song and her R&B song and an R&B song. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But I do know for Black people, it’s so much harder for you to be diverse.

Richardine: Yes.

Alemeda: Alternative music is like, the most comfortable music I love making. I actually can listen to the songs and not get annoyed by my voice. So…

Richardine: Yeah, I’m just surprised to hear you even say that you could be annoyed by your voice because we love it.

Alemeda: Listen, oh, man. I used to walk out of studios when people started playing my songs. I was like, “Oh no!”

Alemeda: I’ll tell you. My confidence level built as I… the past four years, in the beginning… I just like, you know, you don’t know what you’re doing. Just have imposter syndrome and just feel like nothing’s good.

Richardine: How are you now? Like, how are you feeling about it all now?

Alemeda: I feel great now. Honestly. I feel so comfortable. I feel great performing my music. I feel great listening to it. It’s so easy to make it. I’m not spending six hours in the studio, just like, stressing about whether or not this studio time money is going to be worth it. You know what I mean? Like, I just go in there and actually create. And it’s like… I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like, making wonderful projects. And like, I don’t know…

Richardine: Okay, but how do you feel as one of the artists that is finally going to be seen as Alt-Pop and not R&B… Because I feel like there have been artists that have tried, but in recent memory, I think that you are the one that is being fronted and presented as such, from early on. And so there, it leaves no room for anyone to be like, “This person is R&B, or this person is Hip-Hop”, or what have you. Like, have you digested that yet?

Alemeda: Yes, because, like, I’ve heard so many stories of other artists and what they’ve gone through. And I see it like, you know? I mean, it’s right there, you’ll see somebody call somebody Alternative R&B. And I’m like, “Bro, that’s literally an indie song!” But whatever, right? Like, I’m so early into everything, and I hope that what we’re doing everything — like, how Warner and TDE are, like, just correctly, doing it — I hope that actually gets put forward. And then [make] other people [a] little open-minded.

Like, we have people like Willow who kind of, like, we all know Willow is like Alternative. We all know that she’s one of the people that have done it. Willow could go make a whole other album, and [we would] still know her, you know what I mean? So, there’s people who’ve done it before. And I’m trying to think… There’s, I don’t know if you just know this artist named Rachel Chinouriri…

Richardine: No.

Alemeda: She’s from Zimbabwe, and she lives in the UK, and she makes amazing Rock music! She’s a little bigger than me, but she’s somebody that everybody’s very much like, “This is Rock!”

Richardine: Wow!

Alemeda: Yeah, she’s amazing! You should check her out. But honestly, those people have inspired me, like Willow inspired me a lot. Willow inspired me a lot to just feel confident in it — put my foot down.

Richardine: Yeah, definitely! I think that… I guess [it] is the way that Willow was rolled out (See: 2018’s debut single, ‘Whip My Hair’). It’s it was just hard for people to grasp it. They’re still trying to place her like, I don’t know, it’s weird. I don’t think it should be that difficult, but it is, unfortunately… You have also worked with Ab-Soul on his album. Can you talk to us about that? Like, what was that like?

Alemeda: Ab-Soul is one of the people in the label that I actually have one of the best relationships with. He’s the sweetest guy ever. And he literally just was about to put out his album. He wanted this feature to be… he wanted a singing vocal voice. And he just literally hit me at random, literally, like, five days before the project was supposed to be ingested, and I was like, “Oh my God.” And so, I literally went to the studio, the next day, I think, and I recorded it and just sent it to him.

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Performance Experiences and Cultural Identity

Richardine: Wonderful. Recently, for the ‘Not Like Us’ performance… the pop-up in LA, you were there.What was that moment like? We weren’t there. So, we don’t know what was that energy like. What did LA feel like in that moment?

Alemeda: You know what? I’m such a homebody. I’m so like… I’m still figuring out LA culture, but I definitely saw it that day! You had so many races all in that stadium. It was filled to the brim!

They played ‘Not Like Us’, like, eight times in a row. I was backwards, like it was just crazy. Then, everybody jumped on the stage. I was thinking about it, but I was like, “Wait, actually, I’m not trying to fall off.”

It was amazing. It was amazing. Like, I actually, when I tell you, I’m the person at the label that probably stays home the most. Like people literally know me as the one that, even at Warner, everybody’s like, “You gotta come out more! You gotta come…” Like, okay, okay, I’ll do it this year. But that day, I was like, “Okay, maybe I should come out more, because it was fun. Really fun. I’m more of a concert person than, like, a club or like, yeah. So, I really enjoyed it. It was amazing. And I met, I mean, I’ve met Kendrick before, but that was like, it felt like it kind of felt more special.

Richardine: Yes, absolutely! I think everybody saw the picture. I was like, “Okay!”

Alemeda: I know I went there! I had the Ethiopian jersey on. I had to get a photo for the Ethiopians, bro! They go crazy. I like strategically wore that jersey.

Richardine: Yes, everything on purpose. I love that energy! Speaking of which, didn’t you guys just celebrate a new Year?

Alemeda: Yeah, yeah. It was. Honestly, I think my family never celebrated. I don’t know if it’s more of a Christian holiday, but yeah, the Ethiopian New Year just happened there. I think they’re actually like six years behind. So, it’s not 2024 over there.

Richardine: It’s like 2017. Okay, so it’s, that’s a Christian thing in Ethiopia. It’s not everyone…

Alemeda: Yeah, because it’s based off of the Christian… What was the name of the calendar?

Richardine: I want to say Almanac, so bad, but I don’t think that’s it. Like, a Gregorian calendar. I think that when these posts are online, we think that it’s just everyone. That’s a good thing to note. Thank you very much.

Alemeda: Yeah, a lot of people don’t. There’s a huge difference between being a Muslim Ethiopian and being a Christian Ethiopian. Like, I would say being a Muslim Ethiopian is more similar. I don’t know if you know anything about like, Somali culture or like, Sudanese culture.

Richardine: Yes.

Alemeda: It’s more like that. Like, we’re more strict. We’re more like… it’s like, we’re both, like, equally modest. If you ever go to Ethiopia, you won’t even tell who’s Christian and Muslim. Everybody’s covering their hair.

Richardine: Everyone?

Alemeda: Yeah, like the Christian people wear the white wraps. And then, the Muslims wear literally, like, every color under the rainbow. But it’s like, they live a very similar lifestyle. They don’t eat pork. They don’t drink. Like, it’s very religious on both sides. But I realised as I got older — because I grew up very much in the Muslim community — I was like, “Oh, the Christian Ethiopians were kind of not the same.” Like, we had different types of parents. Their parents are a little more lenient. Most parents try to preserve their religion when they come to the States.

Richardine: Makes sense. Were you born in Ethiopia?

Alemeda: I was actually born in Chicago, but a lot of people tell me I can’t claim it because I was only there till like six months. I was six months old when I left. I lived in Ethiopia until preschool. My mom wanted to go to Arizona because all her friends from the refugee camp moved to Arizona from Chicago. Then, I went back to Ethiopia in fourth grade. Stayed there until middle school, and then came back to Arizona to finish high school.

Richardine: Okay, so you’re Ethiopian and Sudanese.

Alemeda: Yes, my dad is from Sudan and my mom is from Ethiopia.

Richardine: Okay, so you’re Ethiopian and Sudanese.

Alemeda: Yes, my dad is from Sudan and my mom is from Ethiopia.

Richardine: Okay, so you’re Ethiopian and Sudanese.

Alemeda: Yes, my dad is from Sudan and my mom is from Ethiopia.

Richardine: And what would you say are the differences between Ethiopia, Sudan and being from America? Like, how does that show up for you in your diet? Like, maybe you’re eating, like, Ethiopian food or Sudanese food, or are you more on the American side? I just kind of want to get an idea of who you are in that way.

Alemeda: So, like, growing up, I thought I was like, the healthiest person in the world because, you know, Ethiopia food is, like, one of the most healthiest cuisines. Like, it has everything. It’s mostly vegetarian with, like, straight, you know, meats that are, like, mostly halal, so it’s clean. Like, the moment I moved to LA… when I tell you, I was dizzy…. I called my family.

I was like, “Bro, am I…? What’s going on with me?” I find out I’m anemic, but I didn’t know. Because Ethiopian parents are very against the medical. They hate going to the doctor [unless they really have to]. They like everything natural.

“Oh, you’re sick? Chomp on some of the garlic or something”, you know what I mean? But, like, the moment I moved to LA I realised I had all these health issues. I’m severely anemic like, severely, but I didn’t know this. My whole life… My mom is the strictest dietitian like, she did not let us eat. To this day, she’s never had fast food. Like she’s never ate a hot Cheeto. She’s kind of, like, I don’t know what the word is. Like, not, she’s extremely disciplined. I don’t know what—there’s a word for it. I forgot what it is. So, the moment I left, like, this is my first time eating tacos. This is my first time eating Filipino food, Thai food, Japanese like, I’m like, eating every cuisine for the first time. And it was amazing. But like, I have to do the whole American food thing. I was so damn mad. I have to go to eat guilty food, very consistently. Climate-wise, I drive back to Arizona every week, to be in the heat. Like, I love the heat! Lowkey, it’s weird. Somebody just asked me this. They’re like, “Does moving here affect you health-wise?”

I’m like, “Yeah, it does. If I don’t eat injera and, like, if I don’t stay in a hot climate, I lowkey, just, I’m not there. I’ve never realised it since I moved to LA. And my mom moved to Arizona because it’s the closest climate to Ethiopia.

Richardine: Yeah, how was she doing it in Chicago? Because it gets really cold in Chicago.

Alemeda: That’s why she only stayed there for six months.

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New Project and Personal Reflections

Richardine: Your new project, ‘FK IT’. Talk to us about that. Why did you use this title?

Alemeda: I feel like the title represents the feeling I’ve had in the past four years. I think it’s kind of like, I just was such an overthinker. And I was like, I don’t know. I’ve had so many things in my brain. And I’m like, “Bro, like, I can’t care about what people think if I wanted to actually do well in my career. I have to be fully transparent with myself and, like, you know, just really be real. The name kind of is like, “Fuck it” in a way of like, “Bro, fucking like, what am I faking for?” You know, and I gotta just be myself. And all the songs, was just mostly hateful, low-key. The project is pretty, pretty hateful, pretty angry, but yes, that also ties into the ‘FK IT’.

Richardine: Yes, I agree. What is your favourite song from currently on your project?

Alemeda: On my project?

Richardine: Yes.

Alemeda: I think my favourite song on the project will always be ‘First Love Song’.

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GRUNGECAKE AFRICA‘s digital issue starring our cover star, Alemeda, will be available to read in a PDF format later this month on our website. It’s important to note that each digital issue is released through our partners (British Airways, JetBlue, and many other digital newsstands) exclusively. Then, GRUNGECAKE AFRICA becomes available for all of our loyal readers online.

In the issue: An in-depth interview with Panamanian-American recording artist Nino Augustine about being an Afro-Latin person of colour creating amidst today’s bustling Afropop boom, an interview with Nigerian-American wardrobe stylist Twizei known for working with many prominent African artists like Ayra Starr and Rema, a word with award-winning Nigerian filmmaker CJ Obasi, and more articles.

GRUNGECAKE AFRICA will release its next issue in the first quarter of 2025. Download our BETA issue of GRUNGECAKE AFRICA via this link.

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