Feature Friday - Haddy Camara
Name
Haddy Camara
Pronouns
She/Her
Bio
SteinZ is a new Montreal-born rapper who pushes the boundaries of alternative hip-hop. Her music captivates an audience craving for power and fresh substance.
She blends in her dramatic delivery with influences from iconic female artists such as Doja Cat, Nicki Minai and Doechii. She is quite a visionary when it comes to visuals that lean more on the eccentric side with influences from video games, movies and anime.
SteinZ' cheekiness, wit and theatrics make her an unforgettable performer as well breaking through every wall in her way.
Instagram
@__steinz
Where in Montreal are you located?
Ville Saint-Laurent
What do you love about your neighborhood?
When it comes to my actual neighborhood , there isn't much that stands out to me that i love, but i do love and explore the Cote-Des-Neiges region. I'm much more fond of that place because that's the area of the first studio I've ever recorded at, I've had my first recorded live performance (under an old stage name, Takomuma) and that's where i was encouraged to find my identity at my own pace.
What’s your favourite art space in Montreal and why?
My top favourite spot would be NBS studio. That is the very beginning . That is the birthplace of "SteinZ". I get to work with extremely talented people and I made a lot of long time creative friends there. Without them i wouldn't be where i am. I am very grateful and i'll never forget that.
Describe your art in your own words.
I'd say my art is the mended shards of a broken person . It displays how I've rebuild and got to know myself with honesty and transparency. Currently, my art also incorporates learned confidence in myself and in where I'll be going. There's also a part of me in my art that analyzed my past mistakes and learned to do better for myself. I'd like express all of this with the media that I have grown with like anime, video games and supernatural/whimsical/horror shows/movies.
What have you been working on recently?
Currently, I'm working on an EP (maybe album), that shall not be named yet, but it is a proper introduction of me , of SteinZ. I'd share much more vulnerable side of myself like my experiences with love , my manifestations and a hint of my upbringing as well as my thoughts regarding the current world around me. I believe this project would be a true induction since it would also formally bring out my style of rap and sound in a way you would be able to determine my inspirations but conclude it as imitation.
What sparked your passion for music?
In high school , I'd make silly raps to study and remember school stuff for test or even non-school-related raps out of boredom and I'd never thought of taking that seriously until I decided to have fun with music after high school. I reached out to a friend who was musically inclined (shoutout to Shawn) and he linked me up to a producer who worked at a community studio for the youth. That studio was NBS Studio.
Describe your sound.
I'd say my sound aims towards alternative RnB and Hip hop. I have done much punkier and grungier sound in the beginning and dabbled in Hyperpop and Drill. My main focus right now is dwelling on alternative RnB and Boombap again for the EP, and I'd incorporate some ethereal , electro-pop and grungier sounds. I'm returning a bit to my roots.
What does your creative process look like?
I would listen to the beat over and over to topline and create a melody on. Then, I'd save it to my phone to play it when I live my day-to-day outside/inside to have some inspiration for my verses. That's what I did for many of my songs and other times I would show up to shows where my artist friends are performing to get ideas too. I'm lucky to be surrounded by truly inspirational, talented and impactful people.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
To me, in order of impact , I'd say Doja Cat is my number 1 inspiration because, in the beginning, she had weird black quirky girl raps and I related to that. At first, I wasn't fond of her weirdness , then ended up watching her interviews in 2018 and became hardcore fan of hers due to her eccentrism.
Then, there is Nicki since I did grew up listening to her on BET and Youtube, and I'd say due to that , I am unconsciously incorporating her flow (i try not to for the sake of my style).
Lastly, Doechii is one of my influences as well due to her determination and her talent in the rap game being unmatched, and I also related to her since she seemed to start out as a weird quirky black girl too who didn't have much and was focused on pleasing the masses to be known. According to her old videos/interview , she found a book that was destined for her , which was "The Artist's Way", and flipped her goal and execution. Now, she is a humongous star. I got influenced by her experience and got myself the same book.
What do you love about playing live?
I love the connection i get from interacting with the crowd and the fact that I get to own a space for moment to not just rap, but also do some storytelling, act out and lay my emotions for people to relate to.
