After selling pretty much everything that she owns back in Birmingham, the second most populated city in the UK behind London, singer Chelji moved to LA on a hope and a dream. The young artist is making all of the right moves such as signing a record deal with Internet Money Records when she moved, collaborating with other notable artists such as lil cxxp, and even randomly making an appearance on Adam22’s No Jumper podcast. Finding her voice more and more with each release, I am excited to see what she has up her sleeve for the New Year.
David: You are LA-based now, correct? What was your hometown like and when did you make the move?
Chelji: “Yes! My hometown is Birmingham, it’s nice there.. Of course certain areas aren’t as good as others and crime still happens, that’s everywhere though. My hometown is very multicultural and I love it. Everyone accepts everyone no matter what. I went to LA to live there 3 months ago. I sold everything and had nothing but 1 suitcase and a whole lot of hope, then I signed a record deal.”
David: What is the music scene like in Birmingham?
Chelji: “Music scene in Birmingham is ehh…”
David: Was there a specific time that you remember thinking to yourself “This is definitely what I want to do with my life?”
Chelji: “The second somebody told me i’m their reason to keep going… So i kept going. Music is so powerful..”
David: Can you tell me a little bit about the deal you signed?
Chelji: “I can’t say much about it but shoutout to Taz for changing my life.”
David:I’d also love to know the inspirations behind Bad Boy and Your Touch.
Chelji: “Bad Boy is inspired by a cheater. Of course.. I used his original voice notes all the way through the song & it’s my favorite! Your Touch is about connection. Strong sexual connection, not a lot of female artists express enough in songs. They are both about the same person….”
David: How did you link with coop? Did you get to record Lines and Lies together?
Chelji: “I got told to go to a studio and I pulled up. made a banger on the spot! We record it together and freestyled it!”
David: How has life in LA compared to life in Birmingham?
Chelji: “LA is a lot different, people still stare at the face tats but they’re a lot more accepting. Musically, LA has changed everything – the scene is soooo big out there.”
David: I saw on No Jumper that you are sober? What’s your take on drugs and creativity vs self medication? Positive/negative aspects?
Chelji: “Yes I’m sober! & people can do whatever that want … just stay safe. I don’t have much else to say on drugs.. I don’t judge.”
David: What are some of your goals in the industry?
Chelji: “To make an impact, fuck the money tbh. To open more doors for female artists.”
Shoutout to Chelji for taking the time to speak with me, I wish her the best of luck as she takes on her career. We are surely in for some great music going forward with Internet Money backing her. She has set up a great team behind her, I am eager to see how they will execute all of their plans.