Skip to main content
Young Hollywood
MusicHip Hop

Did Crazy Rich Asians Star Awkwafina Ever Run Into Nicki Minaj At School?

Did Crazy Rich Asians Star Awkwafina Ever Run Into Nicki Minaj At School?

3:03·By Gemma G
ShareXFacebookReddit

SUMMARY

Awkwafina discusses her performance as a headliner at the KTOWN Night Market, sharing insights into her creative process and inspirations. She talks about drawing rhymes from everyday life and the significance of being an Asian-American female MC. Awkwafina also touches upon her time at LaGuardia High School, which she attended alongside Nicki Minaj and Azealia Banks.

About this video

Young Hollywood is at the KTOWN Night Market in L.A. where we sit down with the headliner, Awkwafina, to get the scoop on her performance! The 'Crazy Rich Asians' star tells us where she gets the inspiration for her rhymes and who her biggest influences are, as well as what it's like to be a female Asian-American MC, plus she talked about attending the famed LaGuardia High School with the likes of Nicki Minaj!

CHAPTERS

KEY MOMENTS

KEY TOPICS

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Read alongShow ↓
You might know her from her hilarious videos and clever rhymes, and she is also tonight's headliner at Kate Night Market, Aquafina, hanging out with me. That's it. Hello. I'm out here. You're here. I'm here. Yeah, definitely here. Yeah, you flew all the way out from New York just to play this show. I was fully conscious the whole flight too. Nothing to kind of ease the nerves. No. You didn't, you're a brave woman. You're a brave woman. I know. My my headphone jack broke on the plane. So I was like, I didn't I didn't have any sound. So I was watching Finding Nemo with no sound. That sounds terrible. Fully conscious the whole time. Fully conscious the whole time. Let's just start from what you put out there on the internet and how people know you. You're like I said, clever rhymes, the hilarious videos. Uh, what do you draw inspiration from? I draw inspiration from everyday life, like things that make me mad, things that I find funny. Our generation of people have a lot of things in common. And I think when you're listening to somebody who's speaking for that voice, it's very relatable and it's a good feeling, you know. We haven't really seen an Asian-American female MC. I mean, it's time, right? It's time. Yeah, it's definitely time. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I think it's hard right now for a lot of for female MCs in general. There's not a lot that are really killing it right now, you know. We had like Lil Kim and the Brad and like Remy Ma, but that was they were all a different era. Who else inspires you? Who are some of your idols? Um, I really like the Brat and actually like she like hit me up on Instagram, which was like the coolest thing ever. I was like freaking out. She's amazing. What was that moment like? What was your face like when you saw that? I couldn't believe it was really her. I didn't believe it. I mean, she's cuz she's amazing. Yeah. Um, I listen to a lot of like like a Tribe Called Quest, People Under the Stairs. I like Indie Hip-Hop a lot, yeah. For people who have only just heard your songs, are they ever surprised to find out that the the face behind the voice is an Asian female? Because I feel like if you had never seen your videos, didn't know what you looked like, we couldn't tell that, you know. Well, my voice definitely doesn't match my face, so it's like pretty deep voice. So, yeah, probably yes. Yes. A lot of people who are into that. I guess so. It's the raspy sexy it's like Fran Drescher in the nanny a little bit. Do you laugh like that as well? No, I had to I had to teach myself how not to. Yeah. I love it. I love it. Speaking of that, you're you're from New York, originally. You went to LaGuardia. Yes. Also, where Nicki Minaj went, right? Nicki Minaj and Azelia Banks went there. Oh, what? So, you're coming from a lineage of very famous, you know. I guess. I mean, it's not like I hung out with Nicki Minaj. We did not know each other. What can we expect from you tonight as you you're headliner, by the way. Like, how cool is that? Yeah, they're just making me feel like more inadequate, more than people say that. But Because you should be like owning that. You're the headliner. Yet it's going to you got to be you got to save us.

Transcript auto-generated from captions and lightly edited for clarity.

PEOPLE MENTIONED

  • Awkwafina

    Headliner at KTOWN Night Market

  • Lil' Kim

    Cited as an influential female MC

  • Da Brat

    Cited as an influential female MC and contacted Awkwafina on Instagram

  • Remy Ma

    Cited as an influential female MC

  • A Tribe Called Quest

    Musical inspiration for Awkwafina

  • People Under The Stairs

    Musical inspiration for Awkwafina

  • Fran Drescher

    Voice comparison to Awkwafina's raspy voice

  • Nicki Minaj

    Attended LaGuardia High School with Awkwafina

  • Azealia Banks

    Attended LaGuardia High School

FAQ

What inspires Awkwafina's rhymes?+
Awkwafina draws inspiration from everyday life, including things that make her mad or she finds funny, aiming to be relatable to her generation.
Who are some of Awkwafina's musical idols?+
Awkwafina admires Da Brat, A Tribe Called Quest, and People Under The Stairs, listening to a lot of indie hip-hop.
Did Awkwafina go to school with Nicki Minaj?+
Yes, Awkwafina attended LaGuardia High School, the same school as Nicki Minaj and Azealia Banks, though they did not know each other personally.
How does being an Asian-American female MC impact Awkwafina?+
Awkwafina notes that it's 'time' for an Asian-American female MC, recognizing the rarity and importance of her role in music.

MUSIC SHOP

SHOP HIP HOP · MUSIC

Related in Hip Hop

View all →