Meet Aniyah | Singer, Songwriter, Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aniyah and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aniyah, how do you think about risk?
When I think about risk taking, I generally think of 3 things.

1. Fear is a figment of our imagination. The mind is a powerful thing and what it focuses on comes into fruition. If you focus on all of the things that could go wrong with taking a risk, something will most likely go wrong. But if you train your mind to focus on the things that could go right, “good” will general find its way to you. I also try to live by positive affirmations and surround myself with positivity so that it will promote positive thinking and outcomes in any situation or opportunity I encounter.

2. The worst thing that could happen is I’ll make a mistake or will be told “no”. Many people look at being told “no” as being told “never” or that they’re not good enough. Some individuals have a tendency to believe that making a mistake is considered failing. Over the years, I’ve strived to practice not looking at mistakes as failures, but looking at them as lessons. Whether it’s a dance lesson, an engineering lesson, or a lesson you’re learning at work, lessons are needed for us to be the absolute best version of ourselves in our fields. You may be naturally better at some things and need more practice at others, but both are equally important because they both aid in making you who you need to be in order to be great at whatever it is you want to succeed in.

3. You have to believe and invest in yourself before you can expect anyone else to. I feel like truly knowing who you are makes believing and investing in yourself that much easier. When you know who you are, you know what you want for your life and what you’re willing to do or not do to obtain it. You are more prone to follow your intuition to do what’s best for you. If you’re following your intuition, I find that whether the outcome of a risk is “good” or “bad”, the result will still be good because you did what was best for you – you stayed true to yourself. I look at risks as an investment in my future and I’m always asking myself “What can I do today that will make my future self proud?”.

Taking risks has played a major role in my life and career. It has helped me to learn what I’m great at vs. what I can work on. I have made amazing personal and business relationships from stepping out on faith and taking risks. I’m continuously gaining more confidence in myself and my ability to succeed from the risks that I’ve taken. I also enjoy knowing that some risks I’ve taken have helped those who are around me in a number of ways. Now, I don’t look at risks as risks but instead as a challenge to be the best me I can be, to help me better my life and the lives of others.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
For those who don’t know me, I’m a singer, songwriter, and actress. I’ve had the pleasure to be on shows like BET Tales, American Soul, and CW’s Stargirl. On the writing end, I’ve had the chance to work with artists from Chris Brown to Lil Jon. Throughout the process, I’ve been continuously practicing on my craft and working on my own music, creating a sound and brand that best represents me.

One thing that sets me apart from others is I have a tendency to unplug from my phone and take hiatuses from social media. I take pride in maintaining a more private personal life. In an era where people are pulling their smart devices out to document and share everything, I prefer to enjoy my special moments with my family and close friends. This gives me time to focus on self growth, to make memories by living life to the fullest, and to be present in the moment instead of scrolling through apps all day long. I do believe that social media is a useful tool for businesses to market to their audiences or for people to stay in touch with those they may not be in contact with daily, but it can also get a little overbearing to look at at times. By incorporating this, I find that I’m internally more at peace, more focused on what’s in front of me, and overall more productive in my day to day life. This has been a great way for me to stay creative and have things to say in my music without getting redundant.

I’m currently most proud of releasing my first single, “On It”, on April 6th of this year. I’m super happy with the response its gotten and truly appreciate everyone that has supported it thus far and those that continue to support! Now, I’m even more excited to release the video and more music! We shot the video back in February and it was such a good vibe with some amazing people. We don’t have an exact date for the video release, but it will be out very soon.

There’s so many people and things that had a hand in where I am today professionally. I will definitely say your network is your net worth. Stepping out on faith and taking risks has led me to build some amazing relationships and be involved with many unforgettable opportunities. I’m grateful for the people around me. They’re always pushing me to keep going and to try new things with my music that I wouldn’t normally try, while still staying true to myself and my sound. I would say being dedicated, consistent, and ultimately knowing what I want has played a major role in my success as well. I’ve witnessed many talented creatives give up on their dreams and goals after investing so much time simply because continued success wasn’t “happening fast enough” for them in comparison to the adversities they were facing in the industry and their personal lives.

It hasn’t always been easy. There’s definitely been some challenges along the way. Most of the challenges stem from the business end like negotiating terms for contracts, getting agreements drawn up before releases instead of after them, and closing out deals. It’s so important that you have a good team around you that you trust to handle the business side and communicate the details to you so you can stay focused on creating the art. More recently, Covid has caused many challenges. Instead of going to different studios for sessions, everyone has been cooking up from home and sending sessions back and forth to get work done. Networking at events, on set, and at shows has slowed down tremendously due to everything being canceled or closed. This time has definitely forced the world to revamp the way we work and how to stay productive. Another challenge that arrises is the ability to stay in a creative pocket. I feel like this is something most creatives go through from time to time. I unplug from the outside world during these moments and zone in on other things that help me be creative like painting, playing my bass guitar, or journaling.

I’ve learned many lessons along the way. Never sign off on anything without having your legal team read over it and explain the terms of the agreement. Always stay authentically you. People will make suggestions to you about what they like and portray what they want on you, but in the end, its your face and name on your brand. That’s another importance of having a good team around you. You want people around you that know what you ultimately desire for yourself and your business. Don’t be afraid when walking into new rooms with people you don’t know. I was always taught to be the thermostat in the room. Energy is neither created nor destroyed, it is only transferred. If the energy feels off in the room, be the one to change it for the better! Lastly, remember that as cool, calm, and collect as someone comes off, everyone is trying to figure “it” out. In the entertainment industry, many will maintain a façade, but everyone is calculating their next move. If you have hiccups or make mistakes along the way, charge it to the game and look at it as another lesson to make you stronger and to make you the best you you can be.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
OMG! This is a hard one because I literally only go out when I’m invited somewhere (lol). I would definitely say Little 5 Points is a pretty interesting area for shopping and dining. Edgewood Pizza is always a vibe if you’re in the mood for pizza and wings. Baltimore Crab and Seafood is a cute but low key spot if you’re tired of franchised seafood restaurants like Juicy Crab. You have to go to The King Center and the Birth Home of Martin Luther King Jr. one time for the culture – that’s a must! If they want to do something outdoors Centennial Park and Piedmont Park is always eventful and you could catch festivals and concerts there pre-Covid days. Usually when people come to Atlanta, they want to go to places like the Aquarium and The Coca-Cola Factory or The Varsity and The Underground, but I don’t think anyone from Atlanta REALLY recommends that. I honestly just look on Google when I want to try something new.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There is an endless list of people that deserve a shoutout because so many people have invested in me and have had hand in my success! I definitely want to shoutout my dad, Curt B., who’s worked in the entertainment industry for the last 20+ years. Watching how he moved and ran his business as a kid really opened my eyes to the hustle, consistency, and out of the box thinking you have to have to be successful in this industry. I used to think “my dad is a beast – he’s such a gangsta!” (lol). He never took “no” for an answer and he was always coming up with great ideas of how to expand his network and how to help as many people as he could in the process. He always told me, “You have to know the in’s and out’s of this industry to make it. You can’t just be a singer, you have to know how to write, how to record yourself, and you need to know the in’s and out’s of the business – because this is the entertainment business – and people will try to punk you if you don’t know what you’re talking about or don’t have thick skin.” He put me up on game early and I love him so much more for that.

I also want to shoutout my fiancé, JBo. I met him 10 years ago through a mutual friend, Felix Morton. I was going to record at his “studio”, which was really just a small studio set up in his bedroom at his old townhouse off of Lowery and across from Morehouse (iykyk lol). That was back in those recording in the closet days; right before the “Bandz A Make Her Dance” and “Pour It Up” days. I want to shout him out because he’s always supported me, invested in me, and believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. That’s my main producer, my personal cheerleader, and my therapist – but most importantly, my best friend. I love you Bo!!!

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Image Credits
@ambriawithanupsidedowna @peaches.engineer @squiddidit @skintrest