Saweetie gets candid about her life before fame; the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The “Best Friend” rapper recently visited Power 106 Los Angeles for a sit down with Brown Bag Mornings to promote her new single, “Nani,” and in the process, reflected on the harsh realities of life before stardom.
“I remember I was too proud to tell my friends and my family that I had nowhere to stay and I was literally couch surfing,” said an emotional Saweetie. “But it was cool because people always wanted to be around. So I didn’t have to worry about having a place to stay, but my homegirls knew what was going on. But I never wanted to take up space in someone’s house, so I would just keep my closet in my car.”
“But you know what? It was cool because when it was time to party, I didn’t have to go home. I just had to go to my trunk,” she added.
The 30-year-old elaborated on how her circumstances at the time affected her self-esteem and self-worth.
“Girl, talk about having no confidence. I would even feel bad about partying. I know I just made that comment, but it’s just like— imagine not having the money, couch surfing, and then sometimes being in the club or being at parties,” she continued. “I would always just go home early because I felt like I didn’t deserve to be there.”
While considering the option of securing a full-time job, she opted to continue pursuing her dream. “I could either get a job but as a graduate, you know, most of us are looking for full-time jobs. But if I’m full time, I’m working 40 hours a week. And if I’m doing 40 hours a week, it’s the same thing as going to school. And if I’m doing that, then I’m not doing music.” Living with limited resources for a year, she eventually rented rooms through Craigslist because they didn’t require pay stubs or proof of income compared to an apartment.
In the end, all that hustle paid off big time for the “Icy Girl.” In 2018, she sealed the deal with Warner Bros. Records, beating out other labels in a fierce bidding war.