When you have the gifted talented of being able to rap, you don’t let it go to waste. Insert Kandie, best known for her roles on Love & Hip Hop Hollywood and Wild ‘N Out. As you know, both shows require
out-of-this-world personalities and the world quickly fell in love with the “hottest rapper b#### out of Compton, California.”
Remixing songs like Kap G’s “Girlfriend,” Nicki Minaj’s “Yikes,” and Cardi B’s “WAP,” who does it better than Kandie? Not only does she do her own stunts, but she’s talking her s### in each bar. With nearly all her music videos doing numbers organically, Kandie is the definition of a hard-working recording artist who loves music down to the core. Beyond that, her Youtube channel is filled with her amazing cooking videos, just one more layer to her vibrant persona.
With 4 projects out to date, she’s excited as ever to be debuting her newest album aptly titled The Hottest Rap B####. Having been writing this project for 2 years now, this is the most personal fans will see of Kandie yet. AllHipHop spoke with Kandie at the Kandypens house in the Los Angeles hills to discuss her roots in Compton, rap influences, her first time getting high, her time on Love & Hip Hop Hollywood, and staying positive during these times.
AllHipHop: Being from Compton, what was the household like growing up?
Kandie: It was beautiful, it taught me a lot about who I am. It was challenging, but I decided to embrace myself and my city at the same time. My first video shoot as Kandie got shot up.
AllHipHop: How old were you?
Kandie: I was 20 when I first came out as Kandie. It was literally “get this f-g sh-t out of here,” shot in the air. It’s challenging being from somewhere you love and embrace so much, that has a hard time fully embracing you. But it’s my city, you know how that goes. I be back and forth from LA and Atlanta.
AllHipHop: I love Atlanta!
Kandie: I love Atlanta, see how that switched? We all gay out there. We all out there. It’s a difference, but sometimes I have to come back home where I came from. My dad’s my #1 supporter. He wanted to come today, I’m like “dad.” [laughs] The thing about him, he’s never even cared to tell me what to do or how to do it. He always wants to be there like “that’s my son, that’s my baby.” Thanks pops.
AllHipHop: When did you realize you could do music for a living?
Kandie: When I was serving. I went from Cheesecake, then I was at Olive Garden for 2 years. That’s when I realized “okay I could either be serving these tables, refilling their soups and breadsticks all day, or I could be writing.” I was working hard to take all the money I was earning from serving tables, and put that towards my music videos. I’d go broke, my wigs. My first $800 wig, they gon’ see me in this! It was platinum blonde, it was long. It was bomb. I like my wigs full. My 50 inch? My 50 inch was depending on the color, 2 bands.
AllHipHop: You have your own hairline too, do you wear your own hair too?
Kandie: Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talking about $1500. It’syaboiKandie, I’m a hustler.
AllHipHop: You pride yourself in being a lyricist, who are your top influences?
Kandie: That’s why I called my new project The Hottest Rap B####. Nowadays, everything is in other than the lyrics. I made sure I really wanted to highlight that I rap. Definitely J.Cole is one of my favorites, I love his storytelling. Of course, Biggie. Ludacris has one of the best deliveries to me, he’s so versatile. Of course Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Drake. I’m real picky with who I listen to, but I keep them in a heavy rotation. Of course, Lil Kim, Trina. A lot of people are aware of drag, it’s an impersonation. What I like to do is keep the art of female rap and entertainment alive, so I love Kim, Trina, Jackie Oh!
AllHipHop: Bring us back to when you first smoked weed.
Kandie: It was such a bad experience, I told myself I’d never smoke again. My niece is a year older than me, I know it sounds crazy. On my 18th birthday, she said “I’ma get you high.” Technically she’s older than me so if she can do it, so can I. We smoked, all I remember is we went to Church’s Chicken. I was ordering, I told her “I want my own 2-piece, give me a strawberry soda.” The lady hands me a Sprite, I’m arguing with her for about 30 seconds. I wrap it up trying to be mature, “you gave me this Sprite, even though I asked for a strawberry. But it’s okay, have a blessed day.” We get in the car, my niece said “you asked for a Sprite.” I can’t. I was arguing very bad. I’m like “you sure?” She’s like “I didn’t want to make you look stupid in front of her.”
AllHipHop: Do you prefer Sativa or Indica?
Kandie: I’m a Sativa girl. I need to be up. Because if I get down, I’ma be down. Wherever we are, I’ll be down.
AllHipHop: What’s your favorite song you’ve remixed?
Kandie: Probably “Good Form,” I performed that at Baltimore Pride. They showed me so much love onstage. I didn’t know it’d hit that hard with my fans, it was pretty lit.
AllHipHop: Do you miss performing?
Kandie: Girl, do I? Yes! The stage is where you feel alive. I’m about to get back to performing later for my album, I’m excited about that.
AllHipHop: What do you miss about it?
Kandie: Just the energy the crowd gives back to you is unmatched. You can tell when people are feeling it. I’m used to getting in front of crowds who probably don’t know me, but still kill it and rock it. I love getting in front of it, getting that love back. It makes the dream of being a rapper, a musician, feel the most alive. It’s one thing to put it on a song, put it into the world. It’s another to put it on a song and perform it in front of people, you can tell they like it. I love that feeling.
AllHipHop: Pros & cons of Love & Hip Hop? Why did you only do one season?
Kandie: There were pros? I’m joking. [laughs] Although I had a big following, it really catapulted me to a larger audience. It solidified okay, maybe this is a celebrity person. I do like that no matter what, they always refer back to my music. No matter what the tea was, at least it tied to my music. I didn’t get too caught up into tea that’s so crazy and messy. The con is it gave a misperception of me to a lot of people who don’t know me. My fans know I’m a hard worker, I got it from the bottom. I’m not really a messy person, I be in my own world. But they showed me a lil messy though, don’t they do that to everybody?
AllHipHop: Anything else you’d like to let the people know?
Kandie: My album Hottest Rap B-tch on October 27th, on my birthday. I’m a Scorpio, we turning up. Tune into my album, I know people have been waiting for it. The time is now, I can’t wait for you guys to go get it and enjoy it.