I started with me as Awkwafina reciting ‘Othello’ monologues, and I’d send those to my friends. It started like that, and then it went into more music-y stuff. – Awkwafina
I started by producing, and the rapping came second to that, because I wanted to fill out the beat. – Awkwafina
I grew up two train stops from where A Tribe Called Quest grew up, and one stop from Nas. – Awkwafina
When I went to college, it became more of a hobby, and that’s when I think I got the realest music education. It wasn’t something that I had to do. It wasn’t an obligation. – Awkwafina
I’m torn between wanting to connect with what I grew up with and what’s available, living in Brooklyn. I don’t have a grimy supermarket that decapitates frogs’ heads nearby. – Awkwafina
I have lived in this city my whole life and have seen the way gentrification has changed it. I’m not necessarily against transplants, as 75 percent of my good friends, roommate, and boyfriend are not native New Yorkers. – Awkwafina
It’s not nice to say it – I know female musicians, but not so many rappers. I can’t think of one I idolize, which is sad, but I’m hoping that will change. – Awkwafina
Rap was started by black people and, thus, is at the foundation of black culture. So people cannot always wrap their minds around someone like me being inspired by it. But if you listen to the things we’re saying, they’re authentically us. – Awkwafina
I think it’s important for people to understand that as a woman, I can only rap about the parts I have. – Awkwafina
I remember watching Margaret Cho with my grandmother on TV. She was my hero, not only because she was funny, but because she showed me that it’s okay to be yourself, that it’s okay to be a brash yellow girl and to be a strong and brave woman. – Awkwafina
Other female rappers are overly sexual, have no wit, and their lyrics are so generic. I want to change the game to make rap that shows I’m not a normal female rapper – it’s not about how rich I am, how much sex I have, or how many boyfriends I have. That’s just not me. – Awkwafina
I legitimately wanted to know if Mayor Bloomberg was going to ban large margaritas that I cry over while on a date alone at Dallas BBQ as a part of his controversial soda ban. – Awkwafina
You can’t really label me as a musician, a comedian, or a rapper – you know, it’s different. – Awkwafina
I used to chop up C-Span soundbites or interviews with politicians like John Kerry or Bill Clinton into a radio-esque show hosted by Awkwafina and her producer, Mookie. I would pitch down my vocals to have male guests and would send them to a small circle of friends after they were done. – Awkwafina
My mom passed away when I was 4 years old, and she came from a very conservative Korean background. I feel like my life would’ve been incredibly different had she still been alive. – Awkwafina
It’s definitely a privilege to be able to do what you love to do; it’s not something that everyone gets to do, so I feel really good about that. – Awkwafina
