“I’ve been trying to simplify my days,” Paytra says. She sips her Starbucks espresso before being jerked unexpectedly in a direction she didn’t intend to go. Something has caught her dog’s attention, and he insists on investigating. She masterfully retains control of her coffee and the black leather leash. “Believe it or not, this is prime creative space for me,” she laughs, coaxing the dog forward. “These morning dog walks are my last opportunity to think about songs, lyrics, and themes before my day really starts.” Days that start at 7 a.m., sometimes ending way past midnight.
Paytra, a fiery Latina hip hop artist with red hair to match, has pop star dreams, and she’s well on her way, but she’s also at the phase of her career where she has to do the daily tasks more established performers have personal assistants for. Even though she benefits from a skilled and dedicated support team, including her boyfriend of seven years, Paytra still tackles a virtual mountain of emails daily and a schedule that includes meetings, back-to-back interviews, social media engagement, and late-night writing and recording sessions. She’ll hit the gym sometime before lunch if she’s lucky.
“I’m lifting weights now,” she proudly states. “It helps with my endurance.”
It also keeps her looking fabulous. Standing approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall, Paytra has a toned body that exudes confidence and a wild sensuality. Her physical presence is as dynamic as her music, and she embraces it with unapologetic self-assurance. Combined with rhymes that exude a certain swagger, she’s quite the imposing figure with much to say.
Before relocating to New York at 16 from a small city in Michigan, Paytra endured the antithesis of what Jason Aldean‘s controversial song ‘Try That in a Smal Town” is about. Critics say that song contains coded threats against minorities, a mentality she’s more than familiar with.
“I was called names for being ‘less’ white than others in school. Your skin is orange. You’re a tomato picker. Why is your hair frizzy? — so I did everything to fit in.”
Echos of that time are apparent in her song “Motherfuckin’ Misfit American Anthem,” where she raps about the pride and perils of being bi-racial in a society that’s supposed to draw strength from its varied ethnicity but often doesn’t. /I’m a purebred American mutt/ To all my in-betweens, you’re a badass melting pot American dream./
“Luckily, in big cities, we are exposed to all different languages and cultures, so it’s easier to embrace. That’s not always the case in smaller towns. My song is an anthem for anyone who feels they need to hide a part of themselves to avoid being made fun of or to feel safe. America is a melting pot, and I dream of celebrating that.”
” America is a melting pot, and I dream of celebrating that.”
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But it’s the rampant misogyny she still endures in the music business that’s the catalyst for the ‘fuck you’ messages that dominates a lot of her work.
“I have dealt with insane levels of it,” Paytra recalls. “Producers have made me feel really uncomfortable in studios if you know what I mean. Ex-managers have told me to just ‘shut up and look pretty and let him do everything else,’ I’ve constantly had to fight for control of my music and career. If I voiced an opinion, they’d go to other team members to try and control me, change my mind, and help me relax, or if I disagreed with a business decision, ‘I need therapy.’ The list goes on.”
Female hip-hop artists have faced many challenges in the music industry. According to an article by Vanity Fair, almost every successful female musician has had a man initially guide her career. Women have always had to work harder and face more obstacles. The producing side of the music industry has consistently needed more female representation, hindering women with a passion for music production and preventing them from reaching a high level of success and achieving their career goals. Although female artists have made considerable strides in hip-hop, many still struggle to be in the male-dominated industry. Even Cardi B, one of the game’s most commercially and critically successful rappers, has had to deal with this pressure.
“It’s easy not to see if you’ve never had to deal with it, but as someone who is almost always taking the road less traveled, It’s become part of my daily life,” she states. “I really try to focus on the positive because there are so many great men I have met who truly have HELPED bring my vision to light— but I still am working through some of the anger and frustration— which you can hear in my music.”
“I really try to focus on the positive because there are so many great men I have met who truly have HELPED bring my vision to light— but I still am working through some of the anger and frustration— which you can hear in my music.”
It’s now past midnight, and Paytra has been laying down tracks in her home studio for several hours. A couple of lines vex her, and she’s recorded several takes, trying to get the tempo right. Once satisfied, she’s decisively done for the night, as if kicking a lover out of bed once she’s had her way.
Her boyfriend meets her on their leather sofa with wine, as is common for her after a busy day of work. He’s dutiful, and you can tell how much he loves her. They’ve been together for seven years, and she describes him as her rock, but there’s no doubt who’s Queendom this is, a term she coined for one of the most effective ‘independent women’ songs since Destiny Child‘s in 2004.
/Always Keep your eyes on me, pay respect and call me your queen, coming down to my throne and bow down to your majesty/ Fire running through my veins, don’t underestimate my reign, come on down to my throne and bow down to your majesty/
“I love witty lyrics and innuendo. Doja Cat and Eminem are both big influences of this.” She’s being coy about the suggestive double entendre of lyrics that admonish someone to kneel before her throne (wink wink) and retreats to the more obvious interpretation. “Queendom is a word play on ‘Kingdom,'” she gushes. “I feel like many times, women’s success or power needs an explanation… ‘oh, she’s getting money from her parents’ or ‘oh— her boyfriend must be making a ton of money” the list goes on.”
“‘I’ve been ruling this Queendom alone’ is essentially saying that my success and life is a result of me and my hard work.”
She nods to her boyfriend. “Now, I have a great man, but he’s not the reason for my success. Ask him! He’s very proud that we are both partners but also have the dreams we are building. This song is just a power anthem for any woman who has worked hard for their life and refuses to let anyone else take credit. I just want to change the stigma where we don’t look at a woman and immediately start attributing her success to the supportive people around her. “
Paytra, who describes herself as an introverted extrovert, is nevertheless talkative tonight, and she’s finally ready to relax for a Q&A session.
Laurelanne: You explore a lot of girl-power themes in your music. Do you consider yourself a feminist?
Paytra: I totally do! I definitely do consider myself a feminist, but I also believe that feminism has a long way to go to be supportive of ALL women. It’s not just all about being a “boss lady” but about feeling safe, having access to proper medical care, and having the tools to start off on the same playing field as our male counterparts.
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I think moving to NYC so young and experiencing a lot of misogyny we discussed earlier really pushed me to want to create a woman-led team and equip myself with the attitude and strength needed to be successful. I am often the only woman in a room of men, and my dream is to change that so there is more women representation in every room.
Frankly, I understand why there aren’t more women in some of these rooms— the rooms are uncomfortable! They’re hard to be in. They feel like you have something to prove or you’re being called ‘cutie’ or sweetheart. If I can fill these rooms with other women, I can say I’m part of the change.
Laurelanne: You’re what many in the industry call a triple threat – a singer/rapper, writer, and dancer. You make it look easy, but you’ve done a lot of work to elevate your craft to the level it’s at now. Tell us a little about the steps you took to get to this point in your evolution as an artist.
Paytra: Thank you!!! I would say that I just put in the practice. As a little girl, I somehow understood that the only way one day I was going to do this was if I made sacrifices and worked hard. I stayed home some weekends practicing piano, doing vocal exercises for hours, and performing in my living room. I took a lot of classes. I WENT EVEN HARDER once I moved to New York and saw the talent pool. I knew that I needed to up my game. I remember packing a bag, leaving at 8 a.m., and getting home at 11 p.m. from all the classes. I wanted to find confidence in my voice and performance; the only way to do that was to spend hours practicing!
Laurelanne: I get that! I run a vocal coaching studio and constantly tell my students, ‘You have to practice’ if you want to go anywhere with your talent.
Paytra: Yes, exactly. Tell them Paytra agrees 100%!!
Laurelanne: Does your song ‘Breaking Glass Ceilings’ reflect your experience as a woman in a male-dominated industry?
Paytra: Absolutely. That song was inspired after a man said to me, ‘Sexism doesn’t exist anymore. I know women CEOs. What more do you want?’ It feels frustrating because it devalued my entire experience as a woman. If Sexism doesn’t exist, why did I still find myself dealing with the bullshit or presenting myself as a professional just to get hit on? I know it’s not a ‘me’ problem. I was angry, and that track was therapy.
Laurelanne: So, what are your future plans, and what advice do you have for young women who want to follow in your footsteps?
Paytra: My future plans are to continue releasing music from my own experiences that help others AND to go on tour next year. I’d LOVE that. My advice would be never to stop being you, regardless of who tries to tell you that you’re crazy. Always check in with yourself and be kind to everyone. And remember to have fun while you’re changing the world! Also– always remember to help the next girl along. We all need to lift each other and fill our table with women from all backgrounds. Learn and grow from them.
Laurelanne: Thank you Paytra. We hope to see you in Atlanta on tour!
