Chicago M.C. Dreezy, 22, has broken through via a flirtatious riff on some fairly dark slang: the chorus to “Body,” currently at No. 72 on the Hot 100, finds Dreezy and fellow Windy City artist Jeremih singing “Your body on my body, baby/I’m about to catch a body in here, baby.” The rapper talks to Billboard about how she got her start — and what it’s like being one of just a few women in the genre.
How did you first get into music?
Since I was a kid I was always writing stories, poetry and all that stuff. When I got to high school, I just started playing around with rapping. I got good at it and ended up going to the studio with the guys at my school. I was killing them on their own tracks, so I started just doing my own thing.
What is it like having your first hit on the Billboard Hot 100?
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It’s crazy to me. People are probably like, “Who is this girl?” But I have been working for a long time, and I want to take this all the way. I have the opportunity to be the next female rapper. I want to prove that to people.
Who are some of the artists whose success you hope to emulate?
I want my career to be different from everybody’s, but I respect Nicki [Minaj]. To see what she is doing and how long she has been in the game — even just her work ethic. It’s hard as a female in music, especially in hip-hop, [to make it] without a co-sign, and without people thinking you’re freaking everybody in the industry.
Do you ever feel like people don’t take you seriously because you’re a woman?
Yeah, they will come at you all kinds of crazy ways. Dudes have tried to take advantage of me because I’m a girl, promising, “If you do this, I’ll help you do this.” I had to turn a lot of deals and a lot of people down because of my self-respect. I know what I bring to the table, so I ain’t just going for anything. I’m confident in what I have.
This article was originally featured in the May 28 issue of Billboard.