Coming up as a female rapper - well, a female artist in general - everything is just so black and white.
— Tink
Its hard, its almost natural, not to hate, but to think, 'I'm better than you, so I can't work with you' that's the status quo of how females act. I don't want it to be like that; that's why I like working with other females.
A lot of times, I have personal things, things I go through that I may exaggerate or make a story around, but it always has a meaning related to something I've been through for real.
Working with Timbaland, you know it's not gonna sound like anything else out there today. The sound is very next-level.
When you listen to my songs, you hear messages and real stories. That's what's setting me apart.
I can write a love song or a ballad, or when I read something and it pisses me off, I know how to go in.
Women all have our hard days, and we have our soft days. And there's a lot of music that doesn't make us feel as beautiful and good as we are.
I think why people are drawn to me is because I'm very relatable. I don't filter.
As a female, we always have to be labeled this new female rapper. It's never like, 'I heard this rapper Tink.' It's always, 'I heard a female rapper.'
There's a broad range of male rappers, so if they're going out on a limb and they sound different, it's okay, because we have 20 other rappers doing what the radio wants... as far as females, there aren't as many, so if you want to compete, you have to sound just like this, because that's the only thing hot right now.
I really feel like females have to go 50 extra miles. Not just one - 50 extra miles to be accepted or taken seriously.
When you think Tink, you should just think of me as that around-the-way girl - relatable and honest. Even in my lifestyle, my entire aura is real. I don't sugarcoat anything, whether I'm on stage or home in Chicago or just behind the scenes just chilling. I'm the same person you see on stage, always.
There's not really too many artists that young girls and young people can look up to and be inspired by. So I take it as my responsibility, sometimes, to be the person who has the voice to give people some truth about what we're doing.
To stand out, I just use my talents. I rap, and I sing as well. With that being said, people kind of know me for bringing that emotion in music.
Country singers put a lot of soul into their songs, and I enjoy that.
I like country music. Sometimes I'll just type in 'country' on Pandora and listen. I really like the passion in the lyrics.
I'm not the ideal pop star, not what you see on TV. I look like I could be your best friend.
My parents are both into music. My mom sings and my dad plays piano, so there was always music everywhere. I was singing at a very young age, but I actually got my buzz through rapping.
You don't need to depend on a label, because you're making that money on your own.
When Nicki was putting out mixtapes, she was the only female rapper that had any kind of buzz. And not to mention that she was on the track with the guys, you know? So you had the girls playing it, and you had the hood guys playing it, too, so you couldn't run away from Nicki.
I'm not going to be the artist that talks about a million dollar whip and 'I just bought some red bottoms.' That's cool, but that's not all there is to it. I'd rather talk about something everyone can relate to and feel.
I've never worked hands-on with a producer. I've been on my own writing, just taking beats and doing what I have to do. I've been on my own. To have Timbaland invite me in and say that 'I want to work with you' is amazing. He's a legend.
Right now, black female artists are the most interesting people to think about. People are ready to hear whatever we're gonna say, and I'm not scared to say anything.
People expect to just hear something raunchy from a female - we're missing meaningful messages as women. We don't have enough stories.
As an artist, I want it to be so simple that anyone can understand it. No matter what age you are, you're going to feel it because it's real. I don't like to sugar coat. There's not too many artists that can tell stories and be vulnerable on the mic.
I have to break down the barriers as a female. I have to work 30 times harder just for respect.
No fake stuff. If you have a personal relationship with a female, it'll be easier and more real to do a song.
When I was 16, I was doing what was popular. If I could go back, I would tell myself to not be afraid to be alone and not to follow others so much.
Tink is the voice of the youth. I'm not one of those artists who talks about unrealistic things or fairy tales. I'm not talking about expensive things and cars. I'm actually talking about what's going on in my life and every teenager's life, too.
When people listen to artists, and you turn on the radio, it's a lot of gimmicks. And that's real. So I take it like there's nobody keeping it honest and truthful no more, especially as far as young teenagers and females.
Chicago's known for the drill. Keefs, Lil Durks, and whatnot. My music, on the other hand, it has a message to it. I think that's what sets me apart. I think it gets deeper than saying anything on a trap beat. I'm putting stories together, and people are relating to what I am saying.
Females - we go just as hard as the guys, if not harder.
I'm in my own little lane, doing just me. I don't have to fit in.
I don't ever want to lose my rawness or whatever. That makes a person special.
Singing actually came first. As a kid, I grew up singing in church and around the house.
I put a lot of work into my mixtapes, and I want everybody to understand I am doing this genuinely. I don't even want to be paid for this; I just want you all to hear my music and appreciate it. I think it brings me closer to my fans because they know I'm doing this for them and not just to get the bucks.
Because I was independent for such a long time, and I was always just feeding my fans - every month, I'd be giving them something new. So I had to adjust to the process of making a record. And after signing with a label, there are just certain things you can't do anymore. It was frustrating at first, but as the months went by, I got used to it.
People stereotype female rappers a whole lot.
I feel like I'm the voice for my generation, especially for women.
I go hard for the ladies so we have some music to relate to.
Guys hurt us first! There's always more to the story. We don't have that on the radio. You can't turn on the radio and hear what's really going on. You're going to hear the perspective from a guy.
In music today, people are against females. We don't have that empowerment anymore. We don't have that voice.
It's so irritating, because male rappers don't have to have a look. A guy can look like a bum on the street, but as a male, people will accept him because he's a rapper. But females, they expect you to have a big booty. They expect you to walk in six-inch heels.
I know for a fact I've put in the same amount of hours as every up-and-coming male rapper right now, if not more. I'm a feminist with regard to my music and the music industry.
Chicago is a rough city. It made me raw.
Working with Timbaland, he gives me insight; he throws me different ways to approach the beat, and those extra tips go a long way. I know that he's worked with some of the greats, so it's just motivation. I feel inspired when we're in the booth together.
The more I got into my artistry, I got a bigger responsibility: the kids in Chicago, they look up to the rappers. We influence them.
I have some talent. So, I'm going to show it off. No matter what, I'm gonna keep going.
I'll be honest with you: before I heard Nicki rapping, I probably wouldn't have thought to rap myself. Just to see a female doing it and being in there with the guys, it was motivation.
I would rather impress you with my storytelling than with the size of my waist and my hips.
