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Blair CaldwellIn early 2018, after a radio host called Saweetie‘s freestyle skills “basic,” the Bay Area rapper says the comment led to self-doubt that in turn caused her PTSD, despite having a hot single at the time with “Icy Girl.”
“It was a really dark point in my life,” says Saweetie as Cosmopolitan’s April cover star. “I went from being so loved so quickly because of ‘Icy Girl’ to, on my first promo run, well, you saw the interview. The script flipped really quick, like night and day. I had PTSD from that.”
She admits she was “literally thrown into” the spotlight due to the song’s growing popularity, which led to performances at festivals and concerts. At the time, social media showed mercy criticizing Saweetie’s dancing and bashing her rap skills. But she says she’s grown because of it.
“I’m really grateful for my start,” Saweetie says. “Because the mistakes, the struggle, the grind — it allows me to appreciate the rewards that come now because I know what it feels like to sleep in motels, to drive and do promo, to be stressed out.”
Saweetie hopes in the future, people will understand the hard work and dedication she puts into perfecting her craft, pulling off complex choreography and rapping while not forgetting to catch her breath.
“Some of us have it naturally. And some of us don’t…like me. And that’s okay because I know that as long as I work hard, I’ll become one of the best,” she says.
By Rachel George
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'Basic' after Called Freestyle radio reveals Saweetie skills
