Najaya: Building Art and Freedom on Her Own Terms
For some, music is a career. For others like Najaya it’s a calling that’s followed her through every stage of life. Whether she was writing raps for her school’s graduation program, pursuing music in college, or performing in the White House with her university choir, music has always shown up for her. So eventually, she decided to show up for it, too.
Even though she originally dreamed of working behind the scenes, maybe as an executive producer, life had different plans. When she couldn’t find the right voices to produce for, she realized the voice she needed had been hers all along. Becoming the artist wasn’t the plan but it was the path.
Najaya describes her entrance into the industry as more accessible than most people think but staying in it? That’s the real challenge. Still, she never compromised herself to gain entry. Her approach is clear: be reliable, do the work, and be discerning. “Know who you’re dealing with and who not to,” she says. That level of self-awareness and intuition has helped her navigate the business without losing her authenticity.
Three major moments pushed her to take her artistry seriously:
When COVID hit and the world went into lockdown, she lost access to the recording studio she had just started working in. Instead of stopping, she got creative and transformed her closet into a mini home studio. She already knew how to engineer her own vocals, and once she started recording, she realized, “Hold on this is fire.” That moment sparked something in her. She kept creating, writing, and recording new songs, and eventually began sharing her music. The positive feedback she received reassured her that she was on the right path.
Later, while working on tour with A.Chal, she had a breakthrough moment. After his performance, the venue hosted an open mic night. Most people on tour didn’t even know she was an artist, and she had never performed in public outside of karaoke. But A.Chal encouraged her to get on stage and she did. Though scared, she pushed through and gave her first real performance. That moment showed her how much she loved sharing music live, seeing people react, connect, or even just listen and give her art a chance.
After COVID, she returned to work as a receptionist but eventually leveled up landing a role as executive assistant and chief of staff at Live Nation Urban. She didn’t hide her passion and let them know she was an artist. By proving herself trustworthy and hardworking, she earned their respect. When she pitched the idea of performing at their music festival, they said yes. She got the chance to open for an artist in front of 8,000 people all because she stayed committed, reliable, and confident in both her talent and her work ethic.
Najaya’s artistry is deeply personal. Her inspiration comes from life, emotions, conversations, beats, and the stories of others. She prefers to create in a calming space such as tea, a hot shower, incense, softness. But she’s also adaptable. “This is my art. This is the freest I’ll ever be,” she says of her growing confidence. Her sound blends singing and rapping, and her voice has evolved from uncertainty to confident originality.
Through it all, her message remains the same: trust yourself, do your thing, and love who you are becoming.
Even if you lose yourself, she says, “Find your way back.”
But the journey hasn’t been without obstacles. Her biggest challenge is navigating the social politics of the music industry. A straight shooter, Najaya doesn’t like playing games or pretending to be someone she’s not. Her commitment to being real is her strength.
One of her proudest accomplishments was putting together her own show curated, hosted, and performed by her, fully funded by a budget from her Live Nation job. It was her first time doing everything herself, from booking to execution. And she nailed it.
While she’s done collaborations in the past like her standout song “Mr. Johnson” she admits she’s still learning to fully open up in the studio. She’s self-critical and sometimes holds herself back, but she values the lessons that come from working with others. “It’s all community and collaboration”
Right now, she’s working on Planet Bloom, a multi-city event series with stops in Philly, L.A., and Houston (July 13). She also recently secured her first sponsor, marking another milestone in her independent journey.
As for what’s next? Freedom. “So my whole plan and intention is that my art gets me closer to what I see as being free.” she says. That means making music with no limitations and being able to take care of her loved ones in her own way. She doesn’t need much just space to create, autonomy, and impact.
Dream collaborations? Erykah Badu (even if it’s just a skit or a DJ lesson), and Kendrick Lamar.
When she’s not making music, she’s still living in the spirit of it, consuming art, reading, learning, or taking care of her body. “So really just always trying to be the best version of myself.”
And if she had advice for artists coming up behind her?
“ You gotta trust yourself, you know your art, you know what you’re trying to tell people, you know who you want to bring in, you know how you want people to feel, you just gotta trust yourself.”
That’s what Najaya is doing. Creating, believing, and becoming on her own terms.
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