Last November, Timbaland stopped by Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club to hype his then-unknown new artist Tink. Now almost five months later, the Chicago femcee herself makes sits down for her first official Breakfast Club interview to talk about her upcoming new album, Think Tink, comparisons to Lauryn Hill and Aaliyah, working with Timbaland, the female experience in Chicago, coming up in the drill scene, how the media pits female hip-hop artists against one another , and more. She also treated them to a special freeystle at the end of the show.
On competition between women in hip-hop:
"A lot of females have the mindset that I'm in competition. I have to be No. 1. So it's harder for a female to reach out and say, 'You're good' because it's almost like a self-esteem thing. Man, but there's so much room, I don't even know why people think, 'She's coming for my spot.' Everybody thinks there has to be one female in charge or they put us in competition so much that we can't even support each other or we're scared to say, 'Hey you're pretty good, jump on my song' or just reach out. I'm honestly not sure why [females emcees always get compared to other female emcees]. I think it just goes back to it being a sport."
On criticism that "Ratchet Commandments" slut-shames women:
"When I made song it was more so let's be aware of what's going on. Nobody's talking about this. Let's put it out there that this is what's going on. Somebody has to say it. For the most part, we have so much of the 'shake yo ass' songs or 'watch me twerk' type of music. So why not? Why am I being criticized for being the one out of a million songs that goes against what everybody's talking about.
"I'm talking about males as well. It wasn't just all putting shame on women. My thing was, when I made 'Ratchet Commandments,' I was talking to myself three years ago. It's not like I'm trying to say I'm perfect or everybody has to think this way or you're wrong. It's not like that. I just want people to be aware. Young girls growing up, they need to hear this type of stuff."
On the female experience in Chicago:
"Females in Chicago, man, a lot of times it's like females and guys they the same. That's just because the drill scene in Chicago is so heavy and influential like females almost feel like if I don't rock with this gang then I ain't cool. It's not cool to say, 'No, I'm not a part of the gang.' It's almost like a family type of thing. You feel like you're disloyal if you not out here gangbanging. It comes across in the music. A lot of female rappers from Chicago, they're drill. And I was at one point a part of that, too."
On working with Timbaland:
"It is very easy to work with him. A lot of producers, they'll get in the studio and they'll tell you like they know it all or you have to sound like this, you're not doing that right. But with Tim it's like a partnership, it's like teamwork, it's a team effort. He listens just as much as he talks."
On whether Timbaland hyping her is a blessing or a curse:
"It's a bit of both. Tim definitely have those tricks in the bag that have helped me a whole lot, but at the same time that push and that pressure is motivation. Like when I go in the studio with Tim, I know I can't do what I was doing five years ago. I have to be better. I think every artist needs that. Sometimes we get so comfortable with what we were doing we forget I that I gotta evolve. I gotta switch it up a big to be greater. He's always telling me like, 'You making me young again' and it makes me laugh 'cause Tim is a cool guy, like if you ever talk to him, he's a silly person, he is a kid at heart."
On whether she's shown love in Chicago:
"My city shows me so much love. It's a good feeling because Chicago is a very hateful city, like we hate on our own in Chicago. Coming up, I did struggle trying to get on my feet coming out of Chicago, but now it's a different type of love 'cause they see where I'm going and what I'm trying to do for my city."
Watch the full interview and freestyle below, and let us know what you think in the comments section!
