May Artist of the Month: Amala Iyanla (@askaboutamala)

For May, we have the pleasure of making Amala our Artist of the Month. Born and raised in the DMV, Amala is an ambitious, fierce, and loyal woman who loves taking risk, meeting new people, and enjoying new experiences. She lives by the quote, “Life is taking the first step without seeing the whole staircase.” – Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Q: What part of the DMV did you grow up in?

Amala: I’m from Lanham, Maryland. I will never say I grew up in the hood, but I definitely came from the mud. Growing up, it was just me and my mother, so just like my mother I work my ass off. Everything from school, business, personal life, music, and my career I have worked very hard.

Q: What inspired you to start a music career and how long have you been doing it for?

Amala: My unique voice. When I was younger, everyone asked me “Do you sing?!”. I would always laugh. Then, when my friend put a studio in the closet. I was like “Oh yeah, I can do this!”. I have been rapping for 2-3 years.

Q: What other artists in the area have you collaborated with, or want to collab with in the future?

Amala: I have not collaborated with anyone from the area. I would like to collaborate with anyone from the DMV. I’m all about working to put the city on.

Q: What are some obstacles you ran into as a musician, and how did you overcome those obstacles?

Amala: I have realized that, if I want to be an established multi-platinum artist I cannot give up. I did not give up, when I was sick I still performed as if I was fine. I just always remember the goal, so nothing will stop me.

Q: What are your future career goals for music? What do you have up next?

Amala: Up next, I have a lot of shows coming up, showcase, more bookings, and my 1st official tape. I want to be a top-charting artist, headline shows, sell out large arenas, and work with some of the top artists in the world.

Q: Talk about your latest project, or single.

Amala: Latest Single – “On Demand” – Represents all the hard-working people who are in their bag and won’t let anyone get in the way of getting the bag. Also, removing all the negativity from your life and focus on what will make you a better person, a better life, and a better mindset aka “get in your bag”.

Fun Facts About Amala

• Her first single “Mojo” received 153k streams
• Her latest single “On Demand” is currently at 65k streams and has been played on WPGC 95.5 with DJ Reddz & DJ Akademiks and WKYS 93.9 with DJ Freeze

You can keep up with Amala by following up on all social platforms @AskAboutAmala. Check out her single “On Demand” down below.