Photographed by: [Felisha Carrasco](http://instagram.com/felishacarrasco55)
[Malaynah](https://www.instagram.com/malaynah/?hl=en) has her eyes set on being one of the hardest female artists in the game. At only 19 years old, she’s already received the ultimate cosign from Cardi B, who reposted her standout “Money” remix on both Instagram and Twitter. The crazy part is, this took no effort from Malaynah’s end. The freestyle was picked up organically, a direct indication of her talents as a rapper.
The singer, songwriter, and rising influencer was born and raised in Boyle Heights, California, ready to put her city on the map. Combining both old and new school influences, such as Steel Pulse and Teena Marie all the way to Kendrick Lamar, real name Malaynah Elise Cordova has been writing songs and secretly rapping in her bathroom mirror since age 12.
Malaynah is also incredibly musically-inclined, attending Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts High School in downtown Los Angeles, studying classical music and trained in theory, sight reading, technical studies, history, and performance. Fast forward to 2019, she’s opening for Tyga and formulating her own hit singles for her ever growing fanbase.
Flaunt Mag caught up with Malaynah to discuss her upbringing, the Cardi B repost, and most recent visual for “Karma.”
She bodied ..Money😤
**For those who don’t know, who is Malaynah?**
Malaynah is an upcoming rapper who represents positivity in women.
**How would you describe your sound?**
My sound is very on a positive vibe, a motivational vibe, and a huste vibe.
**What part of LA are you from?**
I’m from Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles. Coming from Boyle Heights, you’re surrounded by a lot of culture. A lot of rich culture. I love being from there, it taught you how to be smart and how to be street smart too. Nobody really knows where it’s at, I try to put the city on the map. It’s about 15 to 20 minutes from here \[Hollywood\]. The last celebrity to come out of there was Oscar De La Hoya, who’s a boxer.
**How important is it to come to LA as an up and coming artist?**
Very! LA is the home of hip-hop. Especially if you’re going to be a rapper or an R&B singer, LA has a lot of culture for that.
**At what point did you realize this music thing was forreal?**
When the Cardi B repost happened, I pushed myself to take it to the next level. That was crazy. It was just a shocked feeling. I remember when someone told me that, my phone was blowing up. It was such a great feeling, it felt like hard work was paying off. I don’t know how she caught wind of it because it was random when she posted it. That video had been up for a month before she reposted it.
**What made you want to remix her song?**
When she put “Money” out, I just thought that beat was hard. It just happened.
> MONEY [pic.twitter.com/KxP2wI5WZF](https://t.co/KxP2wI5WZF)
>
> — iamcardib (@iamcardib) [November 6, 2018](https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1059921895649361922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
**Did you freestyle or write it?**
I just freestyled.
**You don’t hear a lot of females freestyling like this anymore.**
I think I’m a better writer when it comes to pen and paper, so that’s my strong suit for sure.
**What inspires you creatively?**
My family, where I’m from, just everything that’s around me.
**What was the inspiration behind your name?**
That’s my real name, my mom got it from a movie called _Shag_. I’ve never seen it.
**“Karma “ is at over 1.2 million views on Youtube in less than two months. Did you foresee it blowing up like this?**
No! I’m super grateful. I didn’t think it would be that big because my Youtube channel was blank. Nothing was on it, it had 0 subscribers. It did good numbers and I’m super proud. I was in the Bay when I recorded that song. That was a good vibe song. I was super excited to record that one because I just knew it was going to be a song for the ladies.
**Talk about making music for the ladies.**
I always try to be influential and always keep in mind that younger girls are looking up to me, so I try to set a positive example in my writing.
**Who pissed you off in “Karma”?**
It was just a typical heartbreak song.
**Has he heard it?**
I think so, yeah. \[laughs\]
**Best memory from the photo shoot?**
Has to be the part where I got to break all kinds of dishes. It was dope.
**You’re only 19, where do you see yourself in 10 years?**
In 10 years, I see myself being on a Nicki Minaj type level.
**What is it you want fans to get from your story?**
That anything can really happen if you put your mind to it and push hard to make your dreams come true.
**What are some goals yourself as an artist at this point of your career?**
Definitely put a project out and start touring. Start doing a lot of interactions with my fans.
Photographed by: [Felisha Carrasco](http://instagram.com/felishacarrasco55)
**What shows can we expect?**
I’ve opened for Tyga, I’ve opened for a lot of artists. But to do a solo show, I’m excited for that.
**What’s the biggest lesson learned opening for Tyga?**
It was so much fun. One thing I learned is just you gotta be hyped, especially if you’re opening for a hyped person.
**How important is social media for your career?**
Social media is very important, that’s my biggest platform. Nowadays, everybody’s trained. That’s really everybody’s avenue to go to.
**Why do you only follow 6 people?**
I don’t know... just because my management. I’m not really concerned about everything going on, I’m just focused on my craft and my fans.
**What’s a normal day in the life? Walk us through.**
I wake up around noon. Chill, go in the studio, work hard. Eat, sleep, and repeat.
**3 things you need in the studio?**
Water, a pencil, and a notebook. If you make a mistake, you can erase it.
**What would you be doing if you weren’t doing music?**
I’d be a sports medicine doctor. That’s what I was going to go to school for.
**Did you finish high school and decide you wanted to do music?**
I went to college for a month, and I just didn’t feel it. In my heart, I didn’t want to be there. I didn’t feel like I needed — not necessarily needed, but I didn’t feel “this is what I truly want in life.”
Photographed by: [Felisha Carrasco](http://instagram.com/felishacarrasco55)
**What’s the best encounter you had with a fan?**
When I opened up for Tyga, there was this girl in front of the stage and she had “Malaynah Mafia” on her shirt. It was so cool. That’s my fanbase. All the people who support me and follow me, they’re part of my mafia. I’m truly grateful for all of them and how much they support me in everything I do. Everything I do is really for them.
**Who’s the most played artist on your phone?**
Damn, that’s hard. Right now, probably Kendrick Lamar. He’s just dope. In anything he does, he goes home. \[My favorite Kendrick song is\] “Money Trees,” that song’s hard.
**Dream collab?**
J. Cole or Cardi B.
**What can we expect music-wise?**
I have an EP coming really, really soon. The EP’s called _Karma,_ same title as the single. It has a lot of singing, a lot of rapping. A lot of surprises in it too, so I’m excited. You gotta wait and see.
**What’s one thing fans may not know about you?**
I’m scared of birds. \[chuckles\] I just don’t like them. They’re scary and super dirty. The fact of how dirty they are just scares me.
**Anything else you want to let us know?**
“Karma” is out now! You can stream it, it’s available everywhere.
.jpeg)
