F  L  A  U  N  T

 Photo Credit: @Kombucci, Stylist: Corey Stokes, MUA: Scott Osbourne [Kitty Ca$h](https://www.instagram.com/kittycash/?hl=en) is exactly what her name embodies: a whole lot of spice and class. Hailing from Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York, the DJ, producer, model, and cultural influencer has spun for all the elites in the music industry, from Solange and Missy Elliot to Skrillex and The 1975. At the core, she describes herself as “a free spirit, a lover at heart, someone who does what they want to do honestly.” Coming from a city where hip-hop culture thrives, Kitty fondly remembers her first internship at Rocawear meeting at Marcy Projects where Jay Z grew up and giving out gifts with them. Heavily influenced by Lauryn Hill, Foxy Brown, Lil’ Kim, and Hov, she states, “I was a real hip-hop girl and still am actually. It was second nature.” Most recently, Kitty remixed King Princess’ standout single "Only Time Makes It Human," which serves as her first official release on LVRN as a producer. Joining labelmates Summer Walker and 6lack, Kitty is excited as ever for this new chapter in her career. Additionally, quarantine birthed her animated series titled "Kitty's World" on IG TV. Flaunt caught up with Kitty via Zoom, who was sipping on coffee recovering from the turnup the night prior. Read below as we discuss how she got her start deejaying, working with King Princess, an epic moment spinning for Missy Elliott, finding her way to LVRN goals, and more! **When did you first learn how to deejay?** It started a good 7 years ago. My friend, Kilo Kish, was rapping and said “yo, you should be my DJ.” We’re walking around downtown New York doing these shows for fun. I’ll never forget this day at Converse Rubber Tracks, they used to have a spot for artists. Like an incubator, you could go use their studio. I thought “damn we need to be doing this forreal.” That was the transition, seeing you can start something as a hobby and take your time until you’re confident or comfortable enough to do it full-time.  **When did you realize you could do it for a living?** Honestly, I had a normal job. I was doing _The Balancing Act_ and realized “alright, I hate coming here because I’d much rather be DJing. Why am I here?” Every second of the day, I’m at my desk wishing I was at a party DJing or working on a mix. I either had to take this leap now or I’m going to regret this forever. I was doing fashion, marketing communications. Definitely crazy because when you do something randomly, literally it was a joke that stuck. 7 years later, I would’ve never guessed this shit would be my actual life.  **New remix for King Princess’ “Only Time Makes It Human,” how are you feeling?** I love it, it was so much fun. As a DJ, it’s great playing everybody else’s music, but you do get to that point where you’re ready to start having your own remixes. This is my first commissioned, the artist hit me up to do the remix. I’m already a fan of King Princess, she went on tour with one of my best friends Kiko Kish. I love them both. I’m like “what, she wants me to do a remix?!  **Oh, she reached out to you?** Yeah, I was so hyped up. I love it, she loved it. She called me like “you killed it! I keep playing it for everybody.” I have a DJ set up at my house. Even before I sent it to her, I had a \_\_\_ party and was mixing it in to different songs. Everybody said “yo I love that shit.” I didn't tell anybody I remixed it yet so that was super fire. She’s so fire as an artist and as a person. Even after doing the remix, being able to do our animated music video tying it all together, we both said “why not? Let's do it, fuck it.” It felt good to collaborate with a woman also from Brooklyn, she’s from Williamsburg. She’s super supportive. I was so nervous when I sent it to her, “umm, do you like it?” She loved it. **What did you add to the record?** The song definitely has that 80’s, electronic pop vibe to it, which I love. It reminded me of my day in downtown New York. I wanted my work to be a bit more soulful, R&B chord progressions to it, give it my sprinkle. Overall, I made the song a bit more soulful and less pop. UK garage vibe. If I wanted to dance my ass off, where would I take this? Imagination was the inspiration for the remix.  **Describe your relationship with King Princess.** It’s definitely still new, but she’s funny as fuck. Literally, the best spirit. High energy. She’s super down to collaborate. That’s so important feeling like you can genuinely collaborate with another artist, feeling safe within that space. For that to be my first remix, I told her it meant so much to me. She’s so fucking supportive. She said “if you’re gonna be in New York, we’re working on some shit. Let’s get it!” That’s super exciting. **How did you find your way to LVRN?** I’ve known the guys for a very long time, they’re always super supportive of me as a DJ. A year ago, 7 months before Covid, we’re having a conversation. ”Hey, what's next for you? What’re you up to?” I said “I want to transition into being an artist DJ and producer.” They said “how serious are you?” I had the album concept ready! I'm serious as yesterday, let's go. They told me to send them my ideas and music, we could talk about it. Literally was conversation over chicken wings in my apartment, then we had a serious ass conversation a week later. It’s wild.  **Seen you in the studio with 6lack, what can we expect?** You can expect a song hopefully in the new year. 2021, that's when I'm looking to start dropping my single. Had to give a little sneak peak when I was in Atlanta. I got to work with a lot of artists that I really love, I’m excited to start putting shit out honestly.  **You’ve worked and spun for everyone, Solange, Missy Ellliot , Skrillex, Dev Hynes, The 1975, The Dream, and Sbtrkt to name a few. What are your fondest memories?** I have so many, you just brought up some things I forgot about. Missy Elliot was such a fire experience because I really didn't know that's what the party was. It was a Solange event around Essence Festival, they’re honoring Missy Elliot. She said “hey, can you do a tribute set to Missy Elliot?” I said hell yeah. I start DJing, starting my set, then Missy Elliot walks in. She’s dancing to one of the songs, then I played that song “Pussycat” which is one of my favorite songs by her. She’s doing the whole routine. I was freaking out but holding it down, I was so nervous. They said “Tweet is about to sing, she’s going to perform for Missy.” It was a dream, it was too much. I’ll never forget my nose was sweating.  Such a genuine moment for me because I love R&B music, I grew up on Missy and Solange. Everything was handpicked, intimate and personal. A memory I’ll never forget.  Photo Credit: @Kombucci, Stylist: Corey Stokes, MUA: Scott Osbourne **How has COVID-19 affected your career?** Of course for most DJs, you’re not in clubs. You’re not doing events. You have to move from really feeding off the energy of people into doing it digitally, which isn’t the same. Ultimately, it really pushed me to go outside of my comfort zone as a DJ. Allowed me to really work on music and producing, focused more on creating outside of DJing. If I was DJing because I travel so much, I would’ve never been able to create Kitty’s World, work on remixes, work on singles, be in studios for 5 or 6 months straight. I would’ve had so much going on with DJing that it would’ve been very distracting. I was so sad, I still get sad because I miss that energy. That’s my happy and safe space, but I’m also super thankful because I wouldn’t have ever grown into what I'm about to show the world I'm going to be in 2021 — if I didn’t have this year to sit the fuck down.  **Favorite song to drop in a set?** Any R&B song from the 2000’s honestly. I love a classic, a good T-Pain moment. Even a Keyshia Cole, Andre 3000 prototype, something you wouldn’t expect to play at the party. An R&B song but it goes crazy. A primetime R&B plot twist song is my favorite thing to do.  **Talk about your love for fashion as well.** I’ve always had a love for fashion. I went to school for fashion, I went to FIT. Naturally being a part of the downtown New York scene, you’re able to see things from its inception and be a part of the fashion culture. It’s second nature to me. I don't sit here like “I want to be a part of fashion,” it’s literally who I am everyday. I love finding emerging designers, or discovering brands that are really small and watching them blow up. I always bring up Area, one of my favorite brands. I remember when them doing presentations, it was so small. Now, they’re one of the must go-to shows of Fashion Week. Being able to grow with brands like that, even like a Kim Shui or Christopher Rogers, it makes you feel even more attached to fashion. More attached to a brand and their story. The discovery is my favorite part. **What’s the premise of Kitty’s World on IG TV?** Kitty’s World, that's my new baby. It definitely kept me sane during Covid. All DJs had this moment of, am I having a breakdown? I haven't been in a club, I actually don't know what to do with myself in real time. What am I doing with my life? Kitty’s World was definitely me finding a way to still immerse myself within music, but in a reimagined way. I was inspired by the countdown culture of the 2000’s from _TRL_ to 106 & Park to Cita’s World, all the shit I grew up on. I can talk my shit on Kitty’s World, sometimes I get really shy so I wouldn't do it naturally on my Instagram. I really wanted to be my authentic self, that's how I am with my friends. It’s funny because people say “hey I didn't know you were so into politics,” or “I didn't know you felt like this about that.” I have my avatar going crazy.  **Goals for yourself at this point of your career?** Next for me is growing Kitty’s World to hopefully being an actual TV show on a real network, that’d be amazing. Of course putting out an album and dropping more music honestly. Covid allowed me to tap back into what it is I really wanted to do: to create art in all different forms and versions. My goal’s to continue to create from an authentic place, challenge myself in terms of what I actually put out into the world. Make music all year, that's the goal.