Photo credit: Brianna Alysse
[TiaCorine](https://www.instagram.com/tiacorine/?hl=en) is a whole vibe, and she’s not stopping until she gets to the top. Hailing from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the rapper and musician has had some of the biggest cosigns in the game, from A$AP Rocky to SZA since her viral hit ‘Lotto’ became a Tik Tok sensation in late 2018. After that success, you would have thought TiaCorine would have rushed to put out new music. But, TiaCorine and her self- described genre of “anime-trap”, waited until she felt the music and the world was ready.
Earlier this month, she unleashed her debut EP titled _34Corine_, an ode to her hometown. In the South, they call Winston-Salem the _tre-fo_, translating to the 3 and 4. In describing the music on 34 Corine, TiaCorine stated, “It’s me, it’s different. I'm a Powerpuff badass, that's me. I'm fun, I'm cute, I'm sassy, but I'm also a gangster trap hippie. I roll with myself. Every song I make is different, I love to challenge myself. I'm the only one I compete with.”
Flaunt caught up with TiaCorine via FaceTime, who was located back home in her happy place, to hear more about her musical influences, inspiration behind the new project, and what it was like working with Sonny Digital on her latest hit, “Mine.”
**What was the household like growing up in Winston-Salem?**
It was really cool, I enjoyed it. I hung out with lots of different types of kids. I had a Hispanic best friend, had some Asian friends, had some black friends, had a couple white best friends. I was very cultured here in Winston. It's small, it’s slow, but you meet many different types of people. I had a really good childhood. We went to go chop down our own Christmas tree, that's so dope.
**That's so dope!**
We didn't have a lot of money, but my mom made it happen every time. I really had a really great childhood. My mom let me experiment, she let me dress myself. I was always my own self, always. I cut off all my hair, she let me do it. Everybody’s like “why would you let her do that?” She always allowed me to be myself even today. She let me try any sport, I was always me. Life in Winston is great man, I enjoy it.
**I know you were rooted in 80's and 90's music. Which artists were you listening to?**
My mom played Queen, then she played Teena Marie. She'll play Sade. Any 80's to 90's pop you could think of because at that time, I didn't know what the name of the artist was. I remember the sounds. When I hear the songs start playing, people say “you're too young to know about that!” I love this song, this my shit. My dad played Sugarhill Gang, A Tribe Called Quest, people like that. I was getting a real good mix of Luther Vandross and Ginuwine.
**At what point did you realize the music thing was for real?**
When I did my first talent show, I sung “Happy” by Ashanti. Remembering that feeling onstage and how everybody's face was like “wow,” I loved it. I thought “yeah, I'ma be a singer. I'ma be on stage, this is what I want to do.” Since the fourth grade, I liked to do other things but this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life.
**What was the reaction from the people?**
They were shocked! My teachers, because I was a shy kid. I didn't talk much. I did my work. Everybody was blown away. I was so short with all this curly hair, they said “wow, you’re singing like that? We never knew you could do that.” Everybody’s face was shocked, I’m like “wow I'm killing it.”
**How are you managing, dropping music, Covid 19, making videos, promoting?**
It's crazy! I really think I'm a superhuman because at the same time I'm doing this music, I'm in school full-time. I'm working 40 hours a week. I’m writing rhymes while doing homework, then going home. I really don't know how I do it. I have it in my mind, this is what I'm going to do. I just do it. I’m crazy, I don't know how I have time for all of this.
**Congrats on the release of _34Corine._ Talk about paying tribute to your hometown and all the amazing instruments on the project.**
We call Winston-Salem tre-fo, which is 3 and 4. When I'm out now, people will come up to me and say “oh my gosh, we’re rooting so much for you. You’re going to put Winston on the map, we're so proud. We support you.” People look at me as the face of Winston, the queen of Winston. I'm _34Corine_, I take Winston everywhere I go.
**What happened with the cover?**
I had a whole different cover, it was shot on film. They said “the quality isn't good enough, you got to do something else.” Ya'll don't know how much I planned for this, this is what I wanted. You work with people and sometimes, you have to compromise. I said “alright, I'll do another shoot.” As I was getting my makeup done, I had my eyes closed and saw this vision of people giving me flowers. A lot of people hit me and say “ya'll need to give Corine her flowers. She makes fire music, ya’ll sleeping.” That's what it is. This EP, you have no choice but to give me my flowers.
**Talk your shit!**
I changed the whole video within 3 hours of my shoot. \[laughs\] I had my friends go pick flowers from somebody's garden, I'm sorry for whoever's garden it is. It was amazing. It's crazy how the vision came to me, so perfect.
**Talk about the producers you worked with on the project.**
I had a few who are pretty famous: Sonny Digital, Cardo, Manny iL, DougieOnTheTrack. Sonny did the song “Mine.” Crazy how it happened, I got invited to the studio by another producer. In the middle of the song, Sonny Digital walks in and says “you TiaCorine?” Yeah that's me. He said “I've been trying to work with you for so long, you’re so dope. How long you here for?” I said “I'm here for a couple of days.” He said “well if you’re trying to work, let me know.” I was ready to work. He gave me his number. He hits me up the next day, I come through. The first beat he plays is the “Mine” beat. I said “yes, I love this beat!” He asked “do you record yourself?” I engineer all my songs. He says “good because I don't do that.” I use Logic, he only had Pro Tools. I said “well I don't know how to use that,” he said “you about to learn today.” He taught me how to use Pro Tools within 10 to 15 minutes.
**That's crazy, was it hard?**
I wanted to impress him. This is Sonny Digital, I'm about to use all my brain power to learn how to use it. It was actually not that hard, I flew through it.
**What do you want fans to get from the visual?**
I want to make movies. I don't want to start twerking and say it's a music video. No, I want it to be cinematic. I want them to get inside of my head and see what I see. After the music video, they'll listen to the song differently.
**Did you shoot the visual in LA?**
Yes, I shot it in LA with BenMarc. A crazy day. \[laughs\] It was so long. We did so many shots, so many different scenes until l 1 or 2 in the morning. I was beat. I do my own stuff usually, so I already know what I'm doing and it doesn't take me long. Boom, boom, boom. With them, I let them take the wheel. There were a few more people on set than what I’m used to. I had other females in the video so trying to get everybody on one page was crazy. The pool scene I did on top of this building, the floor was so hard. My knees were bruised like nobody's business. I was smiling but I was in pain. \[laughs\] The water was ice cold.
**“IKYK” visual out now, what was your vision with this one?**
The song is so fun, it's nostalgic to me. “I know you know.” \[aings\] I'm talking shit at the same time, but in a cute way. I wanted a little story. I wanted to be quirky and funny because with all my words in the verse, you could imagine what I’m talking about. I said something about the grills, it's so visual. I wanted to paint a picture with the things I'm saying. I want people to understand the quirkiness of the song. It sounds like an anime song, an intro to an anime show. That's why I had that little ending.
**What are your favorite anime?**
I love Hunter x Hunter, Inuyasha is my top fav. Attack on Titan, I like Blacktober too. They have interesting storylines. Baki, I love the fighting. Most of the time, I like the art of it. The drama. It's so passionate, I love it. I'm a passionate person.
**What’s your favorite tattoo you have?**
It used to be my stomach tat, but now it’s Mew the Pokemon on my neck. That's what I think I am. I'm Mew. I remember going to the movie theaters and watching Pokémon Movie, how Mew was so shy but so powerful. It didn't really understand how powerful it was, and it wasn't done transforming. That was Mew, now there’s Mewtwo. That’s me, I'm really crazy and powerful but I'm so humble and shy. I'm not done, I'm just getting started.
**How did you land at South Coast Music group?**
Zrazy. I remember this guy Chewy works at a radio station in Charlotte. He called me like “Charlamagne tha God is about to call you,” he shouted me out. “Arnold, DaBaby's manager, SCMG is looking at you. They’re going to call you and want to talk to you.” Whaaat, for real? That same day later on, I get a DM from Arnold. He said “I'm watching you,” with the eyes. Who’s this creepy man talking about he's watching me? I go to his page, I finally see DaBaby and put it together. He said “I'm watching you, keep working.” I'm like “fasho.” My stuff starts going up more, TikToks going crazy. Even before then, it was simultaneously Toosi's manager Flip. I see Toosi in Raleigh, Toosi points at me like “yo I want to sign her, make it happen.
**Just like that?**
Yeah, he comes up to me like “hey, what's your name?” I said TiaCorine. He goes through my page like “wait a second, I was on your page last night. I was actually about to hit you up.” It came all together that Flip and Arnold worked together. We all got on the phone and it went from there.
**Have you learned anything from working with them?**
I learned more about the business, how to do things the right way. How to cover my butt. How to carry myself as an artist. They're my backbone man, they really help me. Between them and Bill, Bill’s my guy.
**3 things you need in the studio?**
I need some chapstick, for sure some water, and some wine. A glass of wine.
**What can we look forward to next music wise?**
We're dropping a deluxe for 34Corine in November, that's the plan. More music videos coming out. I shot a video to “34 Faucet.” I'll be shooting to 30 in my room. I have some music with Kenny Beats, planning to release that. Me and Isaiah Rashad have a song together.
**Amazing, how’d that happen?**
Kenny Beats was on Twitch and Isaiah Rashad happened to be in the room. When he played the song, Isaiah was jamming out like “yo, who is that? He DMed me and said “can we get a song together? I said “fasho!” Did the song, did the video, now we’re waiting on that. Isaiah was so cool. Kenny is cool. In the beginning of next year, I'll be dropping my first album.
**What can we expect from your debut album?**
Heat. That's all I can say, I got heat for real.
Photo credit: Brianna Alysse
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