I started by producing, and the rapping came second to that, because I wanted to fill out the beat.

I was working a corporate job, but I really wanted to do music.

I would say I started rapping because my friends were doin' it.

I started with me as Awkwafina reciting 'Othello' monologues, and I'd send those to my friends. It started like that, and then it went into more music-y stuff.

I came out to L.A. to be a songwriter and not an artist, and I'm so excited because I always secretly wanted to be an artist.

I think that's why I was able to do well in the beginning: because it was such a foreign thing. People frame it in a negative way, like, 'For Asian-Americans there's no one out there, so that must be really bad for you.' No, I benefited from it.