When we first connected Pink Henny was releasing her debut single to the world. “Bloopers” got things started but in that time she put in the work and now has another single on deck to showcase that she’s not messing around. She did not come to play, but to slay with “Bussin.” We talked with the NYC-based emcee about her Big Apply surroundings, the state of hip hop and what’s to come from her this year in this west meets east coast exchange.
Kendra: Coming from New York City, it cannot be hard to be influenced to get into hip hop. Did your surroundings play as much a part in your career as say, a record collection or watching MTV?
Pink Henny: Yeah, of course, my surroundings and always taking the subway influenced me. Seeing the showtime dancers that come on the train and their energy, and also just the energy of New York inspires me.
Kendra: New York City is also known for its bodegas, subways, and pizza parlors. If you had to compare “Bloopers” to one of the iconic images of NYC, which would it be and why?
Pink Henny: I would say kids hopping the subway. That’s such a New York thing to do. Every New Yorker has hopped the subway before.
Kendra: If we were to play a blooper reel of your life, what moment would we see first?
Pink Henny: Me and my friends cyphing on a stoop.
Kendra: Will we be hearing “Bloopers” on an album or are you on the singles-only route that many artists are currently on?
Pink Henny: “Bloopers” will just be my stand-alone debut single, just to kinda say there’s a something else coming. I’ve got an EP coming soon and my next single will definitely be on the EP.
Kendra: Every era of hip-hop comes with its highs and lows. Right now we’re in a time where hip-hop has grown to embrace more LGBTQ artists, as well as issues such as mental health. Where do you feel hip-hop is going to grow from here?
Pink Henny: I feel like it’s going to go into an even more accepting space. There’s a lot of information to process right now and people are still working on things. I feel more things are being accepted as art now. The more people see it’s just going to become the norm. It’s a shift in generation, just like any movement.
You had the punk movement and then in the 2000s when rappers were wearing baggy clothes, it’s just a switch in the culture. Now you see guys like Young Thug wearing tight clothes, there’s always going to be a shift. With what’s happening now, especially with mental health, people are going to become more educated and it’s going to become the norm. The next generation will come up with whatever they want to come up with and then there’s going to be another shift.
Kendra: You’ve mentioned where you want to grow, “Trying to afford that vegan lifestyle.” An obvious take at Beyonce and Jay-Z’s challenge to fans this year. Once you do reach that level, what is the first thing you’ll likely do?
Pink Henny: To be honest, I didn’t even know about that challenge. That’s been my bio since I made my Instagram. To be healthy, you have to have money and that’s literally what I want to do. Once I have money, I can afford the vegan lifestyle and live forever ya know? I appreciate that challenge though, that’s cool.
Kendra: That’s the not so distant future, but what’s going on with your right now? More music? Shows?
Pink Henny: I’m finishing up the EP now and working on putting out as much content as I can this year. I’m working on both the artistic side and business side of my career.
