The Royal Treatment

It’s been a quarter-century since L.A. had a female rap star. Azjah is about to change that.

BY MAX BELL • AUGUST 3, 2020 ~ TheLand Magazine

 

There used to be covered parking inside Compton’s New Wilmington Arms housing complex, but today, the cars of tenants and visitors bake beneath the bitterly hot sun. Azjah hides from the heat in the back seat of her mother’s grey Volkswagen. It’s been more than a decade since she’s been a resident, but she’s no visitor.

 

Moments after she gets out of the car, several grade school kids from the complex ask her for a photo. Only a head or so taller than some, she puts her arms around them and poses, her dark straightened hair flowing from beneath a backwards hat and resting on her shoulders. When she smiles, you can see braces brackets glued to her teeth. She swallowed their connecting wire years ago and has wanted to remove them ever since. Right now, she believes there are more important expenses.

 

Azjah is a celebrity here. At 25 years old, she has the potential to be the biggest ever female artist from Compton. Her songs have received millions of streams, and last year she appeared alongside Snoop Dogg on his album I Wanna Thank Me — the only female rapper to appear on its 22 tracks. But little about her demeanor or attire indicates the oversized persona that often accompanies burgeoning rap stars. Emerging from the car, she speaks softly, her eyes slightly downcast. She wears a plain white tee and black jogger sweats. No gaudy watches or jewelry. The only visible sign of her recent success is a small gold and diamond-studded pendant of her likeness hanging around her neck. A gift from her father and co-manager, Rocc.

 

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