I grew up thinking Margaret Cho and Lucy Liu were my idols because that's it.

I grew up two train stops from where A Tribe Called Quest grew up, and one stop from Nas.

I remember watching Margaret Cho with my grandmother on TV. She was my hero, not only because she was funny, but because she showed me that it's okay to be yourself, that it's okay to be a brash yellow girl and to be a strong and brave woman.

I grew up thinking that singing was my security.

I used to chop up C-Span soundbites or interviews with politicians like John Kerry or Bill Clinton into a radio-esque show hosted by Awkwafina and her producer, Mookie. I would pitch down my vocals to have male guests and would send them to a small circle of friends after they were done.

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