Checking In With Pap Chanel

It’s quite possible that we have never seen a female rap era quite like the one we are in now. With so much talent on the scene, and a lot of that talent coming from Atlanta in general, we have a lot to look forward to in the coming months and years. 

One of those up and coming Atlanta artists is Pap Chanel. Having just recently moved to The A, the young artist is fresh off the heels of her mixtape Pretty & Paid. With a growing resume and people knocking at her door already, the rapper caught up with ONE37pm’s Mike Boyd.

Boyd: How did ‘Gucci Bucket Hat’ come about? What’s the story?

Pap Chanel: The label that I’m signed to, 1865 and Freebandz (Future’s label) they are cool and they have ties together. I was signed for maybe two to three months and I went by and played some records for him [Future]. Once he heard what I brought to the table, he was like “I want to give shawty a chance!” So I was like “why not Future? He’s a legend!” He’s got some bragging rights putting a kid like me on because it’s worth it!

Boyd: What’s your view on TikTok? 

Pap Chanel: I’ve been with some dance teams, they’ve been teaching me some moves. So hopefully by the end of this week, we’re going viral. It’s up!

Boyd: What was it like working with Future? Did he give you any advice?

Pap Chanel: Just being in the room with him—I felt that was enough advice because Future is really good at his craft. It only takes him fifteen minutes to make a three minute song, and it’s full of bars. He told me to keep going.

Boyd: What’s your favorite track off Pretty & Paid?

Pap Chanel: ‘Get Down’ and ‘Nobody’! It’s hard for me to choose between those two. Those are my favorites because ‘Get Down’ shows all the different sides of me—the Country side of me, and some of the things I’ve learned. With ‘Nobody,’ that was something people weren’t used to because I was singing. I don’t really sing like that. I’m just happy to be a female artist in 2020!

Boyd: What other artists do you look up to in the industry? 

Pap Chanel: Nicki Minaj! That’s my all time fav. She inspired me to even pick up a pen. I also really look up to Lauryn Hill and Foxy Brown in terms of how I rap and my cadence. With Nicki Minaj, I just love the animation and bars. I just feel like she delivers in every category. My favorite from her is the Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape.

Boyd: It’s a great time to be a woman in the industry right now and making music. Do you feel the pressure?

Pap Chanel: I feel like the ball is in my court, so I do feel the pressure. Now that I have a song with Future, I feel everything is up to me in terms of how I present myself after this in terms of my records and how I do my photoshoots and interviews. I just want people to see I’ve got the bars, so at this point I’ve gotta go crazy. 

Boyd: How do you catch a vibe in the studio to make music?

Pap Chanel: My main objective to be sober. I like to go in there with just my cover! I have a few of my friends pull up, and that’s about it. I like to be sober and connect in a way that I can go straight to my mind. No liquor and no weed. None of that. 

As Pap Chanel’s star power continues to rise, she promises to always stay true to herself. Be sure to check out the latest from Pap Chanel on Instagram and Twitter.