Today we’d like to introduce you to Mani Da Brat.
Hi Mani, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started writing songs as a little kid… I remember being in preschool and singing some song I made up about driving down the 405 freeway — not that I knew a thing about driving, let alone down the 405!
As I got older, I started wanting to be a singer. I was obsessed with Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige. The Emancipation of Mimi and Growing Pains were the most worn-out CDs I had, but I played them and studied them. I wanted to embody The Diva that Mariah is and have the street wit and soulfulness Mary embodies.
By the time I hit middle school, I had already adopted an alter ego (Menchi) and decided that was going to be my artist name. My best friend and I used to write songs in class, at break, lunch– it didn’t matter. She was the rapper and I was the singer back then. I had my little song “Been There, Done That”, and I swore it was going to get me to the Grammys. By this point, I’d written a bunch of songs, pulling inspiration from whatever schoolyard drama, life drama, or whatever else I could find, but it wasn’t hitting the way I wanted it to. Singing wasn’t filling the void, but the music still held my heart.
Somewhere in like 2013 or early 2014, I started rapping. I was so convinced I was going to sing for so long that the first time I wrote a rap, I was kinda freaked out. One of the first songs I “wrote” was a really bad cover of Nicki Minaj’s “Playtime is Over”. After that, I started writing more intentionally and left singing behind. I legitimately spent (and still do…) hours studying rap music, starting with Sugarhill Gang, to the 90s classics, to the early 2000s classics.
Circa 2018, I decided I wanted to take rapping seriously. I recorded the first version of ComputaLuv before work on a cheap microphone, with no mixing and mastering– just vibes. I forgot about that version of the song until 202o, right before Covid hit, one of my co-workers suggested I re-record the song at their in-home studio, and the rest is history.
Since then, I’ve dropped about 13 other songs, even though I have several albums’ worth of material recorded. Now, I’m working on getting my name out there. It’s time for the next level.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
This is probably the most labor-intensive thing I’ve done, but because I love it I don’t mind. Living in such a rural area, I don’t have access to professional studios, engineers, no live shows… Everything I do is a real labor of love because I don’t have access like people in larger cities do, so I have to go ten times harder to push my brand, my name, everything. It’s hard, but it’s so rewarding.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a rapper! Everybody that knows me knows because of my song ComputaLuv. I’m the proudest of myself for chasing my dream, being shy and introverted plays a huge part in why I’m so proud of myself because truth be told– I didn’t have any faith in myself for a very long time… I think the thing that sets me apart from other rappers is that I’m very nonchalant about it. I love the music and the art, I’m just not going to be the first one in your face about it. I’d rather let everyone else tell you who I am, but unfortunately, that’s not how this works. So y’all are just going to have to see me and hear me. Mani Da Brat is going to be a household name. Mark my words!
What are your plans for the future?
So, I’m dropping a song called ‘BratSh*t’, relatively soon– right before Thanksgiving, I think. I also have a collaboration with Jourdin Pauline coming soon, as well as a few other tricks and collaborations up my sleeve. I will publicly admit the album is coming on August 18th, 2023. If I can get things figured out relatively soon, we’ll see when my next performance is! Hopefully, I can make it back to Charlotte to perform with my boys in Truniverse.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.manidabrat.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manidabratttt
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manidabratttt
- Twitter: twitter.com/manidabratttt
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEDNyEeJHGpWMMfAjLuS0Cw
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/manidabrat
