Jessica Angelique Oliver, also known as FendiDa Rappa, was born Sept. 27, 1995, in Chicago, Illinois — the home of drill and juke music — and she is bringing that sound centerstage in Atlanta on Sunday, Sept. 3 for Atlanta Black Pride weekend.
In an interview with WABE, the musical artist said, “I didn’t know my sound, and it’s okay if you don’t know your sound. Do you feel me?”
Juke and drill are regional subgenres with distinctive styles prevalent in Chicago’s music scene. Drill is often compared to Atlanta-born trap music sonically and gangsta rap lyrically, and it includes artists like Lil Durk and Chief Keef. Juke is a subgenre of high-beat, electronic dance music known as ghetto house. It features a simple 808 or 909 beat and often contains sexually explicit lyrics.
Fendi says drill juke is just one element of her sound she has mastered, but there’s another side to the versatile musical artist.
“Like, I’m Fendi to the real, but I want them to know Jessica too,” said Fendi.
The rapper, musical artist and influencer, whose most recent single became a summer hit, says she combined the two musical styles — juke drill or drill juke — to create the sound heard in “Point Me 2” featuring Cardi B.
Since its release, the song has garnered over 12 million streams on Spotify and over 11 million on YouTube, and at the end of July was a top hip-hop digital sale, according to Billboard.
Content warning: Language and sexually explicit lyrics.
“When I finally found my sound, and I got a grasp of it and held on to it, it was like, okay, this is what they want. It just feels good to feel good,” said Fendi.
“I just want everybody to take time to find their sound. I didn’t know my sound, and it’s okay if you don’t know your sound,” she added.
FendiDa Rappa and other artists like Sexxy Redd, Saucy Santana and Big Freedia will all be appearing at Atlanta Black Pride, Aug. 31 – September 4.
Here are some highlights from WABE’s interview with FendiDa Rappa. This Q&A has been edited for clarity.
I would love for you to start telling me about yourself.
Yeah. They always think I’m a toddler, but yeah, I’m turning 28, and I’m from Chicago. The South Side of Chicago. I’m a rapper. I am a lesbian. I’ve never dated a boy before. None of that. And like. I’m just me, myself.
How did you get into drill?
Like when I first came out, I dropped a mixtape in like, 2021, and it was called “Straight From the Raq.” And it had 15, 16 songs and it was different songs, like all versatile songs, like love songs. It was like sad songs. It was all type of songs, but it was like this juke song stood out the most. It was just one song that stood out over the whole mixtape and went viral in Chicago. Like, boom, all the DJs would send me up to come perform. But I really started rapping, like taking it seriously in like 2019. I’ve been had bars since I was a kid, but in 2019 I started taking it seriously, like, okay, I want to be a rapper. But I was working, so I ended up quitting my job in like 2020. I dropped the mixtape 2021. And man it was like, Oh my God, this was the best thing I could ever do.
What was it like working with artists like Cardi B?
I feel like I’m in the girls’ clique. It feels good like Cardi even when I first, first when we first got on the phone, um, it was so genuine. I didn’t even know she was a Libra. I didn’t know any of that. It was just, like, so genuine, we were texting. She said, “Hey, you know, I’m ready to shake my ass on the cars.” I’m like, “Oh, it’s going down, down?”
What do you want your career to look like?
Like I’m very versatile. Like the drill. It’s cool. Like, it can take you far, but I really want them to see, like, the other side too. Like, I’m Fendi to the real, but I want them to know Jessica too. Like, it’s okay, to give y’all some drills, but I’m human. I got other stuff to tell y’all. Like it’s my lane. It’s like I created it, and people be telling me like, Oh, you make it feel so comfortable for girls to be feminine and tomboyish at the same time. As far as music, I’m very versatile. I like to work with others. I’m really big on it. You know, working with others, getting to know other people. And I love the LGBT community. I love it.
