When the City Girls first exploded onto the music scene in 2018, it was just months before JT was due to turn herself in for a 24-month sentence for identity theft. Despite her lack of experience rapping or touring, Yung Miami was able to maintain the group’s momentum, snagging a major co-sign from Drake on “In My Feelings” while building the City Girl’s profile.
Miami remembers certain trolls and critiques that would label her as the “weakest link” of the group, but it didn’t discourage her from working on her craft. Yung Miami and JT were able to deliver two successful albums over the last six years before the release of their latest project, RAW, which dropped in late 2023. The project was met with a lackluster response both critically and commercially, which made the group pause and reevaluate their musical situation.
“[JT] on the West Coast, I'm in Miami,” Yung Miami told Complex. “I'm doing my own thing. And I felt like naturally, when she doing her own thing, it just worked for her. And when I'm doing my own thing, it worked for me. But when we get together as a group, it just wasn't connecting.”
The two realized that they wanted to try to release music separately. The City Girls aren’t over, but Yung Miami and JT releasing music separately for the first time marks the beginning of a new era. JT has a strong song of the summer contender with “Okay” and Yung Miami’s first solo offering, “CFWM” featuring Skilla Baby, is authentically Miami, with her using criticism as fuel to power her new music.
“People had just been talking to me crazy, that I was like, ‘You know what? I want to go in the studio and tell these bitches like, ‘Hey y'all bitch can't fuck with me. Relax,’” Miami told Complex. “So just going through shit really motivated me to get in the studio and make music.”
“CFWM” is only the start of new music she’s cooking up for her “Yams era,” what the rapper is using as a catchphrase to describe the Miami energy surrounding her new music. She is also working on the next season of her talk show, Caresha, Please, which has been Miami’s way of showing off the Caresha side of her personality while talking to her contemporaries. And despite the rumors happening in her personal life—mostly due to her relationship with Sean "Diddy" Combs—Yung Miami is committed to staying positive and drowning out the negative noise.
“You can't let people dictate your life and tell you what you can and can't do,” she said. “You don't even fucking know me. So it's just like you got to keep going and you got to just learn how to block out the noise. That's the only way you're going to be successful if you block out the noise.”
With her new musical era underway and a new season of Caresha, Please on the horizon, Caresha is prepared to continue to expand her world. Complex talked to Yung Miami about her latest single, “CFWM,” her relationship with JT, and how she blocks out all the negative noise around her. This interview took place on May 13, days before footage of Diddy assaulting Cassie was released by CNN.
Thinking back to your first show as the City Girls at Heads or Tails in Miami, what were your nerves like leading up to it?
I was excited. It was in Miami. We knew the whole hood was coming out to support us, which they did. We went and got some outfits made and once I got on stage and I just saw everybody rocking our shit, it just gave me chills and it just was like, “Damn, I could do this.”
Wasn’t there a fight that happened during it? How is that a testament to the motion you two have always had?
I think it just showed us that we can do it and that people were rocking with us and fucking with us, and I think it just gave us that motivation. I think it really put the batteries in our back to really take this rap shit serious and to really stay motivated. I felt like it built up that stamina in us. That crowd reaction is going to do it every time.
How has the music scene in Miami changed since then? Do you think it’s harder to get discovered as an emerging artist from there?
It’s very hard for Miami artists. I feel like we not really heard that much, and I don't know what the disconnect is, because I feel like Miami music is so different. Just the way it makes you move, the way it make you feel, it's just so different. And I feel like we got a lot of artists that's coming up, but it's so hard for them to get noticed and I don't know why it's like that.
I was rewatching your Point Blank Period doc that you did five years ago, and it’s crazy to think about how much has changed in that time. How do you think holding down the group when JT was locked up prepared you for your own solo career as well?
I did it. I felt like people always told me I couldn't do it. They always told me, like, “Oh you can't rap. Oh you the weak link in the group.” When she went to jail and I held it down, if I was the weakest link or if I couldn’t rap, how was I able to hold down the group? So I feel like it just be a lot of noise. It be a lot of trolling, but that love outside be different. When you go outside and you really feel that love and you see people at your shows and they rocking out and I felt like that's what I did. When she went to jail, I had a crazy feature run, I was pregnant and I did my last show up until I was like seven months. I had to put in that time and that work and that effort to keep my group alive. And people told me I couldn't do it and they still telling me I can't do it. They've been telling me since day one to give it up. And God put something in front of me every time.
What was the most challenging part about holding down the group while she was away?
Being pregnant. Your body changes, your hormones stay up and down. It was just like some days I was crying, saying I can't do this shit. It's too much pressure on me, and then sometimes I was like, “Fuck that. You got to do this.”
What’s been inspiring you lately?
I had to really get back in my bag. People had just been talking to me crazy, so I was like, “You know what? I want to go in the studio and tell these bitches like, ‘Hey y'all bitch can't fuck with me. Relax.’” So just going through shit really motivated me to get in the studio and make music.
At what point did you realize you wanted to put out a solo project?
I think when the City Girls album [RAW] just dropped and it didn't do too well, and we was just trying to do our press run. The whole rollout of the album was just so bad because we was just in two different spaces. We older now, and she was doing her own thing. She on the West Coast, I'm in Miami. I'm doing my own thing. And I felt like naturally, when she doing her own thing, it just worked for her. And when I'm doing my own thing, it worked for me. But when we get together as a group, it just wasn't connecting. It just wasn't working no more. So I think we both was at a point where we were just like, “We probably should just do our own shit.”
How do you block out the noise when you’re creating?
From day one, they always said “Caresha, shut up.” It’s always been like, “You can't rap, you can't do this, you can't do that.” And I've been doing it for six years. We had a song with Drake. I've been very successful at [rapping], and I made a lot of money off of it and I stay booked. And I feel like people are just trolls. I feel like we in a trolling era, so you got to block out the noise. You can't let people dictate your life and tell you what you can and can't do. You don't even fucking know me. So it's just like you got to keep going and you got to just learn how to block out the noise. That's the only way you're going to be successful if you block out the noise.
How do you navigate these new parasocial relationships between fans and artists where they think they know you because of how much of your life you share?
I feel like I used to be so open. I would go on Instagram Live and just talk. I'm not doing it no more. I do it, but it is not fun no more. People are just overly invested. It used to be fun. This is how I came in, going live, being who I am. But now I could say anything and this shit so serious or it's so negative or it's so bad. So that's that boundary that I had to put up. I'm not going Live and I'm just going to talk less, less is more. I’m not doing a lot of things I used to do.
I actually miss going Live. When I used to go Live, it was a part of my therapy. If I was having a bad day, “Fuck it, I'm going to put on my phone and I read the comments.” Me and [Saucy] Santana was able to get a TV show off of our Lives and just personality and bringing something different to the game. And I miss doing that, but it's just not fun no more. And I hate that for my fans that genuinely support me and want to see me talk, but it's just not fun mentally.
Tell me about how “CFWM” came together?
So I was in Atlanta, and Skilla [Baby] was there. We was in the studio and he put up this beat and I was like, “Damn, I like this beat.” And we was just in there like, “These hoes can't fuck me,” because that's just how I was feeling that day. I was just in my bag. Just popping my shit. That's what I'm saying, you go in the studio, you just start talking and it'll come to you. And it was just like one of those moments.
How would you describe this new “Yams era” of music you’re in? What have the new songs been sounding like?
I wanted to take it back to Miami. I wanted to take it back to where I started. I want to get back to that Yung Miami.
What’s the balancing act like when you’re juggling your music career but also developing the next season of your podcast?
That’s something I'm really excited about besides the music: Caresha, Please season two. Season one was such a success. I got a lot more haters. It came with a lot of old ass haters too. With new levels come new devils. But I'm so excited. I feel like season one was just warming up.
What have you learned about yourself through building Caresha, Please?
I learned that I made people comfortable. I felt like people really enjoy my energy. I felt like every person that came on my show, they was so nervous. But when they got in the chair, they always like, “Oh my God, you made me feel so comfortable. I wanted to talk to you.” I feel like I'm such a shy speaker that I be fucking up my words and shit. So I'm like, “Damn, how I'm going to fucking interview this person?” But then it just flows so naturally and it just be such a vibe.
We had you ranked in the top 10 of our hip-hop media personality list last year, why do you think some artists have turned to streamers to promote their music first rather than traditional outlets or radio?
The world is just constantly changing and I feel like you can't knock nobody hustle. Every day it's going to be some new shit. And I feel like that this is just what's new. It is newer kids, it's younger kids that play the game all day, and they into streamers. And if that's another way for people to go and promote their music, why not?
Do you have a favorite streamer?
I like Kai. My son loves Kai. That's how I knew who Kai was. My son spent all my money and sent to his stream [Laughs]. My son loves him. I had actually met him when I was in Las Vegas. He ended up coming to my birthday party and I met him and he's just so sweet, and I just like what he be on, how he be dancing and stuff. Just like his vibe. I just felt like he just getting his money, staying out of the way. He ain't bothering nobody. So I support him.
Do you think streaming has become the new radio?
Yup, you ain't got to get up so early in the morning. You can just relax, it ain't so serious. That's what I'm saying, just be different vibes, different energies, different people. People want to see different shit, new shit. You don't always want everything to be the same.
How strong of a friendship do you have with JT where you can argue on Twitter for thousands of people to see, and make up in the same thread?
I think it's sisterhood. That's my friend of course, but that's more like family to me. I've been knowing JT my whole damn life, so that's not our first argument. It probably won't be our last argument. This time it went to the Internet. It was a lot of emotions. We got people pulling us left and right, and it just was some shit that we just talked about behind closed doors, like, “Girl, I love you and let's keep pushing.”It ain't never that deep where it'll go farther than that.
What’s the biggest misconception about you? What do people get wrong?
That I am in competition. People think I just be in competition. I literally be in my own world doing my own thing. Half of the time I don't even be knowing what be going on. I just be so out of touch when I'm doing my own shit. So I think that a lot of times people just be thinking that like, “Oh you just so in competition.” And it's like that's not true.
What’s the smartest thing you’ve ever done?
Never gave up on myself and continued to push myself to be a better person every day.
What’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever done?
So much shit [Laughs]. Say the wrong shit and just be bubbly talking and just playing around.
What does success look like for you at this stage in your career?
Success looks like the Black Oprah.
Oprah is Black, though?
I said what I said [Laughs]. To really come from where I started, to where I'm going, to where I'm going next, the sky's the limit. I’ve done so much, going back to the point they said I couldn't rap, I was rapping. When I was in the movie You People. Then I got my podcast. I got a drinking game. I just keep getting creative and it’s something new every day. So I just feel like the sky's the limit for me.
