With Paper Koi Magazine newly delivering visual interviews with upcoming creatives, Interviewer and Writer, G-Mentality, queried the fresh and colorful rap trio: Z.A.M. including Rasti, Goldi, and Mika sharing their scope on their craft and their ideas touching the music industry, and more! They shared their own detailed experience of making music, taking risks, and hopes on their journey within female rap.

Where is Z.A.M. from ? 

Goldi: About two years ago I started to rap. I didn’t really take it too serious, but would do things here and there and I would show them it. When I moved to Miami after graduating college, just being out here gave me a little bit of a creative mindset. I was starting to write more, I found an engineer, and a producer— who was just like, “honestly, I really believe in what you have”. Then they [Rasti and Mika] came out here and I showed them one song, [i said] “I’m stuck on a hook”, Zoe [Rasti] spit a hook real quick on the phone and I was like “OKAY! Let me find out! So, what’s gonna happen is that we’re gonna do this together.” 

I guess the next question, which is you guys were basically formed organically? You guys are not an industry “put-together”.

Z.A.M.: No!

Rasti: We’ve been friends for a while. Our friendship just came first and this music stuff is just fun. 

Goldi: We’ve been friends since high school and since college. Together we make it so much better, we bring out the best in everybody.

Mika: We vibe off of each other and we big up each other.

Should we expect any upcoming projects? 

Mika: We have a single dropping on September 18th, it’s called “Chatter”.

Rasti: a lot of people be chattin’! 

What song did you have the most fun recording?

Mika: My most memorable moment was our feature with The Infallible Joa, who is putting out a single in November. That was the most fun for me, we worked with really good engineers and producers that day. 

Goldi: Shout out Yohan! 

Z.A.M.: Shout out Yohan at Camp David!

Rasti: I think my favorite one is where recently the RT2 and his camp at “Ice” and I didn’t have anything written. So they wanted me to spit a 32-bar verse, and there were mad niggas in there! I’m like, “I just wrote this, I hope it’s hard” 

Goldi: I’m rooting for her, I’m like, “go in the booth!”

Rasti: I just kept spitting four bars at a time, and every time I kept spitting bars the room just went crazy! And that was just really good energy! 

Did you listen to female rappers growing up? Who?

Goldi: Mostly like Nicki, I feel like for my age group. Nicki was really for me in junior high into high school, definite Nicki for me was a big influence.  I have an older sister and she listens to like TLC and I would catch the rap there and Lil Kim sometimes—my mom would be like, “cut that” most of the time. I would say Nicki Minaj, for me, was my biggest rap influence. 

Rasti: Growing up I listen to so many different things. I would listen to TLC and 3LW and all of that, but I also listen to P!nk a lot.  

How do you feel about this recent surge of female rappers pushing through such a male dominated industry?

Goldi: The fact that the girls are coming together in it [music industry] is amazing. Mulatto, Saweetie, Dreezy, Trina, Cardi [B], Rubi [Rose], Meg [an thee Stallion], and all of them. That’s what we need to do, back in the day for the females, it was harder because it was so hard the because they were like, “i’m here and im not letting nobody take my place”. 

There could only be “one”

Goldi: I understand where they were, but we’re in such a new era right now. Even guys are respecting it more, niggas tell us all the time, “I don’t really be listening to female rap, but your shit is dope!” 

How do you feel about the unfair double standards that female rappers constantly face?

Mika: It’s gonna take so much time because the part that people aren’t ready to talk about is the fact that men have too much to fix within themselves before they can come over here and try to tell us what to do.

Mika really spittin’ right now!

Rasti: People aren’t ready to talk about the fact that a lot of your favorite artists [female rappers] still have males writing for them. [So] When females are ready to step up in the game and represent what we truly got going on— there’s nothing wrong with that– but, we gotta make sure a nigga can’t tell us nothing. 

What is one thing you wish you could change about how people see female rappers?

Mika: I wish they didn’t have to have us on this social media lens, we struggle with social media.

Goldi: We’re not really big social media people.

If you could choose any artist, who would you love to collaborate with?

Mika: Melii 

Goldi: Melii for sure! Melii, Dave East, A Boogie— I love A Boogie, he’s such a creative! 

Mika: Or like if J.Cole produced one of our songs.

Goldi: –and Melii just seems like so fun! 

Rasti: and I wanna collaboration with Vybz Kartel, so we could be in the crib like [Rasti throws it back]

You guys have like such different styles, I really can’t wait to listen to your project! 

Z.A.M.: YES!

Goldi: because we have different styles, it makes our music really versatile. 

Paper Koi is very passionate about uplifting women and their art. One of our favorite avenues is female rap, are there any female rappers you currently have in your music library? 

Rasti: I’m listening to Coi Leray heavy right now

Goldi: Cardi and Meg right now. Trina and new Rubi Rose.

Z.A.M.: Mulatto too.

What advice can you give to any girls that may want to become rappers themselves?

Goldi: Practice. Just try it, practice. Go on YouTube find a beat that you like— if you listen to somebody in particular— I used to look up “Lil Baby beats” because I love Lil Baby he rides a beat so well, I would just write to them. When you feel confident to lay it down, reach out and find a studio and just do it. Why not? It can’t hurt to know.

Rasti: I would tell girls that this is a male dominated industry, so obviously you’re gonna have a male that’s gonna guide you at first. Only let him guide you. Make sure you keep in mind your artistry and be smart. At the end of the day, he’s gonna be good because it’s a male dominated industry. You’re gonna have to learn as you go and just be smart in you moves. 

Mika:– and I would say, educate yourself— On everything! Everyday we learn something new.

Z.A.M.: We’re learning everyday, we’re still learning so much stuff!

Mika: Protect yourself, protect your art, and protect your rights, that type of stuff.

For more on Paper Koi Magazine’s Interview with dope rap trio Z.A.M. have a look at our first visual interview video right up above. 

Check out Z.A.M.’s new Single “Chatter” available on all streaming services. Click the following links to stay up to date with Z.A.M. on Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.