There’s something that just clicks when AmayaJane grabs the mic and takes center spotlight. Maybe it’s that West Coast energy – something Filipinos can’t get enough of. It’s that same heat that gets rappers here in the zone.
In this CLAVEL feature, we linked up with the rising baddie as we talked about her career moves, what it’s like growing up overseas, and reconnecting with the roots of the motherland.
DESTINED FOR MUSIC
It’s only been three years since the SoCal rapper with full-on Filipina roots first burst onto the scene, and she’s been firing on all cylinders ever since.
Music’s always been part of her world since she started out singing as a little kid. She’d freestyle for fun in high school, and eventually leveled up in the studio after. While her sound is her own, she pulls energy from artists like Nicki Minaj, Drake, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Kodak Black, and Lil Durk. It’s not just about mimicking styles, though. What really stuck with her was how these artists poured pain into their tracks – especially with YoungBoy.
That raw emotion lit a spark. And while she didn’t grow up tapped into the Filipino rap scene, her biggest inspiration has always been close to home: her parents. The OG day-ones.
“I have a lot of family in San Diego, California in general so me staying around them is me connected to my roots. We have a lot of family parties, we do karaoke, and I eat Filipino food all the time. That’s pretty much it.”
HITTING CLOSE TO HOME
What keeps her grounded is the very thing that pushes her forward – her Pinoy roots. It’s a reflection of the grind, the constant push to break free from a community that often pushes its own creatives to the side in favor of a more traditional career path. That typical Filipino mindset of playing it safe still lingers, and it hits real close to home even from afar.
“I kind of want to start speaking more on the toxicities of Filipinos, like nobody supported me when I started music because it’s not the ideal route for Filipinos. They usually don’t want you to go a creative route. It’s my goal to break those curses in Filipino families.”
Her hunger for spitting sharp bars keeps her locked in, focused on rising above the all-too-familiar struggle many Filipino artists know too well. She’s lived through the backstabs, the betrayals from those she once trusted, but instead of folding, she flipped it.
Now, her calm yet cutthroat flow speaks for itself. AmayaJane turns the pain into positivity by dishing out seamless beats like her favorite Filipino dish.
MOTHERLAND AND MORE
Capping off her return to the Philippines was a hyped-out set at Apotheka. Sharing the stage with local heavy-hitters like Zae and THUGSTA, AmayaJane brought that West Coast energy straight to Manila. The atmosphere was loud, the crowd glued to every song from her set, and the chemistry on stage proved that the connection between Cali and the PH is more than just a sound.
A future project that she’s cooking up? It’s set to feature a few artists she’s vibed with in the studio. First up was Zae, who she says blew her away with her quickness and versatility. “She can rap and sing, and she’s real with it. No cap, it felt like I was watching her rap in 3D.” She also shouts out THUGSTA and Costa Cashman as standout collaborators – even if there’s a language barrier, the talent speaks for itself and she was instantly blown away.
For now, she just dropped a single with 88thagang called ‘PLAY THE GAME’, out now for you to stream on all platforms to get a glimpse of AmayaJane’s rap game. Adding to that later this month, she’s set to release her Yaya’s World EP on November 11th.
Bridging bars from both sides of the Pacific, AmayaJane’s got her sights set beyond just local or international. She’s repping culture, pushing her music, and she’s making sure that her name rings out on both sides of the map.
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