Home Interviews Artists Grammy Nominated Singer-Songwriter BeMyFiasco Talks Road To First Nom & More

[INTERVIEW] Grammy Nominated Singer-Songwriter BeMyFiasco Talks Road To First Nom & More

BeMyFiasco Interview
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Hailing from The Lone Star State, singer-songwriter BeMyFiasco, née Bianca Rodriguez, unleashed her critically appraised debut, Where I Left You, in the fall of 2021. From there, the now Durham-based R&B / Soul artist busily worked alongside longtime collaborator Phonte Coleman [Little Brother, The Foreign Exchange] on music for the second season of IFC’s sketch-comedy series, “Sherman’s Showcase,” as well as contributed guest vocals and lent her pen to projects from other acts; Rory’s I Thought It’d Be Different, Rapper Big Pooh’s To Dream In Color, Oddisee’s To What End and Lalah Hathaway’s VANTABLACK, to name some. This past October, BeMyFiasco returned with her eagerly awaited follow-up, Pretty Little Love.  Our BeMyFiasco interview dives into her journey, her success as a songwriter and much more.  Take a journey through her story…

Parlé Mag:  First things first, a huge congratulations to you on your first Grammy nod! How does it feel? What was your response when you first received the news?
BeMyFiasco:  Thank you! It still feels quite surreal. I actually got the news while on a birthday trip to Tokyo with my mom. I set my alarm to wake me up when they would be announced, and was pleasantly surprised. God really is out here working.

Parlé Mag:  How did this collaboration with Lalah Hathaway on her VANTABLACK album even come about?
BeMyFiasco:  It’s been a long time coming. Phonte and I had already locked in my project, and were working on various features for other artists. He simply asked if I wanted to help write on this Lalah record and, of course, I said yes! She’s a legend. Otherworldly. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

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So we finished the record, submitted it to her team and we waited. I honestly forgot about the record until the tracklisting came out. That’s when it became real. The fact that I’m typing this out is still wild.

Here’s the song BeMyFiasco co-wrote on the project:

Parlé Mag:  As a songwriter, when you sit down to pen your lyrics, where do you draw your inspiration from?
BeMyFiasco:  I always like to say God keeps my life interesting enough that I never need to look far for material. I pull from within, from my friends, family, crazy social media stories, fiction novels, really anything I can get my hands on. I’d like to dive into my conceptual songs, and really put my pen to work.

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Parlé Mag:  Now tell me your whole inception into music. When did you first become interested in it, and how did it all begin for BeMyFiasco?
BeMyFiasco:  I’ve been singing forever, but I knew I wanted to do it after the passing of Aaliyah. Something about her death really moved me. So, the first song I ever made, in my room, was dedicated to her. My mom found it and shared it with my musical cousin, and we started banging out songs.

My professional career began in college. I put together my first mixtape with my engineer friend using beats from Bandcamp, and it took off!

BeMyFiasco parle mag featurerParlé Mag:  Coming from Dallas, Texas, who do you consider to be your strongest musical influences? Growing up in the ‘Big D,’ do you have any influences that are region-specific?
BeMyFiasco:  My strongest influences would have to be Aretha, Anita, Musiq Soulchild, D’Angelo and Mary Mary. It’s what I grew up on, so my voice is a mashup of each one of those artists.

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I also love that you acknowledged that Dallas is the true “Big D,” but that’s neither here nor there. Erykah Badu, of course, shone a light on the city. Her tone, delivery, writing and beat selection are gold. I definitely wouldn’t be the artist I am today without her.

Parlé Mag:  How would you classify your overall sound/style?
BeMyFiasco:  Buttery. I’m R&B at my core, but I make what I like. Better yet, I make what I love. I’m always after the feeling first. No matter what the words say, if the listener can’t feel it or doesn’t believe you, it’s pointless.

Parlé Mag:  I read somewhere that your stage name was inspired by Lupe Fiasco. Tell us more…
BeMyFiasco:  I was a huge Lupe Fiasco fan in my younger years. So much so that my Twitter name was “LoveandLasers.” His album Lasers wasn’t doing so well, so I wanted a name change. I went down to a convention in Atlanta with my mom, and decided to try out some new names. BeMyFiasco stuck, and I thought it could also be a band name. Hopefully, one day I get to meet Lupe and thank him.

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Parlé Mag:  Your solo project is entitled Pretty Little Love. Why this particular title?
BeMyFiasco:  I have Lola Vialet the feature on the title track to thank for that. I knew I needed a love song, but I wasn’t in the mental space. So, I sent her the beat, courtesy of ANKN & VDR, and she absolutely killed it! It felt so good that it was a no-brainer.

Parlé Mag:  How then does Pretty Little Love either differ and / or compare to that of your previous, debut album, Where I Left You?
BeMyFiasco:  Where I Left You was my introduction to the FE family. I learned what it was like to put a full project together, shoot videos, and promotion techniques. I also had Phonte with me every step of the way. Pretty Little Love feels like MY baby. Phonte approached me after WILY, and told me this next one was ME! “What do YOU wanna say?” This project made me explore who I was, and what I really wanted without any outside noise. It’s authentically me, and I’m so proud of it.

Parlé Mag:  What particular string of events actually led to you initially linking up with Phonte, and later inking with his +FE Music imprint?
BeMyFiasco:  We actually met via Twitter. I was a huge FE fan for years, and shared my song, “Monday Morning Blues” with him. It was inspired by their song, “Call It Home.” Those running hi-hats just did something to me. He responded with his coveted “Fish Grease,” and I sent him the record. Ever since then, we’ve been locked in.

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During the pandemic, we started working on various features and he asked if I wanted to do a full project. Of course I agreed. We’ve been rocking ever since.

Parlé Mag:  Switching gears here, what exactly do you want people to get from your music?
BeMyFiasco:  I want people to feel at home with my music. I want them to experience me through my writing. I want people to hear my story, and feel inspired to make something of their own, no matter the medium.

BeMyFiasco Interview parle magParlé Mag:  If you could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
BeMyFiasco:  I’d love to work with Musiq Soulchild. He was / is such an important part of my vocal and artistic development. I pattern my background vocals and phrasing after him. I’m claiming that collab.

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Parlé Mag:  If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?
BeMyFiasco:  In the states, the Hollywood Bowl. Some of the most iconic acts have performed there, and I love hearing the music floating over the edge driving by. Abroad, the Dalhalla Amphitheater in Sweden. It’s absolutely stunning. I think I’d sound amazing there.

Parlé Mag:  Are you happy with the current state of music?
BeMyFiasco:  I love the fact that music is so accessible. You can find your favorite artists with ease. It’s allowed me to connect with so many talented people, and build those solid relationships. Whatever you’re looking for exists, you just might have to dig a little.

Parlé Mag:  What do you think will be the key to your longevity in music?
BeMyFiasco:  Continuing to build good relationships, doing good business and being authentically myself. I think people can get lost in the sauce. As long as I’m doing me and trying to help others along the way, there’s no way I can lose.

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Parlé Mag:  Do you have any other future aspirations completely outside music?
BeMyFiasco:  I really want to get into voiceover work and curriculum design, preferably on children’s shows. As a former kindergarten teacher, I’m still passionate about working with children and improving literacy rates.

I also want to tap back into my therapy bag. Before joining FE, I was in grad school to be a therapist. I wanted to be a consulting therapist for labels. I think I may want to revisit that idea.

Parlé Mag:  To date, what has been your biggest career moment?
BeMyFiasco:  Finding out I was Grammy nominated on a birthday trip to Tokyo. It changed my walk, and validated my pen a bit more. I’m excited to go to the Grammys for the first time.

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Parlé Mag:  What is your favorite part about this line of work? What’s your least favorite?
BeMyFiasco:  Being able to create the life I want, and make a living from it. I wake up ready to find new opportunities. My least favorite is the fact that it’s become less about the music, and more about the content and being hyper visible online. I just wanna be able to create without the outside pressure, but it’s part of the game.

Parlé Mag:  What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
BeMyFiasco:  No matter how rough it gets, be willing to bet on yourself. Deep down, you know what you want. Just trust in yourself and jump. The time is going to pass either way.

Parlé Mag:  Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you see yourself?
BeMyFiasco:  Fully established in my career. Doing movies and voice acting. Going back to school to be a therapist. Leaning into my non-profit. Having a family. I want it all!

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Parlé Mag:  What’s next for BeMyFiasco?
BeMyFiasco:  Hitting the Grammys, and plotting these tour dates. I need to get in front of the people!

Photo credit: Samantha Everette

Styling: Alexandria Monet

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Makeup: Amber Lynne


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Todd Davis
Veteran music journalist and indie publicist Todd Davis, who hails from the San Francisco Bay Area, and has contributed to a variety of national, regional, online, weekly and daily media outlets; including The Source, XXL & Billboard, to name a few, is happy to report that he has recently joined the Parlé Magazine family. Looking forward to many great things to come...