Boston based, Jersey raised, Coi Leray is the conversation. Leray being only 24 and having yet to drop a debut album, has, and continues to make so much noise at an amazing volume. Having deals with brands like Skims and Savage Fenty, just to name a few, speaks for itself. For the past 8 years, Coi has strived to  make a name for herself, her look, and her sound. Dropping out of high school, top of sophomore year, and working in sales since that point on, molded her and prepared her to maneuver through life. Being the baby of her household and the only girl in her home, her obligation to herself was to be in position to always provide. 

Throughout the year, Coi has experienced an abundance of bullying via social media based on her petite size, or even just the type of music she creates. The internet can become a very toxic and ruthless place. Headlining Rolling Loud in Miami and not having the best feedback from the audience she performed in front of really gave the internet leverage. There were several videos surfacing where it appeared the majority of the crowd behaved unresponsive to some of her music. When the BET Awards came around, Coi was one of the biggest topics online, for the entire week. She experienced criticism for her outfits along with a myriad of body shaming comments. While dealing with people’s relentless and harsh words, she responded on several occasions addressing her weight, saying that she has a fast metabolism, it’s how she was born, and it just is what it is. In a recent interview with Complex, she mentioned that she often gets dm’s from petite women, from all over, saying how she has helped them become comfortable in their bodies, which to her, outshines the negativity of the internet.

Women in Hip Hop have always been required to meet a standard. Whether it be their sound, looks, fashion sense, or even who they date, women are always expected to “meet” a criteria. Within the past few years, the barriers continue to be broken with women like Coi, Lizzo, and Megan Thee Stallion, who continue to be true to who they are and prosper because of it. 

Keeping up with society norms doesn’t seem realistic anymore. It takes away from the creativity and authenticity of being your truest authentic self.  Society norms in 2020 were built around having a pretty face, skinny waist, big booty and white toes, while In real life, that’s not in everyone’s genetics, nor is it everyone’s taste. Making sexually explicit and suggestive music , or implying she can take another woman’s man, does not always work and successful women in music have proved that. Artists like Coi have been able to stand their ground on remaining themselves without conforming to society’s standards, and continue breaking barriers by showing the world that you can achieve success by being true to yourself. She has recently landed a placement on Madden22, which is major news for any artist but even more significant for a woman to achieve. 

This year, Coi began the internet takeover. While many on instagram grew fond of her, others didn’t. Why? Again, because of her sound and size. This is something that the internet has yet to accept. Coi was able to take over TikTok with her first platinum hit , “No More Parties,” and was able to lock in a Cozy campaign for Kim Kardashian’s popular clothing line, Skims. Coi proves to be a very versatile artist. She has a sound and vibe of her own. Keep checking for her in 2022, as her growth continues to take her to higher levels.