Kamaiyah Leaked Her Own ‘Successful’ Video In Frustration With Label Delays

Kamaiyah is back with more upbeat, West Coast funk in the video for her latest, much-delayed single “Successful.” After she tweeted about her major label frustrations over the delays to her upcoming mixtape, Don’t Ever Get It Twisted, it appears that she decided that facing Interscope’s wrath was preferable to languishing in purgatory and forcing fans to wait for her next big hit and released the video herself.

After tweeting that “They’re trying to push my video release back to next week. I’m not having it. I’m leaking tf out of it myself if it’s not out tomorrow,” it looks like Lil Yaya has made good on her promise. She also expressed her defiance toward any sort of repercussions, writing, “I’m from Oakland. I don’t give a f*ck about no legalities. Let me put out my art! I’ve only dropped 1 song this year due to label bullsh*t,” with that song, of course, being the exuberant “Build You Up.”

Kamaiyah was the lone female rapper on XXL‘s 2017 Freshman Cover, but as she says, for whatever reason, her momentum has stalled after her stellar debut mixtape, A Good Night In The Ghetto made all kinds of 2016 “best of” lists and delivered some absolute bangers in the form of “How Does It Feel” and “F*ck It Up,” among others. Interscope’s not-quite-shelving Kamaiyah may be for legitimate reasons like sample clearances, but it seems odd they’d drag their feet in a year when female rappers are on the come-up, and Kamaiyah’s name already carries such a strong buzz in the street. Yaya’s power move may incense some at the label, but as it was also intended to force their hand, they might just get behind her and help make her the star she believes she can be.