Having kickstarted her career as a duo with Abigail in the viral hit The Situation, Ivorian Doll dropped a series of bangers throughout 2019 including her first solo project, Queen of Drill (QOD).
Since then, she has emerged as one of the most unique flag bearers in a thriving, competitive UK music scene.
Following a confident start, Ivorian Doll, real name Vanessa Mahi, broke the internet with Rumours, a razor-sharp takedown of all of the false accusations being made about her online. Since its release, the track has amassed over three million plays on YouTube and Ivorian Doll is truly living up to her reputation as Queen.
After the soaring success of Rumours, IVD has returned with the explosive new single Body Bag. Underpinned by a cold drill beat produced by NV, Body Bag sees Ivorian Doll live up to her billing - effortlessly combining hard-hitting delivery with uncompromising lyrics. It also comes with a bold Barbie-themed official video, an ode to Nicki Minaj which sees IVD and her troupe hold no prisoners and putting the track’s title into practice.
Following the release of her latest single, we caught up with the Queen of Drill herself.
Hi IVD! Thanks for taking the time to chat to us. Where are we speaking to you from?
Hello, you are speaking to me from London.
You were a YouTuber and social media star before you transitioned into an artist. Was music always part of the plan?
Music was never ever part of my plan, I accidentally fell into it.
You’re now one of the UK’s most prominent female drill artists. Did you ever think that your music would be so well-received?
To be honest, I didn’t think my music would go far as people were not taking a liking to it when I was in a duo. Before rumours, I was feeling disheartened and losing interest in music up until I met my manager! She gave me hope and great support. She changed my delivery on my songs and I’m happy people like my music now because I thought they never would.
You’re quoted as saying you want to ‘be better than the boys’ when it comes to drill. How have your male counterparts within the genre reacted to you?
Drill is very male-dominated. The boys in the industry really respect me and give me kind words. It’s the boys that are not in the industry that sometimes say ‘drill is not for girls’ or ‘why she talking like that’. My competition is the boys as I know it’s a male-dominated field.
Your recent track Rumours was written in response to the slanderous/salacious things people have said about you. What advice would you give to anyone else in the public eye who has become a trending topic?
The advice I would give anyone in the public eye that’s been social media bullied is that, whatever people say about you are opinions and not facts! Hold your head up high and count your blessings. Not everyone is going to like you, however you are in a great position and use the opportunity wisely. Always be 10 steps ahead. Don’t let anybody bring you down.
We loved your Wireless Connect performance. How does creating a virtual performance compare to performing IRL?
Virtual performance is fun as well as in real life, however with real life performances, you feel people’s energy which charges you! Virtual can be scary as you don’t know how well it will be received until it’s out, you just hope for the best.
Tell us about your latest single Body Bag…
Body Bag is one of my favourite songs! I loved filming the video. It’s so amazing. I just LOVE IT.
Can you talk us through your process when it comes to writing music?
Writing my music is fun. I listen to rappers I’m inspired by and see what they talk about. I also talk about how I’m feeling and I like to speak things into existence when writing my music. It’s also good to have a great team around you that can help on hooks. My team allows me to write songs and not just tracks.
Tell us something about yourself that people might be surprised to hear…
One thing people may be surprised to hear is that I’m very interested in documentaries about aliens. I’m also interested in space, time travel and spirituality. I also believe in reincarnation.
What can we expect to hear from an Ivorian Doll debut album?
From my album expect to hear a new sound. Music that can be played in the clubs and HIT RECORDS! Great beats and amazing lyrics.
