Coi Leray has teamed up with fellow New Jersey legend Fetty Wap for her latest single “Better Days” produced by Nash B and Wymtime. The track was released on Wednesday (April 29), and is teased to be on her next EP releasing later this Summer, following her last project EC2.
The “Huddy” rapper came on to the music scene in 2017 and quickly gained traction from her unique rapping voice, sense of “tomboy” style, and the fact that her father is rapper, Benzino. The 23-year-old rapper began dating Trippie Redd in 2019 and since then, has performed at Rolling Loud Miami alongside Trippie, and in the same year performed her own set at Rolling Loud New York.
HipHopDX caught up with Coi Leray via Zoom, hence social distancing, to discuss her linking with Fetty in the studio, Trippie’s role in the motivation behind “Better Days,” and how she’s handling her friendship with Bhad Bhabie after controversial remarks were made regarding colorism.
HipHopDX: To start, personally and musically–what would you say is the major difference between this project that you’re about to drop versus the Everything CoZ projects?
Coi Leray: Honestly since I’ve been signed, I’ve just been recording and recording and holding onto a lot of music and I’m really, really careful about what I choose to put out. I want to make sure my debut or my next work is my best work and it’s to my full potential. I feel like all my other projects really weren’t to my full potential. I’m not saying that I don’t like them. I’m hot, I love them, I’m the shit, but it’s just a simple fact that the melodies and my new shit and what I’ve been doing, it’s crazy.
HipHopDX: So starting out, you had a very specific sound and “look,” and now we are seeing you transform with things like your Instagram posts and what you rap about. Would you say that you’ve reached a level of comfort in your career now where you want to talk about topics that you never did before?
Coi Leray: Yeah, I mean honestly I always been writing through experience at the end of the day and everybody that’s following me knows that Everything CoZ showed that. But like I want to get sexy and be a lil’ sexual sometimes. I’m about to be 23 in like 10 days, so I got to just get in my bag sometimes. But I like to be comfortable 100 percent. You know, I grew up around a lot of boys. I had five brothers. I’m the only girl.
HipHopDX: So you say that this project will give us insight into your entire life … you’re talking more about taking care of your family and some of the relationships that you’ve been through. Were there any aspects of your life that you’ve kind of held back from speaking on with this new project?
Coi Leray: Yeah, I ain’t never really speak on the fact that since getting bigger I done lost all my friends, you know, but whatever. It just seems like the bigger I get and the more things that come, the more I lose. Then I don’t really see the people that are around me anymore. I feel like everything happened for a reason because now that I am alone, I’ve been accomplishing a lot more, and a lot more people have been coming into my life to where it’s just like … I felt that was missing.
HipHopDX: Getting into the first single “Better Days,” you make some references in there to having to go your separate way and not loving someone who doesn’t love themself. We know you went through a public relationship and breakup with Trippie Red–did that relationship motivate you to make this song?
Coi Leray: Honestly, I mean I made “Better Days” on Christmas. I ain’t go see my family or nothing. I was just in the studio and I wanted to work and I made it on Christmas. It was like what … four months, five months after the breakup and I don’t think he even dropped his project yet … did he drop yet?
But to make the story short, at the end of the day … he thinks he can go ahead and make two muthafucking songs about me, you know what I’m saying? Like I’m a regular person … I’m not going to say how I feel on the blogs and do all that extra shit and ratchet shit, and be ignorant. At the end of the day, I’m an artist, I’m going to put it in my music just like how he does it. I’m going to just do it in a different way because my mentality is just a little bit above his. He’s still a little child. So I have to act accordingly.
HipHopDX: Outside of that, I was very excited about you teaming up with a New Jersey legend, Fetty Wrap. I’m from New Jersey too so it’s exciting to see Jersey working together. What was the creative process like getting him on the track?
Coi Leray: Me and Fetty linked through management. Me and Fetty both from Jersey and like we ain’t never link up when it comes to the music and it was about time. I was moving around. The numbers were going up … so I guess his people hit my people. We got in the studio when I was in Jersey and I played him “Better Days” and he fucked with it. So he ended up putting a verse on it.
HipHopDX: Can we expect a music video maybe in the future plans for this song?
Coi Leray: Yeah, we were supposed to shoot the video, but quarantine happened. So we just had a little lock-in. But after quarantine, we going to go ahead. I’m going to shoot up to Jersey and get it done.
HipHopDX: So as far as the EP dropping this summer, are there any other features that we can expect on there, also what’s the p[roduction like?
Coi Leray: There are some other people on there, and the production is crazy. I mean I don’t really want to say too much. I just want to go crazy when it comes out. I think less is more.
HipHopDX: Can we expect any collaboration from you and your friend Bhad Bhabie? Especially following some of the controversial comments that she made regarding colorism?
Coi Leray: Danielle (Bhad Bhabie) is a sweetheart. She’s a good person. At the end of the day, people make mistakes and I feel like she’s human and still an artist. Regardless of what you fucking go through, what you do, I’m going to judge you based on how you treat me, you know? And she respects me a hundred percent and she knows that I don’t feel like she’s racist.
I don’t get racist vibes around her … that’s my little homie and I’m going to watch over her as much as I can. With that being said, I’ll collaborate with her any time. I’ll do whatever she needs. I’ll write for her or whatever so she can go ahead and just get out of the gutter. She is in too much bullshit.
HipHopDX: Sounds like a strong friendship. After your fans hear the EP, what is it that you want them to learn more about you that they didn’t know already?
Coi Leray: I feel like I got my core fans and they don’t really know my story. So now that I’m able to give them the project, I’m going to be able to tell them the story.
HipHopDX: What exactly have better days looked like for you during this pandemic?
Coi Leray: Honestly, I started working out. I ain’t never worked out before, so I been working out with my trainer. I’m going to tag him in everything I do. Like I wake up, go to the gym … I feel good. I’m taking vitamins. I got a studio in my crib now so I make sure I stay creative and I’m working. Besides that, I’m just keeping up with my platform, my socials, and just doing what I got to do as an artist plus praying for everybody. I’ve been speaking to my family on FaceTime and hoping that this shit going to end so I can go outside and shake my little ass just like everybody else want to!
HipHopDX: Is there anything else that you would want to share with HipHopDX that maybe we didn’t go over?
Coi Leray: Just make sure ya’ll stream “Better Days.”
Check out the cover art for “Better Days” featuring Fetty Wap, and stream it below, also follow Coi Leray on Instagram.
