Life & Work with PineappleCITI

Today we’d like to introduce you to PineappleCITI.

PineappleCITI, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been making music since I was six years old but kind of got caught up in mundane life. In 2016, I was a daycare teacher in my home state NJ. Decided to quit my job after my boss told me I made great songs for the kids and I should make a kid’s album. (More “F” this job then “F” the kids lol) I quit, and within two weeks, I met a producer (Fre$h) in New York, and we made my album in about two weeks, and then it was off to the races. My project went viral almost instantly, but my life almost ended. I got into a car accident where I couldn’t walk for two years. Make a long story short, as I was recovering my songs were still going viral. This got me my first pub deal and record deal within those two years of recovery. Scoring my first songwriting credit with Kelly Rowland and my first Billboard in Times Square. Pandemic hit as soon as I signed my deal. So as soon as it was over, I made my plans to come to Los Angeles and really push past that glass ceiling. Fast forward, I’ve been living here for two years. Fully independent now and the main songwriter for Issa Rae’s HBO show “Rap Sh!t” – while still working on my own music and for a bunch of records for others.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The Pandemic was tough. I thought tours and everything would start up for me right after I signed my deal. But life happened. It made me reevaluate everything. But I’m so grateful for it because it gave me the push I needed to move to LA and give my talent a real shot. Moving to LA was challenging in itself, but I’m grateful for who I’ve become in these two years.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I just love making music in any capacity. Whether it’s for myself, for others, or for TV. My songwriting credits stretch from Kelly Rowland to Sexyy Red. I was nominated for “Best Written Song for TV” at the Guild of Music Supervision Awards. I was featured in Budweiser’s SuperBowl Commercial this year. My music has been featured in NBA 2k, Netflix, E!, ESPN, etc.

Honestly, I’m most proud of never giving up on myself. There have been many times I could have thrown in the towel. But God wouldn’t allow it.

I think what sets me apart from others – aside from my faith in God – is my ability to network and find the people and places that believe in my talent and continue to show up there. I stopped going where I did not want a long time ago. But if you need me, I’ll always go above and beyond.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I’ve carried around a rap book since I was six years old. My dad is a DJ, and so is my grandfather. My dad owned a record shop when I was, so there were days I would just grab a bunch of CDs off the shelf and just listen to any/everything. I think this shaped my palette for music. I was a nerdy kid though. Aside from the record store, I had a bit of a rough childhood. I don’t think I even understood myself or believed in talents until maybe junior/senior year of high school. College is where I started to flourish.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pineappleciti.com
• Instagram: @theyloveciti