Meet Safia Mafia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Safia Mafia.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Safia. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
My story started off in Oakland, CA. I was born into a musical family (my father was a musician, and my mother was a huge fan of music) so naturally, as a kid, I was always performing, singing, and dancing. I recorded my first song when I was 18 in a friend’s bedroom studio. That grew into me recording wherever I could find a studio set up with someone willing to work. I sang on whatever beat producers would give me, or whatever hook the local rappers wanted me on.

After a while, I really wanted to branch out and blend other genres of music together but didn’t have anyone who could or wanted to do that at my disposal. Eventually, I decided, if I wanted to do the kind of music I wanted to do seriously, I needed to move to LA. I pack up my car and drove to LA without a plan, connections, or a place to live. I couch surfed for a while until I got on my feet, all the while diving into LA’s music scene.

It took a while of me working alone, developing my sound and writing style, but I eventually I was able to reestablish myself as an artist here in LA. I connected with other artists and producers and hit the ground running. Once I started releasing my new music, people started to take notice. The more music I released and the more I let myself be creatively free, the more traction I gained.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely was NOT a smooth road. One of the biggest struggles I had when I first moved to LA was being homeless and broke with no one who wanted to work with me. It’s beyond my comprehension how I stayed the course and didn’t give up at a time when everything looked so hopeless. I honestly think that’s what keeps me going now though. Like I can’t justify quitting now when I sacrificed so much to get here.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
[Reworded] About your music and who you are as an artist/proud moment/future plans:

I am a fan of music and lyricism first. I think that really helps me as an artist and songwriter. I’m likely most know for my alternative singing style. I am a mash-up of different musical genres blended into one unique sound. Specifically, alternative pop/R&B/trap.

I have to say, I’m most proud of all the bodies of work I was fortunate enough to have created. Knowing what it took for me to complete them, and get to a place where I am singing and writing the type of music that resonates most with me, Really makes them that much more special to me. Another huge highlight for me was having my very first performance of my original songs at the BET Experience Fan Fest last summer!

My Most immediate future plan is to drop the visual for my new single ft. Guapdad 4000, “Weed & Wine,” release my first full-length album “Love Kills” (produced by Bedrock), and start performing again. Long term, I’d love to tour the world, get my music licensed for commercials, TV, and film, and work with more artists and songwriters.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCABl2DCSQpgj0hX1NLoSehg
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safia_mafia/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/foreversafia
• Other: https://soundcloud.com/safiamafiamusic

Image Credit:
Cristine Jane Armosilla (Instagram: @visiblevibez_v2)

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.