Ivy Shades is making music the way she wants!

Written by Calvin Brown, originally published in August 2021

Calvin: Tell us a little about yourself.

Ivy: I started rapping when I was 16. I’ve always had a weird fetish. Some girls love shoes, some girls love purses, whatever it is. Mine was always shades. It began in elementary school when the other kids would make fun of me for my small eyes without realizing how it affected me. So, as I grew older, I began to cover my eyes. The shades I bought were cool, but they weren’t really my style. As I started doing more shows in Houston and working with the Female Money Team (FMT), I began to design my own custom shades. 

Calvin: I love it. Using that childhood trauma as a kind of armor. 

Ivy: Right! So, with every performance I’d do I’d show up with a different pair of shades I had designed. One night a girl in one of the clubs asked to buy a pair. I told her I had to perform with them first, but after that I sold them for 320 dollars. I left the club with no glasses that night. One of my homegirls in the Female Money Team asked if I was gonna sell more, and I did. The next month I started designing and sketching, while still rapping, still getting in the club, and it just took off from there. 

Calvin: You mentioned the FMT, Female Money Team, a few times. Can you talk about what it’s like to be a female in such a male dominated industry, and any particular struggles you’ve had to overcome? 

Ivy: I created the Female Money Team after I actually got some money. When I look back at my life, I think about what it would have been like if I had someone to be like, ‘hey Ivy do this, or don’t do that’, because now I have that knowledge. My entire goal with FMT Houston and FMT Atlanta is to teach. You just need to have a goal before Ivy can help you. A lot of people just want to sell knowledge, they don’t wanna give game. I’m not charging my girls nothing. 

Calvin: Sounds like you’re paying it forward. 

Ivy: Right. They call me a pimp in Houston because I’m always surrounded by all these chicks. If I was a pimp in Houston, I’d have had more money (laughter). The women just believe in what I’m doing. They know I’m giving them a way out; I’m giving them knowledge. So, in H-town I’m considered a pimp, but it’s all about empowerment. Just giving these women something to hang onto, giving them hope, weekly calls – and I’m not charging them anything. I just want them to be successful. 

Calvin: You’ve mentioned Pimp-C as an inspiration in the past, and Houston has a legendary music scene with DJ Screw and others coming out of there. How has the city of Houston, itself, influenced your sound and background as an artist? 

Ivy: I’m originally from California, but when I came to Houston at 12 everything changed. My accent changed for rap. I would be in school and the other kids would ask why I’m rapping so proper, ‘just be country’, and I had no idea what they meant. But as I got older, just being in the studio and listening to how they talk and write, and being around their swag and how they act, I realized, ‘damn I do sound pretty proper on this track’, and no one wanted to hear that. (laughter) It definitely impacted my music. It changed my cadence and my delivery. I’m an artist so I see everything through music. I went from not knowing what ‘country’ meant, to adopting that country-swag. 

Calvin: We’ve got a lot of people putting their mental health first, specifically Black women like Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles. So, what do you do to put your mental health first? 

Ivy: You know I’m very transparent. You want the truth? 

Calvin: Always. 

Ivy: I pray. Period. And it works out. 

Calvin: I love it, keep it simple. Especially in today’s world where you’re told to buy this or do that to be happy. 

Calvin: As you go forward and evolve as an artist, how do you envision your career going? 

Ivy: Ivy Shades will chart this year. Billboard (music) not the shades. In the next couple years – by 2023, I’m looking to open a couple stores. One in the Houston Galleria and another at Lenox in Atlanta with my clothes and eyewear. Beyond that, I’ll just be hiring new employees and traveling the world performing. 

Calvin: For sure. Recently you dropped a new video for one of your singles, “Photo”, can you tell us a bit about that? 

Ivy: You like it? It makes you wanna dance? 

Calvin: Yes! Especially with the pandemic, I’m ready to get out and dance and that will definitely be one of the songs.

Ivy: ‘Shades’ is a cool little song. I wrote it after I bought my first pair of Louboutins – red bottoms. I’m probably saying it wrong but that’s that country-swag (laughter). I walked into the studio with them on and my producer asked how much I paid for them, and I asked why is that important? He wanted to take them back, but I said nope, I’m gonna write a song about it. And that’s how the song came to be. 

Calvin: Perfect. I don’t want to keep you for too much longer, can you tell us about your next project and when we can expect it to come out? 

Ivy: I’m about 62% done with my album. I have several singles that I’m ready to put out and I need to talk to my management and PR team before I give out dates, but it will definitely be this year. I feel like a gun, ready to fire, we’re just still nailing down the dates. 

Calvin: For sure. Thank you so much for this interview. It was so great to finally sit down and put a person to all the talent and personality. 

Ivy: Thank You, Calvin! I love you!