Hailing from Inland Empire, California, GirlzLuhDev is a fast-rising artist known for the hit song “Tooka.” Capturing thoughts that float in the ever-changing world with words true to his heart, the 17-year-old artist documents and reflects the world in a personal, honest way on his debut album, Day 1 Starter.
1 Day Starter touches on everyday subjects, from his fascination with women to his love with chili to dreams and politics. Although his lyrics may seem random at times, there will always be one that sticks to your head. GirlzLuhDev surprises you when you least expect it.
Dreamy chords set the laid-back mood in the lazy afternoon of a coastal city, in contrast to GirlzLuhDev’s high-energy rap, creating a tension that reflects the unique social, political environment of the SoCal metropolitan area. “Dead Bro” revolves around a dream GirlzLuhDev had one night of a conversation with his past friend.
“I just got a dream from my dead bro; he told me keep my hair let my dreads grow. And if them n***s put you in, don’t be scare bro; and don’t you ever go out just like a scarecrow.” The artist commented the underlying meaning is to let it go and let nature. No matter what happens, everything will be ok.
Written by Katrina Yang
Press Q&A with GirlzLuhDev
Q (RISING ARTISTS BLOG): I see a lot of people commenting how they resonate with the lyrics of “Dead Bro.” Can you tell me more about the part of the lyrics that are repeated in the song and elaborate on the message behind “I just got a dream from my dead bro, he told me to keep my hair and let my dreads grow?”
GIRLZLUHDEV: You know about dreads, they grow, but they don’t grow, but they really do. I had a dream from my dead bro, my dead bro said, just let them grow. They’re gonna come, and when they come, it’s not gonna be a problem. Just let it go; it’s going to be all right.
Q (RISING ARTISTS BLOG): Following up with “Dead Bro,” what was the creative process like?
GIRLZLUHDEV: It’s one of my funniest and craziest songs ever. I was on my way to the studio session, and I didn’t even have the beat my homie made. I was calling of my bro, “I’m on my way to the studio. I wanna make a new song. Make a beat for me please, hurry up.” He made it real quick and sent it to me. I was in the car, and I made the hook in four minutes. The moment the beat came off, I knew! Once I had the hook, that’s all I had. When I went to the studio, the hook was all I need. From there, everything went easy.
Q (RISING ARTIST BLOG): Giving up your hoop dream and switch to music is a major life decision. How has the success of “Tooka” changed your perspective about yourself and life?
It changed my perspective a lot. It let me know that I’m the creator because once I made that song, many people from the city suddenly want to start hopping on the way. That’s cool because it’s how it goes. It matured me. I’m just in the studio gassing up. No matter what song I’ve made, I know I’m capable of doing it because I’ve done it before.
Q (360 MAG): How do you feel personally about the support of “Tooka”?
The support was very good. To this day, I find myself every day seeing thousands of videos about the song. It’s like a hundred different versions of the song: slow, reverb, fast. Every day I found myself be like, they did that to the song!
What lesson have you learned while playing basketball that has helped you with your music?
I learned how to have a “dog” mentality and be poised in any situation. In basketball, it can be competitive. You need to learn how to be a “dog,” and in the studio, it’s competitive as I gotta make a better song than the last song. I compete with myself, and I’m just trying to be better at myself and do better than the last time.
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