Dria Danielle shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Dria, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Love does, for sure. When I’m in love, I give it my everything… my time, energy, and my heart. As a woman in this industry, I already pour so much of myself into my music and my hustle, so when I fall for somebody, it’s like I’m living in a whole different world. I start moving different, thinking different… even the way I write changes. My music feels even more emotional because I’m really in it.
But when that relationship ends, I feel like that’s when I find me again. It hurts, but it also wakes me up. I take that pain and turn it into purpose. That’s when I get back to my grin. Every time I go through that cycle, I come out stronger—like the heartbreak resets me and reminds me who I am returning to be.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Dria Danielle, I am a music artist from Cedar Rapids Iowa. I am a brand ambassador for Baddieville, model, content creator, and proud mother of two. I recently welcomed my baby boy in May 2024, and I also have a six-year-old daughter who keeps me grounded and motivated.
Over the past nine months, I took a hiatus from performing to focus on motherhood and self-growth, but I’ve never stopped creating. I’ve been in the studio nonstop, working on my new EP, a project that marks the beginning of a new era for me as an artist. My brand, is for the baddies – anyone who hustles every day to chase their goals. That includes the mom baddies out there juggling everything while still chasing their dreams. My sound is completely my own and something different. I grew up listening to icons like Nicki Minaj, but what really inspired me to become an artist was watching music videos as a kid—seeing people pour their craft and art into the world and being able to share it with others
When I started performing in my city, there weren’t any other females on the scene. I was in rooms full of male artists, trying to find my voice and space. It’s amazing now to see so many talented women rising and taking their place in the industry, it makes me proud and motivated to keep pushing.
In 2023, I was honored to win Best Female Rapper of the Year and Best Music Video at the Iowa Music Awards for my viral hit “Baddie Alert”, which took off on YouTube. I’m also known for my signature jingle, “Dria, Dria Danielle!” it’s become such a part of my brand that people yell it out when they see me in public.
I’ve been fortunate to open up for amazing artists in 2024 like Toni Romiti and had amazing dancers with me Essence W. ( she featured on ‘So you think you can dance’ Season 17) and dancer Aniyah. And I got to open up for viral TikTok stars Nate and Grace Louessa in Chicago, and every stage I step on reminds me why I love what I do. Music is my passion, but I’m also an entrepreneur—I started my own graphic design and marketing company, Drialistic, where I get to bring my creative vision to life beyond music.
I’m rebranding because I’m not just a rapper—I’m an artist. I’ve been writing music since I was seven years old, and this time around, I’m creating with more intention and depth. My sound still has that fun, confident energy my fans love, but it’s also more personal reflecting everything from love and heartbreak to motherhood and growth.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My family taught me a lot about work and resilience. My grandfather was strong enough to escape a war in Liberia to give his family a better life here in America. I feel like that is the kind of strength and determination thats runs deep in my blood.
My mom came to the States when she was just sixteen. She eventually met my dad here, had me, and from that point on, I watched her work nonstop to build a better life for us. When my dad left when I was six, she didn’t fall apart she stepped up. She worked a 9-to-5, picked me up from daycare, and still went to college online—all at the same time.
I saw her tired, I saw her struggle, but I never saw her give up. Eventually, she started her own business, and now it’s thriving. Watching her showed me that no matter how hard life hits you, you can always rebuild. That’s where my grind comes from. My mom, my family … they taught me that strength isn’t about never breaking, it’s about never stopping. And that same energy is what I carry into my music, my brand, and my life.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I don’t talk about it much, but as a mother, I’ve had my fair share of struggles with mental health. And being a musician on top of that—it’s like juggling three full-time jobs.
After I shot my music video for ‘Bum Behavior’ in 2024 I hit a breaking point. I told my friends and family that I was thinking about being done with music all together. The pressure of marketing my own work, planning everything myself, and trying to balance motherhood—it just started to feel like too much. That is also a partial reason why I never released the video.
I let a few months pass, and then it hit me. I didn’t start making music for validation or for likes—I started because that’s where my peace lives. When I’m creating, I’m in my element. The technical stuff, the business side, all that fades away. Music has always been my safe space, my therapy. And that reminder pulled me back in. It showed me that no matter how heavy things get, this is what I’m meant to do.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
I get asked this a lot. And honestly, my answer is yes and no. I’m always me, no matter if I’m on stage or off. But there’s definitely this pressure to live up to the version of me that people see when I perform. Fans expect a certain persona—the confident and energetic part of Dria Danielle—and sometimes it feels like I have to be that person all the time, even when I’m just living my life off stage.
It’s tricky because off stage, I have my own struggles you know I’m a human being. I’m not always in that mode ; I have days where I’m tired, stressed, or just figuring things out. But when I step on stage, I have to channel all that energy and it can feel like people forget I’m the same person behind the music.
I think the hardest part is balancing that expectation with being true to myself. I want to give fans the Dria they know and love, but I also want to honor the real me -the woman, the mother, the artist who’s still learning and growing. That tension, honestly, is part of the journey of being an artist.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I only had 10 years left, the first thing I would stop doing is procrastinating. As a creative and an artist, I often find myself waiting for the “right moment” to create, or to find the right space to share my work. But the truth is, waiting like that can quickly kill your dreams. Procrastination is a silent killer of time- it convinces you to delay your ideas, your projects, your growth. I’ve learned that the right moment doesnt always come on its own but it’s more created by showing up, taking action, and pushing through doubts and distractions. If I had only a decade left, I’d dedicate myself to creating, promoting, and sharing without hesitation, turning every idea into reality rather than letting it sit in my head.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://drialistic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/driadanielle/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/driadanielle
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DriaDanielle
- Other: https://linktr.ee/driadanielle
Image Credits
Blake Warner , Divin Mweze
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