Straingth and WiZdumb wrote their recent take-charge anthem with their mother, Stacey Holton, and collaborated with producer Jezreel Santos. The Local Spins Artist Spotlight on an emerging hip-hop duo.
Aint Afraid: ‘We want women to continue being bosses for themselves.’ (Courtesy Photo/Quiana Brundidge)
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a series partnering with Ypsilanti’s Grove Studios to spotlight artists from the east side of Michigan — an endeavor aimed at bridging the gap between east and west. Today, writer Lori Stratton profiles southeastern Michigan’s Aint Afraid. Scroll down for the music video for the duo’s latest single.
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Aint Afraid wants to eliminate old-fashioned expectations placed on women.
The Detroit hip-hop, twin-sister duo of Straingth and WiZdumb boldly empowers women to abandon submissive notions for assertive mindsets on their latest infectious single, “Easier Said.”
“‘Easier Said’ highlights the superficial pressures placed on women and young girls to strive to be desirable to other people, with an emphasis on male attention and approval, while these same pressures aren’t expected for men and boys,” said Sakinah Rahman, aka Straingth.
“We also touch on how women are expected to be impressionable to men who aren’t even impressive themselves. ‘Easier Said’ was created to say, ‘Yeah, whatever.’ We want women to continue being bosses for themselves.”
Aint Afraid’s Straingth and WiZdumb assert that “Easier Said” boss mentality as contemplative synth, booming percussion and soulful bass roll into a tenacious beat and instill newfound confidence.
They sing, “You more hard-headed than my doll/But big-headed like my ball/I can never really figure you out/One moment you the man, in another you pout/My homies all ready to go/You and your boys all movin’ slow/We bout to hit rush hour/And all my girls can think is/Hmph, I ain’t sign up for this.”
VIDEO: “Easier Said,” Aint Afraid
“We hope that girls are empowered by this song knowing that they’re not alone, and that any man or person who can’t value you because you walk and work confidently for yourself doesn’t even deserve to be in your presence,” said Zakiyyah Rahman, aka WiZdumb.
Straingth and WiZdumb wrote their take-charge anthem with their mother, Stacey Holton, and collaborated with producer Jezreel Santos.
“The song was birthed from nostalgia of growing up with these societal pressures and teachings and our feeling of always being expected to show up in that way for other people, which never really made sense to us,” said Sakinah Rahman.
Zakiyyah Rahman agreed. “Our mother never taught us to be submissive to other people. However, (the) media and community would push this message, and it left us confused growing up. So writing came easy because this wasn’t a new idea or thought.”
Aint Afraid also released a new video for “Easier Said,” which features the twins wearing colorful clothing while playing a series of “girls-versus-guys” games on an indoor playground. Directed by Embryo, the video takes inspiration from the hit Netflix series, “Squid Game,” and track-and-field sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson.
“When we were talking to the director of the video, ‘Squid Game’ was a hot topic, and it represented a lot of what we were talking about. It was really cool for them to bring in some of those game references in there,” said Sakinah Rahman.
“And Sha’Carri Richardson, we absolutely love her vibe and how she shows up authentically being herself on and off the track. So we wanted to implement bold colors and embody that energy in our music video.”
AN EMOTIVE BALLAD: “ALWAYS THERE”
“Easier Said” serves as Aint Afraid’s second new single in 2022. In February, Straingth and WiZdumb released the emotive ballad, “Always There,” to address the frustration of supporting people who don’t reciprocate.
A vulnerable beat filled with ticking cymbals, tender percussion, somber synth and smooth bass echo Aint Afraid’s disappointment as they sing, “I catch the weight of what you won’t do/Catch it cause I’m told to/I can’t make no mistakes/Cause there is just no room/Guess I was made like crutches/Strong enough to hold you/Strong enough to carry/But I can’t think for you.”
“Our mom brought us up on giving and sharing, so we just became natural givers. A lot of times, we would give so much of ourselves in different kinds of relationships that we would build with people inside and outside of our home,” said Sakinah Rahman.
Bold Colors and Energy: Aint Afraid’s video for ‘Easier Said.’
“Even though you may give your all to someone, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will do the same for you. A lot of times, we would get that from other people, and we thought that was normal.”
In response, Aint Afraid’s “Always There” establishes a new mantra of “us first,” which emphasizes the importance of helping others while practicing self-care and setting boundaries in relationships.
“I’ve made fast songs in the past, but this has got to be one of the fastest songs I’ve ever made. And that’s because the feelings just came out so naturally,” said Sakinah Rahman, who co-wrote the track with Zakiyyah Rahman and Holton and collaborated with producer Santos.
“We’re givers, but we don’t know how to be receivers. We don’t really ask for help like that, so it really takes a lot for us to be vulnerable and say we need the help. And when we go through all of that, and it’s not reciprocated, it really breaks your heart.”
Aint Afraid also captured the essence of their “Always There” struggles in a compelling video directed by SVN QNS. Filmed in a Los Angeles junkyard, it features the twins wearing mechanic jumpsuits, dragging body bags and dancing among automotive scraps.
“We are very hands-on when it comes to our music video concepts. For us, the junkyard represented how we felt like people viewed us … as trash or as if we were nothing,” said Zakiyyah Rahman.
“We wanted to put ourselves in that space, but in the music video, we aren’t operating as if we’re trash or as if we have no power. We’re owning our space and our support with one another.”
THE GENESIS OF AINT AFRAID
Aint Afraid started owning their musical space while growing up in Baltimore and Detroit. Inspired by Holton, who’s also an artist under the moniker Ventaged, Straingth and WiZdumb discovered their love of singing at age two.
“Our mom would have songs for this and that, so music and singing were natural ways that we learned to communicate,” said Zakiyyah Rahman, who relocated to Detroit with her sister and mother at age four.
“She would work with us and coordinate our practices, but she took a step back from the artist scene when she became a mother and when she converted to Islam.”
Raised in an Islamic household as the oldest of five children, Aint Afraid started performing at family and community gatherings before making their live stage debut at age eight. At the time, they sang “Cry” by Karina Pasian at a school showcase.
“Growing up, we didn’t listen to a lot of music. We only listened to what our mom introduced us to. Each song was always uplifting, or it carried a good message or told stories of other people who experienced things that we didn’t relate to,” said Sakinah Rahman, who’s the older twin by 35 minutes.
Empowering Messages: All about self-love, faith, growth and authenticity. (Courtesy Photo/Quiana Brundidge)
“By listening to their messages and their songs, we could (better) understand, respect and relate to different kinds of people. That speaks to why we carry our mission in the way that we do because that’s what we were brought up on – music with a good message.”
Straingth and WiZdumb carried that message forward as they performed and volunteered at school and community events, which encouraged them to advocate for youth, people of color and families in need.
“We naturally communicated through the arts, so we would find ourselves on stage while everyone else was giving a speech. We were spitting some poetry or singing a song. Everything we presented was art, and then that turned in bookings,” said Sakinah Rahman.
Additional bookings and a social media clamoring led the twins to collectively become Aint Afraid and adopt the individual monikers of Straingth (or Strength) and WiZdumb (or Wisdom). In June 2020, they released their debut single, “Temporary,” and laid the foundation for a catchy hip-hop sound infused with elements of pop, soul and R&B.
“We feel very regular and normal because we are who we are, but people treat us as if we’re a rarity. We have been challenged because of our identities our entire lives,” said Zakiyyah Rahman. “We’ve gone to places, and they’re like, ‘How are you Muslim if you’re Black?’ Or we’ve gone to Black communities, and they’re like, ‘How are you Black if you’re Muslim?’”
Those experiences prompted Aint Afraid to write and share empowering messages about self-love, faith, growth and authenticity through their highly streamed catalog, which includes several singles, videos, a virtual show at Grove Studios and a 2021 self-titled, full-length album.
“We knew that we wanted our name to say something. We wanted people to know something about us, but before we even had to speak … before people listened to our music, took a trip down our page or had a conversation with us,” said Sakinah Rahman, who credits Lauryn Hill, J. Cole and Beyoncé as some of the duo’s main influences.
“We recognize a lot of people relate to feeling like they’re on a journey to becoming ‘Aint Afraid’ of something or being so confident in themselves. We opened up what we found for ourselves, which was ‘Aint Afraid,’ into a movement where we want others to find their own ‘Aint Afraid.’”
Aint Afraid’s movement continues to flourish with millions of streams and a growing catalog of new material and videos, including a multi-part, behind-the-scenes docuseries unpacking their latest songs. Their next single will drop later this month while additional releases are in the works.
“We’re still in conversations about what things will be. These singles … our hope is that they do lead up to a project, whether it’s an EP or LP,” said Zakiyyah Rahman.
Copyright 2022, Spins on Music LLC
