We began to hear the actualization of Aïcha's time spent abroad on recent SoundCloud playlist, Elle The Diary. She sings in french on “Entry 2”, a remix of Drake’s “Bria’s Interlude” and Bryson Tiller’s “Sorry Not Sorry." For "Entry 1," over the instrumental of Common's "Go!" she recognizes the poignancy of being a young woman in the music industry.
“Entry 1 I actually performed live on the radio in Paris like in March, it was so dope. I was so nervous though, it was definitely a learning experience,” she says of her joining French R&B artist Skreally Boy on OKLM Radio’s Rap/Hip-Hop show La Sauce (track 2).
Aïcha’s recent spoken word poems “ELLE” and “Abbas and Iman Pt.1” showcase her dense lyricism. In "ELLE" she aligns her flow with the delayed bass kicks produced by Duce, she says "Is it because I am woman she wonders/ That I could mend my words with many truths and execute With injury/ a pretty melody to match my frame/ Would still have more appeal?"
To provide a little more insight on current inspirations, we asked Aïcha for a taste of the music she's been listening to. "The Gap Year" is a 22-track playlist featuring songs from influences like Kendrick Lamar, PARTYNEXTDOOR, and Wizkid but it also has an international flair indicative of her time abroad. An iteration of French trap by Damso gives context to the adaptation of hip-hop across foreign countries.