Kiya Lacey Is the Moment: How Music, Fruit, and Culture Power Her Rise with New Single “Check”
- Jordyn Mayes
- Jul 23
- 5 min read
From DJing Atlanta parties to founding a fruit pop-up empire, Kiya Lacey is redefining what it means to be a multidisciplinary artist — and her new single “Check” is your motivation anthem of the summer.
In a world where branding often eclipses authenticity, Kiya Lacey is both. She's a singer, DJ, entrepreneur, and cultural alchemist who isn’t waiting for permission or a co-sign to define her success. With the drop of her latest single, “Check", Kiya sends a clear message: know your worth, add tax, and ask for the rate.
From fruit carts to festival sets, Kiya’s journey is anything but linear. But if you ask her, it’s all connected.
“I want people to feel motivated to get the money and ask for the rate,” she tells us. “Whether you're a corporate girly, a stripper, an entrepreneur, or whatever — this song is for you.”
“Click Click”: Nails, Dolly Parton, and the Sound of a Hustler
Long before “Check” hit streaming platforms, Kiya had already embedded her signature into her sound. Literally. The subtle clacking of nails heard on the track? That’s her.
“I recorded myself clicking my nails together,” she laughs. “It was kind of a nod to Dolly [Parton] because she's one of my favorite artists. She used to play her nails like instruments.”
The moment isn’t just sonic; it’s visual. Fans of Kiya’s know her long-fruit-accented nails aren’t random; they tie directly to her Fruta Mami brand and online persona.
“You’ll see orange slices online, and then you’ll see them on my nails, and it’s like — oh, it all comes together.”
And that’s quintessential Kiya: aesthetic meets purpose.
From Pandemic Pain to Fruit Stand Power
When live music halted during the pandemic, so did Kiya’s gigs, residencies, and creative momentum.
“I felt like my life completely shut down,” she admits. “I was traveling, music was taking off, and then nothing. I was so depressed.”
So, she pivoted.
Inspired by the fruit carts embedded in her culture that she grew up seeing, Kiya decided to launch her own version in Atlanta, calling it Fruta Mami. It wasn’t just about selling fruit cups. It was an act of cultural preservation and personal healing.
“I was like, what if I became the fruit lady?” she recalls. “I looked up the name, Fruta Mami and nobody had it. I edited a logo, printed sticker, put on a white dress, and just started setting up outside.”
She didn’t care that people didn’t get it.
“They were like, ‘Why would you be selling fruit cups?’ And I was like, ‘Bro, this is going to be iconic.’”
And it was. Over time, Fruta Mami evolved into a full-on lifestyle brand.
“Now there are people who know Fruta Mami but don’t know Kiya Lacey. I’m like, how?!”
Dual Hustles, Double Standards
Even as her brand expanded, the questions kept coming. She sees it as part of the challenge of being a multidimensional woman in business and the arts.
“People aren’t used to someone being a go-getter in this way,” she says. “I’ve had folks ask, ‘What are you working so hard for?’ Like, they can’t compute someone doing both.”
But she’s clear: one dream funds the other.
“If there’s no money in streams,” she says flatly. “I’d rather have a chip of a product than wait on a collab. And when I do sign, they’re gonna want a percentage of Kiya Lacey. But I own 100% of Fruta Mami. So it’s all gonna win together.”
“Check” Yourself Before You Burn Out
Despite the glow of success, Kiya knows the toll of overextending herself. One recent day, she booked a DJ gig and a Fruita Mami pop-up just an hour apart.
“I just crashed out. Like, why am I doing all this in one day?”
It was a wake-up call.
“You can be a hustler, but it’s even greater to be someone organized and strategic,” she reflects. “Sometimes that means turning down something that looks good on paper but isn’t good for your mental or physical health.”
She’s also learning to be more protective of her time and energy. “I love helping people but I’m relearning how to put myself at the forefront. This is such an important time in my life.”
The Soundtrack of a Global Block Party
Kiya doesn’t just live in genre; she lives in vibration. As a DJ, her set lists can include anything from Afro-tech to Gqom. When asked what songs she’d spin at a global block party, she lights up:
Tanzania – Uncle Waffles
“Something high energy — it depends on the crowd, but I keep it flexible.”
Music is fluid for her. So are her influences. Her dream collabs? Pharrell, Beyoncé, FK Twigs, Missy Elliott, Tiny, J Balvin, Bad Bunny, and yes, Kanye West and Travis Scott, too.
“I know they’re controversial, but they were big influences growing up. I even have a cactus tattoo because of Travis.”
She also shouts out Arca: “All the alternative girlies done ate nachos off Arca’s plate,” she laughs — and Mike Dean, the producer behind The Weeknd and Travis Scott’s expansive sounds.
Mental Health Is the Real Flex
Beyond the music, the fruit, and the aesthetics, Kiya wants people to know she’s human. Her advice to alt girls, culture-blenders, and aspiring creatives?
“Prioritize your mental health,” she says seriously. “Whether it’s a licensed professional, natural remedies, or just community — you need real people who love you when you’re crusty in a bonnet and when you’re all dressed up.”
It’s a lesson that took her years to internalize. “I spent so much time held back by my own head. I never really grasped the reins of my mental health until this year.”
Now she’s grasping more than that. She’s grasping legacy.
So, What’s Next?
Kiya Lacey isn’t here for instant virality; she’s building a universe. A place where you can hear the clack of her nails in a verse and then catch her selling fruit under the same sun she’s always shined under.
She dreams of opening a Fruta Mami storefront, selling smoothies and expanding the menu.
“You don’t just open a shop with no community around it,” she says. “People are going to say, ‘I was there from her first pop-up to now.’ That’s the point.”
And while we wait for that grand opening, “Check” is our soundtrack: bold, groovy, real, fun, and rooted in hustle.
Kiya Lacey isn’t chasing the moment. She is the moment.
Listen to Check (feat. El Cézar) by Kiya Lacy, available now on all streaming platforms.
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