Meet Sonia Grace | Singer/Songwriter/Rapper

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sonia Grace and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sonia, what role has risk played in your life or career?
The biggest risk I have ever taken was moving to Los Angeles on my own.
I grew up in a traditional African household, in the conservative state of Iowa. The norm was to go to school and gain a useful degree, seek “real jobs” like doctor, lawyer, engineer followed by getting married and having children. Running off to the big city in search of music superstardom was considered a crazy scheme that would end up in shattered dreams.

Despite that stark outlook, I gathered my tax refund of about three thousand dollars, packed whatever I could fit in one suitcase, plus my African Djembe drum, and bought a one-way bus ticket from Iowa to Los Angeles.

The first few years were a catastrophe.

I slept on the couch of a couple I found on Craigslist, who were in an abusive relationship. Months later I found out that instead of splitting the rent three ways, I was paying the full amount for all of us.

I was scammed out of a thousand dollars by a music producer who pretended to have label connections. He even went as far as pretending to call an executive from Universal Records.

And then I was scammed again by a different producer who claimed to help new singers go viral.

I spent hours waiting in line at plenty of grueling auditions that I either never made the cut, or when I did, the projects were underwhelming. This meant I had to keep working two or three dead end jobs to pay the bulls.

As if that wasn’t enough of a threat to my dreams, I constantly came across aspiring musicians who had ended up homeless or trapped in deadly addictions. To top it off, I was dodging calls and texts from my family to leave the big city come back home.

Instead, I stuck to my risk.

I switched to a more suitable job, found better, affordable living conditions, made new friends and connections, and joined a nearby church where I found a supportive, welcoming community.

I also began taking lessons to hone my craft and educating myself about the entertainment industry. I learned how to spot scammers, find reputable, professional people to work with and how to maintain a life outside of chasing my dreams.

I developed new hobbies such as knitting and going to the beach, began going on hikes, and doing ‘self check-ins’ as a reminder of why I took the risk to move to Los Angeles. This has helped me stay my course and keep my focus on my dreams.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Music to me is a road map to discovering different aspects of myself.
Each song I write tells a story of an experience, whether good, bad or meh. My latest song, ‘Work Yo Body’ is the journey of my struggles with body image. I grew up in Kenya where fuller, curvier bodies were celebrated but when I moved to the US, I found out that the thinner you are, the more attractive you are. For years, I was trapped between being thin enough to fit the American standard but also thick enough to not lose my African standard of beauty.

This was made worse by living in Los Angeles and using social media. I spent many dark and depressing years trying to achieve the “perfect look.” Diets, programs, excruciating workouts, lifestyle changes, and many more, but nothing made me look the way I thought I should.

It wasn’t until I fainted at a store that I started to realize something needed to change. I needed to change.

And that change began with the kind of music I was creating.

Up until then, my songs pandered to an unattainable image that simply wasn’t me. I decided from then on, my focus would be accepting myself the way I was and celebrating that.

I wrote down everything I loved about my body. It was perhaps one of the most scary, yet empowering things I have ever done. I felt free and inspired. I turned the list into a melody of pop, rap and R&B and created my latest single, ‘Work Yo Body.’

‘Work Yo Body,’ which is available on all streaming platforms and YouTube, celebrates all beauty, flaws, and changes that my body has encountered. It is unapologetic, fierce and gives anyone trapped in a cycle of self-loathing permission to start loving themselves. If that’s not enough, the upbeat mood of the song is enough to get everyone on the dance floor this summer and be proud of their bodies.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Messob Ethiopian Restaurant 1041 S Fairfax Ave,
Los Angeles, CA 90019
Phone: (323) 938-8827

Aruna Threading Studio
https://www.arunathreading.com/
1114 N La Brea Ave
Los Angeles CA 90038

Sims Library Of Poetry
2702 W. Florence Ave,
Los Angeles, CA 90043
(323) 531-2511
library@communitylit.org
https://www.communitylit.org/

Javista Coffee
1532 N Highland Ave,
Hollywood, CA 90028
javistacoffee.com
(323) 464-6707

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Over two decades ago, our family moved from Kenya to the United States. Through the struggles of navigating a strange land, our family leaned on one another. We grew closer, stronger and better. We continue to support each other and be there for all the lows, highs and everything in between. For this, I’m grateful to my family and look forward to many more special moments.

Website: https://soniagraceonline.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soniagracemusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/soniagracemusic

Youtube: Sonia Grace Music

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3TuAV2b1jKUlPj8ZkrA5wC?si=klKisUbPSrOS0We1e298sg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sonia-grace/957984085 Pandora Music: https://pandora.app.link/4BIsuM3ZWzb

Image Credits
Sonia Grace aka Grace Gathua