504icygrl, the performer name for Ariel Riley, grew up in a music-loving New Orleans household in the early 2000s and her mother exposed her to a lot of local hip-hop. She started recording her own music in 2018, when she was around 20, and has released several EPs, including “Trap Etiquette,” “Princess Diaries,” “Laid” and most recently, “Fried,” a collaboration with her partner, PoppyH. 504icygrl and PoppyH also run their own independent label, Krewe. Find more at linktr.ee/504icygrl.
This interview is part of a series reflecting on New Orleans’ role in hip-hop as it turns 50.
Gambit: What was your introduction to hip-hop?
504icygrl: My earliest memory of hip-hop is definitely being in the car with my mom and listening to Q93 (FM) early in the morning on the way to school. Just jamming in the car, and watching music videos before school on (BET’s) “106 & Park.” I have really fond memories of before school listening to hip-hop.
Gambit: Who was the first New Orleans artists that you admired?
504icygrl: I have to say Lil Wayne. I just remember being super young, knowing every word to all the songs. Definitely Lil Wayne, but I more than likely was introduced to some other people before and just didn’t realize it. Because my mom is a deep New Orleans hip-hop head. She always listened to all types of music, so I’m more than sure I’ve heard people before Wayne, but he was the biggest to me as a kid.
Gambit: Was your mom a listener or did she also perform?
504icygrl: She was a listener. She was a party girl. She told me she used to always go out and go see Raj Smoove DJ, which is crazy ’cause now he’s my manager. And she used to love going to all the parties, and she just always loved New Orleans hip-hop and was always playing some oldies. My stepdad was actually an emcee, a rapper back then, his name was Bingo. So I was always around people who love New Orleans hip-hop.
Gambit: When your EP “Princess Diaries” came out, you discussed what being a “princess” means and being inspired by Nicki Minaj. We’re in the era of massive women artists like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. How do you see the influence of women artists today?
504icygrl: I feel like it’s changing a lot. Today, female emcees, we’re kind of driving the boat right now. I feel like we’ve been setting the trends first. As of lately, like the past few years, women in hip-hop have been doing things first and then everybody else has been falling in line. You see that low-key with Ice Spice. She kind of made the whole drill and the dance era and the Jersey (club) come back to life and now everybody wants to do that type of song. Even the men are falling in line, doing a lot of the stuff that the women are already doing.
Gambit: Did you grow up with Mia X or Cheeky Blakk, or Katey Red and some of the LGBTQ bounce artists?
504icygrl: Yeah! I was mainly on Sissy Nobby, Big Freedia, a little bit of Katey Red. But I was mainly on to Sissy Nobby. But hell yes, all the time. Every birthday party that’s really what we were listening to. I have a lot of memories at family functions and birthday parties and that’s what we’d be jamming to. I never knew how to dance, but all my cousins used to be cutting up to all that. To this day I know all the Sissy Nobby songs by heart.
Gambit: What do you feel has been New Orleans’ biggest contribution to hip-hop?
504icygrl: I feel like our biggest contribution would be bounce music. And I think we haven’t even reached the point where everybody has realized it yet. I feel like we’re on our way to where people are gonna realize that we have one of the rarest forms of music that can be liked by everyone and will make you move. I think bounce is our biggest contribution, but it hasn’t been recognized just yet. We’re still in the process of people realizing it’s the biggest thing to come out of New Orleans.
Gambit: Do you feel like New Orleans gets the recognition it deserves for the things it has done?
504icygrl: I don’t think New Orleans gets the recognition it deserves, but I low-key feel like someone from every major city would probably say that about their city, I’m not gonna lie — besides New York, because everybody loves giving New York its props. I feel like we can all say that, but I do feel strongly about it in New Orleans just because our biggest contribution — like I said, bounce music still hasn’t been fully digested by everyone, and people still are confused about it and don’t know about it. So I feel like we haven’t gotten all of our flowers yet, but I think it’s coming. Every year, I feel like more and more people are starting to realize where these roots are coming from and that it’s well-loved.
