Eat The Fish & Spit Out The Bones w/ Queen Naija

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Host: Crystal Renee Hayslett (B)
Guest: Queen Naija (C)
Episode: Eat The Fish & Spit Out The Bones w/ Queen Naija
Date: July 15, 2025

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Episode Overview

This heartfelt and candid episode features R&B chart-topper and YouTube star Queen Naija. She and host Crystal Renee Hayslett explore the challenge of navigating fame with authenticity, faith, and positivity. Their raw conversation ranges from body image and public scrutiny to parenting, spiritual conviction, industry boundaries, and staying humble amid success. Queen Naija shares her journey from social media personality to acclaimed artist, highlighting her ongoing growth, love for music, and desire to make a lasting, positive impact.

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Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Humility and Staying Grounded in Fame

• Crystal highlights Queen Naija’s humility despite her fame, recounting how Queen reached out as a fan of the podcast.

  “For you to be so known, to still say, ‘I’m just glad you know who I am,’ I was like, this girl has a beautiful spirit.” (B, 01:55)

• Queen admits she often doesn’t realize who knows her, choosing modesty over entitlement.

  “I be in my little bubble… I never want to be that person like, ‘you should know who I am.’” (C, 02:29)

2. The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media & Self-Esteem

• The conversation turns to how social media amplifies insecurities. Both discuss feeling pressured by negative comments, confessing to moments of self-doubt and body image struggles.

  “People make you look at things that you never paid attention to.” (B, 05:51)
  “I never cared about any angle of my face… until I started being in the public eye.” (C, 06:05)

• Queen candidly shares her experience with body dysmorphia and cosmetic surgery, and the ongoing journey toward self-acceptance:

  “I used to obsess over being 135 pounds… but baby, I’m close to 160. I just learned to accept it.” (C, 06:54)
  “Sometimes people will do surgery over and over just trying to get that perfect look… but you can't keep risking your life to go under the table.” (C, 07:27)

3. Vulnerability, Criticism, and Online Boundaries

• Both discuss the weight of internet criticism and the necessity of boundaries for mental health:

  “Happy people, if you’re so busy being happy, you shouldn’t have time to be negative.” (C, 08:44)

• Queen speaks on self-filtering, learning from past moments shared online, and the unpredictability of live platforms like Twitch:

  “You gotta watch what you say. Because [Twitch] will literally clip the smallest thing, and the next thing you know, I’m all over TikTok.” (C, 09:45)

4. Faith, Purpose, and Musical Direction

• Queen Naija opens up about her spiritual roots, ongoing relationship with God, and internal debates about musical direction (R&B vs. Gospel):

  “I’m just trying to get my relationship right with God so that I could hear from him directly… I know there’s gonna be a point in time where he might tell me, ‘okay, it’s time to do worship music.’” (C, 11:19)

• Both Crystal and Queen share their convictions and struggles bridging the gap between secular success and spiritual responsibility:

  “You can’t just reach people that’s already in church. You got to reach the people that's outside — might be in a club. You gotta meet people where they are.” (C, 13:00 & 13:38)

5. Community, Accountability, and Church Hurt

• They discuss finding a supportive “tribe” of faith, dealing with spiritual isolation, and processing disappointment from scandals in church.

  “Churches that go through scandals… it runs a lot of people away… we're looking at humans here. You need to eat the fish and spit out the bones.” (C, 18:00)

• The need for accountability and spiritual counsel is highlighted, especially in high-pressure industries.

  “That’s so important because, girl, we’d be lost out here with so many influences.” (B, 19:15)

6. Industry Boundaries & Artistic Integrity

• Queen shares a harrowing story about a music video shoot that made her uncomfortable due to occult symbolism, emphasizing the importance of saying “no” to situations that conflict with her spirit:

  “It was this empty pool… reminded me of a baptism pool… it was empty… the statue was beheaded… I was like, get that out of here… you gotta be careful because they be putting stuff in there.” (C, 23:49-24:19)

• She reflects on staying true to herself, even if it means slower industry advancement.

  “I stay true to myself... Gotta continue to keep blessing me.” (C, 24:41)

7. Family Life & Balancing Motherhood

• Queen speaks about stepping back from work to focus on her family, acknowledging “mom guilt” as she balances career demands and quality time with her sons:

  “I just felt like I needed to get my house in order… I just wanted to be a mom again.” (C, 25:26)
  “I don’t want my boys saying, ‘Mom, you weren’t there, the babysitter had to raise me.’” (C, 26:27)

8. The Business of Being an Artist

• Behind the glamour is intense work: studio perfectionism, legal hurdles, and the business side of launching music.

  “People think you can just go to the studio, record a song, do a one take and then put it out. It’s so not like that.” (C, 27:40)
  “I probably do about 50 takes to make sure something is right… I’m a super perfectionist.” (C, 28:43 & 29:46)

• The importance of being hands-on and learning every part of the business, inspired by artists like Beyoncé.

  “No one’s going to treat it like you would treat it… I want to make sure I can do what everybody else is doing.” (B, 38:01)

9. Collaboration, Aspirations & Creative Process

• Queen is open-minded about musical collaborations but is most focused on authenticity and direct creative input.

  “If we’re gonna work, we’re gonna work. If not, I can hold this on my own.” (C, 44:00)

• She expresses desire to work with Pharrell, The-Dream, London on the Track, and values genuine connections with fellow female artists (Ella Mai, Mariah the Scientist, Teyana Taylor, HER).

• Queen describes her evolving songwriting process:

  “I used to hear a melody in the middle of the night and make that into a beat… Now, I have conversations first and my song is right there in the conversation.” (C, 41:03 & 42:55)

10. The Future: Vision, Impact & Faith

• Queen aspires for a Grammy and expects to eventually create faith-driven music that bridges genres:

  “I see myself getting nominated or winning a Grammy… I want to do more so Christian contemporary worship or Christian R&B fusion.” (C, 45:03)

• She speaks to the power of influence and bringing audiences along on her spiritual journey.

• On impact, Queen says:

  “I’mma always talk about God… just keep that radiant energy and positivity, regardless of what I may be going through.” (C, 47:15)

11. Protecting Peace & Mental Health

• Queen is a strong advocate for therapy and unplugging from social media:

  “Therapy has worked so well for me… sometimes you gotta put the phone down and delete the apps.” (C, 48:21 & 48:59)

• Both discuss the addictive nature of social media and strategies for maintaining mental wellness.

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Notable Quotes

• On Humility:

  “You have this spirit of humility… even though you’re so known.” (B, 01:55)
  “I just learned to accept it… you’re never gonna be perfect, so just get with what you got.” (C, 06:54 & 07:09)

• On Negative Energy:

  “Happy people… shouldn’t have time to be negative.” (C, 08:44)
  “If I got pointed hips, I just got to accept it. We gonna have some pointy hips, okay.” (C, 07:44)

• On Musical Calling and Faith:

  “I can’t just use my voice only for [R&B]… When am I gonna glorify God?” (C, 15:21)
  “I want [my gospel music] to be very… genuine.” (C, 11:57)

• On Church Disappointment:

  “You need to eat the fish and spit out the bones.” (C, 18:12)

• On Industry:

  “You can’t just accept everything from everyone… be confused with so many different sources.” (C, 19:29-19:39)
  “You gotta be careful [in the industry] because they be putting stuff in there [for ‘art’], but it has another meaning.” (C, 24:22)

• On Balance and Business:

  “You can’t think about people’s feelings [in business]… You can’t be too much of a pushover.” (C, 33:56 & 34:10)

• On Success:

  “I see myself getting nominated or winning a Grammy… I gotta speak that.” (C, 45:03)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:03 – Welcome and Queen Naija’s Introduction
• 06:05 – Body Image, Surgery & Self-Love
• 09:45 – Dangers & Vulnerability of Live Social Platforms
• 10:19 – Spiritual Calling & Desire for Gospel/Christian Music
• 13:00 – Meeting Audiences Where They Are (Faith & Music)
• 18:12 – “Eat the Fish & Spit Out the Bones” (Handling Church Hurts)
• 22:31 – Industry Stories: Saying No to Occult Symbolism
• 25:26 – Motherhood, “Mom Guilt,” and Taking a Step Back
• 27:40 – Studio Life, Perfectionism, and Recording Process
• 33:56 – Business Lessons: Boundaries & Assertiveness
• 41:03 – Evolving Songwriting & Studio Process
• 44:08 – Favorite Collaborators
• 45:00 – Aspirations for Grammys & Future Musical Direction
• 47:15 – On Impact & Intentional Positivity
• 48:21 – Therapy, Unplugging, and Peace
• 50:16 – Details on Upcoming Album/EP

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Tone & Energy

The tone is warm, open, faith-centered, and humorously self-aware, with both women constantly affirming each other and sharing honest, vulnerable insight. The episode exudes empowerment, gratitude, and encouragement to “keep it positive, sweetie,” while never shying away from the realities of industry pressure, personal growth, and spiritual searching.

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Summary

This episode is an in-depth, inspiring look at Queen Naija’s journey through self-discovery, stardom, and spirituality. It’s filled with moving confessions, practical wisdom on boundaries, business, and balance, and a consistent message of grace, faith, and staying true to oneself—making it a must-listen for anyone navigating public life, creative careers, or evolving faith.

Transcript

[Podcast Sponsor/Host Intro]

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[Chris Renee Hazlett]

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[Podcast Sponsor/Host Intro]

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[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Calling all my sweeties to the forefront. I'm your host, Chris Renee Hazlett, and this is the Keep it Positive Sweetie show. Sweeties, I truly hope this season of Impact is enhancing you all. I have learned so much from our guests this season and I'm so grateful to be able to share all these conversations with you. Y' all know we do not gatekeep around here. We are all in this to learn love and grow together. Today's guest is the queen of real talk. Raw vocals and relatable lyrics. From YouTube star to R and B chart topper, she's given us music that feels like a page out of our own journals. And we love her for it. She's beautiful, bold, and always brings the vibes. Sweeties, please give a warm welcome to the one and only Queen Najah. Hi, love.

[Queen Najah]

How you doing?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I'm good. How are you doing?

[Queen Najah]

Great. Even better since I'm here with you.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I know that's right. I love it. I'm so happy we finally made this happen. You hit me probably a couple months ago on Instagram saying how you love the podcast and one thing I will say about you in the short time that I've known you is that you have this beautiful spirit of humility. And you were like, I love your podcast. And I was like, oh my goodness, want to have you on all the things you like. I'm just glad you know who I am. And I'm like, and it was so beautiful for you to be so known to still say, I'm just glad you know who I am. It was like, I was like, this girl has A beautiful spirit. And I'm like, of course I know who you are.

[Queen Najah]

I go through that a lot. Cause I be in my little bubble. So, like, I be feeling like I don't really know who know me or not. So I never want to be that person. Like, you should know who I am. You know what I'm saying?

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Right.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

But I knew it. I was like, you know how like, you see people name pop up and you're like, what? I'm like, oh, my goodness. Because I admire your work. So it just. It really felt good to know that you actually saw the podcast and you enjoyed it. And I'm so excited to have you on today.

[Queen Najah]

Thank you. I'm happy to be here. Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

So let's get into it. So you are from Ypsilanti, Michigan. Yeah, I didn't know how to pronounce it at first. I was like, girl, how do you say this?

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, I was born there. And then pretty much I just. Since I was. Until I was six, I stayed there, but I kind of been everywhere around Detroit. I lived in Detroit before, so that's why people usually say she from Detroit. But like, yeah, I've been all over the outskirts, the. In skirts, side skirts all over Michigan.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That is funny. And then you became known through your YouTube. Five million subscribers.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's insane.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Like, when you started, did you think that it would get that big?

[Queen Najah]

So I kind of had two YouTubes where I had my. I had my old YouTube where. Well, my first YouTube, when I did it with someone else, and that was more like a couple's vibe. And then once I broke off into my own space, I had already had my fan base, like, people who genuinely had liked me. But then once I started showing me just Queen alone and just like. Well, I didn't really do music that much then, but I had already built a fan base with my personality and things like that. So once I dropped my song, they was already behind it.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, I love that. I love that they called you the. Let me make sure I get it right, because I don't want to misquote it. The first soul star of social media generation when they say that. What? Like, that's huge.

[Queen Najah]

I mean, you know, you just said I got a lot of humility, so I'm like, what?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

You're like, wait a minute.

[Queen Najah]

Okay, so I'll accept that. But yeah, I mean, maybe because I. You don't get. I guess you don't get too many people coming from YouTube in that sense of just like vlogging and stuff. Right. You do have people who started singing on YouTube, like the Bailey Sisters and like, Justin Bieber. They started. They were singing on there. But me, I was just. I wasn't on there really just singing. I was just being. I was doing crazy stuff, like, you know, so I love that.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

How much of that crazy stuff is really. You like putting it out there?

[Queen Najah]

Pretty much all of it. But I'm gonna be honest, like, just over time, I was probably, like, 22 on there. So just with growth, it's a, It's a lot of things I don't do anymore that I used to do when I was younger.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No, for sure.

[Queen Najah]

But I, I, I still got that side. I still can be outlandish. I be trying to contain it in certain areas, like right here. So I'm trying to keep it. Very cute and classy.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Sweetie, I love it. You are funny. No, be yourself. I love that. Now that's what I mean. That's what makes you unique. It makes you you, and that's what people fell in love with. So I love that. We both are very active on social media, and we were talking offline about just how people can make you look at yourself differently. Like you say, I didn't even notice until somebody pointed it out. And I was telling you how there's this one girl that always, like, talks about how big my nose is.

[Queen Najah]

That's crazy.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Maybe.

[Queen Najah]

So worried.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

So worried. And recently I was looking at it more and more, and I was like, well, maybe I should get plastic surgery, get my nose done. And you were like, saying, like, people make you look at things that you never paid attention to.

[Queen Najah]

Yes. No. I never cared about any angle of my face, like putting on makeup before getting on video. I didn't care about that stuff until I started being in a public eye. People really point out your flaws. And the worst part about it is, like, if you already feel that way, it just magnifies it even more.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Absolutely.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

What are some things that you had to, like, overcome being in that space? And just even about self esteem. Because I dealt with body dysmorphia, I felt like I just didn't look like everybody else. I was like, this is what the men want. I don't look like that, you know, because there's so many opinions out there that are being thrown at us.

[Queen Najah]

I dealt with body dysphoria. Morpheus, too, sometimes. I still deal with it. I've gotten a lot better with it, though. Like, I used to obsess over being 135 pounds. Like, I have to be that. But, baby, I'm still close to 160.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And you look good.

[Queen Najah]

And I just. Thank you. I just learned to accept it, like, honestly, like, I'm about to be 30, so I feel like I should just love myself in whatever shape that I'm in and, you know, to be able to put myself in check and be like, girl, you gotta go to the gym. Like, it's time.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I'm the same way.

[Queen Najah]

I've been eating cinnamon rolls and cookies and stuff like that. So I know it's time to tone down, but I've just learned to, like, I guess, really just say to myself, queen, you're never going to be perfect. Like, you're never gonna be perfect. So just get with what you get with what you got.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yep.

[Queen Najah]

You know what I'm saying? Sometimes people will do surgery over and over just trying to get that perfect look.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

And I have done surgery before, too. Like, yeah, I had, like, lipo and then I had a BBL and stuff like that. And I'm just like, it's still not the way I want. But you can't keep risking your life to go under the table.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's true.

[Queen Najah]

I'm like, look, if I got pointed hips, I just got to accept it. We gonna have some pointy hips. Okay. We still look good, though. You look very good.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No, not. I get it. I get it. It's a real thing. And I think a lot of people don't understand when we decide to be vulnerable and put ourselves out there, we're not also opening up ourselves for attacks, you know? And it's like, it's plays a part of our mental health, our securities. And I'm just like, why does everybody have to, like, point. Point everything?

[Queen Najah]

Yeah. If I go look at who's talking, I'll be like, ma'.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Am. And most of them hiding behind us.

[Queen Najah]

I'm like, baby, we. We all don't have no room to talk now. Come on. Like. But, you know, I try to keep it cute. I don't try to clap back and stuff that much. But all I' ma say is, people definitely, they know how to point out someone else's stuff.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's so true. I think I came to that same realization that these are unhappy people that are behind computers hiding that aren't happy with theirselves. So they had to.

[Queen Najah]

One thing that I said was, like, happy people, if you're so busy being happy, you shouldn't have time to, like, be being negative.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No, you don't have time because I'M.

[Queen Najah]

Because I'm not always the happiest. But I just know me. I could even if I wasn't like known or whatever, like, I can't. I wouldn't be able to go online and type a comment under somebody's stuff to make them feel worse than they might already feel. Because I'm just trying. I'm too busy trying to be happy myself.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Right.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah. Or get back to happy. That's so true. I can't. I've never been like that. I've never been like that. Has there ever been a moment where you posted something or vlogged something, you're like, I shouldn't have did that.

[Queen Najah]

Yes. Really? Plenty of times. But like, that's all trial and error, you know?

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah. Those were good learning experiences. Differences for me because like now I just, I'm. I'm. I know how to filter things a little bit better. Unless like I'm just in a super unfiltered mode. Like I. Like I started Twitch and, you know, that was Twitch.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I haven't gotten on that.

[Queen Najah]

It's fun, but I'm gonna tell you, it's dangerous. You really gotta watch it because it's live. You gotta watch what you say. Because they will literally clip the. They will clip the smallest things. And the next thing I know, I'm all over on TikTok.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Right.

[Queen Najah]

And they got a whole narrative made up about something. So. But I do like it. It's fun. I feel like I get to be myself more. I don't have to worry about edits and stuff as much. But definitely, yeah, that. That's going to help me exercise filtering.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No, for sure. I love that you have shared on social media that you are interested in doing a gospel album.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And you. I've seen you singing gospel songs. You started in church. That's when you found your voice. When did you know, like, oh, wait, I can sing, man.

[Queen Najah]

So I grew. I probably around. Probably around three or four. Like, I grew up in church and stuff. My grandma used to have me go up there and sing no Weapon.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Oh, I love that song.

[Queen Najah]

So I do know that my voice. A lot of people be like, queen, make a gospel album right now. Stop R and B. And really, you know, Lord is coming back and things like that. And I'd be like.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Because he is.

[Queen Najah]

I be so convicted. Like, oh. But. And I also grew up in like that very like religious kind of vibe where the, the. The prophets will come and be like, your voice is for the Lord. Don't use it for. But As, I mean, as y' all can see, I'm doing R B. So that has always been like a struggle with me. But I have learned over time it's more so like I'm just trying to get my relationship right with God so that I could hear from him directly.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

So he could tell me when he's ready for me to stop doing R and B. Because I can't say that he hasn't used me even during R B, you know. And I do feel like there is going to be a point in time where he might tell me, okay, it's time to it. It's time to do, you know, I don't know, completely worship music or it's time. I feel like how I come though is going to be way different. Yeah, it's going to be different from just a traditional gospel. So I do plan to do that. But I just know once I do it, like, it's going to take a lot of consecration being set apart. I'm not trying to be dibbling, dabbling, doing this and that when I do that. Cuz I want it to be very, like, genuine.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

You know?

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And honorable to him. No, I'm with you. I'm working on music. And I had already recorded some songs and I was telling my manager we had went to Woman Evolved last year and Big west is probably like one of the few guys in the arena. And Sarah Jakes had me out there for a panel that she was doing. And first I didn't feel like I belonged there. I'm like, what like me, like, I don't know if I'm like. I don't know if I'm like the one, you know, or qualified to be on this stage speaking to all these women about my relationship with God that I'm still working on.

[Queen Najah]

Right.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And you know, like. And I'm at that point I was still like straddling the fence and like, you know what I'm saying? Still in the world doing my thing. And she was like, no. She said people need to see you because you're where a lot of people are. You know what I'm saying? But you're bringing people closer, you know, because they're like, some people can't look at her, at Sarah Jakes, Robins and be like.

[Queen Najah]

And be like, yeah, they might feel like it's too far from them. Too far from them.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

But she's like, like when they see.

[Queen Najah]

You, it's like, okay, it's relatable. And they feels like they probably feel like it's Doable.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes, exactly.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, I believe like that. Because you can't. I always say, too, like, you can't just reach people that's already in church. You got to reach the people that's outside.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Come on.

[Queen Najah]

The people that might be in a club. But that's the thing too. Like, I be so conflicted with that sometimes. Like, I don't. That's why I just got to really walk closer with God. Because a lot of times people. People in. In church can discourage you too, man. Like, yeah.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

They were like, you ain't doing this. It's a thin line, I feel like, between being super judgy and. And also just. You just gotta do things with love, man.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And what did he say? The greatest of these is Love.

[Queen Najah]

Love. Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

People forget to lead with that.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, they forget to. And then they run people away. So you gotta meet people where they are sometimes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's so true. Yeah, that's so true. I told Wes. I was like, we've recorded all these songs, but I just feel like I don't wanna push people to do things that's gonna make them sin, you know? I was like, music is a portal. I said, I have to be careful what I'm putting out, because I know certain songs I listen to maybe wanna be promiscuous, you know? So, like, I can't lie. I can't wake up that little demon, you know? I'm like, damn, we are not on demon time.

[Queen Najah]

Like, oh, yeah, that made me wanna just be sexy real quick.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Exactly.

[Queen Najah]

But I was like, wait, did God say we can't be sexy here? I'm like, wait, did he say that?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

You know, right?

[Queen Najah]

And then I be thinking in my head, like, well, you know, this is for my future husband. I've been trying to dumb it down. Like, no, this is. This is gonna. I'm just getting prepared.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Prepared for my husband.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That is so funny. But, yeah, like, we were having those conversations at first. He was like, okay. And I was dodging the studio. He kept saying, we gotta get back in. We gotta get back in.

[Queen Najah]

I was like, yeah, I completely understand.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I was like, I gotta find that voice in that lane and really hear from God. What is it that you want me to sing? Because, like, you, I don't feel like it's straight gospel music, you know? And I was talking to a friend of mine, Pastor Brenda Palmer, and she was like, crystal. She said, look at Major. Look at Stevie Whitney, all these great artists. She was like, the music wasn't bad. It was just secular. But it Makes you feel good. It's happening.

[Queen Najah]

But, I mean, that's real life experiences, too. That's what I be taught. My thing is, I can't go super raunchy. Once I start going super raunchy, I'd be like, all right, I'll get convicted. It's been a couple of songs that I made. I'm like, dang. But, like, you know, as long as I don't go super, I'm like, wait, this is just experiences, real life. But I know that I can't just use my voice only for that, because, like, when am I going to edify God? When am I going to glorify God?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

You know what I mean?

[Queen Najah]

And I don't want it to be one of those situations where we at the gates and God like, baby, why don't you use your voice for gifts.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

If I gave you of many years?

[Queen Najah]

I was like, well, God, I thought I had more time. Like, I don't.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, Nadja, you on my street. Because recently I've been hearing him more and more, and I just look at what's going on in the world. And even when I was a kid, my mom was like, we're living in the last days. We're living the last days. And I'm like, no, something.

[Queen Najah]

Something's different now.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I'm like, you're coming any day now, like. And I was like, I just want to be ready. And every day I'm talking to God. I'm like, God, I just want to honor you and everything I do. I know I'm not perfect, but, you know, I'm trying.

[Queen Najah]

That was my prayer just in the car before I got here. I literally was praying. I swear I was talking to God. I was like, God, I know I'm not perfect. I know I can't be, but help me please desire what you want me to desire, because I don't want to want what's contrary to what you want. And I really don't want to get. I don't want to get left here.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Me neither.

[Queen Najah]

And all this stuff that's on the news. I try not to watch, like, the news and stuff. I'm looking at everything. The Bible is really unfolding, and I'm like, dang, do I make this album? Do I put this out? Like, I don't want to focus on, like, too much on myself. I mean, I don't know how long we got.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

You know, that's real.

[Queen Najah]

And I don't want to scare people either. But it's also like.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

But it is like, I'D rather scare them than for me and not to say hey, do better. And then they, they weren't scared enough and they end up going to hell. You know what I'm saying? When something that we say could have changed their mind or changed their trajectory to be like let me get in the word. Let me find an intimate relationship with God myself.

[Queen Najah]

I'm working on it.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, me too. Daily. Daily.

[Queen Najah]

It's hard. It's not, it's really not easy especially with everything around.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

But yeah, I was talking to another girl and we were talking about how it's not easy but having your tribe when people and I've noticed like friends falling off who aren't on the same path as I am or kind of distancing themselves because you feel awkward when you're like when you're around somebody who's really trying to pursue God or Jesus Christ and then they're like I'm still trying to be me.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

So they kind of distance themselves.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, you gotta kind of let em and love em from a distance. You know that's probably God.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, that's so true.

[Queen Najah]

But I do have a talking about the tribe. I have a like a, A I go to this private church that's more so online cuz I feel like trying to go and purchase it's a little hard but I've been going there for like three, almost four years and they really help me. Yeah they really keep me accountable and things like that. Before that I wasn't going to church. Yeah like that I'm like man, I felt very convicted.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Like I same it was like a year that I didn't go to church and that was because the church I was going to it was some scandals happening and I just kind of pushed me away.

[Queen Najah]

I was like and I'll be feeling bad for stuff like that too because I feel like churches that go through those scandals and things, it run a lot of people away. But I also be wanting those people to understand that we're looking at humans here.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's the same. Yes. I always say that that's a human being. Just like we are just having an anointing. We both have anointing in our life.

[Queen Najah]

And we're not perfect. We still mess up every day. So you can't just let that run you away from church and be like well I don't want to serve God no more. I might as well just do this. You need to eat the food, fish and spit out the bones and you know or find ask God to help you find Somewhere else to go, you know?

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

But. Yeah, I don't know. I just kind of got.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No, that's real, though. No, I want that. You're exactly right. And I. I remember calling. I called somebody and they said the exact same thing. They said, crystal, they are human, just like we are. They are like, look at some of the disciples. God chose them, but they weren't without flaw.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

Peter cut off that man ear, ma'.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Am.

[Queen Najah]

A lot of us want to cut off some ears, you know?

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And the people he chose were not perf. Perfect people. And even after they started following him and walking with him, they were with Jesus. We don't. We didn't have that luxury to be in the flesh with him. You know, he's with us in spirit, but if they still messing up, you.

[Queen Najah]

Know what I'm saying?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

He knows.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I can't imagine, but yeah, that is so true. And I love that you do have some type of congregation that you can. That can hold you accountable and that you can be. You have a shepherd that can lead you as well. That's so important because, girl, we'd be lost out here with so many influences.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Especially in our industry.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah. And you gotta pay attention. You can't, like, always accept everything from everyone as well.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Talk about it.

[Queen Najah]

To have, like, just one source.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

Because we get. We can get confused with so many different sources.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah. Because everybody's like, the universe and the stars aligned and. And all this stuff. I'm like, listen.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No, Jesus.

[Queen Najah]

Jesus, yes. And I'd be trying to be like, man, I wanna knock you. But like, at the same time, I'm not gonna allow for that to.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And I don't, like, be like, no, this is. But I try to, like, be an example in my life so that they can see. Like, okay, wait, wait, there is something to this Jesus guy. Like, let me look into this. Let me. Let me try to read and study up on him and learn for yourself. You know, I tell everyone, don't take my word for it.

[Queen Najah]

Right.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

You know, and once you start reading that Bible, it really. He convicts you on things. He opens your eyes to things. And then a lot of times you see what you were being taught wasn't even right. People are manipulating the scripture and you're like, wait, that not even what.

[Queen Najah]

It's church sayings that they got that. That I be like, that's weight. They been saying that for years. That was never in the Bible. Yes, but.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

At my church, I go to Change Church and Dr. Darius always said, he goes, this is in the Bible. And he's like, read it for yourself. And he gives a study plan so that we can, like, take the sermon and then actually study it for ourselves.

[Queen Najah]

Like, my. My nanny, my babysitter goes there.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Really? Everybody goes, yeah, a lot of people go there.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

Wait, I was on a plane go there. Do you. Do you know who Paisley is?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

Yes, she goes there. Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Cause her husband's a producer.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah. Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, she goes there.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah. I might have to visit one day.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah. Come on. And we have. It's a way that we. They. They want us to be able to have a place to worship because a lot of us don't go to church because people asking for pictures or certain things. So they. They make it to where we can get the word and then get home.

[Queen Najah]

That's good. Yeah. I had dealt with that when I used to live in Houston. I tried to go to this old school church because I grew up in a very, like, old school Pentecostal church. And I tried to go one time, and I'm like. They recorded. I'm like, oh, man.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Oh, no, that's definitely praise and worship. They allow people to go to, like, the altar. So, like, you can actually. So you can actually, like, praise and dance and sing with the choir. And one guy, like, had his phone up, and then, like, he put it down, and then, like, you know, he turned around, he saw me. Next thing I know, his phone's going up. He's like. And I'm like, are you serious right now?

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Like, what are we doing?

[Queen Najah]

I'm like, put that phone down and praise me.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Right?

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Don't worry about me. You need to be worried about the Lord. You worry about the wrong thing, sir.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

But no, yeah, definitely. Let me know when you want to come.

[Queen Najah]

For sure.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

We would love to have you.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I love that.

[Queen Najah]

I feel like I went to the. I brought my kids to the. They had some sort of harvest thing.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

With the bouncy houses and stuff. Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

We do so many things for the community. Like, we have. It's. I love my church. It's not just about coming and getting the word. It's about how we can impact the community. You talked about not saying yes to everything. And same thing with me, with roles I take. What are some things that you had to say no to in the industry? I'd be like, yep, nope, I have a boundary here. I'm not doing that well.

[Queen Najah]

I know when I first came out and I first had my. My Craziest buzz. Like, after Medicine, I was doing this. I was doing this shoot for Vivo. And it was just like a lot of. We went up this mountain in la. It was this. I think it was. I didn't know at the time, but it was like Marilyn Manson's mansion that he was renting out. And that whole day I was feeling crazy. It's on one of my vlogs. I was feeling so crazy that day. And I remember the night before I had. I don't know if you ever experienced this, but I had sleep paralysis. No, the night before. Wow. And I remember hearing. I've heard about it, but it was different this time. Like, the night before, I heard all these screams in my ear. I don't know.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

So when you were staying in that house?

[Queen Najah]

No, not the house. But this was the night before we had the shoot and I was in my hotel room. And then the next day I just felt uneasy. Right. So we get up to this mountain and we're about to shoot and I'm putting on all these, you know, dresses. And it was just a content piece for, like, some songs I was performing live. And they had, like, certain. They had, like. I don't want to, like, say everything, but they had certain things that could have been in the camera that I felt maybe they didn't. I felt symbolized certain things. And I was like, take that out.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

Like, I was. I think I got into this and I still don't know what it means, but this empty pool that. It was like a smaller pool, though, so it kind of reminded me of a baptism pool. But it was empty. It didn't have water in it. It had like this statue next to me, but the statue was beheaded. It didn't have a head on it. It was just very evil. I was like, get that out of here. Like, can we move this? Like, a lot of times they be like, oh, this is for art, and things like that. But to me, it's like, you gotta.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Be careful because they be putting stuff in there.

[Queen Najah]

Come on.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

It has another meaning.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, yeah. Like, I don't know what this means, so I'm not gonna do it. You know what I'm saying? And I feel like maybe that's. I don't know, Sometimes I'm like, well, maybe that's the reason why I'm, you know, I'm just been in my own bubble. And I maybe feel like I haven't gotten a certain heights or whatever yet. But that's cool. I stand. Stay true to myself.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes. Always.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

You know, gotta keep. Continue to keep blessing me. So.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

But, yeah, it's been little things like that, like symbolisms and things.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

For sure. That's really big in our industry.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah. Everything don't gotta be dark all the time.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Right.

[Queen Najah]

Like, why is it gonna be so dark?

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Right.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

You know, going through enough darkness in.

[Queen Najah]

Real life, we need some light.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

We do.

[Queen Najah]

So.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah, you.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's good. You took a break in 2022. What made you want to step back and just say, let me take a minute.

[Queen Najah]

In 2022 was this. After I did the tour, I did Mary J. Blige's tour. I opened up for her in 2020. I probably took a break after that because I probably feel like I was doing a lot, and I really just wanted to focus on my family, my kids. I feel like I was just an absent mom. I had that mom guilt.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

You know?

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

So I just felt like I needed to get my house in order in that sense. I just wanted to be a mom again. I have these, like, huge fans of, like, being a mom and then being. And I don't want to say celebrity, but being a singer. Yeah, being a singer. Being a singer comes with a lot. Like, I'm about to start gearing up to drop a project, and so I know I'm about to be really busy, and I've spent time with my kids and things like that, so now it's time for me to be on the road.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

In those moments where you're feeling mom. Yeah, because I'm not a mother. In those moments, like, what are you feeling? And what kind of toll does it take on your emotions?

[Queen Najah]

I just feel. I have little thoughts in my head, like, man, what if they have a resentment towards me when they get older? And, you know, sometimes, like, how you think you'll. Some parents will think they're doing so good, and then when their kids grow up, it's like, mom, I went through trauma because of this and that.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's real.

[Queen Najah]

And I'll be like, wait, I thought I did. I thought I did my best. Like, that's the kind of things that I think about. So I try to balance it out as much as I can, because I don't want that from my. My boys. I don't want them saying, mom, you weren't there, and the babysitter had to raise me and this and that. And I'm just like. But I was doing this for you. And, like, I wanted you to have the best. Chase your dreams, too.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

You know, it could. It's it's definitely a lot, you know, I mean, but I was thinking too, like, even if I just had a regular 9 to 5, it's. I still would be away from my kids too. So.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

It's just one of those things where I gotta continue to pray on how to balance it all out.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I was gonna ask you, now that you've kind of gotten past that, have you found a way to balance both?

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, I think, I think I just need to know when to stay home.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

And need to know when it's time to go work. And I've been staying home a lot lately, so that's good. Yeah. But to the point where it's like, okay, Queen, you gotta go to work, get back out there and sing and stuff.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Uh huh. You said that being a singer takes a lot. What are some of the things that people may not know that go into getting ready to put out an album, getting ready to go on tour?

[Queen Najah]

People think you could just. For putting out a project, people think you can just go to the studio, record a song, do a one take and then put it out. It's so not like that.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

Like they don't understand. Even once you're done recording a song, they're like, what's taking so long? All the paperwork and things behind, behind it. You gotta, you gotta make sure that it's cleared and the producers and people agree with their splits and things like that. And sometimes the lawyers take back and forth communicating with each other and it just, it takes a long time. So you know, you can't just. And then after that, after all that's done, you have to roll it out to where it's like, it can be marketed well. So people can like, it can be in everyone's face. So like that's really. People just don't know like even, even going to record a song. Like I had recently showed myself recording a song live and they were like, wow. I have a whole different respect for recording artists because we literally do takes over and over again to get it right. I probably do about 50 takes to make sure something is right.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

And like it's just not that easy. And then getting prepared for a tour, baby, you got to go to the gym before that and make sure you can breathe walking on that stage. Like.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

And then I'm naturally not a dancer, so I gotta get some choreography, some movement.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

You know, to like be able to. Yeah. I feel like I'm rambling down, but.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No, you're not. No, that's, it's good. Because people. I feel like people don't understand that even with acting, the takes that we do. But I find getting in the music booth and singing and doing all those takes more annoying because my producers are like, again, Again, Again, again. I'm like, really?

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

But that'd be me on my own self.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I'd be like, it sounded good in my ear.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, that was me. I was working with Pooh Bear, like, not too long ago when I was in Miami, and I was. And I asked you for the link. I was like. I was in the studio and he was like. And I was like, nope, get it again. Get it again. That be me on my own self. And it was like, you just got it right. And I'd be like, nope, again. It's not. Something was off.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

So, like that. I'm like a super perfectionist when it.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Right. Did you, like, study music?

[Queen Najah]

No.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Okay. Because that sound like somebody who, like. No, I heard something. Something's off.

[Queen Najah]

I always hear things that people don't hear. I hear when something's off key, when something is flat in the slightest way.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

That's a gift.

[Queen Najah]

And I'd be like, wait, no, nudge that over. Because that's too early. Like, I don't know why I didn't go to school for it or anything. My brain just knows how.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No, that's a gift from God. That's amazing.

[Queen Najah]

Yes, it is.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I love that. No, and I love that you brought them into the studio with you.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Because people don't understand. Are you, like, a early studio go or do you go at night time?

[Queen Najah]

You know what? I used to go at night, but I realized I'm tired.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

So I said, same girl.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I hate night sessions.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah. So I started. I started, like, just starting early in the afternoon until the evening.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

So I could still have that time to get back to my kids too, Right.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Some guys, like, they literally. Oh, yeah. I just left at 7 this morning. I'm like, what?

[Queen Najah]

Yeah. That's crazy. I'm going home.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I gotta go home. I gotta sleep.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Would you say you are. You enjoy the studio more or being live on stage?

[Queen Najah]

I would say. I really. I really love. I used to actually say I hated being, like, doing live, but when I'm at my tours, the energy that I feel from my supporters, like, singing my music back, that is so fun.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Oh, my goodness.

[Queen Najah]

It's so, like. I do, like. I like being on tour. I like doing live stuff.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

But if it's a crowd that I know is not really Used to me I'd be a little nervous.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Right.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

What was it like opening up for Mary?

[Queen Najah]

She was, like, huge. It was. It was amazing. Like, I'm just so happy. And thank you to Mary again for giving me the opportunity. But it was a lot of, I guess, older people in the crowd, you know, So I was like, I ain't gonna know who I am.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Right.

[Queen Najah]

But turns out, like, it was a lot of people there in the beginning for the opening.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Oh, yeah.

[Queen Najah]

And I did gain a lot of. I gained a lot of new supporters and new demographics. I was even looking at the people who was coming to my meet and greets, and it was different people of all, like, cultures. I was like, oh, okay, you know who I am, so you know who I am. Yeah, I always do that. So it was really. It was really fun. But in the beginning, like I said, I was nervous because you got those people that sit in the front that they there for Mary. They're not trying to see nobody else. They just in the front, just. Where's Mary? I'm like, they just sitting down. Come on, get up.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And that doesn't feel good.

[Queen Najah]

It's hard to try to hype the crowd up because I like to feed off, you know, that energy.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, it's. It really is. It's. It's a dance that you do with your audience.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

But I have learned also, too, like, you just gotta hype yourself up if you got dancers, you know, feed off of their energy, but, like, you gotta know how to be the hype.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, that's so true. What is something that you can share that you learned from working with Mary and being on the road with her just as a professional?

[Queen Najah]

Mary.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

She said Mary.

[Queen Najah]

It was just. You know, the crazy thing is we were. We didn't, like, run into each other a lot often because we were so busy, like, right. Trying to get ready for the show. But at the end of the tour, we did have a. We did have a. A little party for. And then I sat next to her and was talking a little bit, but the music was loud, so we couldn't talk a lot. But I just remember her saying to me, like, take your time. Oh, she was just saying, take your time. I don't know if she. If she meant in relationships. I don't know if she meant. But she would look at me like, take your time. Like, don't. Don't rush.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

I was just like, okay, I'm gonna take my time.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

She probably been through some stuff.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

You know, she can pour. Yeah. She can.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Definitely give you advice on that. Is there in. In growing in this industry, what are some of the lessons that you've learned about yourself or, like, just about business? Because I know a lot of times when you're new to this, you went from YouTube to being this breakout star where everybody knows who you are.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

What are some things that you learned?

[Queen Najah]

Well, I want to say the most. The biggest thing that I probably learned was how can I say this when it. I hate. I hate saying this, but, like, when it comes to business, you can't think about people feelings. It's not about being nice.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

And I'm a very nice person. So a lot of times in the past, I have, like, inconvenience myself or other people. Even, like, people that, like, I work with.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

Just inconvenience in myself a lot. And just trying to. I. I want to make sure everybody's straight. But at the end of the day, too, you can't be too much of a pushover, too. I've learned that.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Right.

[Queen Najah]

Business. Because when you're not, like, stern about something, like, people will try to, you know, run over you or, like, control things like that. So that's something I'm still working on as far as being a businesswoman, like, just really being that balance between being stern but not being that person that's like, I don't not like working with her. Right.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And there's a way. Exactly. You don't want that. Yeah, I'm very. I have people around me, and that's what I love about me and Wes. Relationship where I can be honest with him. Where sometimes you're afraid to say what's really on your mind because you don't want to hurt their feelings or people are sensitive, and it's like, ah, I really just want to say what I want to say. He's like, no, say what you want to say. I can say it to him, and then he can be like, all right, got it. Let me fix it. You know, that's perfect. Yeah, it's good because I can't do that with everybody, you know, because I will be a B, you know, to them, even though it's. No, no. This is a woman who's passionate about her business, and she knows what she wants. She's very sure of herself. If a man did it, it'd be like, oh, it's different. But when a woman does it, you know, it's different.

[Queen Najah]

So they said the same thing on the Poor Minds podcast about how, like, how, like, women usually get the People don't really take them as serious in business.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

Wow.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No. So I appreciate having a man who has my back to say, hey, no, Say what you need to. And if I'm like, yo, Wes, I'm not with it, or why didn't he say, you know what? I got it? You're absolutely right. It's never, like.

[Queen Najah]

It matters too. Like, having a really good manager and having, like. Yeah, yeah, it's different.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No, it matters.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Because if you don't have that, if you're not able to. To express yourself, things just don't get done the way you need it to. And this is. This is your business, your brand that you're building and that I'm building. And I think it's a way to make sure people know that they're appreciated, to treat people with respect, but to also demand that respect and know that, hey, when she comes in, like, it's time to work. Cause she gonna work with us, you know? And I always. I'm in the field with them. Like, I'm never like, okay. Really?

[Queen Najah]

Yeah. I'm sorry. I'm just saying because my. Because I recently. Just over time, like, you know how sometimes you got to get a different team and stuff? So I. My last manager was a woman. And, like, she was. She was great. But, like, I noticed, like, a lot. A lot of times she had to work a little bit harder.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

You know, to get things done. Because she was, you know, a woman.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

But my new manager now is a man. And I just. It's just different.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Different. It's just really crazy, too, that, like. And women have to be harder. They have to go harder to get that Same thing that a man can walk in, like, oh, yep, I got this. I'm like.

[Queen Najah]

That'S crazy.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, we have to change that.

[Queen Najah]

That's how God made it, though.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

He was in charge. Right.

[Queen Najah]

Right.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No, seriously. I think, for me, one of the biggest things that I've had to learn and still learning is when you have a good team, you don't have to control everything. Because, like, I know how I want things done. And if it's not done a certain way, I'm very meticulous in type A. So I'm like, okay, I hear y'.

[Queen Najah]

All. Yeah, I'll crack it up. Listen, clock. That's funny.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I'm trying. So I take time to, like, go away, and I don't call them. I just make sure you're good. Y' all got everything you need? All right? And I know they'd be like, thank God. Go to Miami and leave us some.

[Queen Najah]

That'd be. That was so. Me, too. Like, okay, what's happening? Like, I want to have my hand everything. But, yeah, when you have a good.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Team, you don't have to.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, you don't have to, because everybody know their role, and they should also learn you, too, to know what you would and wouldn't wear.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Exactly.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

But not saying take your hands completely off, because it's still your baby. And at the end of the day, no one. I don't care how much they love you and love your brand, no one's going to treat it like you would treat it. So it's still, like, making sure that you're on top of it and whatever. I like to make sure that I can do what everybody else is doing. When we dropped our merch, I think it was in December, they're like, we got. I was like, no, I want to learn Shopify. I want to learn. Make sure I know how to do this. Like, where is this going? How much tax is coming out? What are we doing? I want to make sure we're doing everything right. And I made sure I brought on the right people that if I didn't know, they could teach us. But if nobody else is here, I know how to pack it up and ship it and print it and get it out here, you know? And it's. Yeah, it's so important.

[Queen Najah]

It's so important because that's where I was in the beginning of my career, just kind of letting everything. Everybody take the lead. I'm just like, oh, well, I'm just here. And I was always like, not. I was always like, under the assumption that you just be the artist, you just make the good music. No, I actually gotta know a lot what's going on. I need to know what's going on.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, I took that from Beyonce, like, when she fired her dad, and that's what actually helped me. I had a shout out. Sean Finney, my brother, he's amazing. We had lunch one day, and I was trying to figure out a restructuring situation within my company. And he said, sis, Beyonce fired her dad. And that's all I'm gonna say. And I said, wow. I said, I'm sitting here worried about letting somebody go, that ain't my daddy. How hard would that have to be? You know? And the stance that she took and how much she believed in herself. She really inspired me to, like, stand on my own two feet. And how she's, like, very hands on. I'm like, that's how I wanna do it. And look how far she's gotten with it, you know, so she's somebody. Shout out B. She's someone that I really look up to when it comes to, like, really handling your business as a woman and being and heard and even with songs how they were like, that's not a hit. That's not a hit. Nope. Take it back. And she was like. And all these are what? Number one. I was like, takashi.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

So, yeah, I need to do that too.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Because, yes, those songs came from your experiences, you know, so the way you deliver them is what resonates with your audience. So somebody else who may have not gone through that, like, oh, this ain't it. This isn't it. And then those be the ones that.

[Queen Najah]

Go, oh, my goodness. Yes. That's actually what I'm. I'm not going through anything right now. But that's what. That's just the situation I'm in right now, trying to figure out what's gonna be my single. And I feel. I feel like I know this one single. It's like this one right here. Like, they really gonna feel it.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

But, you know, sometimes the being signed to a label, they'll look at, like, what's most upbeat or what seems most popular or what, you know? And I. And I do know that they could know some things that maybe. I don't know, like what could cross over, but like, when you know.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

Something you just gotta push for, like. No, this one right here, we gotta make sure we put this out, even if it's not. Not the first one.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Exactly.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

So I'm glad you're able to say no, we gotta. We gotta do this one.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

You're being in the studio, what is your creative process like? Because everybody's is different.

[Queen Najah]

Everybody's different. I feel like mine's changed over the years. I used to have to, like, I used to wake up in the middle of the night and I would hear a melody.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Are you serious?

[Queen Najah]

Yes. And I be like, I hear a melody and I'm like, or I could be anywhere. I could be on the toilet.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I could be.

[Queen Najah]

I could be anywhere. And I just hear a melody. And then. So I start just singing the melody. And then I want to go make that a beat. So really, I'm a producer too. I just don't press the button, right. But I tell the producers, like, put this instrument and I'll like, get a pen and a paper or a pen on a table, and I'll like, beat and I'll do this. And I'm like, make that into a beat. Are you?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's so cool.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah. Like, but now I've had to open up a little bit more and allow for people to send me, like, certain beats. And then I'll just go in there and I'll like, like mumble. I'll mumble cadences that. That I like and then fill it in with words. And I used to completely be like, no, I don't want no writers. I just want to write my own stuff.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

But I'm open to writers now. Like, co writing with people. Even if someone wants to give me a song.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

I tell them, like, okay, but I gotta make it completely like. Like mine. So if I gotta switch up words. Yep, I'll do it. I never take something like fully on.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Without putting your thing.

[Queen Najah]

Adding my little.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, no, but that's smart too.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Because there's money in your publishing and writing too.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Hello.

[Queen Najah]

Because if my voice wasn't on it.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes, exactly.

[Queen Najah]

So, yeah. So that's what I do. I just mumbo jumbo. And then sometimes, like, I will have a. What is it? What's the word? I'll have a. Not scenario, but a concept.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, concept.

[Queen Najah]

I'll have a concept in my head. Like, it'll be a good song about so and so or da da da. And then I'll be like, I'm gonna, like, just write about that. But so my current manager now, I don't know if you know, but his name is no id. He's taught me. Yeah. So. Yeah, so he's taught me that a good song can go on any beat. You just gotta, like, have the conversations first and then your song is right there in the conversation.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Wow.

[Queen Najah]

So I have been working on. Rather than just like writing words down, trying to make stuff rhyme. Like, we'll like, have a conversation first in the studio and then next thing you know, my song is right there. Like, wow. We'll just talk. We'll get to these deep talks about these things. I'm just like, wait, write that down. And then it turns into a song.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's fire. Who are some people that you would love to work with?

[Queen Najah]

Artist wise or.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Or producer. Because there's some incredible producers and writers.

[Queen Najah]

I've always. I've never got a chance yet to work with Pharrell. I think he's super dope. He is.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

It would be nice to work with the dream. I haven't. I have yet to work with London on the track. We tried to do something but we didn't end up. We didn't end up making nothing. But that was like a while back.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

But like, pretty much I'm down with whoever want, like, as far as artists, if they want to work, then we could work. I kind of used to have this, like, dream list of, like, people that I wanted to collab with, but I don't really have that anymore. It's just like, look, if we're gonna work, we're gonna work.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

We're gonna work.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

If not, I can hold this on.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

My own, you know? You can?

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Who have been some of your favorite people to actually collab with that you've already collabed with?

[Queen Najah]

Big Sean, definitely.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah. Who else have I worked with that I really like? Ella May. She's a very. She's very much a girl's girl.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I love it.

[Queen Najah]

And then I work with Mariah, Mariah scientist. And we have a song coming out soon. But that she's. I just love girls. Girls. I love people. That's super genuine. I love people that check on you outside of the music. Like, hey, I'm just thinking about you. Like her. She. She checks on me a lot. We haven't done a song yet, but yeah, I just enjoy those genuine people, those genuine vibes. Tiana Taylor is dope.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Love to.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

I could go down the list.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's fire. I love that when you talk about that. I also would like to ask you, when it comes to where you see your music going, is there. I know we talked about gospel.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Is there, like, do you, like. What else do you see yourself doing?

[Queen Najah]

I'm gonna be honest. I see myself getting nominated or winning a Grammy. I see myself doing that. I gotta speak that. I used to be like, no, I don't care. No, no, we getting. We getting Grammy. And I don't know when it's gonna happen, but it's gonna happen. And when it do, I want y' all to come right back to this clip.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

We will here.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, I know that I. I will end up doing. Is it. Is it weird to say that I don't really like the term gospel? Cuz I want to run people away. Yeah. I. I want to do like, more so Christian contemporary worship or Christian R and B fusion, like where it has that sound that people want to listen to, but it's still talking that real, real about God.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes, but. And I don't know, there's. There's a lane for that.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, they do have a lane. I. I've seen and it Sounds real good.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Really good.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I be working out to it. It's really good.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah. I'm like, okay, this about God, but I do feel like God is going to take me to higher heights right now where I am even in this R and B lane, to where it's going to open up that. Like a bigger fan base. So then when I do finally cross over to that side, I'm bringing all them folks with you.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yep. It's so funny you say that, because I've noticed a lot of these, like, big stars are turning life over to Jesus. But I'm talking about hundreds of millions of followers and they're bringing them, influencing them.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

And like I said, sometimes you gotta go get the people and meet them where they are. Be relatable with them.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes.

[Queen Najah]

I mean, I feel like that's what I'm doing right now. And I'm not gonna pretend. Like I said, I love doing R and B music. I love the way it sounds and things like that. And not just R and B. I want to cross over to other things too, like alternative and things. I just like different music. But I know for a fact that once I gain that bigger fan base, you know.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

It's gonna bring them over.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

It happens. It happens.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No, I'm sure of that. What our theme for this season is. Impact.

[Queen Najah]

Impact.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes, impact. And I want to ask you what, even with your music, what is something that you intentionally do to make sure that you're leaving a positive impact on your listeners?

[Queen Najah]

I feel like I do that more so through my personality.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I was thinking that on your social media.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

I'mma always talk about God. I'm sorry, I don't care. I know I goof off and joke around a lot, but I'm gonn the glory to God.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

And then just always keep that radiant energy and positivity. Regardless of what I may be going through. I always tell people to just maintain a. A lot of people don't believe in being humble, but I. I believe in staying humble and always being happy for others and just. Just staying consistent and chasing. Yeah, not chasing a dream, but just staying consistent and trying to be. Trying to do whatever it is that you would like to do.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Right.

[Queen Najah]

You know?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes, for sure. What do you do to protect your peace? Because there's so much noise in our industry, especially when we're on social media, it's like, what. What do you do to protect your peace?

[Queen Najah]

Well, like I said, I have those people around me that keep me accountable, keeping that relationship, like open with God. But also, I, I, I'm a big believer in therapy.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Come on.

[Queen Najah]

Like therapy. A lot of people be like, against it, but therapy has worked so well for me. Oh, I need to schedule me an appointment. She just hit me up. I'm like, oh, man. But therapy is definitely a really good. And then just having that quiet time to yourself. Like, I don't. I have this car that I just sit in.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Really?

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, I, I just sit in my car sometimes so I can just get away from the noise. And sometimes you gotta put down. And I'm talking to myself too. I'm not trying to contradict, but sometimes you gotta put the phone down and delete the, delete the apps and just really like sit with yourself and do something on the outside that you want to get.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Queen Najah]

Just some peace.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's so true.

[Queen Najah]

That's how you keep your peace.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Because that phone is distracting.

[Queen Najah]

It is so distracting. I'll find myself going back to Instagram. I don't even want to go there, girl.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I was telling somebody a few years ago, I passed it from Instagram and my thumb was still even. I deleted the whole. And it was gone. Like the app was gone. But my thumb was what you programmed to. I was like, this is, it's got.

[Queen Najah]

To be something in there. It's because I was fasting. I was fasting too, from social media and I had deleted the app. And I'm like, where's, Wait a minute. You want to fast, right? Or like if I didn't delete it, like my thumb is still clicking. I'm like, wait, yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That thing is own. Yes.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, it's, it's really addictive.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

It is.

[Queen Najah]

But it's probably cuz we so programmed to do it for so long, you know?

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I put a timer on my phone like Instagram has. I do like that about the app.

[Queen Najah]

I put a timer too.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

But sometimes I ignore for the day. Like I'd be like, ignore for the day. They'll never know.

[Queen Najah]

Just look a little bit more. Right.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I'll do like the 15, 15 more minutes and then I finally, like, ignore for the day.

[Queen Najah]

That's like, I know it gets. Once it gets to a point where my head start hurting from looking at the screen. I'm like, okay, now this is too much. What are you doing?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

What are you doing?

[Queen Najah]

Like, so.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, that is funny. I love that. So you have a new album coming out. Are you able to share any information on it?

[Queen Najah]

So my supporters know my album is done basically. Right. But I had this little contractual thing where My. My label said I gotta put out an EP first. So I am putting out an ep. Okay. And it's amazing. I went to go. That's what I did in Miami. Okay, dope. I went to go record it, and it, like. I was like, this is so good. I might have to go change some stuff on the album. Cause, you know. Yeah. The more that I grow and, like, I just keep making good music. I'm like. So either way, whether it's the ep, single, whatever album, whatever's coming out, it's gonna be good. I'm really excited about it.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Oh, I can't wait.

[Queen Najah]

Yeah, it's gonna be rather soon, too. Okay.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, we definitely be on the lookout for it. Let our audience know where they can find you so we can support you. Tap in and keep up with everything.

[Queen Najah]

Y' all can find me everywhere. That sound crazy, Queen Nijah. Everywhere. Q, U, E, E, N, N, A, I J, A. And also make sure you guys follow my Snapchat and follow me on Twitch, because I be. I'll be acting a fool on there. Not this one.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's so funny. Definitely. Tap in on Twitch, y'.

[Queen Najah]

All.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Queen Aja, thank you so much. I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was. It was. Thank you.

[Queen Najah]

Thank you.

[Interjecting Supportive Voice]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

All right, sweeties. Today I am wearing a denim dress by Fashion Nova. I love this dress because it is made of recycled jeans. So dope. And innovative. Shoes are by Dolce and Gabbana. Earrings, you guys already know at this point. Bottega Veneta and bracelet by Van Cleef, y'. All. Now, wasn't that one of the most warm and down to earth conversations? I just love her. She is so humble, so real, and just full of grace. She reminded us that you can shine and still stay grounded. And that's the kind of energy we're always here for. Until next time. Y' all know what to do. Stay kind, stay lifted. And as always, keep it positive. Sweeties. See you next time. Sam.