Day Sulan talks being the first lady of YG’s 4HUNNID, growing up in Compton, new music and more

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Day Sulan is the first lady of YG’s 4HUNNID imprint, which speaks volumes. Born and raised in Compton, the West Coast spitter has only been rapping for no more than two years, and is already on her way to becoming a staple in the rap game. When it comes to female MCs, Day shows out and brings that raw, gritty, unfiltered lyricism and matches it with her undeniable confidence and beauty.

Going through her own trials and tribulations coming up in the city, which includes cutting off her family for over a year, Day has come full circle not only as an artist, but as a human being. Most recently, she was arrested for peacefully protesting in the streets of Los Angeles, though falsely displayed on the news as “looting and rioting.”

Announcing the joint venture with Epic Records, Day released her debut single “Mascara” in March 2020, which had all the clubs and functions litty up and down the coast. Now, she returns with an even harder banger: “BIG” featuring Rubi Rose.

REVOLT caught up with the recording artist to discuss how the record with Rubi came together, her experience getting arrested, being the first lady of 4HUNNID, protesting with YG, and more! Read below.

How did you and Rubi Rose meet?

We met on FaceTime through my homegirl Lala. We were thinking who we can put on this song and Rubi came up. I was with it, Lala ended up calling her. It’s funny because we actually started it off with a different song. I made this one the day after and we decided to switch songs. “It ain’t going to be this one no mo’.” She’s super dope, she has a great personality.

Bring us back to that studio session.

I was in the studio by myself. At the time, a lot of bitches were irritating me. They’re out here hating, being big fans. I’m worried about the bag. The beat took it from there, the beat alone gave me big energy. Murda Beatz produced it, that shit’s fire. Hard ass beat.

I love the line, “I never been a hatin’ bitch ever.”

It’s true! It’s hard to not give a shit, but it’s not hard to hate. No reason to hate. How there’s 50 n*ggas out here who rap the same, so what if females do? As long as you love music and you’re doing it for the right reason, there’s no reason for us to hate each other. We’re all one. No weird shit needs to happen.

Did you think you were going to be where you are today?

I knew I was going to blow eventually. I’m not there yet, but I always had that confidence. I knew it’s going to be some time but the way social media works nowadays, things happen a lot quicker.

When was the first time you recorded yourself and realized you could do this?

My first time was with one of my favorite producers, his name is Cronkite. That was my first session ever making my own song, my first time ever rapping and singing in front of somebody in a home studio. It’s a process. I love music and I know I can write. I know I’m great at this shit, but when I first started, I thought, “Can I do it?” I used to question myself a lot. My first studio session and being in that environment recording for me, I knew this is where I’m supposed to be.

Bringing it back to your upbringing in Compton, what was the household like?

I grew up different. How I turned out, my mom’s like, “How the fuck did that happen?” (laughs) I actually grew up in a very strict household. My mom’s Vietnamese, so I could barely go outside. Especially in Compton, she’s like, “Hell no.” So, I’d sneak out, and it was rare I could actually accomplish shit. You know, Asian parents be knowing. We had bars outside of our windows, that alone was hard to get past. All the doors in our house were loud. Everything in Compton’s old, walking on the wood floor is like “crack crack.”

When did love for music enter your life?

I’ve always loved music. Music was an escape from my household and my everyday life. I was really depressed when I was younger, the only thing that got me through was my CD player I used to walk around with. We used to go to different places and I wouldn’t fuck with nobody. I’d literally have my headphones in, listening to music like, “Don’t talk to me.”

What CDs were you bumping? I fell in love with Eminem first.

Eminem was one of the ones who really got me through my shit, related to my soul. It was a lot of people, but music in general really kept me balanced. It was a mixture of R&B, soul, and hip hop. Eminem was for sure one of the top ones, he was literally there with me.

How long had you been dancing? 

I started dancing when I was fresh 18. I was homeless. I had a n*gga at the time, was with him for four years. He was homeless, too. I had two jobs, working at Ross and California Pizza Kitchen. Surviving in Los Angeles off of that, I couldn’t do it. How did people do this shit? I didn’t know shit about credit or any of that. I reached out on Instagram to different strip clubs because I was always told that shit when I was younger. “You’re going to be a stripper,” so it was in my head. I reached out. The n*gga who put me on is one of the big homies, I fuck with him ‘til the day I die. He got me my job, I got out of being homeless. I was straight. Shit was beautiful-ish. I was hustling (laughs).

What did moms think?

I wasn’t talking to her. I cut off my mom for a good year to two years. I wasn’t talking to my dad, I wasn’t talking to none of my family. I was really out here alone. Everything’s good now, we mended everything. Family life is beautiful, everybody is back in my life. It’s cool. Don’t take me there, I won’t take you there.

What does it mean to be the first lady of 4HUNNID?

It means a lot. YG’s putting a lot of work into me. He’s going hard for me which only makes me want to go that much harder. I have some shit to accomplish because of how much he’s done for me. Making me the first lady of 4HUNNID, I have to go crazy. It’s not an option, it’s a mandatory thing.

I’m guessing you were a fan of YG before ya’ll met?

I was a fan. I wasn’t going to tell him I was a fan, that wasn’t his business (chuckles). I for sure was, I’m like, “Oh my gosh, that’s the GOAT of the city!”

How’s it feel to have him fuck with your music and rap along?

It feels amazing. Even before shit really popped off, it really amazed me that he’d be sitting there rapping and singing my shit. My mind still be blown till this day. I love it though, it’s crazy.

Can we expect a project soon?

We are! We’re working our way up to a project. You’ll see one other single from me, but for sure by fall, we have a project dropping. I’m so excited because I’ve been waiting so fucking long.

Was it supposed to come out sooner, but quarantine…?

Quarantine fucked up my whole shit. My project’s supposed to come out by end of summer, but it got pushed back. I was supposed to been dropped another single, but everything with the protests and everything going on, it wasn’t the right time. Hold off on this, let’s tap into reality. Do what we have to do, and come back to this in a bit.

I know you were arrested for peacefully protesting. What exactly happened? 

Man, ain’t that some bullshit? It was a fake arrest, though, is the problem. I thought I was really going to get arrested. If you’re going to put me in custody on this bus, I better be really going to jail. I’m not going to shut up! I was mad, they had us for a good six to eight hours. Some people got hurt, they had us in this cage. The whole situation was weird. I come out, I found out that me and my friends were on the damn news and the subtitles were “looters and shoplifters.” That shows you that the media’s bullshit.

What did you learn from that experience?

I’ma keep fighting, I don’t give a fuck if n*ggas try to stop me. Honestly, what I took from that is unity. I went to protest three or four different times. Every time I went outside, the diversity’s crazy. Every single race was outside. When we‘re yelling and chanting, you heard the pain in everybody’s voice. I could damn near cry, it’s so beautiful. Especially the one that G put together…

You guys made history!

That shit’s wild. I was so proud and happy of G, I’m like, “N*gga, you did some shit.” That’s crazy. N*ggas aren’t out here bringing out a 100,000 people. That shit was powerful. Just standing in it felt like a lot, that’s the biggest one I went to. We’re all damn near walking shoulder to shoulder. I loved it.

What’s your recording process? Do you write or freestyle?

I’m a writer. It’s literally off the beat, whatever I’m going through at that exact time. If I don’t feel the beat, I’m not writing anything. If I have to force it, it’s going to be a trash ass song. Majority of the time, I fuck with a lot of shit with bass because I can feel it. I blast it out loud and the words flow out of me.

Three things you need in the studio?

Water, tea, tequila or wine. I need my alcohol, I need something for my throat. I need my phone, I write on my phone.

What are some goals for yourself at this point of your career?

To make history, I want to take over. Music-wise, this is where I belong. Where I’m supposed to be. I need people to remember my name like Tupac. I’ma go down like a Pac. Especially a female voice from Compton, it’s meant to be. Being the first real female rapper from this city, it’s crazy. I got something to prove off that alone. My city’s not going down looking shitty because of me.

Anything else you want to let us know?

I love everybody who supports me and fucks with me in real life. I’ll be here, so get used to my face and my ass.