Cupcakke Talks Sex Positivity, Self Love, and Double Standards Women Face

“Art is the place to talk about what’s going on in the world.”
Image may contain Hair Face Human Person Mouth Teeth and Lip
Alex Evans

Everyone loves Cupcakke — including the artist, herself. Whether she’s spitting overtly sexual lyrics in tracks like “Vagina” or preaching body positivity to her 339,000 Instagram followers, the 20-year-old Chicago-native, whose real name is Elizabeth Harris, is part of a new generation of female rappers taking over the industry with a heavy dose of unapologetic self love. But while Cupcakke is at home performing onstage or tweeting about her escapades, Elizabeth is more comfortable just chilling “in sweatpants, eating chips.” That juxtaposition — between the IRL person and her outlandish persona — gives Cupcakke the ability to drop empowered manifestos like last year’s “LGBT” and catchy bangers like the recent “Cartoons.”

As she prepares for the release of her newest album, a radical mixtape that sees the rapper covering more political content, Cupcakke remains focused on staying true: to both of her selves. So on the cusp of her new record, Teen Vogue chatted with the rapper about feminism, fighting industry standards, and most importantly, feeling yourself.

Teen Vogue: How did you first get into rap?

Cupcakke: It really started in church. When I was in fourth grade, I started writing a lot of poetry, and eventually, someone in the church was like, "You should switch this over to rapping." I went home and did that — started putting my poems over rap.

TV: You’ve gotten a lot of praise for your sex-positive lyrics. What inspires you to be so open?

C: I write about everything. I make drill music, [but I also] make deep music, sex music — I even made a song called “LGBT,” strictly for the gay community to know that they are loved and don’t need to feel judged. But I write about sex because it’s a part of me as a human being. We write love songs because love is a part of our lives. So yeah, five songs on my album may be about sex, but they’re just about what I — and probably everyone above the age of 18 — goes through.

TV: It’s also not like male rappers don’t talk about sex. The industry has a long history of sexualizing and objectifying women through lyrics and music videos. But because you’re a woman, talking openly about her sexuality, and in a positive way, it seems shocking for a lot of people.

When a man talks about sex it’s like, "Oh wow, this is lit. We’re about to f*ck to this music." But when it’s a female, like me, it’s "Oh my god, she’s such a hoe!" That’s not okay. There are so many double standards, not just in rap, but everywhere. And it’s like, if you’re a girl and you have sex, you’re not allowed to talk about it? Why not? If you can talk about how in love with someone you are and how good your relationship is, then you can talk about how good the sex is, too.

TV: Do you consider yourself a feminist?

C: Hell yes! Anything guys can do, girls can, and most of the time, they’re out there working harder and doing it better. You’re going to hear a lot of that on my new album. So many people are always saying, "Oh you write sex songs," and I do, but I also talk about what’s important. Art is the place to talk about what’s going on in the world. Artists have the power to open people’s minds a little bit more, and speak on issues that need to be talked about. Police brutality is something that’s really important right now, and something I’ve written about in the past. Art can’t all be fun because we have to help our culture.

Tarik Carroll

TV: What do you see as your role as an artist, especially during such a turbulent political climate?

C: I have to keep speaking up during hard times and put it into music, so I can make people aware. You can tell someone something they might not understand, but when you put it in music, it really opens their eyes. Right now, we just have to keep making music, making sure people hear our message when they turn on the radio, when they get in the car, when they go in a store.

TV: Is that why you release new music so often?

C: Yeah, and because I never get comfortable — that’s my everyday motive. A lot of people make music and get very comfortable, then drop a song five months down the line. But I’m sticking to how I started. When I first began rapping, I put out new music every two weeks, every month, I was always dropping video, video, video. That’s how I came in, and that’s how I’ll go out, because I’ll never stop grinding.

TV: You first gained attention when your track “Vagina” went viral. What role has social media played in shaping your career?

C: The internet has been a huge part of my career because it’s shaped my alter ego. In real life, I’m Elizabeth. Online and onstage, I’m Cupcakke, and everyone loves her. But as soon as I get off my phone, I’m back to being Elizabeth, at home, watching movies alone.

TV: Are there any similarities between Cupcakke and who you are IRL?

C: Not at all. Elizabeth is the total opposite of Cupcakke. Cupcakke is the extreme in everything. She’s outrageous, fun, sexy, vulgar. She’s a fashion icon. And Elizabeth, well, if it was up to her, I’d just be in sweats all day, chilling.

TV: Why do you think the Cupcakke persona been so appealing to so many people?

C: She’s fearless, she’s bold, everything that people think and wish they could say, she does. Cupcakke is the kind of person who has no filter, she just is who she is and doesn’t give a f
*ck what people think. A lot of people wish they could be like that, but they’re too afraid, like, "What if the world judges me?" By being Cupcakke and being so loud and real, I’m showing people, "Who cares?" When it comes down to it, as long as you’re happy with what you’re doing, that’s all that matters.

Shaun Andru

TV: Part of that has been the body positive message you preach to your followers. Why is that so important to you?

C: I always tell people to love their size — whatever you think in your head you are, embrace it. If you feel like you’re too thin, own it, love the too thin, realize that "too thin" is what God made you and appreciate what you are. If you feel like you’re big, love yourself as big. Whatever it is, that’s just who you are, and only you have to decide, "Oh, I think I’ll listen to the world today." If I listened to what people said about me, I’d feel like sh*t. I’m always getting comments calling me gross or saying, "She’s fat," just because I’m not as skinny as the next female. But in my mind, if you got belly rolls, wear a crop top and shut the haters up.

TV: With the new album coming out, how do you think you’ve grown as an artist?

C: Flow-wise, I’ve 100% improved. I mean, I know I’ve always had great lyrics, but I’m not too proud to say where I can improve. With this record, I’ve just finally gotten in my comfort zone when it comes to my rapping. And every time I put out new music, it’s never going to be like the last one.

TV: What do you want people to take away from your work?

C: To be who they are and love themselves, but most importantly, stay positive. With the internet and all the people we see online, it can be easy to get lost and want to be like someone else. But you need to accept yourself and stay who you are, no matter what happens. No matter how well I do or how many records I sell, I’m staying me, always. Because at the end of the day, I love Elizabeth, and I love Cupcakke.

Related: CupcakKe Was Asked If She Thought The Weeknd Is Hot and Had the Best Answer

Check this out: