MIC/LINE (formerly named Sound Check) is HYPEBEAST Radio‘s music-centric show that looks to deliver in-depth conversations with your favorite artists, digging into their origin stories and asking the questions you want answered. For our newest episode, we sit down with DAWN.

For the last 14 years, Dawn Richard has had an unconventional path to success. From joining Diddy’s Making the Band 3 to Danity Kane to Dirty Money and then going solo, the New Orleans native details how preconceived notions left the singer with boundaries. She spent the last six years as an independent artist, releasing a trilogy of albums — Goldenheart, Blackheart and Redemptionheart, but her 2019 project, New Breed, finds expanding her sound even more

“People were like, ‘You’re trying too hard. You’re too different. It’s just the aesthetic doesn’t match.’ And I get why they thought that, because I started with Danity Kane. I started with Puff, but the reality is no artist starts as the same thing. Every artist starts out trying to figure out what they are and then they evolve. All I ever wanted to do was evolve.”

In this episode, DAWN also details the inspiration behind New Breed. A southern treasure, she grew up with events such as Zulu Parade and St. Joseph’s Day and used inspiration from the Washitaw Nation tribe. A love letter to her city, the album also showcases her versatility and her “unpolished” side.

Aside from music, the singer also discusses her love of animating, working with Adult Swim, a life-changing trip to Haiti and much more. When she’s not trying to be the best version of herself, the multi-faceted star is focused on making the world a better place.

Keep up with everything HYPEBEAST Radio and subscribe to MIC/LINE on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast or wherever else you enjoy your podcasts. Feel free to reach out to our host, Manny, on Twitter at @ECM_LP and follow HYPEBEAST Music for more original content and music news.