Bebe Rexha: Born & Bred in Brooklyn

Words: Floyd Mason

Brooklyn-Born Bebe Rexha has worked extremely hard to get to where she is today. She signed to Warner Bros in 2013, and fittingly, it was in her New York City where she got her first big break - a writing credit on Rihanna and Eminem’s The Monster record. From there, she just kept writing songs – and after a series of extended play releases, her 2018 debut album, Expectations, reached number 13 on the Billboard 200 chart, with the success of lead single, I’m a Mess, earning her two Grammy nominations, one as Best New Artist. She’s also honing her craft on stage, evolving her live approach to a full band setup, and it’s clearly working out: she just co-headlined Isle of MTV, Europe’s largest free music festival, with Martin Garrix. We sit down to find out more about her fascinating musical journey.

As soon as Bebe Rexha begins talking, it’s evident that she is an artist with zero ego, and bundles of energy. She’s pretty excited right now, as after this interview finishes, she’s heading straight into the studio to work on her new album. She’s also just co-headlined Isle of MTV in Malta, of course, alongside probably the most well known DJ on the planet in Martin Garrix. The pair have worked together previously, and Rexha says that special live energy on stage is something that the audience can really feel.

“These MTV shows are just incredible! I performed before Martin, so my job was to get the crowd as lit as possible, because I know that by the time he starts his set, it’s gonna be over! [smiles] It’s really just about enjoying that moment, and being on that stage.”

Rexha flew her band out of Philadelphia for the show, and they’ve got an energy all of their own.

“They all grew up in a church environment, so they sound very gospel, and they add this unique vibe,” Rexha says. “I perform a lot of dance songs, and they bring the cool element, which means we get this incredible layer of extra energy on top of the tracks.”

Creating such a spectacle on stage didn’t happen overnight, of course. It’s been a lot of hard work. In her early days, Rexha’s live setup was really stripped back.

“When I first started out, I could only afford a DJ; and then I had a DJ and a drummer; and then with the drummer, I was like, ‘oh my god, the energy’, even just on a drum pad, you know?

“Then I added a guitar here and there; and now there’s a bass player, and a piano player. It’s just the way that a live band feels that you can’t replace. My set was interesting, too; it started off with Me, Myself & I, which brings everyone back to the first moment they knew me; and then it took the audience on a journey through my songs. Then it went into a dance moment, and then it ended with Meant to Be. I put some new stuff in there, too, which was really special.”

To ensure she gets everything she needs out of her stage sound, Rexha is an advocate of in-ear monitors. She recently made the switch to JH Audio.

“I was using another brand before, and then my audio guy was like ‘I really think you should move to JH’,” Rexha says. “And I just think they’re amazing. They sound really strong, and they also look really dope. And I love the sound you can get using them. For example, I like more treble, and to hear more crispy sounds, and you can hear everything in these ears.

“Also, where a lot of people like their mix to have reverb, I listen to everything super dry. So I know that if it sounds good dry, then it’ll sound better when all the effects are on. It can be really hard when you hear the crowd booming in the mic, and with reverb, it just makes it sound dirtier. This way my vocals sit really well on top of the beat - especially with the tone of the JH. They’re just great, basically!”

Conversation turns to New York, and how Rexha got started in the music business.

“A lot of the labels were so good to me. When I met [Fall Out Boy bassist] Pete Wentz, they brought me over to Island [Def Jam], and we were working on a project together, and the industry was thriving at that point. You had the Benny Blancos there, and Stargate was still there, and you had all the major producers there, and a lot of up and coming talent, so the energy was really amazing,” she recalls. “I grew up in Staten Island, and I would take the ferry or the train and the bus into the city, and it was fun going to publishers offices and using the studios, meeting other people at their studios.

“The vibe was so different, and that was really inspiring, because the hustle and bustle of New York City you just can’t find anywhere. And I just found myself writing songs, and everything kind of happened very organically – just by hustle, you could really get far on your own by just working hard. So yeah, it was fun starting out in New York.”

I ask Rexha how she thinks the US and UK music scenes differ. Does she have a favourite?

“I definitely think they’re different; and I think that there are moments where artists have crossed over to the US, and artists have crossed over to the UK, and it’s like... magical. And then there are moments where we don’t really understand each other, but I think that’s the beauty of music,” she reflects. “I think it’s awesome, because when I first came to the UK and turned on the radio, it sounded so different to how it did in the US, you know? So it’s cool to me, and it’s inspiring. Anywhere around the world, I’ll turn the radio on, because I want to hear what people are listening to in different territories - and it’s all cool. I know this is weird, but I found this Japanese trap playlist, and it sounds crazy - the way they use samples is sick!”

Rexha was also credited as co-writer of The Monster, performed by Eminem and Rihanna – and that came through a twist of fate, also.

“My mum actually met this lady at EMI, and she was like ‘oh, I’m gonna put you in the studio with this guy, and it’s gonna be awesome’, so I’m like... cool! So I get in the studio with this producer - Frequency - and I’m like, ‘yeah, cool, let’s write together!’

“So we just got in the studio, and were just fucking around, and it was another one of those days where I had to get to the city from Staten Island, and I remember it was a really cold day, and we went to the studio, and we finished at 1am, and I think it was snowing... [pauses]And it all just kind of fell into place, you know?

“I remember that day like it was yesterday; I remember walking back to the train just smiling ear to ear. I couldn’t believe what we’d just created, and I knew it was so special.”

It’s incredible listening to Rexha describe a mood or a situation - you feel like you’re right there with her. She has also recently accepted a role as a judge for The Voice in the US, so I ask her if she is going to be playing good cop or bad cop?

“[laughs] Well, I just finished shooting with them, and I just want to help other artists and songwriters and musicians, really, even if it’s just giving them confidence, because that’s the thing I always feel like I lacked, especially at the beginning. I was so insecure and nervous,” she says, very matter of fact. “My main thing is that I’m always honest with people, and when people come through for opinions, and stuff like that, I just try and tell them what I truly believe and think, even if it might hurt a little bit, because I want them to be the best version of themselves. You know what I mean? I’m very hard, but it comes out of true, true love.”

I do know what she means, and I can tell she means it. It’s been an absolute pleasure talking to Bebe Rexha about her fascinating musical journey which, you get the impression has only really just got started. The future is bright for this New York City powerhouse.