I was hosting a pizza party at Zillions Pizza . Though a calm day, a superstar made a presence and inspired me for a lifetime. My friend Ezana contacted me a day before about a young artist named Laila, who at the time was slowly gaining traction from her first released song, "Like That!". Immediately I was hooked. I reached out to Laila to show love and support, not knowing she had already reciprocated the energy. To my surprise, Laila and her friends came to Zillion's Pizza in the cold and rain and obliged themselves to some great tunes and merch; her aura was so pure, "like wow, she's such an amazing youthful soul." Immediately after interacting with her, I knew I needed to know more about her and learn what she has in store past her viral song "Like That!”.
The following weekend, we scheduled a studio session in Manhattan. From start to finish, us and our friends @thatguy.zion & @prodbycade were continuously on aux, sharing all the tunes we'd been producing. It got to a point where Laila took complete control of the aux and transported the entire room on a Baby Genius journey. In absolute awe of everything she shared with us, from originals, to edits & remixes, to her own original tracks entirely produced and arranged by herself using the almighty GarageBand - we knew we caught an early glimpse of greatness in only an hour.
Fast forward to 2024, my Editor in Chief, Annabelle Kline, granted me the opportunity to take over THAT GOOD SH*T Radio on The Lot Radio to showcase emerging music and artists. While building a set and also searching for a guest artist for the takeover, I recall sitting on a bench in Underwood Park to support Laila’s appearance on FROM THE BLOCK when Skyler from IIIXL shared the “NOT MY PROBLEM” demo. It was one of those (I knew where I was when I experienced or heard this for the first time) moments. The demo was replayed over and over again, each and every time better than the last. I told Sky, “This song is going to heal the world”. After that day, I decided for my radio takeover to have Laila come on as the guest artist and to perform at the time unreleased songs from her first studio album, Gap Year , including a world premiere of her single, "NOT MY PROBLEM". After a successful performance on The Lot Radio with an ON THE RADAR performance to follow, "NOT MY PROBLEM" went on to be the world's anthem, a universal song of taking pride and being unbothered. This went on to catapult Laila to the star we all knew she was destined to be and helped form the release of Gap Year .
Gap Year is a true embodiment of Laila and the youthful soul. It’s a celebration of empowerment through endearment, conflict, and confidence. Listening to this project brings me back to my High School days. From young love to friendships and finding yourself as a person to preparing for the world outside, we feel heard and inspired for the road ahead when listening to 17 of Laila!’s self-produced adventures and tales.
Track 6, "Grand Opening", is a personal favorite of mine from Laila's first album. Displaying a vulnerable state and yearning for care and affection, this song has been on repeat on my daily rotation alongside tracks like "Want 2", "Coupé Deville", and "SINK 2 RISE". Laila also includes skits and interludes like "Mami Nelly", "if you're listening", "Sani (Homework Freestyle)", and even a beautiful voice message from the best "Momager" in the world on the opening track, "Talent Show". It's incredible and wholesome to see how Laila includes her family in these tracks and the love and support they have for the Baby Genius. The production on these tracks are tales in themselves and complement Laila's writing and storytelling. Being a fantastic producer is one thing, but having the capability to fill in your production vocally and sonically is a talent you praise and support, especially at a young age.
The visuals and optics are the most crucial points of an album and its rollout. The artwork for Gap Year perfectly represents where Laila is in her life and career and does well in keeping the story of this project together. Laila's company and friends do a fantastic job of capturing eye-opening images and concepts for Laila including the beautifully shot school photos to music videos; this will stimulate creative minds and be mood board-worthy for generations to come.
When we talk about phenomenal debut albums across all genres, especially R&B music, Gap Year will be in those conversations. This project has inspired and excited me for life and the experiences ahead. It is a soundtrack to beating the odds, staying strong, committed to yourself, and accepting nothing but the best. I am thrilled to witness the growth of Laila, AKA Baby Genius.
