In this episode of PoPolitickin, we politick with singer/songwriter Polly A.
You could say Polly A possesses more than one musical personality. The Milwaukee-bred and Harlem-based songstress zig-zags between R&B, reggae, alternative, and hip-hop with equal parts grace and gusto on her debut EP, Ghetto Gold Dream [222 Records/Interscope]. “When I sing, I approach the vocals like a soul singer,” she says. “When I write, I approach the lyrics like a rapper. When I’m thinking about music, I collaborate with others who draw from a large sonic palette. I spend a lot of time with my songs, and I really live with them. These are my words and thoughts.” Growing up to the sounds of Bob Marley and Yellowman on mom’s stereo, Polly A—aka Meleni Smith—discovered her voice in a third grade music class. She’d spend high school performing in local productions and even with the Florentine Opera Company. Moving to New York City, the budding artist enrolled in Columbia University and began seriously recording (and hustling).