Tinashe

Los Angeles R&B upstart Tinashe talks to Evan Minsker about dressing up as North West for Halloween, why dolphins are awesome, hitting Vegas for her 21st birthday (with her parents), and being terrified to smoke weed in Dubai.

By Evan Minsker

April 27, 2015

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Guest Lists: Tinashe

by Evan Minsker

April 27, 2015 Photo by: Michael Schwartz

Guest List features artists filling us in on their favorite things, along with other random bits. This time, we spoke with R&B singer/songwriter/producer Tinashe, who recently followed up her debut album Aquarius with a new mixtape called Amethyst. She talked to us on the phone from the beach in Dubai.

My Morning Routine

Wake up, check my text messages, check my Instagram, check my Twitter, get up, brush my teeth, take a shower, call my mom. I don't really eat in the morning. I wake and bake every now and then when I'm not in Dubai—if you smoke weed here, you get, like, the death penalty.

First Record I Bought for Myself

Britney’s ... Baby One More Time. No shame. I was 6. I still listen to old Britney and have those same nostalgic feelings for everything she put out when I was a kid. I'm all about her first three albums.

Biggest Pet Peeve

When somebody texts you and you respond right away... and then they don't text back. It’s like, you hit me up. And also when I do radio interviews and all they ask me about is which rappers I want to date. I don't want to date any rapper, thanks.

Hidden Talent

I'm a black belt in Taekwondo. I've never had to unleash my fury on someone, but I definitely could.

Favorite Song Ever

"She's Out of My Life" by Michael Jackson

Easiest Money I’ve Ever Made

Going to a club and not doing anything and getting paid for it.

Favorite Comedian

Chris Rock

Favorite Holiday

Definitely Christmas. But I love Halloween too.

Last Halloween Costume

I was North West! [laughs] My best friend was Kim Kardashian, and I walked around with a binky the whole night.

Favorite TV Show

Recently I've gotten into “Girls”—I watched the first three seasons. I like people who don't take themselves too seriously.

Favorite Drink

The only things I really drink are water and red wine.

Last Great Concert I Saw

TV on the Radio

Strangest Display of Affection From a Fan

This guy wrote me a thick handwritten book about how my music changed his life and got him over cancer. I was like, “Whoa, that’s kinda heavy.”

What I’m Reading Right Now

Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill. It was written in the 1930s, but it’s got really good advice that’s relevant to today.

Last Great Movie I Saw

Blue Jasmine, the Woody Allen movie

Favorite Record Store

I'm from L.A. so probably Amoeba on Cahuenga and Sunset.

Favorite Actor and Actress

I love Rachel McAdams and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Favorite YouTube Tutorial

The stuff that has been the most helpful for me are the tutorials on Pro Tools or Final Cut, because I'm a self-taught producer, mixer, and video editor. YouTube tutorials changed my life.

Dream Collaboration

André 3000. I’m just gonna keep putting it out there until it happens—someday he's going to hear it.

Best Thing I’ve Done All Year

Traveling to places I've never been before. I’ve been to Dubai four times in the last six months, and every time I'm out here, it’s so humbling and surreal just to think about what my life has become. If I told myself two years ago that I would be here on the beach drinking wine, I would have been so thrilled.

Last Bad Movie I Saw

After Earth, the M. Night Shyamalan movie with Will and Jaden Smith. That movie sucked.

Best Birthday I Ever Had

My 21st, of course! I'm really lame and don't have a lot of friends so I went to Vegas with my parents. We gambled, drank, went to the club. [laughs] I have the coolest parents ever.

Favorite Party Game

Taboo. Me and my mom are unstoppable—we have a psychic connection, so we always dominate.

Favorite Game Show

I really feel like if I went on “Family Feud” I would win.

Biggest Regret

Not making more true friends before I became famous, because it’s really hard to make friends now.

Favorite New Song

"Know Yourself" by Drake

Favorite Day of the Week

Monday is when my whole record label is in the office, so I can call them and ask them every question and complain and do all the things that I do as an artist. I hate weekends because no one is in the office and I always want to talk to someone. I'm like, "Everyone, back to work!"

Era of History I’d Most Like to Live In

It kind of sucked to be black in the past. [laughs] I would say the ‘70s but, you know, they'd probably look at me funny. Can I say the future?

Go-To Selfie Pose

I use the left arm because my dimple is on the left side. You’ve gotta smile and show a little cleavage—then my likes go all the way up. There's a formula to it. Sometimes it annoys me because I'll take a picture of some really dope scenery of some place and I'll get a fifth of the likes that I'll get when I post a selfie.

Favorite Social Media Outlet

Instagram. I was a fan of Twitter, but Instagram is more fun because you can get your point across without having to do or say much of anything. I'm also getting into Snapchat because it’s more laid back like you don't need to think about what you post when you post it.

My Karaoke Jam

Oh hell yeah: “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)". It’s got that rap verse!

Animal I’d Most Like to Be

A dolphin. They’re really smart, they can talk to each other, and they can swim around the whole world. They're the coolest animals ever, and I hear they’re the only other mammals that have sex for pleasure, so that’s awesome.

My Dream Vacation

I really want to go to Zimbabwe because that's where my dad is from.