As someone who’s been rhyming since the age of 14, Leray knows a thing or two about biding her time. Born into the industry as the daughter of rap mogul Benzino, the 22-year-old has steadily been building her profile over the years. It didn’t take long for her grit and determination to pay off. Her hit “G.A.N. (Goofy Ass N***az) made waves in her homestate and a record deal with Republic Records soon followed. She landed on Generation Z’s radar with the release of her 2019 hit “Huddy” from her second mixtape, EC2. 

“Applying pressure is my biggest thing. [Like], no letting up,” she said of her work ethic. “You gotta keep going, stay consistent, [and] stay locked in.”

In April, Leray dropped off her latest single, “Better Days,” which features her predecessor, Fetty Wap. The collaboration came about after their management connected the two. 

“I was in [New] Jersey, so I figured let’s get it in. I’ve always wanted to work with Fetty Wap. We went to the studio. We ended up actually making another song,” Leray recalled. “I had ‘Better Days’ sitting on ice. I played it for Fetty and he fell in love with it and next thing you know, he laid a verse. It was magic.”

With a few standout tracks under her belt, Leray hasn’t slowed down yet. She’s currently gearing up for the release of her forthcoming album. Thus far, all she’s revealed is that the project could possibly have eight songs on it.  

Ahead of the album’s release, Coi Leray answered her fan’s most-pressing questions about chasing her music aspirations, why it’s special to be a women rapper in this day and age, and more on the latest episode of 106&Park Mic Check.

Check out Coi Leray’s episode below.