b4 infLUENCERS: K’YANNA BARBER

First off, what is your real name? And girl who the hell is Kj? 

My real name is Kunta Kinte *giggles* My real name is K’yanna Barber and Kj is the love of my life, my baby my son. 

How old is Kj? 

10, just turned 10 in June

What’s your astrology big three? 

My sun sign is Cancer, my rising is Leo and my moon is Virgo

Oooouuuu Virgo moon sisters *yes I am a virgo moon as well*

WOOT WOOT PERIOD. But the Virgo in us is Virgo’n hella hard right now!

Yes, especially in this Mercury Retrograde

What song captures the essence of who you are? 

Oh damn OMG that’s a good question OMG *thinking so hard* 

Lorraaaaaaineeee, there are so many different songs! As of today *8/16* it would be Fire Man by Lil Wayne *starts singing VERY LOUD* 

Where did you grow up? How was your childhood? 

Oakland California and Berkeley. Bay Area baby for sure! 

So how was your childhood? 

My childhood was literally like a netflix series. My childhood was like Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network throw up and had a sitcom on netflix in Oakland *giggles* Everything you can imagine happened, breh nothing didn’t not happen. It was a good childhood I can not complain. It really could have been worse you know? Real regular ghetto shit, that shit was FUN. Bart, the bus! Do you remember how Bay Street was back in the day?! Berkeley, TELEGRAPH like WHAT?!

So we all know you for being viral but tell us, what exactly do you do? 

I am mother first, a designer, a chef, for sure a professional procrastinator. Ummm *giggles* I think I am a pilates instructor. I am really just a professional chiller likeeee a nigga be chillin’ forreal. 

Can you recall a moment in your childhood where you were like “yeah this is what I want to do”

Uhhhh, yeah well my little sister was living in New York, so I would go visit in the summer. So it was one summer we were up in like 106&Park and we were helping with the backstage stuff. I was watching everybody scramble, trying to get outfits together and of course I was re-dressing them niggas in my head like LET ME HELP! Not just that moment but just being in New York in the summer people watching, it was like that whole experience made me know like OKAY FASHION! Like wow I love this shit forreal man. I love how clothing can be a way for us to express ourselves. 

Damn the summer in New York is like undefeated!

LITERALLY! Especially because it was just me and my little sister, really just by ourselves running around New York. Walking the Brooklyn bridge, taking the train to Harlem literally just people watching because everyone just looks so different in New York. That shit was so fire to me! 

That’s when fashion was really hitting too man! 

Yes, it was the Tumblr days. Fashion, music and getting a good picture! 

Dude you are a great photographer too! You need to take that shit up!

You are right and you always tell me this. You know I haven’t really been listening to music lately? I have a disconnect with music right now. The first thing I would do when I would wake up is listening to music and now listening to it almost feels like a chore to me 

*my mouth drops*

Like I really don’t want to hear that shit! But sometimes music will hit hella hard and make me happy like oooouuu that shit was just hitting!

Speaking of being viral, when was the first time you realized you were viral? Walk us through it. 

The first times are so embarrassing because it was like early Youtube days where you know we really didn’t think that hard AT ALL back then. Like you just prop your camera up, do what you do and then literally post it! I think I was just sitting in my room with the camera in my face because I thought I looked cute and I was just talking about weird shit. That shit went up but I was damn near used to it because of Myspace, I had hella friends. Then Facebook, hella friends too! Omg but the most viral I remember going was when my sister Taja posted that video of me on ankle monitor. *starts laughing hella loud* She posted it on her tumblr and it was literally a video of me trying to rip my ankle monitor off hahaha. Then the next day I am at school and my dad sends me the video talking about “Kiki is this you?!” Mind you, it’s like on Worldstar Hiphop! BREH OMG!

Nah, dawg being on Worldstar is insane! Do they still have Worldstar? 

I don’t even know but I know I got called in the principle’s office and hella shit for that!

I do want to ask you why you were on ankle monitor, but we gone keep that off line!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA MAN THAT WAS A CRAZY ASS STORY TOO! 

Not to categorize yourself but do you consider yourself an influencer? Why or why not?

I think that I am an influencer in the sense of like I’ve been around since the internet started. Alot of girls have been following me for a long time. Not a influencer in the sense of like I am trying to sell people products from brands. Like not that kind, more so of an organic influencer you know? Like I have “influencing the influencers” in my bio on my ig page because I’ve been doing this before it was a trend. ORIGINAL!

So you are an influencer, but it’s like natural

Yeah, definitely not a gimmick!

How do you define success in your creative career and fulfillment in your personal life?

I feel like as much as I am a creative and like I want to see that do well, that never flourishes unless the other parts of me are happy. I mean I have created something out of darkness before and thats sometimes a beautiful thing but when it’s truly flowing and it feels good like you have to be grounded. If not it’s like a writer's block forreal. You can’t think of nothing or even if I think of it, I don’t take the initiative to execute it. There will be just a bunch of thought bubbles, and I’ll be thinking like eventually you need to balloon pop these muthafuckas girl!

How did you come up with the concept for your brand? What was the process from concept to completion? 

Okay so 712 is my birthday and yes I am a little narcissistic *whispers just playing*

Nah you not playing, it’s alright this is a safe space!

Man you just have to be honest with yourself, like you got to have a little narc in you. Well realistically, this is my second or third brand and I came up with concept of it high as fuck riding around in the car with Larry. I was off an edible coming out of a depression finally feeling happy again and I was just drawing. Like literally Lorraine I was just drawing these flowers but the font that I was using was like flowers but I was typing in 712. So it said my birthday but it was flowers and I was warping them and making them look weird. I was like wow this shit is hella tight so I just decided that was it. So yeah this was something that sort of blossomed in the dark. You know I have an obsession with flowers too so that’s how the concept just happened. 

So what was the next step after that? 

So it was figuring out what I wanted to do first. I sketch and I cut and sew but that takes longer. It was easier to make my flowers because I am also good at graphics and graphic design. Why not put them on cute beanies and shirts. Plus I say alot of rude slit little shit that doesn’t always translate well but for some reason it’s cute on tshirts haha. So I started putting little shit that I say on shirts and it came out cute!

Do you have any rituals or practices that help you get into a creative mindset?

Working out for sure! If I am not working out I feel like I am not doing anything with my life. I have to start my day with something physical and it has to be physical and relaxing at the same time. It’s so weird but I also have to end my day feeling tired. I like the end of my day to be worn out, I want to be tired so I can rest. It really all comes together to create a structure and routine. Like okay bet, this is my allocated time to work on my brand and ideas for a least 3 hours everyday. It really be hard though like sometimes I just want to eat popcorn *giggles* with jalapenos. 

How do you make sure that your brand aligns with your personal core values, beliefs and lifestyle? 

I am hella picky, the Virgo in me be VIRGO’N.  I am like a control freak with it but I just make sure if I had a daughter would I look at her crazy in my shirts. But then I realized nothing really makes me say WTF ahahaha. So I guess it always aligned with me but it’s like everybody ain’t gone always align with me. Even that aligns with me because I don’t give a fuck. Not in a disrespectful way but you either gone fuck with it or you aint!

I feel like you sort of answered this already but how do you overcome creative blocks or stagnant energy? 

Definitely the working out! I have some spiritual practices as well. I try to smudge at 6am or before the sun rises as often as I can. It really just sets the tone of the day for me. I mean I basically work from home besides taking Kj to school or going to pilates, I am in here and this is where I create. 

Are there any personal milestones or achievements that hold a special place in your heart outside of your brand? 

OMG YES DRIVING! I was in a boat crash when I was a kid and I….

UH WAIT HUH RUN THAT BACK, A BOAT CRASH BRO?!

Yes, the 4th of July. My birthday is the 12th so it was almost like my 8th birthday. My family would go camping like almost every summer, that what we do you know? So one of my older cousin’s was driving the boat and these drunk white boys crashed into us! It smashed us so hard, I am talking about everyone flew out the boat. Well I flew out the boat, my mama flew out. My cousin had to try to turn the boat away from a mountain that were was about to crash into but she she couldn’t see me in the water because I was so little and small. It was so scary I literally died for a second from fear and come back to life. You know how life jackets when you are small keep you from drowning but you can’t really move? So the boat was coming towards me and she couldn’t see me and my mama is swimming towards me screaming! My mama can see the boat coming towards me and I tell you that’s one of the only times I see my mama cry. Well I seen her cry twice, once it was because I was beating a nigga ass outside her house but that was more of an hyperventilating cry. This cry was a omg my baby is in danger cry. She is screaming trying to get to me and boat literally goes right over me. I could still see the propellers and feel them cutting up my life jacket. But I promise you I didn’t have a single scratch! My Aunty lost all her teeth, someone lost a toe, it was a bad bad bad crash! So people are always like “what does that have to do with driving?” and I’m like it’s just either you get it or you don’t forreal. I really don’t fuck with nothing with a motor, I don’t give a fuck! So because of that I took hella long to drive. Really it was Kj asking me when he was like in 1st or 2nd grade when I am going to start driving him to school. I had a car the next week! I was really proud of myself *giggles*

Wow man a fucking boat crash though? Your shit was like a netflix, nickelodeon ass childhood because wtf going on hahaha. 

I know huh *laughing super loud*

What’s the weirdest rumor you’ve ever heard about yourself?

Damn that’s a hard one. Like I be hearing weird as shit about myself. You know sometimes I heard stuff that is so weird I be sitting there like damn is that true?! Man this is a hard ass question. *thinking very very hard* I am trying to think of one that is just ridiculous for real. I heard that I was a man before. 

What bro? That’s insane!!

*laughing uncontrollably* 

Yeah I’ve heard that one before. Typically though, it’s usually a man lying about having sex with me. Girls lying about me talking to their nigga or something, whole time do even know the nigga exists. I don’t really hear these things anymore because we are so much older but very weird shit about me and my babydaddy. I used to be like man where are yall getting that from? But that’s the most of it! 

What is the best feedback/advice someone has given you? 

Mmmmm, I had somebody tell me like “you gotta go through to get through”. When things seem hard and you being hard on yourself, you do not make it better. It’s always going to get better and it’s always true. I’ve never been ina fucked up place and it didn’t get better! It can only get better by going through it. Anytime things don’t get better it’s on me. We always have a choice!

What is your all time favorite trend in fashion?

Oouuu omg, that’s so hard I am so eclectic! *thinking very very hard again* Okay so I am a boot person. I love boots! 

Yeah we know, there is literally a picture floating around of you in some draws and damn boots! 

*laughing loud* Does that count as a trend? I just feel like BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS!!! Whoever made the first boot, they went off. THEY WENT THE FUCK OFF. Like I would walk around naked in just boots and be good. Boots go with everything! I took big ass Balenciaga boots to hot ass Mexico. I am a boot ass bitch! I be fucking em up in the boots though! I would love to make a boot you know *snaps* the Kiki boot! They gone eat it up *tongue out* They gone eat that boot up like the last supper! 

What are your top 3 items in your closet and why? 

Okay, okay, okay that’s soooo hard! 

Do you want to go in there? 

Okay yes COME ON! 

Okay we got so lost in this girl’s damn closet! 

Okay wait so my favorite items right now or like of all time? 

All time your favorite 3! 

Awwww damn, fuck hahaaha

of course she picked 4:

Top 3 with a bonus pick: 

 Loewe boots // Bigmama Chanel // LV Shell Purse // Loewe Wrist Bag

What is your thought process picking out an outfit? 

Oooouuuu mmmm *thinking*

You know how some people dress like shoes up? You know especially because you love boots! 

Honestly, it really can change anytime depending on my mood. I am trying to think really what I start with. Mmm you know i think my shoes really do matter. In my head I will pretty much have an idea of what shoe I am going to put on, then I will dress around it. I’ll probably start putting different bottoms on with the shoes. You know my least favorite item I care about is shirts. I like tons of hoodies but thats probably why I enjoy my 712 shirts so much because I dont give a fuck about shirts hahahaha. I need to put “I really don’t give a fuck about my shirt” on a shirt!

So do you feel like a shoe is an accessory or do you feel like a  shoe is the fit? 

Dammmmn, the shoe is the fit! The grandmama is the baby okay! The shoe is the fit!!

Yes because the wrong shoe can throw your whole fit off!

Exactly and an accessory you don’t have to wear, like are you finna walk outside with no shoes on?! NO NIGGA YOU ARE GONNA PUT ON A SHOE! I love a boot, I wannabe a BOOT!

What skill do you want to get better at? How are you working to further develop that skill?

Mmmm, that’s a good one. Any skill right? 

*nods yes*

I want to be an acrobat! I want to do it so bad! 

You would be so raw nigga what?!

I gotta get into that ASAP! Let me see if they got that shit on groupon. That’s going to be my next skill. Next time you come it’s going to be a ribbon hanging from my ceiling and I am going to be just hanging. Yep ribbon and ass!! Yes sir and green ribbon too, yessssirsskeeeee!

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to your younger self?

If I could go back in time, I will literally tell myself to fuck everybody. Do whatever the fuck you want to do. Don’t listen to none of these niggas feelings because fuck they feelings. Be selfish

Damn, that came out so clear 

SO CLEAR, throat chakra c l  e a r 

*both laughing because she is really an idiot in the funniest way*

What’s one thing that people have absolutely twisted(wrong) about you? 

They think that I give a fuck about niggas more than I do. I quite literally do not give a fuck. Also I feel like because I am so calm now, they think that I am just a little instagram girl. I am very much a real nigga that will beat cho ass in the name of love. Everybody has decided who and what I am in their heads. 

If you could swap lives with any character who would it be and why?

Can I mix two together?! Wolverine and mystique have a baby and BOOM THAT’S ME! I love Wolverine, I want to be him so bad!!

Time to expose yourself, what is your guilty pleasure right now? 

Love is Blind the series! You need to watch it. I am watching the UK right now! 

What are three weird/bizzare things about you that people don’t really know?

Omg I am both handed!

Forreal?! 

NOPE *laughs insanely loud* Got yo ass! Both handed just sounds hella funny. I am secretly so strange. I am insanely shy, my skin is usually crawling from fear in social settings. *starts laughing* So i look at everybody booty. Like I do not care, man, woman I am looking. 

Why wtf hahaahaha

I don’t know it’s mandatory my eyeballs go straight to booty! Like it could be an old ass man and I’m going to look. 

You are the type to be like ewww look at his booty! 

HAHAHAHA yes I am, I play a lot! I even talk about booty a lot. I used to tell people my cousin ate ass professionally and she was teaching a booty eating seminar on thursdays

*cracking the fuck up and starts choking a little bit*

The third one would have to be like my whole personality, like everything is a joke. My sense of humor is wild

*K’yanna is the only person I can joke with about dookie* 

What is a talent that you have but  don’t always share? 

Cooking for sure, definitely cooking. I feel like girls try to display that they can cook to try to get niggas but me I honestly do not want niggas to know I can cook because I do not want to. ONLY MY NIGGAS! I feel like I am talented at not showing people all the things I am talented in. I just feel like people have been looking at me all my life you know. 

I knew you were going to say cooking! So that leads me to my next question. 

If you were a contestant on a cooking show, what dish would you prepare, and what would be its unique twist?

I would make ceviche because it's so simple but I always add a different fruit. Like I love fish and fruit. You know how ceviche has like a crunch to it? I put like diced apples to get that crunch sometimes or like dragon fruit with a white fish! WHEW

What do you want to say to your future self 5 years from now? 

DAMN GIRL THAT BOOTY IS FAT! Okay seriously in 5 years I’ll be 35 and Kj will be 15. I would just say wow look at yall two, yall did it. We are completely good! I swear me and Kj just keep getting better and better! My main goal is growth so that he grows correctly! 

What is next for your brand, what will we see soon?

Without spoiling too much, yall can hope to see way more content and back to back things dropping. I am talking full on collections like real moments in time. Just know I am going to only give K’yanna and nothing else. I do not care what is trending, I am creating what I like and no one is going to stop me!