It’s only 8 A.M. but rapper and artist Dreezy, born Seandrea Sledge, is already perched on a chair in the photo studio getting glammed for today’s PUMA shoot. A swat team of hair and makeup artists work quickly over the next three hours. Apart from her crew, Dreezy has her personal friends on set and, most importantly, her pup Chanel. Around 11 A.M., the 25-year-old starlet is ready to get started. Her first outfit is a denim ensemble that’s complemented by the newest silhouette of PUMA’s RS-X dubbed RS-X Cubed. The sneaker is a reboot of the original design with exaggerated color uppers and new material treatments. Coming in two colorways, the RS-X Cubed is a futuristic reinvention. As we head to the roof on this sunny L.A. day to capture shots, Dreezy opens up about her own reinvention as an artist and her foray into acting.
“It was my music teacher in grade school who influenced me to do music," she says. "I played the piano, flute, and saxophone. I always had a love for piano so hopefully I’ll pick that back up.”
Before being introduced to music, Dreezy enjoyed writing. She wrote stories and poems—a skill that would later help her on the set of the Netflix movie, Beats. After learning how to put compositions together, the Chicago-native used music as a platform to creatively express her emotions. “I thought of myself as the female Wayne,” referring to Tunechi. She continued to work on her craft, dropping four mixtapes between 2012 and 2014, before releasing her debut album, No Hard Feelings, in the summer of 2016.
From 2016 through 2019, Dreezy learned more about the hardships of the music industry and began to focus more on the business side of things to the point she stopped putting out new music altogether. “Before 2016, I was ready and working all the time,” Dreezy says. "I was so ready for the next thing. It wasn’t the best thing for me. I had to slow down and tap into my own brand and into my business side. In this time, I found real love for myself and learned to stay in my own lane. The PUMA partnership really helped me do that.”
Dreezy credits PUMA, which she signed with as an abassador this past summer, for helping her build her brand. The rapper and actress is often seen in custom-made PUMA pieces such as the metallic silver neon green romper she wore while shopping for fabric for more custom costumes in downtown L.A’s fashion district. "I used to get caught up thinking, 'look at this girl, look at her body.'' Dreezy admits changing her style to fit in and be more girly. “The PUMA partnership has helped me to be comfortable in my own skin. I feel like myself and I feel like I stand out. I like sneakers. I like baggy pants, this is me.” The songstress looks to carry that same self confidence into 2020. She says, “You can tell a lot about a person by the way they dress.”
Dreezy’s biggest advice to her fans and aspiring stars is to find your talent and practice it. She mentions the importance of not worrying about what others think and if you’re a single lady, “you don’t need a man to be confident,” she stresses. Dreezy’s new approach to success in the industry is to stay true to herself and speak from the heart.
For 2020, the artist already has a vision board of her goals. Dreezy wants to be casted in another film and has slated releases of a new single and album. “Of course, you have to have a vision board and remind yourself of your goals.” Dreezy says that whether it’s an outfit she has a vision for, or a career goal, they must be written down somewhere visible so you can see all of your milestones.
Keep your eyes and ears open for more from Dreezy in upcoming months and be sure to shop the latest RS-X Cubed here.
