Cape Town baddie Nicci St. Bruce AKA Push Push has been terrorizing her hometown since she first picked up a mic. Her lyrics and hot beats have made her an indie rap gem, with her outspoken vixen persona and making the masses drop to their knees. We caught up with Push Push to talk about her latest debut, “Blood In”, bleeding in weird places and a few things she wants to school her listeners in.
Tell us about your artist namesake?
It’s what my YiaYia called me from when I was around 3 years , due to family members constantly witnessing me brazenly masturbating in public before I even knew what a clit was. Is that gross? I dunno, this isn’t exactly a story I ever planned on really telling anyone.
What is your favorite thing about making music?
The whole fun part of being an artist is making the music. Shows and interviews are great, don’t get me wrong. But really it’s getting to just bust out with words, and playing around with the music that makes me feel like “shit, I really can do anything”.
What is “Blood In” inspired by?
Sex tapes gone missing/lost friends/feeling powerful/feeling good naked/feeling grown
Where is the weirdest place you ever bled in?
When my poor mother still managed to get me to go to church, I spontaneously got my period one Sunday. I leaned over to whisper in her ear that I needed a tampon and she told me I had to get out!!!!! Turns out the Greek Orthodox Church still follows the archaic rule that a woman can’t be bleeding and be in church at the same time. Not exactly the weirdest place I’ve ever bled but definitely the weirdest reason I’ve been kicked out of a church.
Who was the first musician you truly loved?
Freddie Mercury. The man was a genius. And a fucking hero.
Tell us all your favorite things in the world?
(In no particular order), Butter on soft warm banana bread. New York City when all the fashion week lurkers go back home in September. Royalty Cheques. Violet Chachki’s waist in a corset (and out of one). That video of the Pekingese dogs with their heads in bread slices and the one is trying to eat it.
How did you get into stripping?
I had read an interview as a teen in a local magazine about how much money dancers earned a month and I was like- “that is impossible”. Turns out it’s not impossible. I went and had an interview on a Tuesday night and Sat and talked to some of the dancers and they seemed really nice and welcoming but they also warned me that it’s not an easy job and that anyone who comes in thinking that usually doesn’t last a month. You get women who do try the strip club for a couple of weeks and find out somewhat quickly that it’s not just walking around in lingerie looking sexy, which I think is a common misconception. I also realized after a while that I was basically a therapist wearing Victoria’s Secret.
Can you tell us any crazy stories from being on stage working the pole and being on stage working the mic?
I was trying out a move on the pole one night where I kind of lightly kicked my leg out and my strapless shoe went flying into a guy’s head. It looks like this – I was a rookie and I can assure you that after that night I stuck to stripper heels with ankle straps. On stage? Someone once took their panties off and threw them on stage and for me that was pretty crazy coz I was like- “do In keep these now? I don’t wanna just leave them here on stage and then the girl who threw them thinks I’m rude? I’m not really sure what to do right now? ” So then I took them and not half an hour later got a tweet from the girl being like- “my boyfriend is really mad at me rn coz I’m wearing a short skirt and no panties in a public place”, so I had to FIND HER IN THE CLUB AND GIVE HER PANTIES BACK TO HER. Also- fuck that boyfriend!
If you were the most famous person in the world and had the biggest platform to speak your mind, what would you tell EVERYBODY?
THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO GENDERS YA FOOLS!!!!!!!!
Does your family ever sing along to your raps?
The only family member that actively listens to my stuff is my 14-year-old sister which is not only scary for me to think about but DANGEROUS because my mom already worries that she’s gonna turn out like me and then she will never have the lawyer daughter she wanted. Shame.
What is the weirdest thing you ever wrote a song about?
When I was about 12 I wrote a ballad for George Michael and looking back at it I can see how that might have been pretty weird? Whatever. RIP George Michael.
