The UB Interview: T Barz Talks Debut Album, Female MCs + More

Born and raised in Mobile Alabama, Felecia Nichole Tunstall musically known as T Barz realized her gift of writing in 2009 when she started writing poems which turned into spoken word that she performed at local functions.

Within the past 5 years Barz has gotten more in tuned with turning her spoken words into musical pieces. She is overall multi-talented with paid skills in acting and dancing with styles in Hip Hop and Lyrical.

T Barz is a triple threat with a strong work ethic. Her lyrics speak on her life experiences in music, hip-hop, love, personal struggles and victories. Her message is both powerful and positive. Last fall, T Barz released her debut single, “Flexin” to great success topping the Rap/Hip-Hop charts at #1 for three consecutive weeks.

Last summer she was named, “Artist to Watch” by PEOPLE Magazine after they witnessed her debut performance at the 2019 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. She also kicked-off her weekly freestyle series, “Barz on Thursdays“, and every week she kept listeners and hip-hop aficionado’s wanting more.T Barz debut album, “Genesis” is available now.

Recently Aries from UB spoke to T Barz about her debut album “Genesis,” her 90s music influence, female MCs, her upbringing in Alabama and much more!

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UrbanBridgez.com: You recently released your debut “Genesis” tell about the process you put into recording your first album, to make sure it was what you wanted in the end?
T Barz: Oh definitely. It was something that I really started in like 2014. That’s when I really started recording some of the tracks on there. Like Get It Girl. Genesis the track itself, was also recorded like four years ago. That was prior to me signing to the label I’m with now. Back then I didn’t have any type of real direction. I was just recording to have the music there. So eventually, fast-forward to 2017. With me really meeting with BSE for the first time, I gave them what I had. And told them about the direction that I wanted to finish it up with. So I think I recorded like four of the tracks on Genesis with BSE. We just got to working, soon as I got with him. We went up north, got in the studio and laid the tracks down. Then we decided on when to put Genesis out, and that was how it came together.

UrbanBridgez.com: Hey Lover is so dope, I know LL was the inspiration. How did you come up with the concept?
T Barz: Thank you! It’s no secret that I’m just a huge fan of 90s music and the 90s vibe. Just the feeling that music had back then in that era. So I’m a huge LL Cool J fan, so I love Hey Lover. “It was Harlem at the ruckus, I saw you with your man.” That’s one of his joints I know word for word. So when the label sent me the Hey Lover beat, I was like this is a vibe. Like of R&B and Hip Hop. So I was like hummmm, where can I take this? But the music just kinds of creates the song for me, I just go with it. So with the vibe, I was like I’m going to set it up kind of similar to the way LL did. He just kind of got to the point, like I’m feeling you. So that was kind of literally the same vibe. “You know I’m sitting there chillin and I see you out the corner of my eye.” So that’s where that came from. So I kind of wanted to give it the same feel, with that 2020 aspect. We’re looking to shoot the video in the next few weeks.

UrbanBridgez.com: It hasn’t even been that long, since “Flexin” put you on the map so to speak. Did you expect the success of that song?
T Barz: Not really, my style is actually let me spit and I’ll go. If I could, I wouldn’t even put hooks in the song. So Flexin was something that I could do, but I wasn’t like yo this is my anthem I’m gonna take it to the streets. It’s something that I knew was fun and going along with how music has been going lately. I really wanted to do something that people could vibe to. You don’t have to think much on this song. I literally just started vibin. So I could see why a lot of people like it.

UrbanBridgez.com: There has never been a time like now, were female rappers are being talked about and celebrated. What is something you would like to see come out of this spotlight, female MCs are getting right now?
T Barz: Honestly, just that the respect level with female MCs. You know you’ll have a guy come out and people be like, “man his lyrical game is crazy.” But a female come out and the first thing you might here, is oh she bad. It’s like nah, talk about these barz! That’s something I’m looking forward to myself. Female rappers need to be respected, I’m the type of female rapper I don’t care who you are. I’m going to want to step in the ring with you. Like hey you want to get it? Aight come on. Jay-Z you wanna get it, oh cool come on. That’s the kind of thing I pride myself on. So I’m really looking forward to seeing that, them giving us the respect. Judge the pen game, don’t judge nothing else but the pen game.

UrbanBridgez.com: Talk to us about female MC that inspired you and why?
T Barz: Growing up the female MCs I saw was Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Rah Digga. Also like Brat and Foxy. I think the first time I heard Foxy my mouth just dropped. Because I’m from the south. So to hear that tone and that errr, in a woman was crazy. So I was like alright, I see and I feel it. Those was the main people I was watching, then when Queen Latifah came with “Who you calling a bitch?” Man, that did it for me.

UrbanBridgez.com: Do you think your upbringing in Alabama, prepared you anyway for entertainment?
T Barz: I won’t even say so much Alabama. I would say more so the values of my family brought me up in.
Me being from Alabama, just honestly makes me more into the country, more than the city. That don’t really resonate in the music industry. Because you’re going to go to the events and go to the shows. You’re gonna rock out regardless! I’m a country girl, so I’d rather see dirt roads than city lights (laughs).

UrbanBridgez.com: Tell our readers about Barz on Thursdays?
T Barz: It was something I wanted to do. Basically put out a little short freestyle. Just even a clip of some work of the unreleased stuff. I just wanted to drop it every Thursday, whether I’m in the car free styling or in the studio. Just something that I wanted to drop. To put out yeah I can make musical songs but I can also give you some freestyle game. It was really just me showing my versatile skills. I’m going to most def bring that back real soon.

UrbanBridgez.com: When did you find out you were “Artist to Watch” by PEOPLE Magazine and what was your reaction?
T Barz: I’m pretty sure it was around Essence Fest when I was down there. I think is was literally days after Essence Fest. I was really just like grateful, you know what I’m saying. It was crazy, because you have a vision for how you want to see your career go. So when you see things like that happening in a positive light. You’re like I’m moving towards my goal. So I’m the type of person, where with my personality I don’t get excited by too much. Not too much is gonna excite me, like yo T, I got two million dollars for you. I’m gonna be like yeah that’s what’s up. But I’m not gonna jump up and down excited. I don’t get too excited like that, it’s just my personality. But I’m forever humble and grateful for things like that always.

UrbanBridgez.com: Well you definitely deserved that, so congrats again.
T Barz: I really appreciate that!

UrbanBridgez.com: Is there anything else want to share or leave with your fans?
T Barz: Continue to support that Hey Lover, it’s spinning in Atlanta and everywhere. I’m just so grateful, keep downloading the single. And on the 20th (today) I’m dropping a monster, with Lia Givenchy. I’m not going to even say the name of it yet (laughs). Keep it locked to my Instagram