Brooklyn's Isis-Imon Brings Hood Work Ethic to the Pop Stage

Isis-Imon didn't stumble into music so much as inherit it. Raised in Brooklyn, NY, by a mother she describes as an artist, producer, and industry entrepreneur, she says making music felt natural from the start — less a decision than a birthright that also stretched into fashion and entertainment more broadly. That range shows in how she talks about her craft. Working across hip-hop, pop, and rap, Isis-Imon points to Teyana Taylor as her biggest inspiration, admiring how Taylor moves fluidly between artist, actress, model, dancer, director, and producer. It's a blueprint Isis-Imon seems to be building for herself — she describes having studied under unnamed veterans in the industry and having put in time across singing, acting, dancing, and developing other artists. These days, she's wearing another title: President of independent label D'Bold Records, which has recently linked up with I Swim With Sharks and Jus Jess ATL. As she frames it, the partnership is about smaller labels proving they can compete without the budgets of the majors — "all we need is just the chance," as she puts it, borrowing a line from artist Masicka. On the horizon is a new single, along with a performance booked with the NCVMA in Charlotte, North Carolina — a follow-up to what she says was a Pop Artist Music Video award win the year prior, raising the stakes for this year's show. More than a sound, Isis-Imon says she wants listeners to walk away with a sense of her work ethic. Coming from an environment she describes as one that wasn't built for minorities to reach further, she says she respects anyone striving beyond it — and hopes that grind is what resonates loudest.