Plxnet (Black Lavender) is a Nigerian Non-Binary singer based in the United States who makes her entry on the scene with their single ‘Queen Bee.’ The self-empowering hip-hop track is set to a classic 90s beat and introduces audiences to their style and ability to blend different genres.
Read our interview with them below.
TRsT: Your new single Queen Bee seems to be garnering buzz across streaming platforms. What was the inspiration behind the song?
PLXNET: The song is about confidence and self-love. I started writing it around the time I moved to LA, so I was venturing out independently. I had just come out to my family, moved to a new city, and changed my name, so I guess I was trying to be sure of myself and gas myself up.
TRsT: How has the fan feedback to the song been so far?
PLXNET: It’s been overwhelming to realize that so many people feel connected to my music. Listening to music is my favorite past-time. It’s always been a form of therapy and healing for me, so just being able to contribute to someone else’s experiences with my music is the best feeling.
TRsT: Let us take it a bit back? What was the inspiration behind the name Black Lavender?
PLXNET: I’ve gone through a few iterations with my name over the past years. Colors and flowers have always been a theme in my life, so it felt only natural to use that as inspiration. Lavender especially because it’s one of my favorite colors and my mom’s favorite scent. My first name was Ladi Lavender, then Dark Lavender, and finally Black Lavender the past two years. Each name is an important transition, a moment in my life when I felt grounded. I know artists are notorious for having so many names and aliases, but I feel like I’m still growing as a young artist, so there are bound to be changed along the way. It’s funny because I’m going through a name change right now. I think I’ll go by Plxnet now, pronounced like the planet.
TRsT: Tell us a bit about growing up. How was that for you?
PLXNET: My family and I moved to the US from Ibadan when I was six years old. Although I was raised in the States, I had a stereotypical Nigerian upbringing. We moved around a bit after we emigrated, as most immigrants do to get settled, so I had difficulty keeping up with friends. I was a pretty shy and quiet kid, so I kept to myself and lived in my world. My parents were big on school, which I’ve later learned to appreciate, so I spent a lot of time learning and just literally doing schoolwork. Two RCCG pastors raised me, so I grew up in the church, singing and playing for the church choir. That is where I found my love for singing and performing, but it wasn’t until my last year in college that I decided to take it seriously. My parents were hard asses, so I did well in school and was even my high school’s valedictorian, but I was tired of living my parent’s dream. I didn’t feel fulfilled. Not to mention that I was also in the closet for the entirety of my childhood and came out to my parents when I decided I was going to pursue music as my career.
TRsT: Can you talk to us a bit about your coming out experience?
PLXNET: My coming out experience is like many black people worldwide, brave and unabashed. I came out to my siblings long before my parents, something they would ultimately use against me. Being vulnerable with my origin family in this way was difficult and scary. My siblings and I grew up listening to homophobic propaganda from our parent’s mouths on the pulpit, so I wasn’t encouraged to be myself outside of being a “Christian Yoruba girl.” I carried this fear in me throughout my childhood. I was 18, homeless, a young college graduate, and living with a friend on campus when I came out to my mom in a letter for her 50th birthday. I couldn’t go back home because I knew I would be in danger once I told them the truth. I ended up staying with my best friend for the entire semester before buying a one-way ticket to LA.
TRsT: How does your Nigerian background come to play in your queerness and your art?
PLXNET: My heritage is a big part of my everyday life, so it naturally comes out in my queerness and creative work. In college, I majored in Black Studies and did an independent research class studying pre-colonial queerness and gender in Yorubaland. I realized that a big part of feeling disconnected from my identity as a queer and nonbinary Yoruba person was our lack of representation and inclusion in the general narrative of our history. I was upset that very little to nothing had been recorded or written by black women or black queer and trans people since the written script had been introduced to West Africa. There is no queer or trans representation in the Nigerian government. We see very little representation of black and queer characters in Nigerian media and pop culture, and when we do, it’s prejudice. I know I’m very privileged to have had access to more inclusive and open-minded education, so I made it my mission to use my black history and cultural background and to document it in my artwork. Black queer and trans narratives need to exist.
TRsT: What are some of the challenges you face as a queer, non-binary artist in America?
PLXNET: I’m facing many of the same challenges a lot of queer non-binary are experiencing all over the world. Lack of safety, homelessness, and family support. Fascist governments and increasingly unsafe policies. Constant proximity to violence, restricted access to quality healthcare, and poor mental health provisions. Living in the US makes my challenges less aggressive than others living under brutal regimes, but they are there and tough to navigate. I’ve been homeless multiple times post coming out. I’ve had to live in unsafe places. I’m just now getting basic insurance because I’m considered very low income. It’s hard living in a society that invalidates your existence.
TRsT: How do your queer experiences feed your work?
PLXNET: In a very practical sense, it feeds my imagination and writing. My life inspires my storytelling. If I’m writing about a love interest or intimate experience, it’s probably not with a boy. My close friends and chosen family are queer and trans, if not allies. Living authentically allows me to incorporate my experiences into my creative process seamlessly.
TRsT: What are your thoughts on how far the LGBT+ movement has come in Nigeria?
PLXNET: Over the past year, I found community with other Nigerian LGBT+ people. I’m so grateful and inspired by my sibs, especially in our home country, for not only surviving in a terrifying time but actively resisting. I consistently engage with Nigerian LGBT+ activists, share resources, and educate myself. I hope to support the movement more when I can offer real tangible solutions.
TRsT: Any plans on coming to Nigeria? Maybe to do a show?
PLXNET: Yes, of course! I am excited for the opportunity to perform in Ibadan, Lagos, anywhere you will have me. I would love to make Lagos or Ibadan a tour destination. I plan to spend a good amount of my life in Nigeria, so there will be plenty of opportunities to see me live!
TRsT: Who are some of your inspirations?
PLXNET: I’m inspired by so many artists and cultures, so it’s hard to narrow them down. I guess in terms of artists, black women most inspire me. Rappers like Gangsta Boo, La Chat, and Missy Elliot made me. Soul and R&B singers like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Keyshia Cole, and Destiny’s Child inspired me to take singing seriously as a craft. I love indie rock and pop bands like Phoenix, The Neighborhood, The Strokes, Alabama Shakes, Beach House – I could go on. Aside from music inspirations, I also am inspired by fashion and art. I love incorporating the two in my writing process and visuals.
TRsT: Any dream collaborations?
PLXNET: Solange, Taiwo Lijadu from the Lijadu Sisters, 070 Shake, Amaarae, Ivorian Doll
TRsT: What should we expect from you in the future?
PLXNET: I’m working on a lot of music right now! Solo stuff and collaborations but also a lot of different sounds. Many artists are starting to embrace genre-bending sounds, and I want to explore them while I’m still early in the game. Also, expect lots of intentional visual storytelling. I might even release a Nollywood film.
TRsT: What is your hope for the LGBT+ community?
PLXNET: My hope for the LGBT+ community is that we will hold on to each other tightly. I hope that although we struggle, we are blessed with meaningful, expansive, and loving support systems to ground us. I hope that we continuously fight for our rights, freedom, and radical love.
TRsT: Final words for queer folk who want to make music but don’t know how to start.
PLXNET: Start first by believing in yourself and your vision. Take your dreams seriously.
TRsT TRIVIA
Current songs on your playlist
Last book you read: Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
Celebrity crush: Grace Jones
Favorite movie of all time: Black is King
Fave account you follow on Twitter: Cocolo Minaj @evilrashida
Guilty Pleasure: Asking my friends to play with my hair
Queen Bee is available for streaming on all platforms. Watch the music video below.
