Today we’d like to introduce you to Myss Houdie.
Hi Myss, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started making music around 10th grade, probably around 2016. A few of my friends in high school were already making music, and they showed me the ropes. I picked it up pretty naturally and just really connected with it.
A lot of my sound comes from what I grew up listening to. My parents exposed me to a really wide range of music—blues and rock like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Al Green, and Led Zeppelin, as well as Southern rap like UGK, 8Ball & MJG, and neo-soul and artists like Lauryn Hill. That mix gave me a broad musical foundation and helped me develop my own sound without feeling boxed into one genre.
Around that same time, I started writing songs and learning guitar. I was listening to artists like Tori Kelly and Jazmine Sullivan, and I really admired the way they could turn personal experiences, emotions, and what was happening in the world into words. That inspired me to start doing the same.
Once I got into my teenage years, I started figuring out how to actually record and release music independently. My friends helped me learn that side of the process, and after getting positive feedback from them and the community around me, I just never stopped. Since then, through college, formal and informal education, performing, and gaining more experience, I’ve been able to continue developing my craft, recording myself, and staying independent. Now I’m focused on continuing to grow as an artist and finding a way to take my music beyond Jackson and reach a much wider audience.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t say the road has been completely smooth, but I also wouldn’t describe it as rough. I always say, “I’m not the best, but I’m better than the worst.” With something like music, especially when you’re passionate and serious about it, challenges come with the territory. For me, though, the successes and blessings I’ve experienced along the way have always outweighed the challenges.
One of the biggest challenges has been being taken seriously outside of my immediate community, especially as a Black woman in hip hop. When people don’t know me or haven’t heard my work, sometimes they make assumptions based on my race, gender, or identity before they ever consider my ability as an artist. I experienced that firsthand in college. When I graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with my bachelor’s in Media Entertainment, Sound and Recording Arts, I was the only Black woman in my graduating class for that major, and for much of college I was the only Black woman in my classes. That experience really showed me how easily people can underestimate you based on things that have nothing to do with your talent or competency.
At the same time, those experiences have taught me a lot about resilience, perspective, and privilege. I know that I’ve been blessed with opportunities that other people around me haven’t had, and recognizing that has made me want to use my platform to create opportunities for people who look like me and may not have had the same access.
So I try not to focus too much on the obstacles. I believe that if something is getting in your way, it also means you’re trying—and the only real way to fail is to never try at all. I’ve learned not to wait for the world to be ready for me. I just have to keep creating, keep moving forward, and trust that my music will reach the people it’s meant to reach.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I would describe myself simply as a musical artist, specifically a hip-hop artist. To me, hip-hop is more than just rap—it’s a culture that can encompass a lot of different sounds, including R&B, soul, and other forms of expression. My work is really centered around the human experience. I’m a very emotional and empathetic person, and I think my gift is being able to translate feelings into music in a way that allows people to recognize something in themselves. Sometimes I can put words or melodies to feelings that people couldn’t quite express themselves.
I’m also very intentional about maintaining the integrity of my art. I believe art should come from the inside out. The world can inspire you, but I don’t think it should dictate what you create. For me, music isn’t just a career or a business—it’s something that is fundamentally a part of who I am. It’s something I was born to do, and it’s something that nobody can take away from me.
I’m also very hands-on with my music. I mix and master my own songs because I feel like there’s something about my essence that can get lost when someone else handles that part of the process. I don’t make my own beats, but I’m involved in nearly every other part of bringing the music to life.
A big part of what I’m most proud of is the character and world I’ve created around “Myss Houdie.” Myss Houdie is more than just a name or a brand—she’s a character I created to protect and express a more vulnerable part of myself. In a lot of ways, she’s the woman I wish I had growing up: fierce, unapologetic, confident, and completely herself. Creating that character has allowed me to explore different sides of myself while still protecting the more vulnerable person underneath.
I’m especially proud of that because I know that as a Black girl growing up wanting to be an artist, there can be a lot of pressure to fit into one particular idea of what a Black female artist is supposed to look or sound like. I want my work to communicate that you don’t have to fit into anybody’s definition of what’s popular, cool, beautiful, or acceptable. You can be completely yourself and still be enough.
I don’t necessarily think what sets me apart is that my experiences are completely different from everyone else’s. If anything, I think my gift brings me closer to people. I don’t think I’m different because I feel things that nobody else feels—I think I’m different because I have the words, melodies, and sounds to express feelings that a lot of us share. When someone listens to my music and recognizes themselves in it, I feel like we become connected without ever having to meet.
That’s really what I want my music to do: bridge the gap between people through shared human experiences. Whether it’s something deeply personal or something as simple as having your last fifty dollars from your mom and feeling like you had everything, I want to capture those moments and make people feel understood. I think that’s my specialty—not necessarily separating myself from people, but finding the language for what we all feel.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
For music creation, two resources I use a lot are BandLab and Logic. I also have formal training and experience with more professional tools like Pro Tools and FL Studio, but I really appreciate platforms like BandLab and Logic because they simplify the creative process and make it much easier to turn an idea into a finished song.
For me, accessibility and efficiency are really important. I don’t believe that having formal training means you always have to use the most complicated tools. Sometimes the simpler, more beginner-friendly tools actually allow me to work faster and stay focused on the music instead of getting caught up in technical issues.
Especially now, time is one of our most valuable resources. Being able to create, record, mix, and move on to the next idea without unnecessary technical barriers helps me stay productive and consistent with my music.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysshoudie/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mysshoudie
- Twitter: https://x.com/mysshoudie
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MyssHoudie
Image Credits
Rashad Harris | Sleepy Optics
Jah Free| Mindopenmedia
Eric Truman-Reeves
Leo Coldtear Iouga Fungi
