Everyone who makes music has a goal. Whether it’s becoming a world-famous star, or just making enough money to pay the bills, everyone has a dream. But some goals are more specific than others. For Pink Navel, a rapper from Boston, the goal was clear: to join Ruby Yacht, a collective of independent artists.

Pink Navel’s music is driven by whimsy. Navel's name comes from one of their main sources of inspiration: Steven Universe. Pink Navel started watching the show at age 16 and felt a connection with the protagonist, Steven. Like him, Pink Navel had a positive outlook on life, but also a tendency to put others before themselves and to please everyone. The show also resonated with Pink Navel’s queer identity, as it portrayed diverse and complex characters who struggled with self-worth and self-image. The show was part of a genre of animation that Pink Navel loved, along with other shows like Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, and Infinity Train. These shows, although aimed at children, dealt with mature themes and lessons about life and growth. They showed how character's doubts, choices, and identities affected their lives and the lives of those around them. They offered a unique perspective on growing up and finding oneself, and they inspired Pink Navel’s creativity and worldview.

Pink Navel’s musical journey was shaped by their diverse upbringing in Massachusetts. They first fell in love with emo rock, and joined the band Handwriting as the vocalist in high school. This gave them valuable experience in the music industry. In 2015, they ventured into rap music, and found inspiration in unusual sources.

“When I first was flipping samples and stuff and making beats, what I gravitated towards was the music I love - Disney scores, orchestral scores, I thought that was an interesting sound to utilize for rap music.”

But Pink Navel’s uniqueness was not only in their sound choice, but also in their view of rap as a genre,

“I feel like rap is the most lyrical music genre, but I love hearing other types of genres where I’m listening (Pink Navel mentions folk singer Judee Sill as an example) - and I hear the lyrics and I’m just like ‘that is a bar! Like, you are rapping!’ I love to make those connections across genres, and that’s what I love about exploring all these different types of music.”

Pink Navel had a smooth transition into rap music, thanks to their solid background in lyricism, performance, and storytelling. They were inspired by Ruby Yacht, a rap label based in Maine, and its founder R.A.P. Ferreira, whom they met in 2013. Their goal was simple: to rap, get noticed, and join Ruby Yacht. They became a diligent learner, asking Ferreira for advice on how to become an indie rapper. They also did their own research, and practiced rapping and writing every day while still maintaining their personality and orginal influences. Pink Navel was a child of the internet and even used their own ‘.dev’ format for their song titles, and wrote descriptions like “if I could be an mp3 on your computer, I would only need to speak my beautiful track when asked! I could live my days on your desktop, warm from the glow of your monitor! that is where I wish I could be” for their early albums. They showed that they had their own unique style and voice. Their hard work and talent paid off, and in 2018, they were invited to join Ruby Yacht and move to Maine to pursue music full time.

Pink Navel has been working tirelessly since joining Ruby Yacht. Their most impressive album, in my opinion, is "Epic", which was recorded live on tour in one take. The album features familiar samples from TikTok, Cartoon Network, and viral videos. The album creates a soothing contrast between Pink Navel’s vocals and the dusty production, and the sounds that fill our minds from the endless stream of online videos. The album was a response to the release of Giraffe Track, an album that Pink Navel thought was their best work, but was overshadowed by the Covid pandemic. Feeling slightly disheartened, Pink Navel wanted to do something different. They said, “I was like, damn how do i subvert this idea that you’re supposed to toil away at an album for eons and eons before it can come out, and that you’re supposed to torture yourself at work until its perfect”. The resulting album showcases Pink Navel’s creativity and spontaneity, and their ability to make music that resonates with the listeners.

Pink Navel’s upcoming album, “How To Capture Playful”, produced by Kenny Segal, while inspired by video game, it is about the concept of work and play, and how they intersect in the modern era. The album explores the dilemma of people who make a living by playing video games, and asks, “When do you do that for fun?” The album also contains some songs that celebrate the playful side of video games, and show Pink Navel’s admiration for the genre. For the single Present Vendor, they made a DIY music video with clips from Zelda shows and games, and scenes of Navel & their friends wearing a Beedle mask. The video, like most of Pink Navel’s work, has a personal and human touch, where the imperfections of the artist are embraced. The singles Present Vendor and Memory Card are already out, and the album will be released on October 20th.

“I feel like my style in terms of video, and I guess in my music too, you can kind of tell a real person made it. I think it’s cute, it’s fun, and I think I embody that in a lot of the things I work on. There’s this human element to technology usage that’s not too squeaky clean. - I think that’s what drew me into the style of rap I love the most is that this idea that there’s people out here rapping about things that I never would have thought would have a song about them. The first time I ever heard someone reference Star Trek in a rap song… you know when I’m like 15 or 16, I didn’t imagine that could even be a thing, so that was so exciting.”

Pink Navel’s ideas may seem unconventional, but they always sound natural in their songs. Pink Navel’s authenticity and self-acceptance are evident in everything they do. This is because Pink Navel is living their dream. They have a confidence that comes from being part of Ruby Yacht, working with artists they admire like Ferreira, SB, and Kenny Segal, and expressing themselves honestly and fully through music. They are also humble and grateful for their position. Pink Navel’s music, performances, and social media are all inviting and friendly. This is the kind of artist you root for, because they are genuinely a cool person. I am excited for Pink Navel’s future, and I am sure they will keep being a role model of self-acceptance in hip hop.

BONUS CONTENT- Pink navel 10 movie recomendations:

• 1: Clerks (1994)
• 2: Mallrats (1995)
• 3: Synecdoche, New York (2008)
• 4: Adaptation (2002)
• 5: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
• 6: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
• 7: Blankman (1994)
• 8: Hercules (1997)
• 9: Steven Universe: The Movie (2019)
• 10: Cats Don’t Dance (1997)