Dajah Dorn on Proliferating Love and Purveying the ‘90s Fine’ Movement
Her love for music became innate when she sang in the church choir alongside her grandma.
Photography by Allie Mikko
Since Dajah Dorn was a child, Jacksonville, Florida’s Deep Southern Baptist Church was her second home. Her love for music became innate when she sang in the church choir alongside her grandma. She also spent time at the basketball court with her uncles blasting Dirty South, a sub-genre of Southern hip-hop music. With this eclectic, music-centered upbringing, Dorn has since garnered distinct rap and R&B sounds with a dynamic Southern twist.
Dorn initially moved to New York City to model. The experience aided in mending her reserved nature, while the pandemic invigorated her desire to take her art seriously and plunge into the world of R&B. Since then, she’s become a champion for people daring to be themselves in a society filled with imitation. Her debut EP, Having My Way, released in October 2024, features her acclaimed breakout single “Love U 4 Free.” The EP also includes sultry tracks like “Twice On Sunday” and “‘90s Fine,” highlighting Dorn’s ability to capture raw emotion within her soulful melodies.
I caught up with Dorn at the Bushwick staple, Marie’s, before soundcheck for her performance at SAA Brooklyn during the Vitamin Water and UnitedMasters City Flavors Festival. Here, she shared the stage with Joey Bada$$, among other artists. We connected at the cozy Italian restaurant and discussed her purveying of the “90s fine” aesthetic, her background in rapping, and her proliferating love in an era of normalized toxicity.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
How did you start making music?
I knew my whole life that I wanted to make music. It’s just been in me. Some of my earliest moments where I can remember thinking I wanna do that is being in the car with my mom, and she used to have this boyfriend who used to burn CDs all the time; they were playing Monica ‘Why I Love You So Much,’ and I was in the back seat crying. My momma asked why, and I was like, ‘I wanna do that, I wanna sing, I wanna do whatever she’s doing.’
I couldn’t comprehend what it was like then, but I knew I wanted to do that. Another memory is that later, I remember seeing Aaliyah's ‘Rock the Boat’ music video and being obsessed. My elementary school flooded, and I was just singing ‘Rock the Boat’ the whole day; our little desks were floating. I have a video on Facebook right now of my cousin and I making up a song called ‘White Donuts.’ I used to be obsessed with powdered donuts, so we made up a song about donuts. It’s kind of hard.
I used to make songs with my cousins we used to burn them on CDs, I remember one was called ‘Boo, Why You Trippin.’ I actually got serious during the pandemic; I was thinking, ‘People are dying. I need to take my life more seriously and not take life for granted.’ So, I recorded my first single, ‘I Don’t Want You,’ in my room.
Photography by Allie Mikko
You mentioned you’re from Jacksonville. What was it like growing up in Florida, and how has that influenced your music?
When people hear ‘Florida,’ they think of the headlines ‘Florida Man Bit Somebody’s Face Off,’ but that’s way in South Florida. Every city in Florida is different, but Jacksonville is really close to Georgia; it’s right at the line. Jacksonville has an international airport, so there are a lot of cultures that go through there. Musically, I was around my uncles, and they were listening to Hot Boyz or Boosie, Trill Fam, UGK, Big Krit, and stuff like that.
Texas, Louisiana, all the Dirty South music. My mom was listening to all the R&B girls. I grew up going to Church, too, so all my influences are a tangled-up loop. If I was with my grandma and her sisters, we would be in church, and of course, your grandma would make you sing in a choir. It’s Deep South Baptist, so you know that sometimes there is no music; it’s just your voice, hands, and a stick, literally. Sister Johnson used to have this big stick, and she would just hit it; that was the bass. I would leave my grandma and go to my momma. She lived in the hood, and she listened to whatever was on the radio, so I had all those influences.
Some of the best musicians have a church background; it’s essential.
Yes, it is. I looked up to my mom a lot because she was fashionable, young, and always with her homegirls, so I wanted to be like her and listen to Mariah Carey and be like Mariah Carey, Monica, and Brandy, so I have that in me. Jacksonville, Duval County, is the hood, so I got some edge because I grew up around my uncles and was the only little girl around. They would have me at the basketball court with them. Since I started making music and I’m older, I have a closer relationship with my uncles now.
I went to my grandma’s house, and my uncle built one of the rooms into a whole studio. I didn’t know that all of my family also had music aspirations when I was growing up because their opportunities weren’t the same as mine, unfortunately, but I think I inspire them now to do stuff. They send me songs and beats, and they’re really good.
Your Having My Way EP was released back in October. What does Having My Way mean to you, and what was the process of creating this project?
Having My Way for me means I’m choosing myself and I’m choosing my journey, I’m prioritizing myself. Having My Way is different than getting my way. I do get what I want all the time eventually, but it really just means facing my life head-on, being willing to examine myself and evolve, and being willing to be my best self. I’m having my way. Whatever comes at me, I’m gonna face it, I’m gonna accomplish it, I’m not taking no for an answer, from myself or from anybody, just making sure I get the outcome that I see for myself.
This project has been made over three years, and it’s because I was changing and evolving a lot; I was going through so much. Who I am right now, I am not the same person at all, so it was about evolving, and people don’t really understand what it takes for artists to be bold enough to be front-facing. I like the title because it can be my brand for the rest of my life, like having my way forever.
What was the first song you made for the EP?
‘Twice on Sunday’ was the first one I made. The executive producer on the project was Saint Cassius. My home girl Tahiry was on my team; she was working for him at his label, and that’s how I met him, and I only had ‘I Don’t Want You.’ I played him that, and he said, ‘Yeah, we gonna work.’ When I did ‘Twice on Sunday,’ I was sad when I wrote it. Nobody knows that because it doesn’t sound like I’m sad; it sounds like I’m in love and I’m talking about somebody, but it’s not about anybody. It was just me trying to manifest better things for myself but I was going through a lot of sh*t and relationship stuff.
Photography by Allie Mikko
How long have you been living in New York?
Five years; it’ll be six soon. ‘90s Fine,’ ‘Twice on Sunday,’ Only Child,’ and ‘Love U 4 Free’ were made in New York with Saint Cassius, we work in the same two or three studios, we don’t really work with a whole lot of people, we work with other producers he knows. The last three songs, ‘Shotgun,’ ‘Be Right Back,’ and ‘When It Comes to Me,’ were made in Atlanta.
What does your creative process look like? Do they [producers] bring your lyrics to life, or do you hear a beat and start writing?
It depends. ‘Twice on Sunday,’ I did that by myself in my house, and I wrote it to a different track, a YouTube track, and I sent it to him, and then he just reproduced the track around my words. Sometimes, my songs can start off with a rap. I’ll hear some bars in my head and just jot them down in my notes. I’ve always been more comfortable with rapping, but singing is more vulnerable; it’s a much more detailed thing to me. I had to learn to use fewer words or stretch out some words when I'm singing. Have you ever heard artists like Pharrell or Kanye talk about their music like it’s a painting because they have synesthesia? I don’t have synesthesia, but it is like a puzzle to me. I’m a words-first person, and then I build the song from there.
Having My Way centers on themes of romance and lust. What inspired this? Is love your favorite thing to sing about?
Yes, love is my favorite thing to sing about, but the EP is not about anybody. I’m not talking about no man at all. I look at our culture, though, and we need love. Being an artist is a very serious responsibility for me. People are looking to you for guidance. You need to use this gift that God gave you responsibly, and I don’t think I need to contribute any more toxicity. I’m not saying there’s no need for it because sometimes you gotta get that dark out. I don’t feel like that’s my role, though. Love is my role, so it’s my favorite thing to sing about.
For me, ‘Love U 4 Free’ is a standout from the project. The wordplay in ‘Only Child’ is cheeky and clever, which I enjoyed. What’s your personal favorite from the project and why?
My favorite song changes all the time. ‘Be Right Back’ is my favorite; I’m not going to lie. Sometimes I’ll listen and hear ‘Only Child’ and be like damn I ate that up, it has so many layers. I love ‘Be Right Back’ because sometimes I’ll think about what’s missing from the project, and I felt like my people back home needed a song. I think about my siblings a lot. They’re getting older. I wanted to give an ode to them, an ode to my city. They all have so many good elements that I’m really proud of.
Photography by Allie Mikko
You also performed at ONE Musicfest back in October. What was that experience like for you, and what was it like to explore the live elements of your art?
I was definitely overthinking. It was my first big performance. I’m such a perfectionist, especially because my clothes and outfit weren’t coming together as I thought. Jaz (publicist) and I were trying so hard, but it came together. I wore a ‘90s fine’ t-shirt, and looking back, I shouldn’t have thought to wear anything else besides merch to promote me. Everyone was so supportive, and afterwards, I really had nothing to worry about. I did so well. It was fun.
I vocal coach up here with Craig Gray, and he always had the reverb on the mic so we could hear ourselves back. That’s how you’re going to sound in a stadium. I was thinking about the echo of the mic because of that. I worked on my stage presence. I wanted to always outdo myself from my last performance, so I learned choreography in three days; I had never done choreography. Overall, I was very proud of myself.
I’ve noticed you’re a huge purveyor of the ‘90s fine’ aesthetic. What does that mean for you, and why not ‘2024 fine?’
Does ‘2024 fine’ sound right? It doesn’t even roll off the tongue. I wish I was grown back then. If I had been 18 or 19 back then, the culture was thriving. There were so many beautiful Black women in the media. Everyone was unique in their own looks. I miss that individualism; now, everything is a trend. I was always one of those people where if a lot of people were doing something, I didn’t. I don’t like stuff like that. Our culture right now needs love. We need to appreciate people’s differences. It’s all about having a Chanel, BBL, or Birkin or bust down 40-inch middle part; it’s like a template, a starter kit for everything. There’s a template for men, too. The girls like us who are ourselves, we don’t have a hero. The lane was wide open.
How would you describe your sense of style and its importance to your overall artistry?
Clothes are very important to me, it’s a language. I don’t like to talk that much, that’s part of it. I’m also shy sometimes, and I don’t know how to make small talk. My outfit is an icebreaker. Aside from wanting to do music, the very first thing I wanted to be growing up was a fashion designer. I have so many sketches still. I love that everyone in NYC has their own style. Sometimes, I just go to LES to people-watch. If you want to be a star, you have to have your own style. My personal style is very moody.
I like to incorporate high fashion because my background is modeling, but I also like to incorporate my real background, being from the hood. I love wearing durags; it's one of my favorite things about my persona now. I love the really long ones. All the things that I can do besides talking, I like to be bold while doing it. I like sequins, I like sneakers, and sometimes I wanna wear heels every day. I love mixing prints, fur, all of it. I love the Timbaland collaboration with Veneda Carter. I want to collaborate with a brand one day and design my own things. I’m definitely a maximilist.
Photography by Allie Mikko
Who are your biggest musical influences?
Church, for sure, that soulful feeling. All the divas, like Monica, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Faith Evans, Haley Williams from Paramore—that girl can sing. My favorite rapper is J. Cole. I love Mary J. Blige and her style. I love me some boots and fur, too. I love Outcast, UGK, and Three 6 Mafia; I was just watching all their old videos. Keyshia Cole is my GOAT.
Can you show me what’s on your Spotify or Apple Music playlist right now?
I’m listening to Kendrick Lamar right now, and I love Kodak. I still listen to Paramore. I love Leon Thomas. I love GloRilla—I love her positive energy. I’ve been studying Janet Jackson’s The Velvet Rope. It’s beautiful. I love PartyNextDoor; he is my number one on Wrapped. I was second, Brent was third, Leon Thomas was fourth, and TYuS was fifth.
What’s next for you in 2025?
We’re going to keep promoting Having My Way. We have a video for ’90s Fine’ dropping. I’m looking forward to shooting more videos, especially for ‘Be Right Back.’ I love all the visuals; that’s my favorite thing to do. Fashion week is coming up in February; my goal is to work with more brands. I initially moved up here for modeling. I will be looking to collaborate with more people and continue writing, but for now, I’m just Having My Way.
