Tama Gucci’s new record is an eclectic, personal collection of pop songs. On Notes To Self, the New York-based, Florida-raised artist’s history with club music—Gucci came up as a remixer and DJ—is synthesized with a more intimate approach to songwriting. The record is full of Notes app anthems, cataloging the artist’s life and relationships through a variety of stylistic approaches, from indie rock to Y2K-era pop to full-tilt dance music. We emailed Tama Gucci some questions about Notes To Self, and he sent some notes back. 

Do you feel like you are at a different stage of your life right now than when you were writing this record? 

It definitely feels like I’m on the other side of any confusion or pain I was in when making some of the records so yes I would say, no more rain in this cloud haha.

A lot of the music on your new one feels like it straddles the line between a few different contexts. When you are making music, are you thinking at all about how it would work at a club?

Making something for the club is never really my first thought, it somehow just comes out naturally and I think that’s because I love club music and started performing first in clubs so it just feels comfortable.

Could you talk a bit about the collaborations on Notes To Self? 

Yes—Cassius and I were mutuals for years and always wanted to do music together. There’s more to come but for now this one record "No More 'I Love You's,'" after I made it, I was like, I neeed a rapper on it, and sent it to him and I got back two different verses, singing and rapping, and was blown away! And Colle I found through my manager who was so sweet to show me her and she sent me back “You Lost Me” and I had no notes, it was just beautiful! I also left open a few spots throughout the record so that the listeners can be collaborators, too.

I’m curious to know more about your time on the South Florida rave scene. How has that inspired you as a producer?

It’s made me adaptable and I don’t take myself too seriously to the point where I limit myself to making just one thing. The South Florida rave scene definitely had a mixture of sounds and shaped the early stages of me learning how to produce for sure.

What is your relationship with guitars and rock music in general?

I wanna learn how to play the guitar SO BAD, I’ve had two and the second the strings pop I get rid of them lol, but I do love rock music, also it’s a genre I wish black people embraced again because it is ours.

Do you still like to do remixes and covers? How has that part of your output informed how you write original songs?

I still love it. I make a bunch that haven’t even left my computer, I just use them for when I DJ, so it’s only remixes you’ll hear at a Tama Gucci set. By doing these it’s helped me find my sound—taking what I love about other people’s music and making my own version that sounds like me!

How is New York’s club culture feeling to you right now?

A little robbed to be fair … There’s a lot of things that I see in pop culture that the girls here have been doing for a minute but nonetheless it’s still inspiring. 

What is an underrated Y2K-era pop song that you think deserves more love?

“Break the Ice” by Britney Spears. Period.