Asian Doll

“It was destined,” states Asian Doll assertively when asked why she pursued a musical career. And it seems that destiny is, in fact, in her genes, growing up with a rapper mother and equally confirmed with her undeniable presence exuding of exceptionality and unapologetic toughness. As if that wasn’t enough, the rapper has also been certified as Gucci Mane’s musical daughter by the godfather of hip-hop himself.

“He introduced me as his daughter,” recalls Asian at a party the two attended. “His wife loves me too!” As the first female rapper to be signed to Gucci’s label, 1017 Records, Asian has already achieved a major milestone in the music industry and early on in her career.

Asian Doll was born as Misharron Jamesha Allen on December 7, 1996 in Dallas, Texas. The rising rapper, well on her way to becoming a household name, grew up listening to “whatever was on the radio.” Asian cites radio pop and rap, notably musical heavyweights such as Future and Nicki Minaj, as early influences. The latter has always been a major role model for Asian even having a recording of Minaj shouting her out on the intro to Doll Szn, Asian Doll’s 2018 mixtape.

Asian started pursuing music at an early age, quickly going viral on Soundcloud and, consequently, rapidly gained local clout. Even with this success, as well as unwarranted, violent envy in her hometown, her parents discouraged her from pursuing a career in music. Despite this, she persevered, citing Dallas’ tough environment as a key asset to making her who she is. The violence in Dallas and Asian’s environment is noticeable in her music, where she spits verses with a ferocious hostility and an aggressive delivery. “So many of my best friends were being killed and [there is] so much violence. It was motivation. I learned so much to make it in the [music] industry. I can handle anything now.”

With tracks going viral on her Soundcloud page and easily booking local gigs, Asian quickly began to be sought out by major music labels. Asian’s priority, as is true for her music, was integrity and creative freedom, leading to her signing with an independent label, Gucci’s 1017. “Give me the pen and paper,” said Asian describing the moment when 1017 Records offered her a deal and explaining how quickly she knew she could trust her current label.

Also known as “Queen of Teens”, the rapper’s primary focus with music has always been her role as inspiration for the youth, particularly dark-skinned girls and urban youth. Her message as a role model and inspiration is to show that anything is achievable. “If Asian can do it, so can I” is the mentality with which Asian puts out her music. “I want to look out for the youth, I want to create centers [for them]. Many [of the youth are] in violence, girls think the only thing to do is get pregnant. There’s more out there.”

Part of this comes with the “Asian Doll” name. “She doesn’t look like how she raps,” states Asian as part of the conversation opened up with her name. Asian Doll allows for a complex, multidimensional view of the rapper where she may rap and have a hard persona, but can have a name and look that exudes a more girly-stylish look. Anything is achievable, including breaking stereotypes of what traditional rappers must look like.

Similarly, Asian’s 2018 mixtape, Doll Szn, achieves this same breaking of categories. According to Asian, when asked what the tape is about (and characteristically without any features), “it’s me.” Partly a way to disassociate from all the other Doll monikers in the music industry, but mostly an introduction to Asian Doll, Doll Szn seamlessly shifts between genres of music, true to Asian Doll’s body of work. The tape transitions from auto-tuned pop with hip-hop elements to raw rap in mere seconds and from track to track. Defying categorization in both genre as well as being grouped with the other various Dolls, the one of multiple mixtapes Asian has put out effortlessly showcases her skills.

Well known for her feature on Bhad Barbie’s “Hi Bich (Remix)” including MadeinTYO and Rich the Kid, Asian also went on tour with the social media star-turned-rapper on the Bhanned in the U.S.A. Tour. Asian’s best known track is “Poppin” with PnB Rock, garnering well over 1.2 million views on Youtube. Asian’s Youtube channel boasts over 66,000 subscribers and hundreds of thousands of views on several videos, while she has a sum of 1 million followers on Instagram and tens of thousands of followers on Twitter and Facebook. Currently working on a joint mixtape with Gucci Mane and sitting on plenty of unreleased tracks and videos, Asian still has more dream plans such as making a tape with Britney Spears and starting those youth centers in Dallas, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Chicago. There’s no stopping her.

“I’m a superstar,” Asian Doll points out emphatically, but, most importantly, people also recognize, as she is quick to note, that she is and will always be all “gangster”.