April 4, 2025 |
At the time of our interview, Chy Cartier, 20, is teasing new music on her Instagram Stories. One untitled track, which fans are begging for her to release in the comments, namechecks Pharrell and Rick Owens, proving her love of fashion as well as music. “Fashion goes hand in hand with music, it’s a way to express yourself before anyone speaks to you,” she tells me in her cheeky North London twang. She’s the kind of person who gets straight to the point and doesn’t expand on her answers. She knows herself, keeping it short and (mostly) sweet.
Cartier’s style icon is Naomi Campbell, but she has a particular respect for Pharrell due to his transition from music to becoming men’s creative director of Louis Vuitton. Like him, she wants to bridge both industries. “I wanna merge fashion and music, more modelling and walking in catwalk shows.” Note the use of ‘more’ – Chy (short for Chyna), walked for Mowalola during her London Fashion Week show last September, which she describes as her highlight of the year.
Cartier is one of the buzziest young rappers in the UK right now and already has several magazine covers under her belt despite having only released a handful of singles, most recently YO and Shush. Today, she released her debut mixtape No Bring Ins featuring her hot new single Not the One. But how is Not the One different to her previous tracks? “It’s very alternative. There’s some drill influence, rap influence, but all the beats are very tailored to me as an artist. When you hear them you know it’s a Chy Cartier type beat. It’s my introduction,” she says, and we can’t wait to get acquainted.
Taken from 10 Magazine Issue 74 – MUSIC, TALENT, CREATIVE – on newsstands now. Order your copy here.
Photographer HENRY GOODFELLOW
Text ISOBEL VAN DYKE
Fashion assistant GEORGIA EDWARDS
Production ZAC APOSTOLOU and SONYA MAZURYK
Chy wears jacket by STONE ISLAND
