R&B artist Queen Naija said growing up in Michigan has given her a hustler's mentality.

From a young age, Naija — born as Queen Naija Bulls in Ypsilanti — was forced to readjust as she moved to different cities and changed schools several times, which always made her the new girl in classes.

“In my 30 years of living, I have lived so many different lives,” Naija said, speaking to The Detroit News earlier this month on a Zoom call.

The musician has leveraged her life experiences to adapt and evolve her music career, keeping pace with the times.

Queen Naija rose to prominence by recording YouTube vlogs and further expanded her fan base by appearing on "American Idol" in 2014. More than a decade later, she has established herself in the thriving R&B scene, with songs like "Medicine" and "

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