PRIDE & Equality 2019 - Stop, Look and Listen: Pia Mia and Layke

Born and raised on the tropical island of Guam in the West Pacific, Pia Mia fell in love with music and performing at an early age. She joined school and community musicals and theater and began to post covers of her musical performances on YouTube. Almost instantaneously becoming a viral sensation, Pia moved to Los Angeles and signed with Grammy Award-winning producer, Babyface. In 2013, Pia Mia performed a cover of Drake's song "Hold on We're Going Home" for Drake and Kanye West. That same year, Ryan Seacrest debuted her independent single, "Red Love." At the age of 17, she formed Wolfpack Entertainment, a recording label, signing herself as its first artist, and then signed with Interscope Records. Billboard Magazine named Pia Mia one of eight "acts who will help define 2014." She released her debut EP, The Gift, collaborated with Chance the Rapper for the soundtrack to the original motion picture Divergent, and released "On My Mind" which appeared on NOW That's What I Call Music! Vol. 50. Pia Mia performed at various concerts throughout the year, and in the summer, she returned to her home island to perform at the international music festival, Guam Live.

​In January 2015, Pia Mia released "F**K WITH U," a buzz track for her fans which featured rapper G-Eazy. The track was a trending online smash with over 24 million streams. Pia's hit banger "Do It Again" featuring Chris Brown and Tyga went Platinum selling over 4 million copies worldwide, saw chart-topping success on the US "Billboard Hot 100 List," and was selected for Clear Channel's "On The Verge" artist for Rhythm radio and now has over 379+ million YouTube views. Pia's newest single, the incredible power ballad "Bitter Love" will also be featured on the AFTER movie soundtrack as an independent artist.

Pia has garnered international praise for her one of a kind style, consistently topping high-profile best dressed lists, including Vogue. She has modeled for numerous independent such as Nasty Gal, Pink Dolphin, and Missguided, to name a few. If that wasn't enough, she was selected as the first-ever Fashion Director for Madonna's Material Girl clothing brand. You can stay on top of Pia Mia's latest projects through her social media at @PrincessPiaMia.

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As a diverse and evolving pansexual, queer individual, who grew up in conservative Texas, Layke has always identified herself as a round peg trying to fit into a square hole. Layke has been performing since she was a child, and the creative arts were a way for her to channel her sensitivity and energy into something constructive. In high school, Layke began singing backup in a punk-rock band, which evolved into writing songs. She had always been a poet in her own mind, keeping diaries since she was a child, but putting those words into music was a new concept. After graduating, she moved to Los Angeles to create her own art, her own world, not act out someone else's. Layke’s first EP, self-titled LAYKE Part 1, was released in December 2018. It includes the lead single "Strangers In The Dark." She worked with legendary producer Adrian Gurvitz to bring this EP to fruition. She hopes people hear this album and feel that they can be whoever they want to be, unapologetically and unabashedly. Follow Layke through her social media at @laykeofficial.