Alemeda | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rahema Shifa Alameda December 13, 1999 [1] |
| Origin | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Genres | |
| Instrument |
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| Years active | 2020–present |
| Labels | |
Rahema Shifa Alameda, [2] known mononymously as Alemeda, is a Sudanese-Ethiopian singer-songwriter. She is signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and Warner Records.
Alameda was born in Ethiopia and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. [3] [4] [5] Her stage name stems from her last name, Alameda, which she elaborated is a "common name in the Gurage tribe in Ethiopia," of which her grandfather was a part. [6] She changed the spelling to "Alemeda" to be more easily found online. [6] Growing up in a strict household, she was "alienated from music until the age of 10." [7] Describing herself as a "heavy Disney pop-punk kid" growing up, [6] she was inspired to make music by High School Musical . [8] [9]
Her music blends "hyper-contemporary aesthetics with nostalgic R&B vibes" [3] and explores themes of love and relationships. [4] [5] In 2020, she appeared on "Slow Down", a song from the 2020 album New Beginnings by American rapper Reason. [10]
She independently released a drum and bass song called "Gonna Bleach My Eyebrows" as her debut single in 2021. [5] [9] She garnered popularity with it on TikTok, [3] but stated it would probably be her only drum and bass song, as she later began adopting more of a pop, alternative rock, and indie sound in her music. [9]
In 2022, she released "Post Nut Clarity". [11] Also in 2022, she made guest appearances on Capacity to Love and Herbert , albums by Ibrahim Maalouf and Ab-Soul, respectively. [12] [13]
In May 2023, she released "Ur So Full of It". [5] In July, she released "First Love Song". [9] She was spotlighted in a World Cafe playlist for Black History Month in 2024. [14] In February 2024, she released "Don't Call Me", of which Consequence of Sound writer Mary Siroky stated that "the air of riot and revolution [...] feels authentically cathartic". [7] On September 20, Alemeda was announced as the new signee to the Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) label, being signed in collaboration with Warner Records. [15] Her debut EP FK IT was released the same day. [16] She released "Beat A B!tch Up", featuring Doechii, as the debut single for her EP But What The Hell Do I Know in October 2025. [17]