Day two of 2025 All Things Go NYC (Sept. 27) boasted what was arguably the most stacked lineup of the three-day event. Though she graced the Forest Hills Stadium stage in Queens early in the afternoon, Alemeda left quite the impression on the crowd. An Ethiopian-American musician whose work combines alternative, indie rock and pop, Alemeda is also the youngest act signed to Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), the indie record label that brought the world Kendrick Lamar and currently houses Grammy-winning superstars like SZA and Doechii.
In 2024, TDE announced Alemeda as their newest signee, in collaboration with Warner Records. Her debut EP, FK IT, arrived the same day. This year, Alemeda has unleashed a pair of singles, the Rachel Chinouriri-assisted “Chameleon” and “1-800-F**K-YOU,” for which she’s currently prepping an Office-themed music video. As she’s been hitting the festival circuit this year, Alemeda’s also been teasing another single — and it’s a collaboration with Doechii.
“[It’s coming] in a week or two,” she revealed to Billboard backstage after her set. “It’s called ‘Beat a B—h Up,’ and it’s a pop-punk song that’s four years old. I re-recorded and re-produced it with my favorite producer, Stint, and we kept everything as is. Doechii gave me hella notes to enhance the song, and she took it to the next level. I sent the song to her right away because I knew I wanted a female rapper on it, and she just got signed [to TDE], and I was still in my artist development phase.”
This year, Billboard honored TDE CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith with the executive of the year award at the 2025 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event. With true cultural juggernauts on its roster, TDE boasts a storied legacy that Alemeda seeks to leave her mark on. “TDE likes to take their time and make sure everything is packaged nicely,” she says. “I took a good three years to figure out what my sound is and perfect my performing. They didn’t just throw me on big stages like they could have. They don’t really force me to do anything, they say, ‘Here are the resources, go figure it out!’”
With a new project due later this year before her Dec. 13 birthday, as well as a few more live shows, Alemeda’s mid-twenties are driving the creative process.
“It’s a critical time,” she muses. “I’m at a time where I’m having all my f–k-ups and I’m trying to change, so my brain development is inspiring me.”
