Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, is an American rapper and actor.
While some recognize him as Mos Def and others as Yasiin Bey, Laila! has always seen him as her father.
In an interview, Laila! clarified once and for all that she is indeed the daughter of the iconic rapper.
“Yes, he is my dad, y’all. The rumors are true; no, I’m kidding. But yes, he’s my dad. He’s my dad,” the 18-year-old said with a laugh.
Laila! shared the interview on her Instagram Stories and mentioned her father, writing on Thursday, “lmaooooooo dad the rumors are true @yasiinbey.”
Although Laila! can’t pinpoint a specific music lesson from her father, she remembers how the 50-year-old Black Star rapper would recognize and support her as an artist pursuing her own path.
“I don’t know, I guess, like, I kind of just always been my own, like, artist in a way,” she explained. “And like, that’s the cool thing, because I feel like as a kid, like whenever we would just jam sesh and like vibe out, me and him, I don’t know, I always had my own style, I always had my own thing going on. And he’s always just been like, ‘Okay kid, I see you.'”
In her interview on Way Up with Angela Yee, Laila! talked about the strong support her parents have provided throughout her music career, highlighting that her mother, Jessica Chong, serves as her “momager.”
“I’m so blessed because I’ve had parents and family and a support system, but especially my parents, they’ve always been so supportive of everything that I’ve wanted to do,” the “Not My Problem” singer said. “They never question what I want to do. My mom, my dad, you guys have always just been like, ‘Okay, that’s what she’s gonna do. That’s Laila!’ And I feel like that’s always made me feel like I can take on the world, or I can show the world who I am because I’ve always had that in my life. … I’ve always just felt so incredibly supported.”