DAYZEE D.H.F., also known as Da Hood Fairy, carries a story shaped by movement, resilience, and creativity. Born in Harlem and raised between Inglewood and Los Angeles, her life reflects the duality of roots and reinvention. She comes from an immigrant family on both sides, raised by a mother who came to America searching for opportunity and stability. As a child, DAYZEE briefly lived in her mother’s home country, where her grandmother cared for her before she returned to California once her mom was able to establish a life there. That early sense of displacement and adaptation would later become fuel for her artistry.
Most of her upbringing took place in Inglewood, growing up alongside her younger brother and cousins. She attended schools that valued creativity, offering programs in art, film, dance, theatre, improv, and choir. With her mother working constantly to keep the family afloat, school became more than just education—it became her escape. Every creative outlet available to her was something she leaned into fully, not just to learn, but to survive emotionally.
Despite her outgoing personality, childhood wasn’t easy. She struggled to form close friendships due to relentless bullying over her appearance. As the tallest girl in her class with a noticeable gap in her teeth, she was often singled out and labeled. By high school, she was dismissed as “the weird rap girl,” existing on the outskirts while quietly building a world of her own. Her mother faced the familiar challenges of being a young Black woman in America, working tirelessly to provide the basics. There were times when money was tight, when Little Caesars down the street felt like a staple meal, and popular clothes or gadgets were out of reach. But what her mother did give her was invaluable—her own room. That space became her sanctuary, the place where music, reflection, and self-discovery took root.
Music had always lived in her blood. She comes from a family of musicians, and even before she could articulate it, music was part of her identity. Her grandmother once recalled a moment from her toddler years when she cried uncontrollably late at night, forcing her to leave her restaurant mid-shift just to sing her to sleep. Even though her grandmother wasn’t a musician herself, music was clearly embedded in DAYZEE’s spirit.
She began making music in first grade, sitting at her aunt’s piano and writing songs together. Her first song, titled “I Never Had a Boy,” was inspired by childhood crushes who never liked her back. She wrote the lyrics herself, pouring emotion into melody for the first time. That moment sparked something permanent. Music became her most honest outlet. In school, she joined choir and fell deeply in love with poetry and rhyme through her English classes. She became so immersed that she began completing assignments for her classmates behind the teacher’s back, a quiet sign that she had found her gift. When YouTube made beats accessible, her poetry evolved into raps and songs, filling notebooks page after page.
Her musical influences are as layered as her upbringing. Reggae played heavily through her household because of her cultural background, while her grandmother’s love for country music added an unexpected contrast. Her father introduced her to hip-hop legends like 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg through the radio. Friends and environment expanded her taste even further, from ’90s R&B and soul to artists like YG, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Tupac. She also grew up admiring Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Boyz II Men, and Selena Quintanilla, drawn to their power and emotion even if she couldn’t hit every note herself. She listened to whatever defined each era, whether it was Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable” or Owl City’s “Fireflies.” That wide range of sound and emotion ultimately shaped her own.
Today, DAYZEE D.H.F. describes her sound as neo-soul, alternative, and pop at its core. She is a rapper with a deep love for soulful and lo-fi melodies, creating music rooted in truth, introspection, and desire. Much of her released work began as demos recorded in her bedroom, where she built a home studio and developed her sound independently. Those early recordings were later refined in professional studios with the help of a skilled engineer connected through her manager.
Before stepping fully into the identity of DAYZEE D.H.F., she released a large catalog of music independently on SoundCloud under a different name. That era still exists quietly in the background—an archive of growth waiting to be revisited when the time feels right.
Outside of music, her creative process was often shaped by the places she spent time in. Parks like Rogers Park, Centinela Park, and Kenneth Hahn Park became spaces for reflection. Dockweiler Beach was especially meaningful, serving as a backdrop for journaling, lyric writing, and self-discovery. As a movie lover, she could often be found at theaters like Howard Hughes Center’s The Bridge or the Crenshaw Mall cinema, or simply driving through the streets of Inglewood and Los Angeles, absorbing the city that raised her.
Her most recent release, “Love On Me,” marks a turning point. The song reflects her growth beyond insecurity, once the biggest obstacle between her and her full potential. Through it, she tapped into deeper self-love and manifested the emotions she wanted to feel. Available on all streaming platforms, the record has resonated deeply with listeners, many of whom have shared how it helped them through difficult moments—something she considers the greatest reward.
There’s much more on the way. She has an upcoming collaborative project titled “Bossed Up” with close friend and fellow artist Gouda Madness, a body of work she’s confident will stay in heavy rotation. A single called “Good Girl” is set to follow soon after. Constantly creating, she keeps a vault of over 200 unreleased songs that continues to grow weekly. Whether people are paying attention now or later, she’s certain her moment is inevitable.
Grounded in gratitude, DAYZEE D.H.F. gives thanks first to God for the courage to keep pushing and for the gift that allows her to help others. She credits her mother, family, friends, and manager for believing in her vision and supporting her journey. Already, she feels she’s living her dream simply by creating, and she looks forward to continuing to heal, connect, and inspire through her music.
DAYZEE D.H.F.—Da Hood Fairy—your rap therapist.
