SOPHIA LIANA is truly in her element amidst the razzmatazz of flashing stage lights, busting out electrifying dance moves and dropping bars while the crowd cheers her on.
The 29-year-old artiste is a natural, honing her craft with many years of arduous training in dance and rap, and has proven time and time again that she has what it takes to become one of the greatest female rappers of our time.
One would definitely recognise her as one-third of sensational all-female musical group De Fam, alongside Nurshazwani Shamsuddin, better known as Cik Manggis, and Azira Shafinaz Ramlan. Together, the trio launched their debut single #Supergirls in 2015, and have been dominating the national music charts and winning awards ever since.
Earlier this year, Sophia attained great success in the reality TV competition Dansa Dan Sing 2020, where after eight gruelling weeks of hard work, she and dance crew Budak Ngam emerged as champions. She celebrated her feat with the release of her first solo single Ngam, accompanied by a music video.
In an interview with theSun, Sophia took us on a trip down memory lane as she revealed her efforts to break into the local entertainment scene.
Before establishing De Fam five years ago, you were in hip-hop dance group Funky Fresh Family with Cik Manggis and Azira. What was it like back then?
“I started out as a dancer together with my De Fam girls. The Funky Fresh Family was essentially the stepping stone that propelled me into the local entertainment scene. It was there that I developed the correct skills and techniques of dance, it was also what I did to earn a living.
“Those were the days where we had to hustle our way up and believe in what we love, and do it out of our innate passion. We were dancing at award shows as background dancers for some of Malaysia’s finest artistes such as Faizal Tahir, Joe Flizzow, Altimet, Dato AC Mizal and others.
“However, it wasn’t until the formation of De Fam that I started learning how to write my own lyrics and my own songs, and eventually becoming a rapper today.
“Either performing as a solo act, or with De Fam, I would always make sure that both creative pursuits are individually unique in their own way, by planning closely with the girls.”
What are your thoughts on the local entertainment industry?
“It’s always incredibly invigorating and exciting to see how the local entertainment scene has grown tremendously to where it is right now, and how artistes today – the veterans and the new blood – are not afraid to be true to themselves as they showcase their unique talent and skills.
“I believe we have so many talented people that are ready to shine, especially our next generation.”
How did your debut single Ngam come about?
“Ngam is a project I did in collaboration with the music streaming platform JOOX. I had the privilege to share my idea of what I believe to be the best representation of myself with the release of my debut single.
“After winning Dansa Dan Sing 2020 in February with Budak Ngam, I figured it would be interesting to feature them as an artiste in the song, and also as a continuation project following the reality TV competition.”
What inspires you?
“Self-growth and striving for greatness. I hope to be a voice that will inspire others to always believe in their dreams. There are bound to be failures in anything we do, so it’s important to accept and value them, to improve and succeed later on.
“It has served as a huge motivation for me to become a better artiste and a better person as a whole, just by learning new knowledge. For me, this is very important for finding your own purpose in life.”
Have you always envisioned this for yourself, being where you are today?
“To be very honest, when I was younger I always told myself that I wanted a career that I’m passionate about and absolutely love doing. As it turns out, looking back on my journey and the milestones, despite all the uphill struggle, it has really paid off.
“I guess I’m reaching where I envisioned myself to be, but I wouldn’t say that I’m completely there yet.”
What have you learned over the years?
“What I’ve learned is to understand your individual talent, and embrace it with full commitment. Discover yourself, not just as an artiste but also as a brand.”
How do you measure success in your work?
“It is when all your hard work has helped inspire and motivate others to achieve success. I find a sense of happiness and satisfaction whenever I see people appreciating my songs, and that I’m able to bring joy to them.”
