Bobbi LaNea and Folayan of Flyana Boss are mainstream superstars in the making. The continuously rising hip-hop duo delivers their multifaceted artistry with the same natural grace as the icon who inspired their name, Diana Ross.
Before first linking up as students at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Calif., Bobbi LaNea and Folayan were raised in their respective home cities of Detroit and Dallas with parallel dreams of making it big. The two incredibly creative minds each recall their entertainment business aspirations as something that was always pure destiny.
The first time Flyana Boss recorded together was for a track called “Bossi,” which they officially released in 2019. The swinging bop was part of a four-pack of songs the newly minted duo previewed at an ASCAP event in L.A. earlier that year, at which they were discovered by their first manager who remains part of their team to this day. Shortly afterward, Flyana Boss linked up with their go-to producer, Marky Style, who they view as an important key to their musical success.
Around the same time 2020’s “Ring Around” was gaining traction as the subject of a few thousand creations on TikTok, Flyana Boss’ management team formed the Vnclm_ record label. With the duo as signees, the imprint inked a deal with Atlantic Records in 2021 and Bobbi and Folayan found themselves at a new home within the industry.
Flyana Boss once again caught a glimpse of viral success in early 2022 when thousands of TikTok videos were created with the song “Miss Me.” However, 2023’s “You Wish” is the joint that sent their budding music career into the atmosphere in June of last year. With a purely genius roll-out, Bobbi and Folayan tapped their videographer Evan Blum to film various teaser clips of the two rhymers rapping the song while they sprinted full speed around places like California’s Disneyland and New York City’s Times Square.
Before the track even dropped, “You Wish” garnered millions of views and creations across social media. Last July, the Marky Style-produced anthem reached No. 1 on Spotify’s Viral 50 playlist and has since amassed over 37 million streams on the popular platform. “You Wish” also opened all types of doors for Flyana Boss even beyond their already sizeable dreams.
When one of the many “You Wish” runner videos found its way onto Missy Elliott’s social media timeline, the hip-hop legend hit the comments section with a simple, “Fun.” The beyond-excited Flyana Boss took the opportunity to shoot their shot in Missy’s DMs. The result was a guest appearance from the famed Virginia rapper-producer on the “You Wish (Remix)” along with Flyana’s Atlantic Records labelmate Kaliii.
As if that wasn’t enough to solidify Bobbi LaNea and Folayan’s position in the rap game, one clever line from the viral smash helped Flyana Boss uniquely land several lucrative brand endorsements. In a bar she openly admits was “complete cap” at the time, Bobbi raps, “I be Michael Phelps, all the brand deals that I’m swimmin’ in.” According to the group, that punchline in itself secured deals with brands like Nike, Pizza Hut and DoorDash, among others.
Now, ahead of their upcoming Bosstanical Garden Tour, which has already sold out multiple dates, Flyana Boss joins XXL’s The Break: Live for a highly entertaining interview. The bubbly besties dive into the creative process behind their multi-platform approach to delivering music, and how social media has contributed to their success. Bobbi LaNea and Folayan also touch on what it was like working with Missy Elliott and Kaliii on the “You Wish (Remix),” their new single “Candyman” and much more.
Check out the full interview below.
Follow Flyana Boss on Spotify and Instagram
Standouts:
“You Wish”
“You Wish (Remix)” with Missy Elliott and Kaliii
“Miss Me”
“Trashboi”
“UFHO”
