Yung Miami Says She Battled Depression Before 'Spend Dat' Took Off

BY Erika Marie
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 15: Yung Miami of City Girls performs onstage during 2019 Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash at State Farm Arena on June 15, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Behind Yung Miami’s solo momentum was a period of depression that she says sometimes left her unable to get out of bed.

Success with “Spend Dat” arrived after a period Yung Miami says looked very different behind closed doors. During an appearance on Way Up With Angela Yee, the former City Girls rapper described battling depression while trying to establish herself on her own, admitting that some days ended with her crying in bed instead of enjoying the career momentum audiences see now.

The struggle became especially difficult as she waited to see whether her solo music would connect. Miami pointed to “Tea Time,” released in February, as a record that did not receive the response she had hoped for. Without another task immediately in front of her, she found herself sinking further. “I had to keep working,” she told Yee, explaining that too much downtime could pull her into “that deep depression.” Her answer was often to book another studio session, putting herself around other people while returning to something she still loved doing. “But I ain’t gone lie, there was some days where I was just lying in the bed crying,” she said.

That makes the performance of “Spend Dat” particularly significant within her first sustained solo run. Released in April, the J. White Did It-produced single debuted at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 before steadily climbing to No. 17, the highest position Miami has reached on the chart either solo or as part of City Girls. The song also became her first solo Top 40 hit, surpassing the No. 26 peak of City Girls’ “Act Up.”

Read More: Is Yung Miami’s “Spend Dat” Bad For Hip-Hop?

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Miami and JT began concentrating on separate careers in 2024 after their final City Girls album, RAW, failed to generate the momentum of their earlier releases. Miami said at the time that the duo’s working relationship was no longer connecting the way it once had, while both women moved forward with individual projects. For Miami, that transition meant proving she could build something outside a partnership that had defined most of her career.

She now wants to document what that process actually looked like. Miami told Yee that she is working on a documentary covering the difficult stretches alongside the breakthroughs of her solo career. “It took so much to get here,” she said, adding that the happiness and confidence she feels now should not be mistaken for how she felt throughout the entire process.

Music is taking priority as she works toward her debut solo album. No release date for the album has been announced. For now, “Spend Dat” remains Miami’s biggest solo chart success, while the documentary she discussed with Yee is still in development.

About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming the Co-Head of Original Content. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, and Amy Luciani—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.