UMI isn’t just a rising star in R&B; she’s also a master strategist. During her recent appearance on The Baller Alert Show with BT and Ferrari Simmons, the singer revealed that her decision to drop out of college wasn’t impulsive; it was all part of a calculated plan.
“My master plan was I had a full ride to college just to drop out,” UMI said boldly, making it clear that she never intended to follow a traditional academic path. I went to USC in LA, really just to do music. I was pretending I wanted to do academics, but I was skipping class, going to the studio, doing open mics.”
UMI’s early hustle started on SoundCloud, but copyright issues with cover songs pushed her to start releasing original music in high school. That journey continued at USC, where she recorded in her dorm while classmates were off at football games. She linked with film students to create music videos and performed locally, building a fanbase both online and on the ground.
“I recorded everything by myself in my dorm,” she shared. “When everybody’s at the football games, that’s when I would record.”
That hustle paid off. By her second year, her music started catching steam. Playlist placements and growing buzz eventually led to her signing a record deal. And that’s when she knew it was time.
“Yes, I dropped out. That was always the plan,” UMI confirmed.
Respect the hustle, indeed. UMI didn’t just drop out—she leveled up.
