Checking In w/ Chanel West Coast

check in with your mental health. I have someone who was known for spreading positivity through her music and tuning out the haters on social media coming up next here on Checking In with Michelle Williams, we were talking about, you know, just a healthy self image and not giving into the labels and the lies that people might say about you. And I just remember all the labels that

I had accepted over the years. Not good enough, unlovable, don't belong, done with music, unworthy, not pretty enough, boring, hypocrite, unintelligent, meant to be alone, the wall, the want want want, want wants. Those are lies because they are so the opposite of what God thinks about me. God didn't make any mistakes. So whatever your belief is, I just stand in the fact that we just can't believe those labels and those lies. We cannot believe the things that people

on social media say about you. Especially when they're negative, especially when they are not life giving. So I'm so glad that I have chanel On here today for us to talk about things that are going on. And I know what it's like to be cyber believed, and it's not a good feeling, especially when you are when you like to engage with people on social media, you know what I mean, and so sometimes you have to sift through two or three negative comments sometimes before you get

to the twelve positive common ments. You know what I mean, And so I would just say, you know, let's just just uplift one another. Let's be careful about what we say. Or if you feel like it's something constructive or something that you feel led to say to somebody, I dem them, I'd send them a private message and just leaving in God's hand, be like, hopefully they see it, and if

they don't, they don't. But always make sure that we are just speaking in love to people, because we will reap what we saw, and I think that we will reap even what we type in the comments sections of what we say to people. So that's just my twenty five cents, because it's more than two cents. But any who, I thank you guys, and I hope in this episode you guys really hear some strength and some inspiration and

Chanel is just a ball of sunshine. Our special guest today is a singer, songwriter, amazing, rapper, everything and co host on MTV's Ridiculousness, where she's known for her contagious laughter and positive energy. Please welcome Chanelle West Coast to the checking in podcast What's Up? How are You good?

I could not wait to talk to you because I have a group text with some friends and a lot of it through the years has been stuff from Ridiculousness and the show will probably always be around because we just don't act right as humans. We we do the craziest outrageous stuff there's and there's endless content. Like That's why I'm like, the show is never gonna go away. People are gonna skate just doing dumb things when they're bored and filming it and you know, they give us

a show. So shout out to all the people who are bored out there may be like you're keeping our girl working okay, which is actually a blessing. And of course your laughter is it has it always been that way. It's amazing to me. Thank you. I you know, it's so funny. Like my friends never like really told me like I had this like laugh. I don't know. I didn't know until I was on TV that like my laugh was a thing, you know. And then my friends were like, you've always had that laugh, Like we always

knew your laugh was funny. And I'm like, you guys never told me before, like you know so, but I know I get it from my It's a mix of my mom and my dad. My dad is a crazy laugh and my mom has a crazy laugh, So a combination of both of them. You got to hear them both laugh. It's hilarious. So yeah, so it kind of runs in the family. I guess you could say I have a friend where especially when she gets really tickled, she can't help it. She's snorts. She's the cutest thing.

Of course, we definitely had to discuss that, and um, how's everything had been going? I know things have shifted for a lot of us in the entertainment industry, um since and we have sing that you've been putting a stronger focus on your wellness and your mental health. Can you share with us a little bit? Yeah, definitely. I mean I'm for sure an extrovert. So when once the pandemic happened and it was like locked up inside, I felt like I was going a little bit crazy. I'm like, okay,

there's a lot of time at home. Definitely, I used the time wisely and stayed creative and you know, made use of my time. Not much time at home can can drive you insane, and so I really got into meditation, which I think meditation is key for mental health. Like I I download all these little different meditations on iTunes and you know, Apple music or whatever, and do something on like YouTube, and meditating exchanged my life, Like I've had. I had friends that I didn't talk to for a

while that I talked to during the pandemic. They're like, girl, you're like a whole new relaxed you. You know, I've always been a chill person, but I can get stressed out a little easy, like over my career and things like that. So I guess, see the sample perfectionists, that's where the stress comes in. But during the pandemic, I started meditating and that really helped me calm down. And I had a few friends like what spoke to when I'm talking to a while and they're like, you have changed.

You seem like a whole new calmer you. So I know that the meditation helped me get like that. Maybe there's something too that maybe you should do a meditation I don't want to say album, but something, because you probably could open up a world of of young people that might get into it because you're doing it and they're seeing a change in you. It's like, well, I want to do what she's doing, you know what I mean?

So thank you so much for using your platform to promote positivity because with doing what you do, as if I'm not in the same industry, but it ain't about me. With doing what you do, you face a lot of criticism, but you've chosen to remain positive. But at the same time, you let people know you're not a doormat either. How do you balance that and when do you find that it's time to speak up and defend yourself versus you

know what, y'all you better be glad I've been meditating. Well, let's say I definitely you know, um, I had a moment where I think a lot of people saw, like on ridiculousness when I kind of snapped on Charlemagne. But you know, we we made cool after that whole situation, But that was definitely a moment in my life where I felt like, you know, especially I've been on shows with all guys forever, I'm the only girl, and I was like, Yo, these guys aren't gonna stand up for

me either. Like I felt like I really had to stand up for myself at that moment. And there's always little moments where you definitely should stand up for yourself. But um, I will say that learning to ignore all the haters and meditatings really hoped with that for sure, but just really like, I feel like it took me a while to realize that people who are haters are

usually just you know, going through it themselves. They're probably not that happy, they're you know, they're sad for whatever reason,

and they're projecting onto you. And so once I realized that, I was like, I feel kind of bad for these people, and that I learned to hold myself back even more from going off on people like when they would like you know, say mean things in my comments and stuff, just because I realized I'm like, oh, these people are going through it, you know, like I should just let them vent and get it out right and get it out. And then there's this statement I love where it says observed,

don't absorb. Especially when you and I were engaging on social media. We like to respond and say thank you, especially when someone is saying something nice about what you've got going on. But sometimes you almost gotta sift through the mean stuff. So it's like it's going through my eye gates and it's I don't know if it's worth

hearing it or seeing it. Yeah, I think it's just about both ways, to be honest, Like, you know, people are just mean and and sometimes I think it's when they say something that kind of maybe hits you in like that little insecure spot or something you know, like and when people say stuff like that that really hurts, I'm like, dang, like why are you so mean? You know? But yeah, like I said, meditating, that's really helped me just be like I just need to shake it off

because these people got their own problems. So would you say meditation have you felt like you've dealt with any anxiety throughout the years or any depression where you're like, yo, this is really helping ease some of that. Yes, No, it helps a lot. So does yoga, like just all I love relaxing things. Sound bass I love like all those like relaxing vibes. We gotta see you on Instagram doing a sound bath and I'm gonna be here for it. Yeah,

I know. I did one at my house before with my girls, and uh it was just like really relaxing, Like I love to do relax and stuff like that because I'm basically working all the time, like I'm always hustling, So it's good to when you have spare time, let your mind just like be free. You know, you've got to take are of yourself because sometimes you know, you can just people are coming to you with things to do in your schedule, your work, and you've got to

be on set. You gotta film all these episodes. You gotta go to the studio, you gotta do this, you gotta do that. So I'm so happy that you are taking those measures to take care of yourself and putting yourself first. Was that difficult for you though in the beginning, Yeah, Like I I have a tendency to over work, I guess you could say, and like I had to learn like relaxing and setting that time aside to do things

for your mental health. That stuff just helps you be better at your craft and helps you be better when you go to work, you know. So now it's like it's that's part of my job too, you know, is to take the time to relax and to meditate and to do yoga and exercise and all those different things. I think that's all, especially exercising too, that all that stuff helps just release negative energy and help you stay

positive and focus absolutely well. I know that you talked about how you start up meditating, and friends have noticed a difference in you right now. Sometimes as you're growing, that can be intimidating for even people in your circle, or people might say, oh, you've changed. Did you lose any people along the way when you decided to say, I'm going to practice mindfulness. And if I'm going to practice mindfulness, I gotta do the right thing too, as it relates to what I say and what I write.

For sure. I grew up here in l A. So I've stayed friends with some you know, some of my best friends since second grade. They're you know, they're still here.

It's so good. You know, this is my hometown. So I'm friends with my same friends from elementary school there has been friends who I've been friends with since elementary school who I've stopped being friends with as I think I've progressed in my career, Like you know, I haven't changed, I haven't done nothing different, but I think that sometimes it goes back to like the same thing is where sometimes people aren't as happy with their lives or whatever,

and I start to notice just like maybe like more cattiness or like you know, girl girlfriends leaving me out of things or stuff like that. Like so, I have definitely lost some friends over the past few years. And it's not that like, you know, we're enemies or something like that, but I've I've really had to let go of like certain energies around me because it's important for me to stay calm, and I'm like, I don't got

time to argue over dumb things. I'm like, we're not in high school anymore, like you know, so I've had to let go of some friends like that because I'm like, I don't want that negative And you're so right, it's

not that you've changed. Maybe some circumstances have changed, You've got a few more resources, but you're still the same outgoing young lady where they could probably call you today and you'd probably be there for them, Like, y'all, I never went nowhere exactly, y'all change or or you feel like.

I also think it's this thing where people think when someone makes it in the industry or even in the world world of athletics, that there's this glaze of change that washes over us, and it's like, no, literally, the only thing that has changed. Maybe my zip code has changed, maybe my tax bracket has changed, but the core of who I am remains the same. I'm gonna, okay, I have a confession. I still like Olive Garden bread sticks. I don't care what folks say. I've got friends, honey,

God's money, and be hating on red lobster biscuits. I still love them. I'm obsessed with red lobsters biscuits. Those are the best biscuits in the world. I don't know about all of gardens bread sticks, but I love their stuff. Mushrooms. The stuff bustrooms are so good. They're listen. My mom lives um in the Rockford, Illinois areas outside of Chicago, and her birthday was in March, and we were trying to figure out where she wants to go for her birthday,

so I'm prepared. There's a few five star restaurants in that mall town. But she said rat Lobster, and I Loki was like, yes, I want to take the whole baskets go every time I go there. You're into fashion, You're into all the beauty trends, and do you feel pressure to look a certain way? Yeah, definitely you do. I feel like, you know, I definitely always tried to stay as natural as I can. But like you know, there's a little the little things here and they're like

a little botox in my forehead. I'm like, I had to start doing it. I was getting a wrinkle right here. I have a small forehead and I'm very expressive, so I started to get the super bad wrinkle here, and I was like, I can't have that wrinkle. I'm on TV NonStop, you know, So I had to get the botox in the forehead. Like so like it's pressure because I'm obviously on camera NonStop and there's those moments where

it's very close up or whatever. So I had I got a bad accident and I had knocked these two teeth out, like well, this one tooth got knocked out and then this one died and so I was able to keep my teeth, like they put a bond on this one, but they kept getting yellow, and I was like, I can't be on TV like this. What am I gonna do? And the dentist was like, you gotta give the ears. You have to get ears, And so I got faked teeth because I felt this pressure, like I'm

smiling and laughing all the time on camera. I'm like, I can't have these two yellow teeth. They're driving me crazy. So that's why I got my teeth done. I'm so much happier with my new teeth. They definitely like I think they changed my face and made it just more like more clean looking. Um. But like you know, there was a lot of pressure for that, and see how would have just thought and maybe she just got invisit line and maybe she just got him white and that

wouldn't you know? I already a pretty decent teeth. Yes, after those two teeth you know, got damaged or whatever from my accident, it was like I just had to do it. Like I'm like, I can't be on camera with two teeth a little bit yellower, Like people are like, what is she doing. Like this girl's laughing and smiling all day, like she definitely makes decent money, like she she get her teeth, you know. So I didn't want

to look like I just didn't care. Um, but I feel like if I wasn't on TV, I think I probably wouldn't care as much about those things. Like I'm a very relaxed, chill person, Like I don't think that I've ever cared, So I've always been pretty confident in my skin. You know. I think that it is being on TV NonStop and knowing that there's gonna be a million reruns and people are gonna see it NonStop, that that gives me that makes me I look better than

you know, the normal. Listen, we have literally come out the gates running with this interview. You are so infectious, and I'm just like getting into it, getting into it. You don't understand. I'm so happy to be doing this. Like I me and my girls, we did Destiny's Child for like three different little talent shows and we always won when we did Destiny's Trying, so like it was like it was like almost like a good luck charm for for us as kids. You know, I don't bless

you right now. I even told Kelly when I met her on Ridiculousness, I was like, We've had so many people, and I think I got more nervous when Kelly came on Ridiculousness than like, you know, like I grew up performing your guy's songs in the Talent Show, so like it's crazy to be talking to you, Like, let's throw some respect on the music side of you, thank the artistic side of you. Chanel. You released your album in yeah, and as I was reading and just doing my research,

it was what four or five years delayed. Yeah, it was like forever delayed, so many different reasons. I was trying to like just like figure it all out, I guess you could say. And then I was just like, you know what, I'm just gonna keep moving independently and just do what I wanna do. UM, So I wouldn't call it a delay. Came out when it was supposed

to come out, exactly, I exactly. It's all about timing, and I feel like it was God's timing to have have you know, I feel like the pandemic happened and we all used that time for what we could and I just felt like it was the right time for me, Like I made a couple of songs that are on my album during the pandemic, like right at the beginning of it. And I feel like just being in different times inspired different energy, inspired different music, you know, and

walk us through that. That was it was interesting, Like I've I've been you know, lucky to grow up in l A. So I've been recording in like pretty dope studios since I was like sixteen, and during the pandemic, I was recording in a little, tiny, uh room in my house. So it was like I took it all the way back. It was like I went in reverse, you know, and probably made some of the most incredible exactly. So, um,

that's that's what it's all about. I think it's just like it's not about the big studio or any of that stuff. It's about the actual song you're making and the message behind it, you know. And I feel like I had so much, so many feelings from relationships to about things going on in the world, and and I just wanted to get more of my story out about like what I've been through in my career. So I think for for me as an artist, like I went in a lot more with the with my story and

and just talking about different subject matter on this album. Yeah, I didn't know you got some vocals, thank you. Yeah. And sometimes there are some people that talk and you can even hear in there even the way they speak, like, huh, I wonder if they sing. Do they have that cool raspy miss a little bit in their singing tone? And you do listen, Yes, you can wrap. Okay, I'm gonna just say this, continue doing both. Thank you. I appreciate that.

Continue doing both. You're about meditation, so am I. I'm I'm about mindfulness. I'm also about putting it into the atmosphere what you want right Because a friend of mine we literally just worked, looked up the word future and it means the time or a period of time following the moment of speaking or writing. So I'm gonna ask you for your future. Who is someone that you'd like to work with musically? There's so many people. Oh my god, Uh,

there's a lot. I really think though that um, and I've said this so many times that I was like, there's he has to get the Google alerts or something. But I really want to work with Drake. I. I still I've never put out a song with Little Wayne. But I've worked with Wayne and look up to Wayne so much, so I do still want to put out a song with Wayne, but we okay work together. But I've never even gotten the studio with Drake. And I just feel like I love that that that he raps

and sings and like I do both as well. And I've had people in the past be like, oh, you kind of like Drake, like a female Drake or whatever. Yeah, I would love to work with Drake. Like I just love all his music. I feel like he can do no wrong. Every single song he clips out is a hit no matter what. So I really would love to work with him. Do you think that rapping and singing is a new standard, like you should have singing in

your back pocket? Yeah, I feel like, I mean, I think it's always good to do more than one thing. You know, there's all different types of artists. Some artists just wrap, some artists just singing. Some artists, you know, are more the performing type of artists like that it's all about the dancing, you know what I mean. But I think that these days people want to see more. People are short attention spans. There's so much content on

social media. So it's like, if you're not doing more than one thing, somebody else is, you know, it's better to you know, be multitalented. I feel wow. In the beginning, you know, we talked about how you are living life, but you are prioritizing your mental health, and UM, I hope you continue to talk about that on your platform so that people can be like, you know what if she's balancing herself or she's making sure she's centered and grounded, because I really feel I think it's an anti aging

practice as well. We don't have to be angry and bitter for a long time, you know, although there are things that are gonna happen to us in life and anger is going to be like a natural response, but we don't have to stay angry too long. We don't have to stay bitter and sad and all that stuff too long. So I'm grateful, um that you came to talk to us. What would you say to some aspiring artists out there who feel like, you know, maybe they've been put in a box or people only see them

for one thing. Because you are, you are breaking out, So give us something to the listeners who are saying, you know what, I think I can do this too. I think the best advice I can give to people is to always believe in yourself, no matter what other people say. I don't want to say believe in yourself too much, because Okay, sometimes there's you know, the people on like American Idol or whatever. You're like, you know,

they can't sing or something right. So every now and then every ballot that I feel like sometimes people believe in theirselves too much and maybe somebody needs to guide them in the right direction, you know. But I believe that if you believe in yourself that no matter what, something is gonna work out for you. You know that there's always gonna be people that are gonna knock you and hate on you and be like you could do

this or that better. But if you really have confidence and you just at the end of the day believe in yourself, it doesn't matter what anybody else says, You're gonna still make it no matter what. You know. I believe in attracting positive energy and so believing in yourself and believing that you can do anything that that's gonna

throw so many things your way. Even if you only believe in yourself in one category, you might believe in yourself so much that God's like, you know what, that's off the thing, but this is for you, and he might just push that at you, you know. So. I just believe confidence and believing in yourself attracts more positivity to you. Listen. I am a true believer of believing, because believing does work. Chanel. We are so happy and excited that you checked in with us today. Thank you

for having me. I'm so happy that you asked me to be on of course, will you come back, Yes, I will. Alright, ladies and gentlemen, America's sweetheart is out right now. It's amazing. I love it. Ridiculousness is in like season eighty four Never Show. Yeah, we're gonna be soon. Amazing. All right, Mama, We'll talk to you soon. Talk to you soon. Have a great day, you too, darling. Bye bye. Right. Wow,

it was so good to have Chanel West Coast. She he is checking in with us and with you all over the world, and I was just so excited to hear her talk about her self care routine and how she implements meditation, and we both can attest to the fact that we're all still growing right, and how you can tell you are growing is how you respond to things that you normally would have went off about and listen, it's okay. And I don't want to call them clap

backs anymore. A girl, you set them straight. No, Sometimes you just want to inform people because some people literally are just walking around here ignorant to certain things. So every now and them, you want to bring them into the light. And I'm so glad that Chanelle is bringing folks into the light. She's so talented and I think we'll continue to see more about her throughout the years. And I'm still a big fan of hers from Yes Ridiculous Nous. She's hilarious. So yeah, thank you all so

much for checking in my book. Checking In is in stores as we speak. Al Right, I love y'all to take care. Checking In with Michelle Williams is a production of I Heart Radio and The Black Effect. For more podcasts from My Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.