BadMoodRude would have never considered a career as a musician two years ago.
The local personality was known around Upstate New York as a music promoter and online mental health advocate, but she began producing her own music at the request of her late grandmother.
Now she’s negotiating contracts for her music to appear on a television show.
After earning a large online following due to her openness about physical and mental health, Rude began pursuing music in the fall of 2018. Now the up-and-coming musician has fans sharing her messages of positivity all around the country.
The Rochester native gained notoriety in the local music scene with her eclectic style. Her signature technique is created by combining different genres of music, like blending hip-hop vocals with electro-pop beats or experimenting with ambiantic trance.
These vary between each track. But Rude knows her diverse discography is what sets her apart from other artists and is proud her work can’t be confined to a single genre.
“My music is emotionally influenced,” Rude said. “I am very much into making music for whatever mood I’m in, so it’s hard for me to fit into a genre right now. I wish I was able to make music like some of my favorite artists, but I just can’t [copy them]. Whatever lyrics I write or beats I connect with just happen, and that’s why I don’t really put myself into a certain genre.”
And although her 50,000 monthly listeners on Spotify are a welcome surprise, Rude is no stranger to internet fame.
The musician found acclaim with everything from selfies and photos of her dog to self-help posts and positive affirmations. And with over 14,000 Instagram followers and viral tweetsgaining over 600,000 likes, she’s used to being in the spotlight.
But she hasn’t always been the mental health advocate she portrays online.
Rude was able to develop a large following of devoted fans after her public battle with emotional and physical health. Following the unexpected death of her mother in 2009, Rude’s online demeanor began to shift. She began her journey with physical health, eventually losing over 100 pounds.
She established her social media as a safe space to explore hard topics, attracting fans and followers who found solace in her openness.
“I think having a platform has made me become a kinder and more empathetic person,” said Rude. “I try to be very positive when interacting with everyone. I didn’t want to project negativity onto anyone, especially those that look up to me.”
The support of her following along with her close-knit family led her to success in less than a year.
Although Rude has experience in the music industry –– working for local performance promoter, The Entertainment Collective –– her grandma inspired her to start creating her own music in 2018.
“Making music my grandma got to hear has been my biggest accomplishment. I wouldn’t have done anything without her encouragement,” Rude said. “I’m always excited every time I record a new track, but my song ‘Sweet Dessert’ will always mean the most to me because it’s my only song my grandma heard before she died.”
Casey Weaver, Rude’s younger sister, admires the passion and dedication she puts into her music.
“When she’s passionate there is truly nothing that can stop her. My sister has always gone to the beat of her own drum,” Weaver said. “She did not begin to make music with the intention of becoming popular or famous. It has been so beautiful to watch my sister grow in her musical talents and see her dedicate so much of herself into it.”
This notorious determination has transcended through Rude’s career and songwriting process. Her unabashedly diverse sound demonstrates a confident-fluidity to her music.
“I can’t just make a song whenever I want to. I have a binder full of lyrics and one-liners. I think of [them] and have to immediately write them down, then I also have a folder on my computer full of beats,” Rude said. “I don’t know how to describe the feeling, but I need to wait for that feeling to write a song.”
Rude’s fanbase attributes its attraction to her to a rawness in her songwriting and her friendly demeanor.
Sage Keber, Rude’s husband and manager, feels that her ability to connect with her fanbase on an intimate level greatly contributed to her success.
“Something that I’ve noticed that is special about Rude is that it doesn’t take much for someone to fall in love with her as a person just as much as people may love her music,” said Keber.“Rude is all about showing support back and always posts that she’s here for anyone who might need someone to talk to.”
Fans tell Rude that she and her social media presence inspire them through her music and her story.
“I’ve been through a lot, just like other people. My biggest goal is to just help other people with my music,” Rude said. “I’ve had people tell me that my music [helped] them get through some of the hardest things in their life and that’s crazy to me but also super flattering. I’m lucky to be able to help people like that.”
Samantha Vargas is the senior features editor and can be reached at Samantha.Vargas@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @SamMarieVargas.
