If you’ve ever heard of a teen girl group called the OMG Girlz, then you might already be familiar with Bahja Rodriguez. Though the young songstress rose to prominence with her former Atlanta-based singing group, Bahja’s talents didn’t end after she parted ways with it. In fact, she’s been using her career as a solo artist to level up and reach new heights in her craft, which has given her the time and space to grow independently as she carves out her own lane in R&B. Yes, she may be young at 25 years old, but she’s no newbie to the music industry. Some of her latest releases prove that, including her 2020 EP Hold You Over and her newest offering, “Keep Up/Times Up.” Ahead, get to know more about the rising R&B singer with a few fun facts!
Getty / Rodrigo Vaz
She's Been Performing Since She Was 12
Music has been a part of Bahja’s life ever since she was a kid. She officially began her career as a recording artist at just 12 years old when she joined her former girl group, the OMG Girlz.
Getty / Dipasupil / BET / D Dipasupil/BET
She Caught Her Big Break in a Girl Group
Bahja hit a milestone in her music career when she joined the OMG Girlz as a kid, performing under the stage name “Miss Beauty.” The group formed in 2009 and included members Zonnique Pullins, Reginae Carter, Breaunna Womack, and Bahja’s younger sister, Lourdes Rodriguez. They recorded hits like “Gucci This (Gucci That)” and “Where the Boys At?,” both of which charted on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Airplay charts. They were also nominated for an NAACP Image Award and even went on tour with famous acts like Diggy Simmons and boy band Mindless Behavior. Though the group later disbanded in 2015, all of its members still seem pretty close, seeing as they all reunited at Zonnique’s baby shower back in 2020.
Courtesy of Medium Creative Agency
She Has a Couple Dream Collaborations For the Future
Though she’s still a budding solo artist, Bahja has a couple of dream collaborations on her wish list. She hopes to one day work with a few big name artists like Big Sean, Wizkid, Eric Bellinger, and Solange.
Damar Little
She's Enjoyed Growing as a Solo Artist
After parting ways with the OMG Girlz, Bahja found that being a solo artist was much more rewarding for her passion in music. As far as handling her fame goes, she told Kazi magazine in 2020 that the “biggest change is that I’ve basically had to rebrand myself and get people to see who Bahja truly is. Without all the gimmicks.” Now, she says that her fans can “connect on a way more personal level with me because they’ve watched me grow from a little girl to a grown woman, and they also hear it in the music.”