Saweetie Says She Still Gets the 'Jitters' with Every New Music Release: 'Just Never Goes Away' (Exclusive)

The “Nani” rapper spoke to PEOPLE about recording new music and working on her long-delayed debut album — plus the hip-hop icon who’s been inspiring her lately

• Saweetie spoke to PEOPLE about new music she's aiming to release soon

• While reflecting on her latest single, "Nani," the Grammy-nominated rapper shared why she still gets the "jitters" with every new music release

• Saweetie also revealed the hip-hop icon she's been listening to find inspiration for her long-awaited debut album

After dropping four EPs, dozens of singles, countless collaborations and earning two Grammy nominations, Saweetie admits she still gets the “jitters” with every new track she drops.

“I get nervous with every release. I can't help it,” the Bay Area rapper, 30, tells PEOPLE while prompting her new partnership with Postmates and The Boiling Crab. “I get the jitters, I can't sleep at night and I just feel like I'm sharing such an intimate piece of me because it is created in the studio, and then you eventually share it out into the world.”

The two-time Grammy-nominated artist says that nervous feeling “just never goes away,” despite still churning out fan-approved hits, like her latest single “Nani.”

Related: Saweetie and P-Lo Join Forces on New San Francisco 49ers Anthem 'Do It for the Bay'

Reflecting on the outcome of the track — which she first teased in March before dropping it on Friday, May 17 — the “Icy Grl” star says she’s “really grateful” listeners took to it so quickly.

“This is the first time where I feel like there was just a consensus of it being a good song,” Saweetie shares, adding that her goal was to make the single sound like a “fun, cool summer day with your family or friends.” “I didn't really have to do much fighting online, if you know what I mean. Even the haters was congratulating me, the back-handed compliments... They just have to give credit where credit's due.”

She adds, “It was just a great moment. I feel like all artists can appreciate a moment where their art is well received.”

For her next slate of songs — which she’s already played for her record label — Saweetie promises more summertime anthems, barred-up freestyles and then some. “It's definitely a lot more singing,” she reveals. “There's songs where there’s a lot of bars straight through. There's songs where I'm a little bit more vulnerable about certain things that may have happened to me. I just feel like with every song, you get to know me better, and I'm really excited to share that with my fans.”

One thing Saweetie is still taking her time with is her long-delayed debut album. The project, still titled Pretty B.I.T.C.H Music, was expected to drop in the summer of 2021, but the rapper has repeatedly said she’s in no rush to release it for a myriad of reasons — mainly because she wants it to be perfect.

Related: Saweetie Talks Importance Behind the 'Three B's': 'Balance, Breaks and Boundaries'

“That first album sets the tone for your career,” Saweetie notes. “I've really taken my time with this piece of art because it is delicate, it's sensitive and it means a lot to me.”

“I think it is our duty [as artists] to take this art serious,” she adds. “Not a lot of people are given this platform. I'm really just grateful to even have the opportunity to make a name for myself that's recognized globally. I still have a lot of work to do, but being that I have so much time to sit with myself and learn myself as a human, as a woman, as a artist, I just feel like I'm ready to share those stories. I have a lot of stories to tell.”

One icon the self-proclaimed “student of the game” says she’s been studying for storytelling tips is none other than JAY-Z.

“The other day, I was listening to a whole bunch of JAY-Z albums,” Saweetie recalls. “No, really. I remember when I would write my freestyle car raps, I would listen to a whole bunch of JAY-Z. My favorite album [of his] is probably The Blueprint. What I loved about it is, beyond the bars, you were able to get to know the man from New York, who made it from the block to the businessman.”

Related: Saweetie Says Her Life May Look 'Glamorous,' but 'A Lot of Difficult Things Happen Behind the Scenes'

With her forthcoming album, Saweetie hopes people can get to know her just the same: as “the girl from the Bay, who went to college, who’s self-made, who beat the odds, got signed and put out music; who's been doubted and still persevering.”

“I just feel like I've been through so much, and I'm trying to figure out a way to tell that story throughout this album,” the Single Life rap artist continues. “In the beginning, I was so private, like, ‘Let me not share too much.’ But when I'm listening to these great albums, like The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, The Blueprint, [Kanye West’s] Graduation, you were able to really get to know these people. I really just want the world to get to know Saweetie better.”

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