Born and raised in small-town Michigan, at the age of 16 Paytra bought a one-way ticket, moved to New York City to pursue her music career and never looked back. Young and naive, she wasn’t prepared for the turbulent and often vicious tactics of the music industry in the most competitive city in the world. She found herself in the midst of it all, hustling to make ends meet, managing her new-found independence, dealing with shady industry professionals, and quickly realizing just how challenging it would be for a young female with big dreams and a lot to say. She knew that if she was going to make it in this city, she needed to up her game: musically, mentally and physically. She dedicated herself to hours of dance classes, vocal lessons, rehearsals, and performances. She committed herself to her craft and learned to swim in a city full of sharks.

Musically, Paytra forges her own path. From her beginnings in more traditional 808-based pop/hip hop, she's developed a new sound that blends modern elements with her R&B, alternative, funk and soul influences from the '90s and '70s. A lyrical force to be reckoned with, Paytra champions the often-unheard voices of young women. She speaks from her own experiences of moving from suburban Detroit to NYC by herself at 16, where she learned to navigate the gauntlet of a male-dominated music industry. Paytra sings of self-reliance, self-compassion, sexism, racism, financial independence, sexuality and sisterhood. And yet somehow despite the massive weight of these topics, the music is fun, exciting, and joyous.