Bibi Bourelly kicks off a North American tour tonight at U Street Music Hall.

By DCist Contributor Nicole McGloster

Most DCist readers probably know what Bibi Bourelly sounds like, even if her name doesn’t immediately ring a bell. The 22-year-old Berlin-born, Maryland-raised singer-songwriter penned Rihanna’s chart-topping hit, “Bitch Better Have My Money,” collaborated with Usher and Nas for their politically charged track, “Chains,” and is the uptempo vocalist on Nick Brewer’s “Talk To Me.”

Now, the daughter of guitar legend Jean-Paul Bourelly is poised to step into the spotlight with her five-track EP, Free The Real (Part #1), which features saloon-ready cut “Sally” and acoustic rebel anthem “Riot.”

As fans await part two and her long-awaited debut album, Bourelly kicks off the North American leg of her Free The Real tour tonight at U Street Music Hall. She spoke with the DCist about her high school days at James Hubert Blake High School, performing in her old stomping grounds, and what audiences can expect from her live show.

DCist: Tell me about moving from Berlin to Maryland. Was it a culture shock?

Bourelly: Well, in Berlin I was in the city, right? When I moved to Maryland, I moved to the suburbs. In Berlin, everyone knew everyone. I could hop on the subway and had a lot more independence. European culture is a lot more open to younger kids maturing a little bit faster as far as alcohol and shit are concerned and fucking sex and all these different things. So, yeah, I was around a lot of people that were kind of doing a lot more weird shit than when I moved to the States in high school. In the U.S., I think that it’s a lot clique-ier, but there’s also a real rawness that comes with Americans that you can’t really find anywhere else in the world. It’s a lot more honest I think.

DCist: Immediately, any listener can hear the raw frankness in your sound. Tell me where that give-no-fucks attitude comes from?

Bourelly: I don’t really know. It’s just my personality. Here’s the thing: I only started calling myself “raw” and all these things to describe myself after people started telling me. Growing up, it was never something that I was necessarily conscious of. Wanting to be truthful [because of] my circumstances and the things I’ve been through in my life.

DCist: Is that also the reason you named your EP Free The Real?

Bourelly: Yeah. My goal in music is just to encourage people to spread truth and to be as truthful as possible despite what you’ve done wrong in your life, what you’ve done right, who you are or where you’re from; to own it and to be proud of yourself. Embrace yourself so you’re able to grow eternally.

DCist: And what were your experiences like at Blake High School?

Bourelly: When I first went to Blake, I was never really a person that was necessarily outcasted because I’ve always been a super social person. Obviously, there was this clique of girls that was not fucking with me because I was new and shit. But after like a year or two, I met my best friends and everything changed. Throughout my whole high school experiences, I met a couple of new people and I had friends that went to other schools.

DCist: At that time, what was going on with the music?

Bourelly: Most of that time was dedicated to creating records and really developing as an artist. I made some of the worst songs of my life during that time period, oh my God. [Laughs] But skipping school to go to the studio, working with the kids around the corner and making my way around D.C. within the music industry and stuff prepared me and developed me. That gave me the drive and passion to go to L.A.

DCist: You’re kicking off the tour in DC. Is it gratifying to come back to your old stomping grounds and perform?

Bourelly: I think I will. I’m not there yet, but I think I will feel that way afterwards. It’s always nerve-wrecking to perform in front of people you know, you know what I mean?

DCist: You’ve worked with music’s greats—Rihanna, Kanye West, Nas, Lil Wayne. How has your life changed since working with folks who are so established in the business? And how has the weighed on your approach to music?

Bourelly: It gave me the opportunity to see beyond what I was exposed to. The way that those opportunities changed my life is growth. Working with those people has put me in a different place in my life. The way that it has changed my perception on music? Any time you enter a business, it’s going to change your perspective on it. Since forever, music has solely represented love in my life and when work in a business that generates money, it obviously starts to represent other things. But at the end of the day, even through all of the shit, I’ve always went back to that place where I fell so deeply in love with it.

DCist: Anyone else you’re looking forward to working with?

Bourelly: There are so many amazing artists in this world. It would be unfair and unrealistic to name any names, because it’s so fucking many. Like, I wanna work with the kid on the street that’s dope as fuck at playing guitar in fucking Seattle, you know what I mean?

DCist: When can we expect the Free The Real (Part 2)?

Bourelly: September.

DCist: Lastly, do you feel like people are sleeping on you, or do you feel everything’s happening at a pace that you enjoy?

Bourelly: I’m always gonna to feel like I’m being slept on because I have an ego and I know my capabilities. I have things to express, so I’m always gonna feel like I want more as far as music is concerned and reaching people. I do know that everything happens for a reason, but I don’t think that feeling is ever gonna go away.

Bibi Bourelly plays U Street Music Hall tonight with opener, PJ. 7 p.m. $15.