Maxim Cover Star Justina Valentine Reveals How Nick Cannon Pushed Her to Release New Music: 'I Had to Grind to Get Here'

Justina Valentine is Wild n Out's longest-running female cast member, and the New Jersey native is just getting started. The multihyphenate began recording sound pieces in 2006, and since then, she blossomed into a beloved producer, television personality, and most recently, Maxim cover star.

In June, the red-head beauty released her single "Mouth Go Crazy" under Nick Cannon’s Ncredible LLC, and the empowerment anthem incorporates a flow that pays homage to Valentine's idol Busta Rhymes — and resembles the attitude of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's sexually liberated track "WAP."

"The only music that I dropped last year was the soundtrack to Fughetabout Christmas," Valentine exclusively tells OK!. "When this year came around, and I had really been focusing on film and TV, Nick was like, 'You need to drop a new single and you need to really show people what you can do lyrically.' He was like, 'Get a beat from Ayo.'"

Cannon's advice led the mega influencer to work alongside Ayo — the producer behind "WAP."

Valentine's track captures a cultural shift within the genre of hip-hop amidst its 50th anniversary. The musical sound that was birthed out of the streets of the Bronx has become one of the most impactful styles of American music, and although women have always been a part of it, their role within it has often reflected the ongoing barriers that exist in the music industry.

However, with pioneers such as Queen Latifah, Lil Kim, Roxanne Shante, Foxy Brown and more, the glass ceiling slowly chipped away, opening the doors for newcomers such as Valentine, Ice Spice, Latto and more.

"I think now is the time when women can really embrace their sexuality without being judged," Valentine explains. "In the past, you had to play it a little more clean or just sprinkle it in. We as females like to feel pretty, and I think we all like to feel s---."

After being on Wild n Out for years, Valentine has been able to learn from her mentor Cannon while getting support from the father-of-12.

"Nick is literally like Superman. He really does not sleep well," Valentine shares. "He is amazing at getting everything done. I always say, 'If you really need to get something done, find the busiest person you know, because that would be the person that is able to squeeze it in and get the job done.'"

"Having a mentor like him shows me that if there's a will, there's a way," she stresses. "I've always been the type to work hard. I had to grind to get here, and I really climbed my way up the ladder and cut my teeth."

Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!

Many of Valentine's fans know her for her time on the popular improv show, but the role wasn't how she initially envisioned her big break.

"When I got on Wild n Out, that was what changed my life and gave me a platform," she explains. "When that happened in 2016, music had always been at the forefront, the focal point and the goal for my career. When I went on TV, I dropped music."

Now, Valentine feels like she's ready to conquer it all.

"In 2023, I felt like, 'OK, I know the TV and film industries," the Vine star adds. "That's that's the space I've been embraced in and I'm so grateful to be where I'm at and thriving in it — but I still want that hit single."