On Monday (Jan. 22), comedic Influencer Maleni Cruz made her rap debut on FROM THE BLOCK, a popular freestyle platform that’s had Chris Brown, Jim Jones, and Offset make appearances.
Known for her sense of humor, Cruz’s bars on the mic are spicy while she raps, “Play with me that Dominican side gon’ chime in like, ‘no te atrevas.’ / It’s perfect timing / I ain’t jokin’ so don’t you get it confused cause I’m smilin’ / I’m livin / I’m vibin’/ You checkin’ my profile / And my impact is solid / Ya’ll know that ya’ll can’t try it.”
Influencer’s fans loved her performance preview released over the weekend with positive feedback and fire emojis. One of her followers on Instagram commented, “Maleni, you killed this shit, and you look beautiful doing it. I love this hustle energy you’re putting into 2024. Can’t wait to see what else you have in store.”
The freestyle promotes VH1’s new reality show, The Impact NYC. The Impact ATL spin-off tracks successful influencers in business, fashion, music, and beauty as they build empires while living life. Along with Cruz, the NYC cast includes recording artists Dream Doll, Cleotrapa, Chinese Kitty, fashion stylist Scot Louie, and entrepreneurs Ella Rodriguez, Ashley Marie Burgos, and Ashley’s mother, Bernice Burgos.
In the show’s trailer, Maleni aims to create her path and achieve success in the entertainment industry.
Cruz amassed three million followers from Brooklyn with her fiancé Chicklet and their hilarious comedy skits. Her ever-growing resume includes podcaster, comedian, actress, and brand ambassador. Through comedy, Maleani showcases her fearless voice, Dominican roots, and unapologetic perspective.
Legendary Hip-Hop journalist and author Kim Osorio executive produced Impact NYC, which was announced last month. Cruz and the cast are promoting the new show across U.S. media outlets.
“People should tune into The Impact because it’s an amazing show,” Cruz says in the trailer. “You get a little bit of drama, you get a lot of laughs, you get a lot of people, and you get the realness that New York brings. You get the authenticity that we provide. That is ingrained in us.”
The Impact NYC debuts tonight at 9/8c on VH1, with new episodes airing Mondays.
A past in reality television, Dream Doll, who also cut a FTB performance, spoke to Hot 97 TT Torrez in September 2022 about reality shows, her growth as an artist, and fall outs. Check it out, below.