now yola quartey, who goes by first name only, is making a big name for herself, on her own terms. ♪sonal mission, and a mix of musical sounds, including r&b, country, soul, and rock, that she calls genre-fluid. >> it sounds like where i grew up. so many things from caribbean people based in the uk, african people based in the uk, the stuff we import from america, the stuff we impt from everywhere else. all smooshed to see where the connective tissue of humanity is . jeffrey: most important, she's the one doing the smooshing. >> it's why i speak the way i speak, as plainly as i do, because people need to see a person of my hue, of my brand of chocolate, with agency and with a sense of joy and creating things. jeffrey: she traces the start of her rise to a 2016 attention-getting appearance a the basement. this is a tiny place. >> it's not massive. [laughter] it's, what, 100 cap, right? oh, look at her. jeffrey: a famed nashville club where musicians come to perform and be seen. in her case, seen as yola, showcasing for the first time. >> this is the real “i'm here” moment, you know? a