Written by: Barbara Kay

Mya Forbes, known as Cnspracy, is a multifaceted artist. She writes lyrics, sings, produces, and is a sound engineer. She’s created her own sound composed of hypnotic lyricism, and hip-hop beats. And as a disabled woman– Cnspracy has spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (SED), a type of dwarfism– she uses her platform to only entertain, but bring representation to the stage.

“I really love being able to alter a certain sound and make a song feel totally different from how it started out,” she said. “I still do all three: I write, I mix, I produce. I occasionally rap, but that’s for fun. I enjoy the entertainment aspect of rapping, taking on a different persona with that art.”

Cnsprcay grew up, and still resides in, Queens, NY surrounded by gospel and reggae music in her Jamaican household. By 12-years-old, Cnspracy had developed a “tactical” interest in music and began writing her own songs. In high school and college, she discovered a passion for sound engineering and producing.

Photo by: Tyler Thompson

Taking inspiration from the music of her childhood, and artists like Mary J. Blige, Nicki Minaj, Whitney Houston, and Bob Marley, she’s curated a discography filled with disco-esque beats and R&B energy.

Faith has also played a large role in Cnspracy’s life since childhood, and while she wouldn’t call herself religiously “hardcore,” she described how it has been therapeutic.

“I wouldn’t categorize myself as someone who makes gospel music or Christian music, it’s just something that’s a part of me,” she said. “Faith has been a big focal point in my life. I’m someone with a physical disability and faith is something I’ve used as a tool to move forward.”

Cnspracy uses a wheelchair for her SED. Growing up, it made her feel isolated from her peers. And as an adult she said that while she doesn’t “think [she’ll] ever be 100% secure with [herself]” many other disabled (and able-bodied) people would say the same.

She finds her disability gratifying and allows her to see the world with a more appreciative eye than most. It also heavily motivated her to join the music industry– and inspired her stage name.

“I've always kind of been intrigued by the concept of a conspiracy theory,” she said. “There's something interesting to me about someone wholeheartedly believing in someone that others disagree with or see as crazy just because there may not be visible proof at the moment. To me, my dreams, goals have always been somewhat like a conspiracy theory.”

“Those images aren’t out there, of people with physical disabilities pursuing their dreams in entertainment,” continued Cnspracy. “It’s an important image to put out there, not only to inspire people but educate them too. The disabled population is so diverse that there’s not one image of it. We’re out here doing the things that you’re doing.”

Meanwhile, Cnspracy has multiple positions on and behind the scenes of production, as well as several other hobbies. When she’s not making music, she’s drawing, bike riding, playing video games, and collecting sneakers. She’s developed different methods to practicing each of her crafts. Writing songs and producing music gives her more creative autonomy than mixing, which she said is more of a science. And as a “science and math nerd,” she said, both ways are exciting and enjoyable.

“For writing, or any creative thing I do, I feel like my process is unconventional,” Cnspacy said. “I like to let my soul do the talking. I don’t like to think too much, the thinking comes after when I’m editing and revising. Initially, I don’t like to stop what my soul is trying to say on its first instinct.”

“With mixing, I would say that it depends on the artist that you’re mixing for,” she continued. “Some artists want the engineer to be a part of the creative process. They want you to show your art through mixing. There are other artists who know exactly the sound that they want and want you to do certain things that they’re not able to do [themselves].”

While she continues to write, mix, and produce, she’s extended her passion to helping other artists through ASCAP– a performing rights organization that works to get writers and composers fair compensation. Her last single, “23,” along with its music video, came out last year.

Music Video by: Smiley Face

Her next project consists of her sharing more of her life as a disabled person on her social media accounts like Instagram and YouTube (both are @cnspracy).

“Life is different for everybody and people are going through some rough things and just being able to breathe air and feel the sun are little things that I appreciate,” she said. “They keep me going. Even going through pain and heartbreak motivates me because hard times can’t last forever.”

Photo by: Tyler Thompson

Link to cnspracy’s music

cnspracy

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