Rapsody has overnight announced the news that she has been signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation entertainment company, making her the first female rapper ever to join their roster. She reportedly made the announcement while performing at this year’s Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, an event coincidentally being streamed live on Jay-Z’s Tidal streaming service.
Despite her career as a performing artist stretching back almost a decade, the North Carolina rapper had never been signed to a major label. After making huge waves and a name for herself in the hip-hop community after a stellar turn on Kendrick Lamar’s Complexion (A Zulu Love) from To Pimp A Butterfly though, her star has been on the rise. She announced earlier this year that she would be releasing a follow-up to her 2012 album Idea Of Beautiful by the end of 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH6qPuPSZHU
Rapsody posted the news to Instagram herself and the announcement was also confirmed by Rapsody’s current label Jamla, its founder 9th Wonder also taking to his own Instagram to toast new beginnings. Young Guru from Roc Nation also offered up his own welcome to Rapsody and Jamla via Twitter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH6qPuPSZHU
To new beginnings….. #WelcometoJamRoc @jamlarecords is the squad….. @rocnation is the family……. A photo posted by 9th Wonder (@9thwonder) on
https://twitter.com/Young_Guru/status/754410959423373312
Few details regarding the arrangements of the deal are available at this time, but judging from the use of the portmanteau ‘JamRoc’ in every post there appears to be some joint agreement between the two labels.
Roc Nation is home to several female artists including Rihanna, HAIM and Grimes, but Rapsody is their very first female rapper. Her signing is yet another step forward for the female voice in hip-hop; a voice that just grew a whole lot louder now that one of the genre’s best up-and-coming artists is signed to one of its biggest labels.
Image: @Rapsody (Instagram)
Talib Kweli, 9th Wonder and Rapsody’s Life Ahead Of Me has been given the visual treatment, with the artists featured in front of a white background, surrounded by eye-catching graphics which tell the story behind the song.
As Rapsody’s raspy voice starts off the song, the tagline “I got my whole life ahead of me” grips onto us from the beginning. The graphics appear as she moves her hand, looking as if it were magic. Halfway through, we follow the images of moving cars to Kweli’s verse, and as the song continues, the designs within the graphics grow in detail. From basketballs to wads or cash and even a petrol station drawn in colour, the animation of Cam Be and Claudia Randel make for a really interesting little video.
The song was originally featured in Kweli’s 2015 album Indie 500, which was performed on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon earlier this year. Rapsody credited the performance as a highlight of her year in an interview with DJBooth; “Oh yeah. I did Jimmy Fallon with Talib. Who forgets that shit?! I do! That’s crazy. That’s primetime TV, millions of viewers. Nobody just gets on Jimmy Fallon… And backed by The Roots. Man, my year was awesome!” she said.
Watch the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuEuc13TUag
Image: YouTube
In a year where many musicians are sadly passing away all too young, it’s understandable that many are feeling the nostalgia and doubting that the musicians of today will be able to hold candles to the giants they stand on. Earlier this week however, Talib Kweli came out against a Twitter user who was doing exactly that, who claimed that A Tribe Called Quest and Rakim can’t be compared to the sounds of today.
https://twitter.com/TalibKweli/status/732672904933068800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Over a number of tweets, Talib named Run The Jewels, Joey Bada$$, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Rapsody, Anderson .Paak and Chance The Rapper as artists “all great, on [their] way to legend.” All of these artists are absolutely killing it at the moment – constantly releasing well-received music and each with their own distinct sound – but kind words from the one and only Talib Kweli can’t do anything but help their reputation and their self-confidence. In the same post Kweli also addressed the ease of finding good and original music in the age we live in.
“You are pretending that finding good music is harder than it used to be. That is false. It’s way easier… People forget the primary subject of real hiphop from 20-30 years ago was the ubiquitous ‘wacl MC’. Cuz there was a lot of wack shit out.”
https://twitter.com/TalibKweli/status/732686737693085697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Indeed, when we interviewed Kweli last year he told us, ” [To Pimp A Butterfly] is an experimentation in hip-hop, it’s funk and jazz, and he’s talking about the black experience as a kid from Compton. Kendrick is the number one most popular rapper right now, with the exception of maybe Drake. So to me, that signals a really healthy market for real music… People know the names of the artists that play club music, but people have nothing invested in these artists. People have something invested in Kendrick, and Run The Jewels, and J Cole and A$AP Rocky.”
Some wise words from one of the biggest names in biz. It’s an exciting time for music that we live in, and living in the past is getting no one anywhere interesting. Let’s wait and see if Talib’s predictions are true, and these acts all become legends – we’re pretty confident they will.
Check out our review of Talib Kweli alongside Common in Melbourne here.
Image: oogeewoogee
We couldn’t get enough of Rapsody if we tried, and with every thing she does, we just love her more. From being nominated for a Grammy and remaining as grounded as ever, to openly discussing her plight as an African-American woman in music, not to mention her exceptional output with songs like Godzilla and The Man, she is always true to herself and radiates love and positivity with every move.
The Kendrick Lamar guest artist has delved even further into her positive outlook, and is the latest subject of Mass Appeal‘s Super series, wherein artists detail what they would be like as a super hero. They’ve had the likes of Kendrick and Pusha T on board, but this latest instalment is definitely our favourite.
Rapsody begins by saying her superhero name would be “Queen Rap”, and that her powers would all involve helping others by saving them from suicidal thoughts, and using “the force” – yes a Star Wars reference – for good energy. She also details that she would wear a black robe, and specified that the reason it would be black is “because I don’t want blackness to always be associated with evil.” Aside from revealing herself as a major Star Wars fan given the amount of references and inspirations she is drawing from the series, Rapsody also reveals herself as an exceptional human being. Check out the full clip below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYMhs-N9pLQ
Image: Screenshot
Rapsody has revealed important details about her upcoming follow-up to The Idea Of Beautiful and her thoughts on her Grammy Nomination with Kendrick Lamar in an interview with Ambrosia For Heads.
Rapsody’s guest spot on Lamar’s Complexion (A Zulu Love) earned her a VIP ticket to next week’s Grammy Awards. Although it hasn’t “hit [her] yet”, she’s still humbled by the nomination.
“It feels great, man. [Laughs] I’m trying to think of the perfect adjective, but I don’t think there is one to describe it. To know where I started, and just to look back at the whole process and to see that it happened like this, it’s hard to put it in words.”
She had previously discussed her collaboration with Lamar as being a huge part of her year. It changed her perspective on how success comes to those who actually do the things they dream of. “I wasn’t surprised. Because regardless if I was there or not, I expected [To Pimp A Butterfly] to be nominated for a Grammy,” she said, describing the album as “phenomenal”.
She also touched on her album, which is almost ready for release. She revealed some of those taking guest spots, including Anderson .Paak, who she described as being one of her favourite people to work with.
She spoke about spending some time with him on the tour bus in Raleigh after Dr Dre‘s Compton was released. After being blown away by Anderson’s featured track Animals, she went to see him. “That night in the studio, we probably did like two songs. Then he came back the next day and we did two more. It was just real easy. We put on a beat—[Khrysis] got a beat, 9th [Wonder] got a beat, he didn’t write it, it just comes to him.”
So where’s she at on her upcoming album?
“We’re almost done, so before summer. I can say that. One feature I’ll [reveal] is Anderson. He’s on it–a couple times, at least. [Laughs]”
Rapsody was previously featured in an interview with MC Lyte conducted by Billboard for Black History Month on race, gender and the hip-hop industry. Rapsody touched on this during the interview with Ambrosia For Heads, saying that it was interesting to chat to the first female Grammy-nominated rap soloist. “Just to get those perspectives and stories, how females [experienced the industry] then to how it is now. I had so much more I wanted to ask.”
Watch the full interview below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRS12sHYGTo
Kicking off Black History Month in the US, Billboard magazine has facilitated a discussion of race, gender and hip-hop between the revered MC Lyte and the fast rising star Rapsody.
The discussion began with a question from Billboard about each artists’ first personal encounter with racism: something both recount with clarity. Lyte spoke of being attacked with rocks when she was leaving work one night, while Rapsody remembers her first encounter with racist slurs being hurled at her from another driver in a fit of road rage. From there, the discussion moves to one of being female and in the hip-hop world. Like many musicians who do not appreciate being referred to as being a “female musician” as it’s very clearly a gender segregation, Rapsody muses, “when people call you a female rapper, it seems like they do it to separate you from the pack,” before asking Lyte how she feels about the term “female MC”.
MC Lyte: It doesn’t bother me. I know what I’m doing. I know that when it comes time for a bill for a hip-hop show and they’re bombarded with male entertainment, at that point, they’re looking for a female MC. I’m just born this way — I’m a woman. I’ll take it. Really, for hip-hop, it was very male-dominated in the very beginning and it still is. If it helps them to categorize, it doesn’t have any control over me so I’m cool with it — I’m an MC, I’m a female MC, hip-hop femme fatale, whatever. It’s me.
In response, Rapsody poses that she feels she’s placed into a category that results in only being compared to other females rather than all artists. She adds that she feels it’s deliberately done in order to cheapen and downplay the talent and achievements of women in hip-hop. Lyte meanwhile talks about the poor job the gatekeepers of hip-hop are doing in promoting diversity, along with ridiculous assertions that things like Black History Month and the BET Awards shouldn’t exist. “It was built so that African Americans could receive the accolades, acknowledgment, awards and respect for what it is they did for their past year’s work because there was nowhere else that would do that for them…. I mean we used to have the Lady of Soul Awards and that was taken away. However, when it comes to women in this particular sector of business, we have got to just award ourselves so we acknowledge one another and I think that’s a good thing.
Commenting on the current state of hip-hop versus what was reflected to her growing up, Rapsody says that:
It was about camaraderie. I would go back and you would have “Ladies First” [with Queen Latifah and Monie Love] and see all these women working together. We don’t have that sisterhood today. I think being in this business, you get so frustrated because there is no balance. It seems like there can only be one [female MC] at a time now. Growing up, I remember seeing you, Latifah, Missy and everybody co-existed together. Everybody was different but everybody was dope because they had their own style. Now, it seems like we think we have to be so competitive with each other and I feel like that’s part of the main problem where they use that against us to divide us instead of bringing us together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kSoVSgWK9o
Read the entire discussion here.
Image: Billboard
We cannot rave enough about Rapsody. To sum it up, she is amazing. Never, ever bowing to pressure to be anything but herself, she flat out refuses to compromise and her music is all the better for it.
Her music is real, relatable, deep, poetic and so much more. Songs like The Man or even her verse on Kendrick Lamar‘s How Much A Dollar Cost from To Pimp A Butterfly, tackle topics not often discussed in such a way in hip-hop, and her unique femininity adds an extra element of depth that is definitely not heard often at all. Inspired by the likes of Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, Lauryn Hill and more, she has developed her own signature style and accomplished so much, but the time has come for the world to really let her in.
Rapsody‘s movements in the media have slowly but surely been picking up speed. Just recently she gave an in depth interview where she reflected on the success she saw in 2015, earlier this year she spoke about sexism in the music industry and now she has appeared on the latest instalment of NPR‘s Tiny Desk series. Performing three tracks with a live band and her DJ 9th Wonder in tow, she wowed an intimate audience with Godzilla, The Man and Hard To Choose; three of her absolute best. If her name isn’t on your radar, this will act as the perfect introduction for you. If her name is on your radar, strap yourself in.
Although she didn’t release an album, Rapsody has still had a crazy year. Aside from releasing tracks with Talib Kweil and Big K.R.I.T, she was given some amazing opportunities, and she has now reflected on the year that was in a recent interview with DJ Booth.
A television appearance on one of the most popular talkshows in America is obviously a huge achievement that she’ll never forget. “Oh yeah. I did Jimmy Fallon with Talib. Who forgets that shit?! I do! That’s crazy. That’s primetime TV, millions of viewers. Nobody just gets on Jimmy Fallon… And backed by The Roots. Man, my year was awesome!”
That’s not her only highlight though. After working with Kendrick Lamar on To Pimp A Butterfly, she changed her whole perspective on life.
“Opening the year up with being on To Pimp A Butterfly was huge and that happened organically and from me trying to do the best I can. That really opened my eyes, like you don’t have to chase things anymore, just do what you do and it will happen how it happens,” she said.
She continued: “This whole year has been an example of that; everything has just been falling into place. I used to make goals for the next year, but this year I’ve been letting everything naturally happen.”
She may also win a Grammy Award for featuring in Lamar’s Complexion (A Zulu Love). She revealed that she changed her approach to the year, teaching us all an interesting way to tackle 2016. Basically, a mix of hard work and a positive attitude helped her get to where she is now.
“I used to make goals for the next year, but this year I’ve been letting everything naturally happen. I didn’t make any lists, I just said to myself, ‘If you work hard and put yourself in the right place things will happen for you,’ and that’s what happened this year. I haven’t been worried about goals and lists. I’ve found myself in a real comfortable place this year.”
2016 looks to be another big year for her. She says she is almost done with her upcoming album, however she is “taking her time with it.” She is working with Anderson .Paak, who will be featured within the album. Keep a look out for that next year, and check out her fantastic interview where she gave some great insights into gender politics earlier this year.
Big K.R.I.T does not look like getting off this wave any time soon.
Just days after dropping the It’s Better This Way mixtape, the Mississippi native is back at it, dropping a fiery new track with none other than Rapsody, who continues to fly the flag for women in the hip hop genre. Guillotine Flow is as nasty as the name suggests, with 9th Wonder delivering a funkadelic yet gritty beat.
Even upon first listen of the track, you can see a burgeoning relationship developing between the two up and comers, and while the track is Big Krit’s by name, Rapsody really steals the show. Double entredres abound as she delivers one heck of a verse:
“You know I keep a new flow if you feelin’ tender on it,
Hotline bling and ain’t nobody answering your calls,
How meek of you niggas not to answer me at all”
Rapsody is probably the last person you’d expect to throw out a Meek Mill diss, but hey, what else is a dead horse for but to beat it, right? Rapsody herself is no stranger to the production talents of 9th Wonder, having teamed up earlier this year for one heck of a track with Mr Talib Kweli himself.
Australians should now be nice and familiar with K.R.I.T, having toured in recent months, and dropping some gems of wisdom along the way. Let’s hope he is willing to grace us with his present again sometime soon. Feel free to bring Rapsody our way too, Big K.R.I.T!
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Though we won’t be able to see him due to the unfortunate cancellation of Soulfest due to lack of ticket sales – our day just got a little bit better with a video for Talib Kweli‘s track with Rapsody and 9th Wonder – Every Ghetto, and a new track with Styles P – The Mathematics.
He’s already released a free album Fuck The Money only a little over two months ago, and earlier this year dropped Radio Silence, and so this latest collab, Indie 500, with producer 9th Wonder is set to be his third album this year. That is absolute insanity – three albums in one year, what a machine. The video for Every Ghetto cuts between Rapsody and Kweli spitting bars outside a convenience store, to shots of the unnamed ghetto and the people that live in it. It’s cut in a really sick way, with every shot jumping on the beat so it always stays interesting.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeRp34Uol7Y]
The Mathetmatics is Kweli’s latest collab with author/rapper Styles P, and is absolutely gorgeous. Both MCs flow perfectly over a super jazzy and saxy sounding beat, and it’s just so cruisey – perfect for a Friday. On top of all that he’s doing, the track is part of Colours of the Culture, a project Kweli announced last week – a collective of artists, filmmakers, producers, MCs and all sorts of creatives. It’s one of 18 tracks on their first release, Roy G Biv: What A Colourful World, which you can download here now.
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So many releases, so little time to listen to all of them. Please keep it up Talib, straight up killing it – check our recent interview with him here.