Can I make a statement like Marlanna Evans can save Hip Hop? A genre that according to some doesn't even need saving? Perhaps monetarily (although that is most definitely open for debate) but Hip Hop is currently suffering from a severe lack of substance.
I used to listen to Rapsody's songs/albums/releases in passing. I'm a biiiig 9th Wonder fan so anything he is involved with means I am too pretty much by default. To be honest I'm not sure when I started taking notice of the Woman spitting the bars, a lady who not so much spits fire as such but rather intricately places embers. The undoubted rhymes skills are there for all to see. She is one of the very few female MCs around that spits with some of is scenes best exponents of the art and sounds completely at home. Added to that is her ability to ally this with a dextrous vocabulary, an eye for story telling and the carrying of a message that others can aspire to.
So why do I say that she can save Hip Hop? Apart from the fact that her star shines brighter with every release and the fact that she is a gifted MC, she is also the best example I can find for a role model from the current crop of MCs doing their thing. When you listen to this lady's music you can tell that the culture comes first. you can tell that she has thought about the potential impact on those listening to her music when she puts her lyrics together. Dont get me wrong, even with all the legitimately free music that is currently available Hip Hop is a way to make a living as well as a way of life and Rapsody is no different. However that is never at the forefront of the thoughts she conveys through her songs.
We all know that there are certain ladies that are currently roam Hip Hops upper echelons that We personally wouldn't give the time of day to. The image being portrayed by them is one of a woman who needs to look, act and... Ahem... Perform, in a certain way to get what the want or where they want to go in life. Rapsody is most definitely the antithesis of this philosophy. Now I'm not saying that she is an angel and I don't profess to know everything about her. My judgements are based primarily on her music and the few interviews and sound bites dotted across the World Wide Web-o-sphere. But using this as a guide the best way to describe the image this lady portrays is that there isn't one. It is simply a case of what you see is what you get. A hard working woman who also happens to be a great MC. Plus she is backed by the stupendously awesome Soul Council whose beat styles are more or less a perfect fit for emotions that 9ths number one prodeje let's out on many of her songs.
I have a daughter at home who is just now coming into her own in terms of her taste in clothes, BOYS(!?!?!) and music. I will be playing an awful lot of Rapsody's music in my car when she is in the back/passenger seat (occasional profanity not withstanding). I really believe that this is somebody who has all the tools at her disposal to be someone that many many young ladies to look up to. And if we are honest with ourselves we all know that is something that has been in extremely short supply in Hip Hop (and all of its subsidiaries) for a loooong time. Peep the evidence and enjoy!
Rapsody: She Got Game Mixtape, Thank H.E.R. Now & Return Of The B-Girl as for the rest……
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