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As one of the first Malaysian female rappers, Zamaera inspired a whole generation of femcees in her country. The artist told us about her journey in hip hop, her feminism and her post-lockdown projects.  

How and when were you introduced to hip hop?

My first memories of hip hop dates back to the early 2000s. My parents were avid music listeners, so my dad would always burn CDs with an array of different music genres. And right after Aerosmithʼs classic, I Donʼt Want To Miss A Thing, track 4 was Missy Elliottʼs Get Your Freak On. Weʼd sing together as a family on long road trips and everybody knew the lyrics by heart.

But funnily enough, somewhere between 2002 and 2015, I wasnʼt really consciously listening to hip hop let alone recognizing the genre as something Iʼd pursue in the future. I listened to the radio and was born in the age of the growing world wide web so I memorized a lot of songs that I resonated with sonically.

Only in 2016 did I actually start combining my love for poetry and rhythm together and analyzing lyrics in-depth, which sparked my true curiosity into the world of hip hop.

How did you start rapping?

I entered this cypher competition in December 2016 hosted by Red Bull and I think was the only female MC amongst 50 male participants. And I ended up placing 2^nd, so I think thatʼs what pushed me out of my comfort zone and to explore rap as a form of art.

I was signed to a local hip hop label for a while as a singer, so I was constantly exposed to rap in particular. I never really took a large interest in rapping but it grew on me. The switching of flows, the cadences, wordplay and most importantly the message. You know, then I went on to release my first ever single Helly Kelly, which really opened my doors to new found opportunities as well as building my name as rapper.

Which artists did you listen to while growing up?

Oh wow I listened to so many artists. I remember loving Celine Dion and Britney Spears but I was also very exposed to some great bands such as Queen, The Police, Aerosmith… Almost no particular hip hop artist with the exception of Missy Elliott, but from age 17 onwards, I was listening to the greats, Tupac, Nas, Lauryn Hill, Eminem. I felt that their lyrics were so in-line with my own personal experiences.

Did you receive any musical training ?

Classical piano training up till grade 4 and a little bit of self-taught guitar thanks to YouTube and Ultimate Guitar.

I went for my first vocal training class in the middle of 2017, when I was signed to an artist development program and itʼs been really helpful for live performances. I never thought to go for vocal classes because I thought I was pretty good, but boy was I wrong haha.

You know, the best kind of investment are the ones you do for yourself. So I do wish I had gone for vocal training at a younger age but you make the best out of the cards thats been dealt.

How did your win at the 2016 Red Bull Blend impact your career?

Well it impacted my career a huge deal because there werenʼt any strong female rappers in Malaysia at that time. And to be the only girl in a sea of men, some of which were seasoned battle rappers or known artists in the industry, I think a lot of people were surprised. And everyone was on the lookout. Everyone wanted to see what I was going to do next.

And then when I dropped Helly Kelly, everything sort of exploded (in a good way). I was being offered to play for shows and record deals, but for me the most important thing that happened from then was the rise of female MCs in Malaysia.

Your track Wanita celebrates modern Malaysian women. Do you consider yourself a feminist? If so, how would you define your own feminism?

Yes I very much do consider myself a feminist. Since I was young girl, I had always been an advocate for equality in everything that I did, which I think was a key tool in driving my career in a male-dominated industry.

I never allowed anyone to look down upon me because of my gender and pursuing rap helped open a lot of the industryʼs eyes about giving women the same treatment and respect, not only when it comes to hip hop, but also in exercising economic and social rights. Especially when you put in the same amount of hours and generate the same amount of skill, and if not same then more. I mean, I say whatever I want to say in my music and I donʼt constrict myself to any boundaries set by society. We all set our own boundaries and we define our own selves.

Wanita is a great song not just for women but also for men to look at the women figures of their life, be it their sisters, mothers, daughters, aunts, grandmothers, and to identify the roles that they have played for us. How their love and empathy have shaped us and without women, life wouldnʼt be as colorful.

If someone doesnʼt know your music and wants to discover it, which track would you advise them to listen to first and why?

I would say Helly Kelly. I think that song just defines me as an artist. There are punchlines after punchlines and a lot of wordplay and switch of flows. And plus itʼs very high energy with the grime-y horns and drum pattern and comes with a no-budget homemade video around my hood !

Female rappers seem to be very active on the Malaysian hip hop scene. Is that so? How are they perceived by the audience?

There has definitely been an increase in female rappers within the Malaysian hip hop scene since the past couple of years. Hip hop in this country is well received within the masses and for the most part, people are responding very positively towards more women rapping, which Iʼm very excited about.

Who are your female role models?

My mother and my grandmother are women that I look up to. Iʼve been extremely blessed to be able to grow up around them, consistently as power figures, to learn from their journeys and instill their strength within my own self. Just listening to my grandmotherʼs stories about her walking almost 10 kilometers a day to go to work as a seamstress and then treating her family members to the movies in the 1950s is pretty mental.

And my mother, oh my god my mother, she is superhuman. Like there are days when Iʼve felt completely overwhelmed by being in the music industry and certain things have slowed me down, mentally and emotionally, but you know, I just look at my mum and see how sheʼs completed her 5km run and chi qong practice in the morning, and went to the supermarket, came back and cooked 5 dishes in 2 hours and continues to be the backbone of the family, it just keeps me going and pushing everyday.

And Beyonce and J-Lo too, even though Iʼve never met them but to get to where they have gone to. I aspire to be as disciplined and as successful as them.

What are your upcoming projects?

Iʼm always creating content on my social media especially 1 minute rap videos as that is a standing favorite but currently with the Coronavirus pandemic, my projects for singles and EPs have been put on hold but once the Restricted Movement Order has been lifted, I will most certainly be releasing new songs. Some of which Iʼll be featuring amazing artists from all across the Asian region!

What do you think about Madame Rap? What should be changed or improved?

I think this platform is a super great way to discover new female rappers!! There are so many from all across the globe and it makes me happy to know that we are much more connected than we think.

Find Zamaera on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

A singer, rapper, poet and activist, CHIKA drew our attention in 2017 with her pro LGBT+ remix of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You. The Alabama artist told us about her new EP Industry Games and body-positivity. 

How and when were your introduced to hip hop? 

I was introduced to hip hop as a kid but I didn’t get super into it until maybe middle school.

How did you start rapping? 

I started writing poetry at around 11 or 12 years old and eventually started incorporating those poems into my songs.

Which artists did you listen to while growing up? 

CeCe Winans, a lot of Disney artists, and plenty of traditional Nigerian music.

Did you receive any musical training? 

No, I was too young for vocal lessons when my mom tried to enroll me. But I taught myself guitar and took musical theater classes.

You just released the EP Industry Games. How would you present this project? 

It’s a narrative of the past year of my life and a statement about the beginning of my journey.

If someone doesn’t know your music and wants to discover it, which track would you advise them to listen to first and why? 

I’d direct them to Songs About You because you hear my humor, my experiences, my ego, and my fear all wrapped up on this banger of a track.

How do you work on your flow? Do you use special techniques or routines? 

I wrote verses for Instagram for nearly four years, which provided me with a lot of practice. I didn’t want the content to get stale so I had to keep advancing. Now it’s second nature.

Since 2016, you’ve been using the socials as a platform to showcase your music. What part does the social media play in the development of your career? 

A huge one clearly. I’d have nothing if I hadn’t built my platform myself.

Do you think rap can be a political tool? How so?  

Rap has always been a political tool. As is a lot of music. It’s honest (for the most part), the most unfiltered genre and the art of poetry and wordplay can be used to paint vivid pictures and get points across.

Why do you think body-positivity is still an important issue today?

I never said it was. That doesn’t mean it isn’t but I don’t feel nearly as passionate about it as people assume I do. It’s more important to tell people not to be assholes towards people who don’t look like them than to tell people who don’t look like supermodels that we should be happy and snap back at the world. Self-love is important, but so is loving each other.

Who are your female role models? 

My mom and maybe Jane Elliott? I don’t have any that stand out that much, honestly. But women are the best. We’re all dope.

Do you consider yourself a feminist? If so, how would you define your own feminism? 

Yeah, sure. I think my feminism is summed up in the belief that all people are equal regardless of gender. My feminism is inclusive of all, not just women. Gender non-conforming people need a safe place to land, as well.

What are your upcoming projects? 

Who knows? I just dropped a month ago. The sky’s the limit.

What do you think about Madame Rap? What should be changed or improved?

Keep up the dope work.

Find CHIKA on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

© Leeor Wild

A songwriter, radio MC and rapper, Maya Jupiter has been active on the hip hop scene for nearly 20 years. Now based in Los Angeles, the Mexican-Australian artist told us about her “artivism”, her fight for human rights and her upcoming EP. 

How and when were you introduced to hip hop?

I was introduced to rap music on pop radio at around age 12 in the early 90’s. Throughout high school, I fell in love with Salt’N’Pepa, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Naughty by Nature and Ice Cube. I started writing my own rhymes around 15 years old and made my first demo at 18.

It wasn’t until I was 19 years old (in 1998) and was able to attend a 10-day hip hop festival in Sydney called Urban X-pressions, that I truly understood hip hop as a culture. I learned about the 4 elements by participating in street cyphers, breaking in Hyde Park, poetry and open mic nights, seeing graffiti artists at work and watching performances by both Australian and American hip hop groups. It was a really special time in my life and I was introduced to Sydney’s hip hop community.

How did you start rapping?

I loved listening to hip hop and wrote poetry as a child so it felt very natural to start writing rhymes. I was a kid and didn’t think twice about it. Although, I only had one verse that I would spit on train rides while hanging out with friends! After a while I started writing more for myself, as therapy. I didn’t think about it that way but as an adult, I can look back and see that I needed to process my experiences, thoughts and feelings and writing was my outlet.

If someone doesn’t know your music and wants to discover it, which track would you advise them to listen to first and why?

Madre Tierra encompasses a lot of who I am and what I stand for. It is a song that lives in the intersections of human rights, women’s rights, dignity, a world free of violence, both state and domestic. It draws parallels between these issues, environmental issues and the inter-connectedness of our struggles. It is woman as Mother Earth and Mother Earth as woman.

Musically it draws from my Mexican roots, leaning heavily on Son Jarocho music, a 300+-year-old folk tradition from the region of Veracruz, and features Joel Cruz-Castellano of Los Cojolites.

You define yourself as an artivist. Would you say you use hip hop as a political tool?

Yes, I started making music to tell my stories, to talk about what I saw around me and in my community. It has always been about empowerment and sharing knowledge. I learned “each one teach one” very early from KRS-One. And other artists like Public Enemy, Lauryn Hill, Mos Def & Talib Kweli inspired me to be more political in my music.

You co-founded Artivist Entertainment, which supports artists who promote positive social transformation. Can you tell us more about this project?

Artivist Entertainment has been our way to showcase and highlight important voices in our communities. We do this by hosting discussions (CharLA’s), sponsoring events such as FandangObon, Africa in America Original Works Showcase and the Fandango Fronterizo. We have produced all-womxn concerts called “Artivista” and collaborated with schools on different community projects.

Recently we produced the #CancelRent online Festival and are now producing Friday night #CancelRent Parties where artists perform and discuss the struggles they’re facing. We are organizing in solidarity with Our Right To The City Alliance and organizations across the US to #CancelRent #CancelMortgages and provide #HomesForAll during these very difficult times.

You talked about consent and campus rapes on Never Said Yes. Why do you think it is important to address this issue?

My goal was to create a song that informs people and ends rape culture. No woman or man should ever have to experience sexual violence (or any violence) and the statistics are alarming. I saw the documentary The Hunting Ground and it inspired this song.

We need a huge shift in the way women are seen, treated and valued. And men too. Men experience rape also but do not report as often as women do.

As an advisory board member of Peace Over Violence and a spokesperson for their Denim Day Campaign, I wanted to use my music as a tool to bring awareness and inform people about affirmative consent.

Who are your female role models?

My mother was my first role model. She spent her life developing multicultural policies in a number of government agencies, creating services for culturally and linguistically diverse communities. I get my politics, my empathy and love of humanity from her. She taught me how we should treat and care for one another.

I also look up to members of my community here in Los Angeles: Dr Martha Gonzalez, Chicana Artivsita, PhD, feminist music theorist, Grammy award winning singer, songwriter musician, Professor of Chicana Latina Studies and mother.

Dr Melina Abdullah, Professor and Chair of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Activist, Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles Chapter and mother.

Kikanza Ramsey-Ray is an educator from my community that I admire. She is the founder of a nature-based, progressive school that specializes in caring for the child holistically, sustainable living, non-violent parenting and play-based, She is also a community organizer and mother.

There are many more I could make a list.

Do you consider yourself a feminist? If so, how would you define your own feminism?

Yes. I stand for the empowerment of women and understand that our struggles are connected. I fight against the prison industrial complex, police brutality, slave labor, human trafficking, poverty, institutional, state and domestic violence. I fight for immigrant rights and to close down all detention centers. Free our children. I fight for the sovereignty of First Nations people and for environmental justice. This is my feminism.

What are your upcoming projects?

I have been working on a new EP produced by Georgia Anne Muldrow. My vision was to write uplifting songs that unite us and to focus on all the things I stand for instead of the things I stand against.

It has been difficult to focus during this quarantine as I’m distracted by my concerns with the pandemic and the safety of my family. I have two small children who keep me very busy and I’m just taking it a day at a time right now.

What do you think about Madame Rap? What should be changed or improved?

I’m blown away by the incredibly comprehensive list you have of women-identified MCs. If anyone ever asks me again why there aren’t enough women in hip hop I will gladly point them to this list!

Find Maya Jupiter on her website, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.