Interviews

PALAS : “Women are still compared to each other or reduced to their appearance”

Tina Turnup and Babylit met while they were studying in Freiburg, in Southwest Germany. After a few musical explorations, they decided to create the rap duo PALAS. The two artists told us about their punk, afro dance and neo-soul influences, their feminism and their first upcoming EP called “ballert”. Why did you choose to be … Continue reading

MC Sha-Rock : “We, as women, helped build hip hop culture”

A former member of the legendary American rap group The Funky 4 +1, MC Sha-Rock is the first female rapper of hip hop culture. Born in North Carolina and raised in The Bronx in the 1970s, she started out as a B-Girl and became the first woman to be part of an all-male rap group. … Continue reading

Yayoi Daimon: “I’ve survived this men’s society for a long time”

As a teenager, Yayoi Daimon performed as a hip hop dancer in various clubs in Osaka. She then joined the all-girl band Rhythmic before going solo in 2013. As she is about to become an independent artist, the Japanese rapper told us about her journey and feminism. How and when were you introduced to hip … Continue reading

Linn da Quebrada: “I sing to be heard and to find silence”

A rapper, singer, composer, actress and an antiracist/pro-LGBTQIA+ activist, Linn da Quebrada identifies as a “Black trans and queer woman”. Raised a Jehovah’s Witness, she grew up in the favelas of São Paulo. In 2017, the success of her album Pajubá, created as a trans equivalent of Beyonce’s Lemonade, made her a queer icon on the Brazilian … Continue reading

Babsi Tollwut: “Hip hop is queer, feminist and kind”

Born in the South of Germany and based in Berlin, Babsi Tollwut started rapping in the early 2000’s. The queer feminist artist told us about her vision of hip hop, her antifascist and anti-patriarchal punk rap and her upcoming EP RAPISODEN. Where does the name Babsi Tollwut come from? The story behind my stage name … Continue reading

Miss Pvssy: “Now hip hop is open to all”

Born and raised in Chicago, Miss Pvssy is most known for her 2017 ChiRaq Freestyle, which celebrates trans women’s sexuality. She told us about her journey in rap, her inclusive vision of hip hop and her first EP that will be released this year. How and when were you introduced to hip hop for the … Continue reading

Trannilish: “Every queer artist needs to knock down doors just to get noticed”

The New York-based queer rapper told us about her last video Bounce with Ms. Boogie, her projects and the discriminations she faces as a Black trans artist and a sex worker. How and when were you introduced to hip hop for the first time? My first introduction to hip hop happened in the new millennium, … Continue reading

Alexie Ivanovich: “My battlefield is justice for all, justice for life”

A rapper and a beatmaker, Alexie Ivanovich was born in Isfahan, the third-largest city in Iran. At 17, she moved to Tehran to study hardware engineering at Tehran Polytechnic. Because of deep ideological conflicts, she dropped out of university and devoted her time to making music. She told us about her journey in hip hop … Continue reading

Ramengvrl: “I don’t believe in social conformity”

Born in Jakarta, Ramengvrl started rapping in 2013 as an escape from her 9-to-5 job. Her music career took off in 2016 with her first single I’m Da Man followed by CA$HMERE, which brought her name to the next level. Also a strong LGBTQIA ally, the artist told us about her new album Can’t Speak … Continue reading

Countess Malaise: “Rapping forced me to keep fighting through the pain”

Icelandic rapper Countess Malaise told us about her latest single That Bitch, from her upcoming album “All By Myself”, and her “sex-positive, radical, honest and vulnerable” feminism. Where does the name Countess Malaise come from? When I was thinking of a name, I was reading a comic book called Modesty Blaise and I was hanging … Continue reading

Arabyrd : “Voices are louder when spoken together”

Malaysian rapper and DJ Arabyrd told us about her journey in hip hop, her latest collab with Cee and Rider Shafique and her projects despite the Covid pandemic. Where does the name Arabyrd come from? A friend used to call me “Birdie” so when my manager asked me if I really wanted to use my … Continue reading

MicahTron: “It should be normalized for women to talk about loving other women”

As she just released the video Run It Up, San Francisco rapper MicahTron told us about her journey in hip hop, her projects and what being a Black and queer woman means to her. Where does the name MicahTron come from? My birth name is Tramicah, so MicahTron was a spin on my given name. … Continue reading

Santa Salut: “The key is to base feminism on love, not anger”

Hailing from Sabadell, Catalonia, rapper Santa Salut told us about her journey in hip hop and her feminism. How and when were you introduced to hip hop? I’ve always been curious and an observer, so as a kid I was always looking at my environment, what surrounded me. If I watched TV and heard Ice … Continue reading

N1yah: “Being a woman from the Middle East who raps defies a lot of norms”

Based in Dubai, the Lebanese artist told us about her journey in hip hop, female rappers in the United Arab Emirates and her vision of feminism. How and when were you introduced to hip hop? I was introduced to hip hop at a very young age. I remember that when I was about 9 years … Continue reading

Masia One: “I speak on behalf of women that may not have their voices heard”

Nicknamed the Far East Empress, the Singaporean/Canadian rapper told us about her journey in hip hop between South-East Asia, North America and Jamaica, her love for reggae and how she became even more feminist after one of her team members said she was sexually assaulted by the artist they were touring with. How and when … Continue reading

Han Han: “My success is to like what I do and do what I like”

Born in the Philippines, Han Han immigrated to Toronto in 2006. The artist explained to us how she combines her work as a rapper and a full-time nurse, the influence of her grand-mother on her second album Urduja and her intersectional feminism. How and when were you introduced to hip hop? Since I was young, … Continue reading

Nadirah X: “As an artist, I must set an example of strength and independence”

The Jamaican rapper told us about her journey in hip hop since her beginnings in 2002, her collaborations with Dave Stewart (The Eurythmics) and her love for poetry. How and when were you introduced to hip hop? My brother Junior AKA Mr. E was a DJ when I was younger, he introduced me to hip … Continue reading

Starrlight: “I have a lot of respect for all independent women”

Since her first texts at the age of 14, Starrlight never stopped writing. Easily identifiable thanks to her sharp flow, the Dutch rapper told us about her journey in hip hop and her new album Planet Starrazoid. How and when were you introduced to hip hop? I actually got introduced to Hiphop by watching all … Continue reading

Zamaera: “I never allowed anyone to look down upon me because of my gender”

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. … Continue reading