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. And also associates with my early interest in technology via Transformers.
How and when were you introduced to hip hop?
I grew up with music in the house, and hip hop was a favorite genre of my mothers. So my earliest exposure to hip hop was in the early 90s with West coast artists such as NWA, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.
How did you start rapping?
The first time I recorded my voice over music was at the age of 13, I used a karaoke machine. And rapped over an instrumental CD and recorded it to a cassette tape! Because I was hearing music in the house daily, I was inspired to create.
If someone wants to discover your music, which track would you advise them to listen to first and why?
I would recommend Push Thru as my opening song to introducing people to my sound. I think the message in the track is powerful and represents my story and character.
Following that I would advise Good Energy because I think it’s a representation of what I exude and expect from others.
You released the album Gone, Later last March. How and with whom did you work on this project?
Gone, Later features Breana Marin, Cakes Da Killa and Blimes. All the beats were created by producers I admire from all over the world. And all the interludes were created by me.
Do you have any writing rituals or favorite topics?
I tend to write best under pressure and deadlines, but normally can write whenever I’m inspired or hear a good beat to write to.
My two favorite topics are overcoming adversities and sexuality. I think telling my story is important and talking about sexuality is risky but should be normalized for women to talk about loving other women, in music.
You name Missy Elliott as a major influence. What do you think is most inspiring about her?
The most inspiring thing about her is that she is a multifaceted artist. She performs, produces, writes and overall has a crazy creative vision! She creates timeless music and visual art that can never be replicated, which ultimately is what every artist wants to accomplish.
As a queer Black girl, which artists did you identify with while growing up?
I think I most identified with Da Brat, I admired her style. She was a tomboy and wasn’t heavily judged for that as Black woman. Missy Elliott was also a big influence on my style and inspired me to think outside of the box.
Do you see yourself as a queer rapper?
I see myself as an artist, I have been placed in the box as a Queer Rapper because of my sexual identity and choosing to talk about that openly in my music. But at the end of the day I’m a versatile artist and I think I can sit in a room with any artist of any genre or medium and create art unassociated with sexuality.
Do you consider yourself a feminist? If so, how would you define your own feminism?
I’m 100% a feminist, I have to navigate my entire existence based upon being a black and queer woman. Who is often underpaid and underappreciated. So I advocate for all women just as I would for myself on a daily basis.
What are your upcoming projects? How did the coronavirus pandemic impact on your activity?
I have several new music videos for the Gone,Later project, lined up to release before 2020 ends. And I’m currently wrapping up two other projects, the EP Here, Now will be dropping before the year ends as well. Which is a short “sequel” to the Gone, Later mixtape. I’m also planning to release a beat project before the year ends.
Covid has actually put me in the position to create more frequently. I’m a home body so I’ve been taking advantage of this time and have just been working on creating new content.
What do you think about Madame Rap? What should be changed or improved?
I think Madame Rap is awesome! I’ve found some amazing female artist through the Madame Rap platform! Thank you! And thank you for the support!
Find MicahTron on her website, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Soundcloud.
