Galleries

A leading figure of South African rap, Yugen Blakrok told us about her experience in hip hop, how she ended up on the Black Panther soundtrack and her second album Anima Mysterium that will be out on February 1^st, 2019.

When and how did you discover hip hop and start rapping?

I discovered hip-hop through TV, SA gets a lot of content from the US. I was drawn to the conscious and militant vibe that the 90s era had. But I really started rapping cause I couldn’t dance.

Your track “Opps” was featured on the “Black Panther” soundtrack. What did this change for you as an artist?

That feature threw me straight into the eye of the mainstream. Platforms that were previously inaccessible were suddenly open to my shit. It also brought people that would have had a hard time finding me closer into orbit.

You’ve always worked with SA producer Kanif The Jhatmaster. How did you two meet and how do you work on a track?

We met about nine years ago, at a Robo the Technician show in Soweto. We work through energy. Light, thought, sound are all waves and we’re into it, the frequencies we vibrate at. The vibe is everything. I’ve worked with and still collaborate with other producers, we’ve just got a chemistry of our own going. Sometimes the beats influence the lyrics and other times, the lyrics will dictate where the beat goes, it’s a conscious and continuous cycle of inspiration.

Your second album Anima Mysterium will be released on February, 1, 2019. What should we expect?

Expect a shadow-world built from word and sound. Dense lyrics and intricate production…for the seeker.

You’ve been active on the SA hip hop scene for a decade. Are there many female rappers in South Africa? How are they perceived?

We are many. At this point, I don’t think we care how we are perceived.

Do you consider yourself a feminist? If so, what kind of feminism do you most relate to?

I think I’m more of a womanist.

Who are your female role models and why?

I don’t have role models but I admire certain qualities in people. Tenacity, strength, conviction and authenticity are virtues that I’m drawn to in women. In my journey specifically, I’ve found that those are the things that get me through the most difficult situations so I have an affinity for women who display the same characteristics in whatever field they’re in. I’ve been lucky to meet quite a large number of women like that.

What are your upcoming projects?

My second album Anima Mysterium drops in February through IOT Records. I’ve also done a few features on some upcoming albums for 2019. Keep an ear out.

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

I think it’s a great and inclusive platform, especially within hip-hop and the focus on marginalized groups is not only welcome but refreshing as well.

Find Yugen Blakrok on Facebook, Bandcamp, Twitter and Instagram.

Madame Rap asked the American rapper and singer Asha Griffith to tell us about her experience in hip hop and jazz and her collaboration with The Wolphonics, a project founded by French saxophonist Fabrice Theuillon, who are going to release their album “The Bridge” on September 14. 

How did you discover hip hop and jazz?

My grandfather used to play jazz music, Bob Marley, doo wop and other “oldies” when I was younger. That was the first time I remember hearing jazz. I liked his jazz selection (probably because I heard the songs so many times), but I wasn’t listening to jazz on my own at that point–only with him. As far as hip hop goes I really can’t remember. I probably heard hip hop on the radio. I was born in the 90’s so hip hop was pretty popular by the time I was able to listen to music on my own.

When and how did you start rapping? 

My dad encouraged me to rap when I was 10 years old. He wanted me and my younger brother (who was 5 at the time) to make an EP. He produced the music and I co-wrote the lyrics to the songs. We went to the studio and everything. We even had performances at local events and sold our cd’s and posters. The EP was called “Me and My Little Brother”. I wasn’t ready for the artist management side of things– sometimes I wanted to watch cartoons instead of practicing so the whole rapper thing didn’t last long. I wanted out so by the time I was 11, I was no longer a rapper lol.

What about tap dancing? 

I started dance lessons at a local dance studio in New Jersey. I did all dance styles from 5 to 17 years old, but tap was my favorite. I realized I really liked tap around 11.

How did you meet Fabrice Theuillon and joined The Wolphonics project?

Fab found my music on Soundcloud. I uploaded my first mixtape, “Masterbait” on the site. If you haven’t heard it yet, lend me your ears for a second and check it out. Ok, so yea, he found my music online and sent me an email saying he was from Paris, and wanted to meet to talk about featuring me on an album he was working on. I was a little apprehensive at first, but we met up in Brooklyn a few days later and over the next year we collaborated on a few songs and then he flew me out to Paris for the first Wolphonics show. We’ve been building ever since.

What would you say is the common ground between hip hop and jazz?

Culture & Expression. Jazz and Hip hop is Black American music-an extension of African music. Without Black struggle and oppression in America there would be no hip hop or jazz. What people love about both styles is the authenticity. It’s transparent. It’s real. It’s raw. That’s what makes it so amazing.

You come from New Jersey. How is the female hip hop scene like over there?

There’s no “female scene” or “male scene”. There are really talented women creating waves in NJ. Felisha George is one of my favs in the hip hop community back home. A lot of singers dabble in rap too, but again, there’s no exclusive scene for women. 

Do you consider yourself a feminist? If so, what kind of feminism do you most relate to?

I believe in political, economic, and social equality. I’m not aware of all the different kinds of feminism….Let me google this–I’ll be right back…hmmm I don’t totally relate to any of the labels I found. I can say that I’m not radical or a man-basher.

Who are your female role models and why?  

My mother. I know her personally and I know how hard she’s worked for what she has.

What are your upcoming projects? 

I’m working on an album–Moodswings! And an EP called Songs That Smell Good

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

Since I can’t read French my experience on the site is limited, but I think the layout has changed since the last time I visited the site. Has it? Either way, I’m digging it and I love the fact that Madame Rap supports women all over the world and not just in France.

Find Asha Griffith on her website, Soundcloud, Twitter, and Instagram and with The Wolphonics on Facebook. 

Los Angeles rapper Reverie told us about her influences, sexism in hip hop and her upcoming European tour.

How and when did you discover hip hop?

I really don’t really remember the very first time I “discovered hip-hop” but I do remember being as young as 5 years old, in the kindergarten, singing rap songs on the playground with my friends. My dad was really into hip-hop when I was a small child so I’m sure his listening to it definitely had an influence on me listening to it.

I was obsessed with Power 106 when I was small. I remember being really little and waking up and looking forward to listening to Big Boy’s Neighborhood, the morning show, as I got ready for school- for years! I listened to it every morning, religiously.

Hip-hop has always been my favorite genre. Growing up I really liked pop music as well, but hip-hop was always my favorite, and still is today.

Which female rappers influenced you? Why?

I listened to a lot of female rappers growing up, but I guess my favorites, in no particular order, are:

Remy Ma, because I love that she is so hood. She is a true gangsta bitch. She shot someone for fucking with her money! She’s a G. I love her lyrics, her story, her willingness to share her story & deep, personal moments of her life, her hustle. I love how she is so raw and real. I love hood ass females. She is so dope to me.

Missy Elliott is another one of my favorite female rappers and has been since I was small. I love her work ethic, I love that she produces, I love her crazy fashion, and her beats and her topics of discussion on her records. I love how open she is about her sexuality. I think she is such an artist. More than just a rapper. She is a fashion icon and a hip-hop revolutionary in my eyes. It is a dream of mine to rap on one of her beats. She is definitely an influence on my beats/ production as well.

Roxanne Shante is also dope as fuck in my book. She is wild! I remember when I first heard her when I was real young. It was her diss song “Big Mama” and I was blown away by her sass and attitude. I thought she was the coolest cuz her raps were always so rowdy & rough. She definitely inspired me to be more aggressive and cocky in my raps. You can hear a lot of her influence in the music I made as a high schooler when I was getting into hella graffiti beef. I talked hella shit about my enemies in my raps back then lol.

Left Eye. Damn. I grew up listening to a lot of TLC. They are one of my favorite groups. I used to dance for hours to their “Fanmail” album by myself in my room, dreaming to be as cool as them one day. I thought they were the coolest. Rest in peace.

I like a lot of other female rappers but I guess those would be my main influences growing up that I would give the most credit to. I would love to work with them.

You wrote “Give It Time” in memory of J-Dilla. How important was he to you?

I actually did not write that song in memory of him, I used his beat to write a song for someone I love. He is however one of my favorite producers of all time. His beats make me feel all kinds of ways.

I have rapped over a few of them in my life on tracks and I have also written countless songs to them that will never come out. He brings out a very special side of me. I truly hold his music dear to my soul. It touches me. Rest in peace to the king. He inspires me so much with my raps & my beats.

You’ve been touring in Europe with Gavlyn. How did you two meet and how is it like to tour with her?

I think I met Gavlyn on MySpace or Facebook. I’m not really sure when to be honest, but I remember hearing her song “Walk On By” back in the day and I really liked it. I think the first time we met in person was at the Cypher Effect shoot that we did together. The all-female one.

Within the last couple years, her and I have become pretty close. We hang out all the time outside of work and now we are touring together which has been really fun for me. It’s been cool to get to know her on a really personal level, especially while touring, because that brings out a different side of people. We love to have fun and we also work really hard so it’s a great experience for everyone involved. I love that girl.

Can you tell us more about your last track “Los New Yorkangeles” with Necro?

Necro is the big homie. A lot of my friends in my neighborhood were really into him so we would listen to his music all the time growing up. I met him at Paid Dues a few years ago and he invited my friends and I to be in his “Kink Panther” music music video and we did- we were the only girls with our clothes on lol. That day was super fun.

Since then my music has really taken off and I have proved my legitimacy and seriousness as a rapper. He has watched my growth and is really proud of me. We go out to support each other’s shows when we are in town. At my last show in Brooklyn we talked quite a bit and had a really good time. I was in New York for a few days so we decided to work on a track together and we even filmed a music video that should come out soon. We decided to just rap about gangsta shit because as we got to know each other better in New York, we realized that we both came from a pretty hood background and still identify with it today. Necro is hella cool and I’m super glad I have gotten to know him on a personal level because he is a super chill guy with a big heart and a crazy side, just like me lol.

Would you say hip hop is sexist? Have you ever been discriminated against as a female artist?

I would definitely say there is some sexism in hip-hop. Fortunately, this generation has really eliminated a lot of the sexism that the hip-hop community used to honor. I would say over the last couple years, saying, “You rap like a girl” has become unacceptable. Nowadays there is girls, lots of girls, who rap just as good as the guys. I feel like in the generations before us there was only one, or a couple who were out making big moves at a time, but nowadays there is so many strong females from all over the world who are coming up in unity simultaneously. The men of this generation have changed the game forever alongside us females by embracing us, and acknowledging our art, and by giving us the respect we always deserved. I feel like our generation has contributed to so many amazing changes and I am so honored and proud to be a part of it.

I have definitely been discriminated against as a female artist. Till this day, people still ask me if I write my own lyrics, because they cannot believe a girl can write as good as I do. Shit is fucking ridiculous. Also, some people claim that I only have fans because I am “beautiful”, which is obviously not true and if you listen to my lyrics, and read the messages I receive, and hear the people talking to me at my shows about how I saved their lives, if you really knew about my movement, you would know my looks play only a small role in my legacy. My music is not just about my image. I do take pride in being a beautiful, young woman from Los Angeles, but I am very proud in knowing that my outer appearance is not why most people are attracted to me. My lyrics are very deep and they touch people’s souls all around the world. People fall in love with me before they even know what I look like. My music and my work are why people respect me. I have also accepted that people will always critique and put you down when you are succeeding and I am proud to accept that criticism as a female, because I am proud to be a female in this male-dominated industry.

Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why?

I definitely consider myself a feminist. Some people think that feminism means that you hate men- and that is the fault of these fucking extremist bitches who hide their hatred for men behind the term “feminism”, when they should really say they are man haters. Feminism means equality between men and women, it does not mean that we hate men. I love men. I have six brothers, I love my dad and I have lots of dope, guy homies who I love.

I support women’s rights and I hope one day we can be on the same level in all aspects of life and career paths as men. We are definitely on the way there and I want to extend my love and gratitude to all the strong men out there who are supporting strong females, such as myself, to reach that point. I love people of all walks of life, men, women, black, white, old, young, rich, poor, gay, straight, uneducated, college graduates, I love them all. I have no time or energy to devote to hating people, especially if it’s hate stemmed from judgement of outer appearances.

What are you listening to these days?

Nowadays I am listening to a lot of beats. Been bumping lots of Flying Lotus, Bonobo, Tokimonsta, lots of instrumentals. I recently started making beats so I guess I’ve been even more into them lately than I already was. I’ve always bumped instrumentals, J-Dilla, 9th Wonder, Louden, I love beats. They let my thoughts flow freely. Sometimes I feel like lyrics direct my thoughts too much.

You will be back in Europe in October 2016 with the Gav & Rev European Tour along with Reverie and DJ Lala.What are your other upcoming projects?  

Upcoming projects? I have a lot of shit dropping real soon! In August I am planning on dropping one or two singles and in September I will drop at least one more. In October I will start to drop singles off of my new EP that I am working on with E-Dub from Pocos Pero Locos. I am so excited to release all of my new shit because I really love it and I feel like my fans are going to really receive it well- especially my old fans who say they “love my old shit better than my new shit.” I got something coming for them, get ready!

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

I think Madame Rap is really dope. I really like that you are putting an emphasis on females in rap. I think we need more of that. I guess the only improvement I would say is to have a translation button on your page so that people can read all the blogs in their language lol. Much respect, thank you for having me!

Find Reverie on her website, Facebook and YouTube.

Booking/press info : Rita Guimarães ritagbookings@gmail.com

The award-winning British poet/rapper/poet/playwright/novelist Kae Tempest releases the album Let Them Eat Chaos. Madame Rap met them in Paris to discuss feminism, hip hop and writing.

How and when did you discover hip hop music?

I think I was about 12 or 13 when I fell in love with it. I always listened to music, but the lyrics in music were the thing that really touched me. And I used to read a lot of books for all my life. Lyricism was very exciting. Hip hop is this dominant social, cultural, political force, it’s a huge movement, it’s 50 years old at least. It’s no surprise that South London kids are gonna find their way into hip hop. At the time, it just felt like a kinda living breathing thing.

The first rappers I really fell into were Pharoahe Monch, Guru from Gang Starr, A Tribe Called Quest, Gravediggaz… That was actually Gravediggaz that was me. Too Poetic from Gravediggaz. I learned everything that a rapper could do from listening to him. And then Lauryn Hill, Bahamadia, Nas, Biggie and Big L. And then I learned more about what was happening in the UK. There was  a guy called Chester P from Task Force and a guy called Skinnyman. I was like 15 by this point. I was just listening, watching and waiting for my turn really.

You’re a rapper, a spoken word artist, a poet and a playwright.  Words are central in your work. What is your writing process? Do you have any rituals?

It depends. If I got a big deadline and something I need to finish, then it’s just to start and do it. I guess there are little rituals that you use to try to get into that space that you’re not in instinctively. Even just picking up that pen, there’s something powerful in that. Because I spent more time in my life looking at my hand with a pen in it than not.

I write with a pen in my  notebook for the first draft. It’s better for my ideas because handwriting is connected to memory. So by the time you’ve written a lyric by hand, you’ve probably memorized it. Then I type the second draft and then work from the manuscript for the third, fourth, fifth draft. But the initial idea is always with a notebook.

Your new album Let Them Eat Chaos has something very dark, melancholic and introspective but also very hopeful and oneiric. What was your state of mind when you wrote it?

It’s about trying to get to the root of what might be keeping people awake at night. Who is awake at 4:18? It’s the question that leads you to the characters. Then obviously, my state of mind is all over the record. Whatever I was going through in the particular moment of writing. I think it’s quite present in the description of the characters but also in the grand epic way it begins in space.

My mind is constantly trying to get out of this tunnel vision and look up and see the world again. I’m glad you said it feels hopeful as well because I think it is a positive record.

Would you say it is a political record?

I think it’s impossible in 2016 to make a record that isn’t engaging with the times and the crisis that we’re in. Knowingly or unknowingly, everybody who is creating work is cyphering this stuff. I never set out to make a political statement in my work but of course politics is in me. I don’t accept any label. I’ve been trying really hard for a long time to show people that labels are constantly unsatisfactory.

The fact that I work across so many different forms means that you cannot apply a label, it doesn’t fit. This is part of my whole thing. The more that we reduce and minimize ourselves, so that other people can understand us, the more that we reduce others and minimize other people, so that we can understand them, the further away we get from actually being able to understand anything.

Especially when it comes to creative ideas, which begin in such a vast spaces. If you call yourself a political artist, or a rapper, a poet, or a novelist, then you’re not listening to the idea.

London is a recurring character in your work, but you seem to have mixed feelings for this city…

It’s home, it’s where I grew up. I never left. Lots of people leave where they’re from to find where they are. But I felt so rooted to that place that I didn’t need to go anywhere. But London is also full of pain.

There is a lot of reminders, of pain as well. But at the same time, it is a beautiful terrifying magical place. It’s in me but I feel like I need to be somewhere else. For the first time in my life, I feel like I need to leave. I wanna go to the Pyrenees, the mountains, the wolves, the sky. Anyway, I just thought of it today. I’m not actually gonna leave London, obviously!

In 2013 you won the Ted Hughes award for your work Brand New Ancients. What did this institutional acknowledgement change for you?

I like to think it doesn’t change much, but of course it does. For ten years, I was desperate to be heard. I couldn’t work out why I couldn’t get the gigs I wanted, I couldn’t get a record deal, I couldn’t get published. I was like burning up with fire to make a move but didn’t know how to make a move. I was working all day in schools, teaching lyric workshops and I was doing spoken word gigs in the early evening, and then gigs with my band. I was working every minute of the day and I wanted to be validated in a way. To be completely honest, it is much easier to say this stuff doesn’t matter once it’s happened to you. Before I won that award, there was not a chance for me winning a poetry award.

I wasn’t even gonna go to the ceremony. I spent the day in a women’s prison in Holloway, doing workshops with these women, with a play that I’d written. It was a serious day. I was working with these inmates, I was being shown the maternity of the prison, which is where the women are going to jail pregnant, they have their baby and after six months the baby is taken into care. And then I left to go to this fucking award party in a posh part of town, white wine and lots of fucking bullshit and I won this fucking poetry price. I just didn’t make any sense.

And then, I got all this attention from the poetry establishment, which I didn’t want and wasn’t really ready for. But actually, it begins to feel really exciting to imagine a whole lifetime of improving as a poet. This is important to me. It was a victory, not just for me, but for everyone who is rapping or doing spoken word.

Have you ever been discriminated against as an artist?

Of course. But I think it’s probably more important to say what a blessing it is to have the female perspective, the female courage, the female power and the female drive. It’s important to pay attention to the positive. I found the resilience that you have to have. It teaches you how to be sure of yourself, because nobody else is very sure about you.

Hip hop is considered to be the most sexist music. What do you think about that?

When I was young, hip hop was everything to me. I was moving in that culture and I just absorbed it. At a subconscious level, I stopped hearing the misogyny, the homophobia… I was so in love with the art form that I stopped hearing it. I didn’t think all that stuff applied to me, even though I could hear rappers talk about women in ways that I found deeply upsetting.

As I got older, I realized that one of the most important teachings for me was authenticity. And for me being real with myself, I can’t just sit there and dismiss this stuff. And then I realized an important thing for me to do was make myself visible and make myself heard on a way that goes against everything that’s being talked about a woman’s place, a woman’s role. By getting up and getting on the mic and not looking sexy or stupid or not trying to suck anyone’s dick, and just wanting to speak about serious stuff, this was a way for me of resetting the balance a little bit.

The flipside of that is that if you’re not part of the culture and you look from the outside and judge it as misogynistic, I don’t really need to have that conversation with you because there are so many subtleties that you’re missing about the form and the culture anyway. If you’re gonna dismiss something as important and empowering and as righteous as hip hop culture and music, it’s not my job to educate you. There is a problem but you have to be in it to understand the nuances of it.

I was just this little queer and weird kids, all my friends were just men and I just dealt with it. I know how much a performance it is. It’s a kind of bravado and adolescent thing and I know the reality of how these men actually engage with their mothers or their sisters is very different. So I kind of know it’s no real threat, it’s a dance, an ugly dance, they’ll grow out of it. They just need to fall in love as well!

Do you consider yourself a feminist?

I don’t consider myself, I’m just making the work. I think it’s probably important to say I believe in true equality.

What are you listening to these days?

Loads of stuff. There’s a rapper called Trim and his album is wicked. There’s this Rn’B singer called Rosie Lowe, she’s produced by this guy called Dave Okumu, who’s amazing. He’s in a band called The Invisible in the UK, he’s really cool. I listen to Pharoahe Monch all the time, Mos Def or Yasiin Bey, Little Simz… There’s a really cool band called Paranoid London, they’re like this dirty, minimal, kinda lie disgusting house. I love it!

What are your upcoming projects?

I’m working on a play but I don’t know when it’ll be finished. There’s also a new book of poems… I usually have four or five projects happening at the same time. They kinda inhabit the same space. Now I’m touring with this album and will be doing this for a while, but I don’t stop working on ideas just because I’m not physically working on them.

I’m also working on a new album slowly but I’ve been in a real rush to get to this point for a long time.  I spent five years non-stop trying to get here. So the next project is gonna be a bit slowler.

Find Kae Tempest on their website, Facebook and Twitter.

They are rappers, British of Jamaican origin, Black, converted to Islam and use hip hop as a social and political tool to build bridges between different communities.

Madame Rap interviewed Muneera Rashida and Sukina Abdul Noor of Poetic Pilgrimage about their relationship with rap, religion and women.

Find Poetic Pilgrimage on Instagram, X and Facebook.

Some media call you “a rap protester” instead of a rapper. What do you think is the difference between the two?

The media very often used that phrase, which comes from my first album Entre ciment et belle étoile, but I never declared myself so. This expression means that my priority is to make my art serve the causes that matter to me. But I was also born in rap, I grew up in it, learned the ropes and didn’t come along for the ride.

Has this label harmed you or kept you away from the media?

I never really wanted to play the media’s game. When I released “La rage” ten years ago, many TV channels wanted to invited me and I often declined. The mass media, no way! I never was ambitious or wanted to release records. If I can be useful and touch people, good for me. But it’s mostly word of mouth and concerts that work, and not the media. Because the day they stop following you, you have no one left. Bombarding people on the radio is not my state of mind. Without pretension, I’d rather have my music serve things that are fair to me. I don’t know show-business and I’m not interested in this world.

You’re also called an anti-globalist, anticapitalist, anarchist, revolutionary, anticolonialist… How do you really define yourself?

Actually, it is again a label, but I am just a human who makes music, has ideas and tries to share them.

I participated in several anti-globalist forums in Porto Alegre or Bamako and you can find everything there, even fascists. It is a heterogeneous movement that gathers people who have very different ideas. I’m also called an anarchist, but I’m not. If I were one, I wouldn’t have sold my CDs. Besides, even if I don’t have any religion, I am a believer, and that is complicated for anarchists!

I think the solution is autonomy and self-management. The more people will constitute networks, create villages or spaces, the more it will help build new societies at a human scale. I believe in grassroots change and not in voting or overthrowing the state. It is our duty to build tomorrow’s world. The system will then be disturbed and will fall by itself, because without us, it is nothing. All that is not utopian, it is in the spirit of the times. Many young people go back to agriculture and build their own village or organization.

Would you say your rap is political?

My rap is human. I don’t write political dissertations and everything comes through an emotional or spiritual filter. If by “political” you mean the organization of society, then yes. But everything is political, smiling to a beggar also is. In any case, I am not a politician and will never be. I am a people’s artist. My songs tell my life but don’t fall into any political box. Besides, today, I can’t relate to anyone, politically speaking. Apart from the Zapatist movement.

Four years after your last album Tout tourne autour du soleil, you just released an EP called Etat d’urgence. What have you been doing during these four years?

In 2013, I was on tour and then left for Mexico, where I was invited for a Zapatist project. It was supposed to last for a few weeks but I ended up staying for a year. I came back to France at the end of 2014. I still live in Marseille in the same neighborhood and mix with the same people. I finished Etat d’urgence after dealing with some personal stuff and going back to writing.

Your EP is available at open pricing. Why this choice?

I’ve been wanting to try open pricing for a long time. Besides, I didn’t really want to sell this EP. In France, the idea of giving something to people is misconceived. Something free is perceived as botched or worthless. So, it is a way for me to let people give it the worth they want and also to have it for free (they don’t have to give money to download it). I didn’t expect much, but I am very pleasantly surprised. People are very generous, even if they often ask for the CD too!

What do you think of the current hip hop scene in France?

I used to find more depth and emotion in the 90’s rap. Today’s rap lacks content and messages, no matter what they are.

When I traveled, I met several South-American artists. There, hip hop has a social impact and is perceived as a way to convey a message or bring new ideas. French rap is all about business, it’s been a while since the rap game has killed hip hop. The rap record industry has been powerful for about 30 years. It’s not the case in all the other countries.

In France, hip hop is still thought bad of, boycotted or considered as a subculture by the media, whereas it is the music people most listen to. When you look at the best-selling artists, you find only rappers, and yet, you don’t see them on TV.

Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why?

Feminist, no, but anti-patriarchal, yes. I think some feminist organizations can be aggressive and exclude male members with many discussions in single-sex spaces. That’s too bad because guys also suffer from patriarchy, it’s not easy for them too.

There are a lot of different feminisms, but I met many radical feminists and I believe they were full of hatred and resentment. I don’t think the solution lies in reversing the trend. I know opposites attract, but a happy medium is also nice. I’m not for exclusion, I think we should all think and discuss together and try to understand each other.

Of course, I am for everybody’s rights, women, children, animals, I’m for justice, or rather rightness, for all minorities.

What are you listening to these days?

I’m listening to a lot of instrumentals, rap but also all kinds of music. I couldn’t give you a name in particular, but I keep posted about new releases.

What are your upcoming projects?

I’m working on L’esquisse 3, the album I put in brackets to make Etat d’urgence. After, I’ll go back on tour again, making concerts everywhere in the world.

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

I am not very connected – in my neighborhood, people call me the cavewoman – so I haven’t looked yet, but I find the idea very interesting!

Find Keny Arkana on her website, Facebook, and YouTube.

Meet the Quebec rap band Strange Froots and the three Black and queer female rappers and singers: Mags (Senegalese-Ghanaian born in the US), Naïka Champaïgne (Quebec-Haitian) and SageS (Jamaican-Canadian). As the trio just released the video “The Wanderer”, they told us about the female rap scene in Montreal, how their identities impacts their music and their upcoming projects. 

When and how did you discover hip hop?

Mags: I was exposed to hip hop at a relatively early age. I had two older siblings who watched BET, VH1 and MTV all the time, and had plenty of CDs for me to borrow. On the way to school every morning for as long as I can remember (either on the bus or my parent’s car), the station of choice always had hip hop and go-go music on. The first one I remember listening to wasCrazySexyCool by TLC; the first one I ever owned was Nellyville by Nelly, a gift from my dad for my 10th birthday (even if I’m pretty sure he only grabbed what he thought was popular at the time). From middle to high school most of the rap I listened to was Missy Elliott and Kid Cudi.

Naïka Champaïgne: I first got into hip hop through my mother and my brother, it was playing around the house and it was merely a part of my surroundings; artists like Missy, Ludacris, Biggie, Tupac…

SageS: I believe hip hop found me. Prior to the Strange Froots, I was primarily interested in pop, rock and alternative music. However, after joining NBS (NoBad Sound Studio) and subsequently meeting Mags and Naïka, I developed a new appreciation for the genre and am continuing to explore it in the music that I create.

When and how did you start rapping and which artists inspired you? 

S: I appreciate hip hop because it is a powerful medium for artists. Historically, hip hop was used to voice the concerns of the black minority and to speak up against injustice, inequality, and the blatant truths of those times. I think it is a privilege to be able to do the same with my music.

NC: Before being in SF, I was a solo artist playing in certain lounges and bars and festivals for young adults called “Adofest”. It was me, myself and my guitar. I was singing some of my songs which are more acoustic, soul and jazzy/folk-ish and covers. Then, I started working with hip hop artists such as Dézuets d’Plingrés and Doc Mo. I actually made my first featuring and music video appearance with them.

M: I had a very short stint as the designated rapper in my best friend’s high school emo band (they wanted me to be like Mike Shinoda in Linkin Park) but I wasn’t into it. Later on during university (some time after moving to Montreal from the US) I discovered an event called Hip Hop Karaoke MTL, where people can sign up to perform their favorite hip hop track by heart (so no lyrics). I decided to give it a try, and having done theater and dance shows in high school, I found I had tapped into another side of my passion for performing. I definitely took a lot of cues from Missy, but later on I think Narcy influenced quite a bit of my flow.

How and when was Strange Froots founded?

M: The year our group was founded I was VP Marketing and Communications of the hip hop club at my university, and made a lot of artist friends through HHK, as well as the hip hop sociology class I had taken the year before (this is where the club was founded). One of my friends, Dr. MaD, was working at a youth center called NoBad Sound Studio (founded by our mentors Nomadic Massive), and invited me to a jam session. That’s where I met Naïka.

NC: NoBad Sound Studio is affiliated with La Maison des Jeunes Côte-des-Neiges, which is an open/free space for young teenagers from the ages 12-17 to have a safe place to have fun, do homework, do workshops of any kinds of activities; NBS Studio is the music center of that organization. It’s a place where kids can record beats and vocals for free. Workshops for songwriting and beatmaking are also available. Of us three, I was the first member there, I entered in February 2013; I heard about this studio by a friend of mine who is also a beatmaker, rapper and songwriter called Tshizimba. A year later in May, I met Mags at a meeting for new ideas to make NoBadSound progress and in June they decided to have a girls workshop because not a lot of girls entered the studio which is mainly into the hip hop scene.

S: I discovered NBS through my mother, who is friends with Kof (K.O.F.), an artist and former NBS counselor. He invited me to come back for a female-led workshop project, since there aren’t many girls at NBS. In fact, Naïka, Mags, and I were the only ones that showed up for it, so we decided to make a band instead.

What’s the story behind “The Wanderer”?

NC: Mags created the beat from “The Wanderer” a while ago, before she even met us. She sampled a beat from Cheikh Lo’s “Dokandeme” and it’s about a wanderer/immigrant. So when I wrote the lyrics to the song, the main verses, I was inspired by the movie 12 Years a Slave and racism, discrimination and inequality that is still very much present nowadays. It’s a song about how we Black people have suffered, still suffer, but we still dream about better lives and live for something better.

M: The sample itself is representative of my heritage. My father is Senegalese, and Cheikh Lo was one of many African artists I grew up hearing around the house. The story behind the music video differs quite a bit from the story of the song. The story in the video follows 3 people on different paths in relation to the African diaspora. One is about reclaiming what being “from the Motherland” means, another is about bridging cultural gaps within the same generation, and the third is more of an internal thing, self-decolonizing a bit.

You are three Black and queer women. How do your “Blackness” and “queerness” influence your music?

S: Being a queer, Black woman, I constantly feel a certain level of responsibility in displaying an authentic version of myself through my art that also honors these identities. Despite my being a relatively private person, it is important to me to share my truths publicly, if only to inspire, help, and/or amuse the people in my communities.

M: For me personally, I like to have nuance and subtle references to my own queerness by using gender neutral language in love songs or not always explicitly mentioning physical intimacy. Being on the ace spectrum, I’m used to having people assume being queer means also being hypersexual, which is often played up for jokes in media. While I might not care about a person’s gender if I’m attracted to them, I can still put emphasis on other aspects of being queer. As for the Black side of things, I always like to give a little shoutout to where my parents are from (Senegal and Ghana), and the fact that I’m a first-generation African-American, which I feel a lot of kids of immigrants can relate to. I also like to sample African music in the beats I produce (like in “The Wanderer” and “Afro Punkass”).

NC: There is a certain responsibility to fully grasps what it means to be all of these identities. There is a need to comprehend and feel how each of these oppressions shape me as an artist, how it crafts my art, my vision, and how people will perceive it.

Do you consider yourselves feminists? If so, what kind of feminism do you most relate to?

M: I do consider myself a feminist, and I relate mostly to issues of misogynoir, but intersectional feminism as a whole overall. There are a lot of times where even if I’m a queer Black woman, I have to always remember that I’m also coming from a place of cis, able-bodied, middle-upper class privilege with a degree. And I’ll be quick to call someone out on it even if they identify as things that I don’t; you can’t always be right because you are oppressed in certain ways, there’s always something to reconsider.

NC: I identify with Black feminism/intersectional feminism.

How is the female rap scene like in Montreal?

NC: It’s a big family; everyone knows one another or heard of one another. In terms of sound, it’s very tight and I would like to say raw, pure. People really seem to enjoy themselves, but if you don’t know the music genre, it’s so hard to find local artists. A normal citizen would not know where to look to find Montreal hip hop artist let’s say, unless they ARE interested in hip hop themselves.It started as a male dominated scene, for minorities, Black and Latinos, who lived in the struggle, the ghetto, in the white supremacy (still is) and how they wanted to address those injustices. You would think that women would also be a part of that right? As being the most oppressed human beings on the planet; but no, hip hop is seen as a macho scene, a macho environment, and masculine. And it still very is, sadly.

M: We have a lot of talented femcees, such as Hua Li, Sarahmée, the former members of Bad Nylon (Kayiri and Marie-Gold) just to name a few. A lot of times, the media likes to act as if we’re all “competing” in “a man’s world” when in reality, not only is the scene generally supportive and collaborative amongst girls, but a lot of us are friends in real life. This isn’t to say that there’s still a problem of under-representation in terms of, for example, race or Anglo vs. Franco among the female rappers.

S: I feel like there aren’t a lot of female collaborations in hip hop because hip hop is a very male-driven institution, and it’s very difficult for females to project an alternative to the misogynistic lyrics. But some women are doing just that, coming up with a different, less stereotypical version of hip hop. Women need to know that they can do hip hop their own way, which is exactly why Strange Froots was formed.

Who are your female role models and why?

M: I will always stan for Missy Elliott, because she’s always a decade ahead of the new wave, and her artistry was also so much fun and out of the box, not to mention I didn’t have a lot of role models with a similar body type to mine when I was growing up. Seeing a big dark skinned girl become an absolute legend really resonated with me. I also had a really huge Spice Girls phase that recently resurfaced, and after watching their documentaries it made me love them even more for their down-to-earthness and how important their friendship really was to them.

S: I was raised by an all-woman family. My mother and aunt, both multidisciplinary artists, inspired my love of the arts. My mother, Sylvia Stewart, an actress and stuntwoman, exposed me to the world of acting and stage performing, and my aunt Paula encouraged my passion for songwriting. As for musicians, there’s Jully Black, Ella Fitzgerald, Florence + The Machine…

NC: I would say Erykah Badu, Billie Holiday, Amy Winehouse, Nai Palm, Lauryn Hill, Ella Fitzgerald as well… I have too many.

What are your upcoming projects? 

S: We’ll be spending this time working on new music. Having spent a few years on “The Wanderer” (from releasing the track on our titular EP back in 2014 to the music video we’ve worked on since our time in Senegal last summer) we’ve reached a turning point in the group. I look forward to situating our content in the present, showcasing who we are now as people, black and queer folk and what that means to us. Gotta keep it fresh

NC: New ideas in music, in creativity, in expressions. I want to challenge myself in those areas and also challenge the fans as well. It’s always good to challenge ourselves.

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

M: I grew up in the French system, having attended an international school with a majority of French kids (my best friend included), and watching channels like TV5, Canal+ and TRACE when visiting family in West Africa, so I had a small idea of what the content might be like when I first discovered it not too long ago, but I was pleasantly surprised! It’s really cool to see that you feature artists from everywhere and have bilingual content! That’s something you wouldn’t see a lot in Quebec.

Find Strange Froots on their website, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. 

© Didi M’bow

San Jose rapper Lucy Camp told us about her first encounter with rap and her new hip hop new wave EP “Summer Camp”, released on the independent label Quintic Records. 

When and how did you discover hip hop?

Growing up my uncle would play a lot of rap music. I remember the first rap song I heard was “The Humpty Dance” by Digital Underground. That was how I became exposed to one of the elements of hip-hop.

How did you start rapping?

When I was 6 years old, I’d gather my family around the living room and put on my dad’s sunglasses to “rap” for them. Later down the line when I was 12 I started writing little raps in my notebooks. At 15 I took a hip-hop elective in high school and began writing full songs and recording my own music under a different name.

How would you describe your music? 

My music is versatile. The Summer Camp EP I recently put out is very different from the music I’ve made in the past and totally represents where I’m at right now sonically. I’d say some of the tracks I make are poetic, others are more angsty while others are just pure vibes.

You just released your third EP “Summer Camp”. Who did you work with on this project?

I worked with Peter Anthony Red on the Summer Camp EP. He’s a producer in the label, Quintic, that I’m in. He completely captured the 80s vibes with the instrumentals, I’m in love with what he’s done on this project. I also worked with Africa from the band Neko Pink on the track Stars. I was lucky enough to have her send her vocals last minute for the hook portion. She killed it.

Your track “Disguise” has a strong new wave/Blood Orange/Twin Peaks vibe. What’s the story behind this track? 

Peter played me the melody you hear in the hook and that was all it was, a melody with no drums. As soon as he played it for me I got this synthwavey vibe from it and suggested he add some drums of that style to the melody. As soon as he did that I kept thinking of the word “disguise” and I came up with the hook right then and there. The song is about falling for someone who isn’t who they say they are.

You come from San Jose, California. How is the female hip hop scene like over there?

Although I’m from San Jose, I’m not heavily involved in the music scene out here. I’m used to making music in my room and sending it over and that’s it. I do know that Snow Tha Product is from San Jose too, though.

Do you consider yourself a feminist? If so, what kind of feminism do you most relate to?

When I think of the word feminist I think of believing/fighting for equal rights between men and women. That is the feminism I believe in.

Who are your female role models and why?

My aunt Bella is a big female role model for me because growing up she gave me a lot of advice my mom wasn’t able to give me. She’s a strong woman who I’ve seen endure a lot in her life. I admire her strength and her morals because it’s helped shaped me in some way.

Another female role model I have is Dua Lipa. I appreciate her dedication to music and a healthy physique. She has abs FOR DAYS. It’s motivating.

What are your upcoming projects? 

I have a debut album dropping in the fall which I am excited for!

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

I think it’s dope that Madame Rap provides exposure of female artists in hip-hop. It’s always great when women can come together to support and uplift other women. Keep doing what you’re doing!

Find Lucy Camp on Bandcamp, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

After two years of silence, Sharaya J is back with the mixtape “Dope Product – Vol. 1” and the video “BIG”. The MC from Jersey City told Madame Rap about her decisive encounter with Missy Elliott – she signed to The Goldmind  Inc. in 2010 before launching her own production company Banji Entertainment LLC in 2016 –, her BANJI movement and why it is important to be yourself.

Your father was a member of 90’s hip hop group Double XX Posse. Is it him who introduced you to rapping? 

Yes. I grew up in a HipHop home, my mom and father were music heads so they introduced me to so many different styles of music at a very young age. I learned a lot from my father by just observing him. I’d come home  from school and there would be full cyphers going on in my living room or we would would meet him at the studio on many occasions. That gave me a glimpse of what his world was like. I’d have to say he was first “rap” inspiration.

You were a dancer for Diddy, Rihanna, Ciaraand Alicia Keys and worked with famous choreographers such as Laurianne Gibson, Fatima Robinson and Jamaica Craft. What part does dancing play in your music today?

Dancing plays a very important part in my music. When I create music, I’m also coming from the perspective of a dancer; so if it makes me wanna move I’m pretty sure other dancers will feel the same. When I transitioned from dancer/choreographer to artist, I always vowed that I would never leave my love for dance behind; but in fact I would keep it as the root of my musical journey.

You just released the 17-track mixtape “Dope Product – Vol. 1”. Who did you work with on this project and how would you pitch it? 

I am really proud of my mixtape “Dope Product – Vol. 1”. In creating this collective, I really took a organic approach. I didn’t want to give myself any boundaries, I wanted it to be as creative, fresh, nostalgic, fun and most importantly DOPE as possible. I got the opportunity to work with some really awesome producers like Razors Music, DJ Jayhood, Web of the Machine & some great artist like Izza Kizza and Samad Savage. Ultimately, I think that we created something special that people can push play on and vibe with from beginning to end.

You also recently released the Video “BIG”. What’s the story of this track? 

“BIG” is indeed a special track to me. This is the first record that myself and my father have collaborated on. We got in the studio, caught a crazy vibe and ran with it. That actually is my father’s voice saying “BIG” in the hook. The idea of “BIG” is to do all things with this intention; Dream “BIG”, Think “BIG”, Live “BIG”…so I actually consider this joint quite an inspirational track; not to mention that authentic Hip Hop essence of the beat.

You launched the BANJI (Be Authentic Never Jeopardize Individuality) movement. Can you tell us more about it? 

The “BANJI” movement was created because of my real life testimony. I once was asked by some record executives to change everything about myself at the time in order to sign a deal with them. They agreed that I had superstar quality; but wanted me to dress a little more sexy, show a little more skin, throw on some heels and get a weave. In that moment I realized that they cared more about my image then my talent. I have always heard about the stereotypical things that go on in our industry but to experience it first hand like that really put a battery in my back to stand for something or fall for anything. I decided from that experience that I would create a movement that would embrace individuality, uniqueness and encourage everyone to be comfortable in the skin they are in; hence why I live my life unapologetically and fearless…BANJI.

Missy Elliott has been a sort of mentor to you and she says you are “the future”. How did you two meet and how did she influence your work? 

Missy and I met at a mutual friend’s event. We instantly clicked and hit it off. At that time I was transitioning from dancer to artist.  She told me I had superstar quality and offered me an opportunity of a lifetime. She offered me the chance to become a student under her and she would mentor me and show me the ropes. I jumped at the chance, of course, we are talking about one of the musical geniuses of our time. I feel very blessed to have had a mentor like Missy; she has taught me so much not only about music but about life in general. I will always honor her and be forever grateful for the wisdom and the jewels that she has given me on this journey of my career.

Who are your female role models, if you have any, and why? 

Most importantly my Mom (Deborah) & my Grandma (Jestine), but I have been blessed with some amazing female role models that have brought me to the place I am now and made me the woman I am today. I have been inspired by so many different strong women in my life and I feel extremely grateful for them all.

Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why?

Yes, I do consider myself a feminist in the sense that I do understand how important it is to encourage and uplift the female community. I believe that we should constantly be reminded of our worth & greatness, and how important it is for women to support other women in this industry and in the world.

What are your upcoming projects? 

I have just wrapped 3 new visuals off the “Dope Product – Vol. 1″ collective that I’m very excited about. I am gearing up for the release of my first EP; in which I have plans on releasing the single entitled “New Wave“. I am also working on a very special project – a pilot that I have written and produced entitled “Roomies“. I have a lot on the horizon that I can’t wait to share with all my supporters.

What do you think of Madame Rap? What should be changed or improved? Are we Banji certified? 

I think Madame Rap is Awesome! I wouldn’t suggest you gals be anything different than what you are…You gotta keep it Banji always! Definitely #Banjicertified xo

Find Sharaya on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud and Instagram.