Woman To Woman
Real Talk. My name is Psalm One and I’m a Rapper; a Woman at Work. When I started my career, I used to tell people not to compare me to other female rappers. I’ve always wanted to be recognized for my skill and not my gender. That mindset gave me the strength and drive to battle with the big boys, tour the world and release a critically acclaimed album.
But real talk, I am a woman, and if I’m not a champion for my gender, how can I expect anyone else to be? The truth is, as a female rapper, we get pushed to the backburner sometimes. We get disrepected lots of times, and even more than that, we get judged by our looks and sexulaity alone. There might be 5 hot male rappers, and only one chick.
aboveGround made a list of other rappers that aren’t “that chick”. I decided to weigh in as well.
So, woman to woman, this is my top 10 list of female rappers that you should celebrate, because I do. I’m also celebrating the release of my new project Woman at Work. It is available for Free Download at www.PsalmOne.tv because I want people to know just how good I am at my job.
Leave a comment below, we want to stimulate conversation, so there will be prizes for the first 25 comments courtesy of aboveGround Magazine and Rhymesayers Entertainment.
1. Lauryn Hill
Big surprise? I know. Lauryn tops my list because of her amazing strengths and few weaknesses. Starting with the obvious, the sound of her honey dripped voice was enough to win over audiences of all genres leading her to an impressive temporary global domination. Besides that, she was the best rapper in a rap group with two other guys, that alone gets my vote. Not to say guys are better than girls, but it’s hard out here for a chick…
Her only weakness is that she disappeared. Entering relative obscurity after her mega-bomb album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill… She came back with that Unplugged album, but frankly it wasn’t the same and it made me kind of sad. All that preaching and crying was, at times, too fucking much.
Then poof! She went into actual obscurity. I’m not one for gossip or scandal, but the rumor is that she’s bonkers. I don’t know. I miss her. Obscurity or not, she’s golden.
2. Bahamadia
She held me down in High School for the more cerebral chicks but H.W.A. wasn’t really feeding my soul. As a champion for the chicks H.W.A. just sent mixed signals…
Bahamadia was ushered in with major co-signs from Guru (RIP) and ?uestlove. She is a lyricist’s lyricist and her bars rival that of any great. Long after her Kollage album she released BB Queen which was a bit of a more diverse, electronic sound. She’s still dope, but I would have liked to have seen and heard more output from her. I don’t know what her label situation is, but I wish these labels would put more money and time into the ladies. She’s not going to wear a fucking bikini, but she raps her ass off. Isn’t that more important?
3. Roxanne Shanté
She’s a fucking pioneer in hip hop and battled everyone worth mentioning in her hey-day. I can remember playing “Big Mama” on repeat and just dying listening to her diss bars about other females….and males too! She treated everyone. She has so many dope singles, too. Her legend is a little tarnished, though, since last year I remember it came out that not only was she never signed to Warner Music (who she allegedly won an important lawsuit against) but she didn’t have her PhD. Boo. You ain’t got to lie, Craig.
4. MC Lyte
For a while, MC Lyte was THE female rap solo artist. She’s also a pioneer, and was doing for female solo artists what S-N-P were doing for the female rap group.
Lyte’s strengths include her voice, her legacy in the 80′s and early 90′s and the fact that she was one of those tom-boy type chicks that was approachable yet unapproachable at the same time. Her image was always up for debate, though. And although it isn’t anyone’s business, I think people were wondering about her sexuality when “Ruffneck” dropped. Then, maybe, not so much. After seeing her a bit later in the 90s, she has been kind of on the comeback trail, yet VH1 appearances don’t really count as the super dope thing to do, at least not around here.
5. Psalm One
Oh Shit. How could I rate myself so high? I guess I’m just doing me.
Psalm’s strengths include being able to rap on damn near any cadence, having a very distinct voice and presence and having that street smart/book smart thing going. Plus, she’s cute as a button. If we‘re talking about co-signs, Psalm is on the strongest indie label out there, yet in the underground she is loved and revered by all sides.
Weaknesses? As an underground rapper, you may not have heard of her. Flashy radio songs or videos, weren’t really a priority before. It’s touring, battling and work ethic that earned Psalm her respect. A high profile Scribble Jam loss got people talking about her but a critically-acclaimed album (The Death of Frequent Flyer) quieted all the whispers and sealed Psalm as a legend in the making.
I don’t know how I feel about referring to myself in the third person, it’s kinda weird but you get the point.
6. Invincible
This girl is one of my favorite all-around rappers. I have tons of respect for her, and she’s always dope to chop it up with. Invincible’s rapid-fire delivery and her distinct Detroit style make her a dangerous emcee. She’s also very political in her content and being, which is a gift and a curse. With a mostly-political music agenda it’s tough to reach the masses. Her agenda makes her less accessible to some audiences (however that is probably more by choice than not). I want more people to find her and know about her, and I also want her to smile more. Smile, girl!
7. Jean Grae
She usually sits at the top of most people’s female rap lists. No list is complete without her.Jean is a pioneer for a new voice in hip-hop, not only female hip-hop. She has had major co-signs and can rap her ass off, and if people know about at least one female rapper who isn’t on the TV all day, it’s her.
On the other hand, Jean has had a couple of false starts with a couple of different labels and situations, and having kind of a not-great reputation amongst people who talk about those sorts of things. She also hasn’t had a proper album drop in a long time. And although I’m glad it wasn’t true, saying you’re going to retire sucks, but then not really retiring is kind of womp womp.
Either way, I’m happy she didn’t because the streets are saying we should do a song together. Jean has actually been saying the same thing for years, but we’ll see…
8. Shawnna
The second female from Chicago on the list. Will she be the last?
Shawnna’s strengths include being Buddy Guy’s daughter, and being kind of a hood chick who’s sexy. I think she plays up her sex appeal for record sales, though. I also believe she’s suffering the dreaded girl-of-the-crew curse. DTP hasn’t dropped enough of her shit, and her albums aren’t ones that are exactly chock full of dope tracks. I also don’t think her label has pushed her hard enough. Sometimes we have to make our way, right ladies?
9. Ang 13
The third and final installment from Chicago. She opened some doors for yours truly back in the day. If you don’t know her, she kind of reminds me, in a good way, of Rhymefest. Ang’s style lives and dies with her flow. It is razor-sharp, and she is a commanding presence on the mic. She hasn’t really dropped anything other than an EP or two, though, and her relatively non-existent output has put her sadly, under too many people’s radars. And she is too dope to be unknown.
10. Eternia
Silky Silk with the Skirty Skirt on. I’m sure you must have heard of her.
Eternia’s strengths include her work ethic and her newly-inked deal with Fat Beats. Her flow is hardcore and she has a lot of different flows, so her skill set is very respectable. Her track record is equally respectable. I think the possibilities for Eternia are limitless as long as she doesn’t limit herself.
Just my thoughts, people *in Jigga voice*.
Don’t forget to drop a comment. First 25 respondents win a prize from Psalm One, aboveGround Magazine and Rhymesayers Entertainment!
-
Fresh Tracks
-
Get Familiar
ProtomanMeet Protoman, one of Florida’s chronically-slept-on rappers. Steam an exclusive new track from his upcoming album.
