Published: Thursday - October 2, 2008
Words by Elizabeth Aguirre
Be it lyrical porn, filthy lyrics, tall tales of sexual escapades, or shallow flows spit with overt masculinity, women's hip-hop has suffered greatly over the years ... and that's putting it mildly. Empowered women emcees from previous eras, such as MC Lyte or Salt-N-Pepa, are clearly not the inspiration for many of today's young female hip-hop artists. Aside from the common arguments that female emcees are overtly masculine or overly sexual (an argument some people could make about rap music in general), the issue many have with female emcees is that they are often unheard of or overlooked -- the enlightened ones that is. So the question remains, why is it that super dope female emcees, the ones who rap about real issues and "get political" or "spiritual", the ones who go in hard, without resorting to looking like dudes or oversexed hookers, remain either unheard of or unappreciated by the masses, and forever are labeled "underground?"
Take a peek at five female emcees, in no particular order, which you may or may not have heard of, but should definitely listen to. These femcees are talented, and are doing their thing regardless of if you give them props. Ladies in hip-hop have never been hotter.
Amanda Diva: The Intellectual
Amanda Diva seems to not care whether or not she graces the stage over at "TRL" or "106 & Park," but those who feel she's underrated do. She is not only a fantastic lyricist poet, journalist, and radio host, she's also an artist. Looking back at one of her first videos on VH1 soul, one could argue, why isn't this on "TRL?" Armed with a Liberal Arts Masters, Ms. Diva has equal parts of intelligence and beauty. You can catch her rockin' the mic with the likes of Talib Kweli, on re-runs of Russell Simmons' "Def Poetry Jam," playing classic tunes every morning on Sirius Satellite, designing purses, or blogging over at OkayPlayer.com. This diva is a jack of all trades, master of the universe. So, if you haven't already, check her out at AmandaDiva.com.
Shayla G: The Feminist
Shayla G is armed and dangerous ... with a pen that is. The Chi-Town native writes all her own songs and has never even collaborated on a hook with another artist. As the first lady of Chicago record label, 1st & 15th, many associate Shayla G with the infamous kick pusher Lupe Fiasco. Her first mixtape, The Rebirth, part of the farenheight 115 series gave Chicago women a positive female role model. This feisty MC stays getting props from well known Chicagians, garnering praise from the late great Donda West in her book, Raising Kanye. The female rapper was part of Kanye's first mixtape ever and hung out with the peeps from KonMan Music long before the infamous backpacker made "Jesus Walks." Shayla G is not given the respect that her male Chicago counterparts have, but that's all about to change. Her latest singles, "Tricks Are For Kids" and "Ego Trippin'," will have fellow female hip-hop artists racing to catch up with her women defending lyrics. Check her out at MySpace.com/FNFShaylaG.
EyeASage: The Philosopher
San Francisco hip-hopper, EyeASage, began her first foray into stardom after winning an MTV reality competition and becoming an intern at Rolling Stone magazine. Her experience on TV has taught her a thing or two about human nature. That fact is evident on her mixtape, Married To The Hustle, where she raps about her experiences with MTV, as well as her experience as an activist, mother, friend, girlfriend, writer, and revolutionary on her album -- and makes it clear that being a woman is not dimensional. EyeASage shows the full extent of a woman's strength and intelligence, yet the phrase "always a lady" repeats itself throughout the course of the mixtape, reminding women that they don't have to be dudes to be smart and well respected. Look out for EyeASage's new album, currently in production, and be sure to check out the aforementioned Married to the Hustle mixtape, for a glimpse at what makes this young artist a force to be reckoned with. Check her out at MySpace.com/EyeASageMuzikPage.
Rye Rye: Queen of the Scene
Move over Lil Mama, what you know about Rye Rye? This Baltimore native may not be overtly political, but boy can she dance her ass off, all the while keeping her clothes on. Rye Rye is best known for her smash club single and video for "Shake It To The Ground" featuring Baltimore club sensation Blaqstarr. At 17 years old, this prodigy flows nicer than most rappers twice her age. The level that she attains with her flows over Baltimore club bangers can only be described as spiritual, which is why she went on a world tour, opening up for British rapper and political activist M.I.A. before she even signed a record deal. Now that the ink is dried on her deal with Interscope Records, Rye Rye is in the studio working on her first album while at the same time touring in Europe and overseas. Check her out at MySpace.com/ThaRealRyeRye.
M.I.A.: The Political Diva
Although M.I.A. is a bit better known than some of the other artists we profiled, she has still not managed to break through that indie/underground barrier. Most of M.I.A.'s music carries a message -- some songs are political while others have to do with relationship issues. But what is cool about M.I.A. is that she manages to balance her intelligence and her artistic integrity quite effortlessly, without being condescending or preachy. A trendsetter in her own right, M.I.A. made it cool to dress in tights with colorful hues, fun hats, and other 80s and 90s inspired gear before the masses caught on. She is also a pioneering artist and one of the first to throw a rap verse over a wicked dance music track and make it pop. M.I.A. deserves the mainstream spotlight as much as any of the male rappers out right now, but for some reason, rap's glass ceiling, and close mindedness has prevented that from happening. Sadly, M.I.A. is best known for the recent T.I. joint, featuring Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne, which samples her song, "Paper Planes." But for her fans, she's been around, so all you who don't know, get familiar. Check her out at MySpace.com/MIA.
For women, it is nearly impossible to get the attention of the mainstream media, unless you are doing something negative, something sexual, or acting like a boy. It's time for women to stop crying about failed relationships, and start addressing real issues that everyday people have to face. It's time for women to get spiritual like Jay-Z, political like Lupe, diverse like Kanye, philosophical like Wayne, and experimental and fun like Pharrell, because women need their role models too.
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