(Kate is on the left!)
This week’s campus celeb is no stranger to the world of hip-hop. We met up with Junior Kate Blackwell to talk all things rap, free style, and who she thinks are the big game changers in the industry. Find out more about Kate’s rap career here and where you can find some of her best work.
What are you involved in on campus?
“I am a member of Delta Gamma, a member of the Accounting Society, and the captain of my intramural basketball team (we are currently in the playoffs and I have a feeling we are going all the way to the ‘ships). I don’t really do much other than that because I am an accounting major and that takes up most of my time.”
I hear you like to rap, how did that start?
“I think I wrote my first real rap when I was a freshman in high school, but I’ve been writing rhymes and music since I was just a little tyke. I remember writing poems in probably 1st or 2nd grade and having so many that I decided to make them into a book. My mom got them professionally bound and what not so I felt like a BALLER. They were kind of just incoherent phrases about the most random subject matters that I somehow made rhyme, but I enjoyed writing them. By middle school I loved hip-hop and so I changed my style to a more hip-hop vibe.”
What do you rap about? Any free styling?
“I rap about anything that is on my mind at the time. Sometimes I will rap about super dumb stuff that has absolutely no meaning just to clown on people for various reasons. Currently a few of my roommates, the Erins, (Erin Cusick and Erin Woodbury) and I are collaborating on a rap basically about how we are really cool and that our haters are our motivators; it’s hella deep stuff. There are other times though, that I will make raps or songs about something that actually means something to me and are a little more emotional, but I tend to keep those to myself. Also, I will be the first to say that I can NOT freestyle. My mind just is not that quick, but if you give me a few minutes I can try to whip up a nice rhyme or two.”
The question we’re all wondering is where can we see some footage of you rapping?
“Unfortunately I do think I can be found online. My newest rhymes can be found on Moses Jaenson’s video for DG’s anchorman nominee presentation (“MosesInLove”) where he is Beyonce and I am JayZ. I only make a guest appearance because Moses is obviously the one everybody wants to see. Other videos I made were from high school, however I hope that they do not resurface anytime soon.”
Who are your favorite rap legends?
“I love to support female rappers that can compete with all of the men in the industry, so I love Azalea Banks and Iggy Azalea. But not really Iggy currently because she has kind of sold out. I liked her old stuff much more. And I would just like to say on record that I knew about Iggy Azalea before all of these bandwagon-ers and had her bumpers on my iPod since circa 2012… just sayin. I also like to kick it old-school sometimes and listen to MC Lyte and obviously my girl Missy Elliot. As for guys, a few that come to mind are Common and Childish Gambino. I have very eclectic tastes.”
What are a few fun facts that no one knows about you?
“Let’s see…I dabble in the violin and the guitar and I am also ¼ Mexican, so that’s pretty fun. I can also touch my tongue to my nose.”