Summer 2011, I vividly remember the colorful flutter of wild butterflies enchanting me as a lay on an enigmatic and outside-of-town grassy field while passing the day underneath warm fluffy clouds. And now the DJ scratches the rip sound on the record and my dream ends. Yes summer 2011 was definitely spent basking in smoke fumes from street food vendors, the countless miles walking on black- gum décor concrete while being “enchanted” by the migration of vagabond pigeons flying to insignificant destinations. And let’s not forget that impromptu earthquake. Trust me though, it was all worth it.
I was fortunate enough to meet this week’s featured artist last summer. She killed the stage at last year’s Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. Her crew paraded around with My Favorite Rapper Wears A Skirt paraphernalia of which I recognized when I bumped into her backstage at Rock the Bells in September. Maybe you’ve heard of her, maybe not. But rapper Eternia is definitely a trail-blazer for international Hip-Hop artists.
Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Eternia is of English/Scottish/Turkish/Assyrian descent. She was introduced to Hip-Hop by her brother at 8 years old and has been rapping ever since. In a 2009 interview, she explained how Canada was not the picturesque place for harboring “urban” music, but some of her creative outlets included rapping on the playground, college radios, and a night club called La Boom where DJ Ben Jammin’ would give her the mic to lay down a few verses every week.
Eternia’s debut album At Last, released June 2010 and produced by Canada’s super-producer MoSS, features the filet mignon lyricists of Hip-Hop: Ras Kass, Rah Digga, Lady of Rage, Jean Grae, Tiye Phoenix, Joell Ortiz just to name a few. Take any track on this album and I promise you’ll be hooked. From the moment the beat drops in the song Any Man, it’ll have you feeling like the head honcho, like every move or glance you make is a blessing of absolute coolness. The song is a perfect blend of Eternia’s honestly raw lyrical flow and MoSS’ brilliant sampling.
Not to say Eternia is new to the game; she’s been on the scene for more than a decade now releasing numerous mix tapes and selling out shows in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Australia and Europe. She’s on the tongue and talk of notable musicians, fans and critics alike.
Let’s face it, being a white femcee, especially one who can actually rap, is a sore thumb in the genre. Eternia explains, “. . . if I was born and raised here (America), I would’ve NEVA started rappin’ . . . Now I revel breaking down the stereotypes . . . its fun to me now. The confidence is there.”
And you can see and hear that confidence on her records and on stage. With lyrics like,
Tell me that I’m too late/Too wordy/Too white/Tell me what you want/The world tells me I’m too nice.
Eternia is never afraid to break down walls that stereotype her and other rappers from becoming a part of the genre. In the end, Hip-Hop is all about creativity and diversity. And if you can prove yourself a champion like Eternia, you can survive no matter what the criticism.
Happy music exploring, Peace!