Quick, can you name 5 female emcees? Yes, from our generation. Can you name at least three? Ok, we’ll include our parents’ generation as well. Yes, technically if they mostly sing rather than rap it’s acceptable.
Not many people from our music generation are quick to name any female rappers (besides Nikki Minaj and maybe Lauryn Hill if they remember) let alone five. But today you’ve hit the jackpot, found the golden beam of light shining on a path to enlightenment. Aha! There actually are other female rappers, plenty. And of course they’re great. Many who can battle and lyrically demolish their male counterparts.
“So who are they and where can I find their music?” you so eagerly ask.
Well allow me to add one to your starving repertoire. She is the “O.G.LYRIKALBOOKBAGGER”, emcee/singer/songwriter, the coolest neobackpackerfreshandkleanklean, hailing from the city that never sleeps, with bright light and even brighter dreams, Kalae All Day.
This Harlem-bred self-proclaimed “vandal” as her website so describes has been on the hip-hop scene since 2008, opening for big name hip hop artists such as Jean Grae and Talib Kweli (big name? If you’re not familiar with them, don’t sweat! They’ll be blogs on them too.) She competed and won in the Brooklyn Bodega Show and Prove, a showcase where up and coming artist “show and prove” their musical artistry, making her the first female emcee to take the crown (that’s right!) and performed live at the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival in 2010. This girl has seriously been on her grind and hustle since day one.
Although I’ve never seen her live, her creativity, charm, lyricism, and drive for success is attractive and inspiring. Her debut album released in 2010.Afromatikneohippierock*Solemusik, is an excellent experimental fuse of soul, rock, hip-hop and electronica. An album like this is sure to make you get up and dance like you just aced a killer exam or chillax doing the signature hip-hopper’s head-bop-nod on a classic beat-heavy tune. She poetizes on everyday topics from boy problems (problems is redundant right?) to fear and love but never fails to ostensibly establish her ground as a powerful lyricist.
And it sure is great to see a young woman love herself for who she is and not conform to the way the media would prefer portraying her (submissive lollipop-licking-innocent fantasy schoolgirl? No disrespect if that’s your hustle, but) not happening here! As she coolly raps on her track Froontherun, “I wear my hair natural, it’s an afro-disiac.” In an interview with Kirk Anthony from femixx.com, Kalae is asked if she believes her natural look impedes her success in the hip-hop industry and she replies:
“No. People love the way I look. I inspire women everywhere to love themselves the way they are…”
Let’s admit; Rapping is a tough game. At its most rudimentary, it is a test of vocabulary and rhyming skill set in the element of improvisation. With the crowd immediately responsive emotionally, a harsh atmosphere in retaliation of a “wack” performance can easily emanate “mad love” if the next performer successfully restores the positive energy, the MC must Move the Crowd. Is this instability meant to forsaken aspiring femcees thus creating the wide gap between successful male rappers from female rappers? Not for Kalae All Day and many others such as her who have proven their competence in a male-dominated circle. In the end, real talent presides over finite illusory talent.
Now, go forth, explore and enjoy the afromatikhippierock-ness of Kalae All Day. And always stay cool cool, peace!