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Background by /u/Kitchen_Ur_Lies
Marlanna Evans, better known as Rapsody, is a 36-year-old rapper from North Carolina primarily known for her affiliation and work with local producer 9th Wonder. After meeting her in 2004 while rapping with one of her earlier groups, Kooley High, he would sign her to his label in 2008. This led to the release of her debut mixtape, Return of the B-Girl in 2010, which would spark her collaborative work with artists such as DJ Premier and Mac Miller. Her sassy yet nimble delivery on this project gives her the versatility to deliver choppy and hard-hitting bars on Win while also making heads spin with her souled-out onslaught on Blankin' Out. The project would bode well for her budding career, drawing early comparisons to female emcees of Lauryn Hill and MC Lyte. However, this qualifier of best female emcee would be the very item she'd like to eliminate from her name in rap conversations, as she aimed to be one of the greatest emcees, full stop. She would go on to progress her rhyme patterns into rooted life experiences on her second mixtape, Thank H.E.R. Now. With a much more fleshed out tracklisting, she was able to score collaborations with the likes of Big K.R.I.T., Raekwon, and her second song with Mac Miller, whom she joined on his Incredibly Dope Tour in 2011. Rapsody's early work would open her circles to fellow newly acclaimed acts, including Kendrick Lamar, planting the seeds for collabs in the years to come.
2012 saw the long awaited release of her debut album, The Idea of Beautiful. Advancing her potential seen on previous releases, Rapsody weaves an auditory essay on the essence of beauty. The light boom bap and catch up presence throughout the album lays as a canvas for the poetry that unfolds, with highlights such as Roundtable Discussion and NonFiction. Dotted across the project is singer Nomsa Mazwai, who is showcased on the cover art and lent Rapsody the inspiration for the title and message of the album. The matured yet idealistic insight on the definition of beauty is something that is no stranger to her work and life experience. This project could be looked at as the kindling for something like Eve, which tackles the balance between being confident in her work and comfortable in her skin, and invoking that same stride into her peers and fellow black women.
Dropping two more projects in the coming years with She Got Game and the Beauty and the Beast EP, her time came to speak on themes and principles of beauty by securing one of two featured rap verses on what is considered the peak of 2010s hip hop, To Pimp A Butterfly. No stranger to working with Kendrick, her contribution on Complexion (A Zulu Love) illuminates the systematic issues associated with colorism when defining beauty. Normalized beauty standards have taken aim at minimizing features from black people, including brown eyes and dark skin. She raps about feeling the need to cover her body in bleach cream at age eight to closer align herself with the arbitrary standards, then finally enforcing her dark side like a young George Lucas. This placement on such a celebrated work led to great interest in Rapsody's career leading up to that point, and the imminent future. Eyes were set and glued on her upcoming projects, including a signing to Jay-Z's Roc Nation by 2016. The first project to come during her Roc Nation career was Crown, a succinct yet remarkable entry in her discography coming in at a low 10 tracks, with highlights Gonna Miss You and OooWee.
Two years of careful crafting culminated in the consecutive Laila's Wisdom, a purist panorama of the worldview for black women today. Paying homage to her grandmother Laila, Rapsody weaves together the topics of Southern life, police brutality, love, and blackness into one of her most acclaimed efforts to date. Accents of funk, R&B, and jazz find their presence necessary to tie the themes she tackles with such grace. A soulful intro into Laila's Wisdom aims to give the listener the Power to understand her message. The features assembled to fill their place in Rapsody's message cannot be understated, managing to bring out a patois Kendrick Lamar and a standout Black Thought verse. Busta Rhymes who made an appearance on You Should Know praised this as the best album he's heard from a female MC period, but the best in the last 10 years. Receiving a storm of acclaim from several publications, Rapsody managed to receive nominations for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song at the 60th Annual Grammys, though losing to DAMN and HUMBLE.
Coming off the heels of such a monumental moment in her career, Rapsody furthered her attempts to scrub the qualifier of "female" to her name when listing great MCs. Besides sharpening her pen with guest appearances on projects such as 9th's Jamla Is The Squad II, an epiphany shaped the vision behind her forthcoming project. While being profiled for Oxford American, interviewer and poet L. Lamar Wilson played Nina Simone and Roberta Flack to stage the interview. What came about was the realization that Rapsody was the very extension of these fellow North Carolina artists and more. That same night, it inspired her to create a song which would later flourish into the concept for an entire album; celebrating the work and lives of black women. The timing of this project coincides at a time where the discussion is being had about what it means to be a black woman in America, and at a time where Rapsody has grasped her abilities as a lyricist and performer to convey her story in all its glory, through pain, power, and pride.
Review by /u/Kitchen_Ur_Lies
Clocking in at just over an hour with 16 tracks, Rapsody lays the foundation for the listener to become grounded in her perspective. Generations of black women act as conduits for Rapsody's ideas to be illustrated, with each being celebrated in their own respective right. 9th Wonder handles executive and sometimes literal production on this project, brimming each track with lush instrumentation and vocal samples that paint gusts of color for her words to represent. Some of these samples are incredibly high profile in stature, yet never manage to take away from the focal point herself, Rapsody. And while the album and its cover takes focus on Rapsody, it guides you to her through the tribulations of those that came before her.
Anthemic in essence while uplifting in execution, the album commences the celebration with Nina. Nina Simone was quintessential blues singer and civil rights activist of her time. What Rapsody decided to take from her was the ability to reflect on herself and the times, as she quoted from Simone, "An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times." Simone exemplified this herself by releasing Mississippi Goddam, a protest to the murder of Medgar Evers and the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham that claimed the lives of four black girls. This blacklisted Simone from the industry, but she prospered in empowerment nonetheless. Rapsody utilizes this track as a foundation for her own reflection within the industry. Simone's rendition of Strange Fruit acts as a chilling canvas for Rapsody to lay down the facts. "Emit light, rap, or Emmett Till / I drew a line without showing my body, that's a skill." As a rapper in her lane attempting to bring light to atrocities and oppression, she feels her options are to rap on these subjects or get killed like Emmett Till, an innocent 14 year old who was lynched by grown men after a false accusation by a white woman. Rapsody has earned her placement in rap without giving in to sex appeal as well, because she wants her raps to speak for themselves, and this formula is what has brought her so far. Rapsody leaves the outro over the haunting instrumental for poet Reyna Biddy to shed light on her own perspective as a black woman, citing her pain, her feeling like prey, and how she won't be defeated. This resilience and firing back acts as a graceful segue into the next track with Cleo.
Setting off the tone for Cleo we have Phil Collins' In The Air Tonight to let us know Rapsody is in the building and isn't holding anything back. If you weren't aware, Cleo is Queen Latifah's character in the 1996 movie Set It Off. The tomboyish yet "no-holds-barred" properties that she exudes in this role are invoked in Rapsody. She knows her place and isn't afraid to say it, "wonder how a bunch of sheep can have an opinion on a GOAT / dressed too tomboy, rap too lyrical." The way she dresses should have no effect on how people view her craft, yet it still finds its way as criticism she receives and attempts to take away from her status as a GOAT. One thing Cleo wasn't afraid of doing was sending shots, and neither is Rapsody after being brought down by someone some may look up to in the rap community. Charlamagne Tha God took to Twitter to claim Rapsody is an elite MC and better than 98% of living rappers, not long before Rap Radar co-host B. Dot claimed he was full of shit for such a statement. Not only is Rapsody handily capable of that claim and very deserving, but she effortlessly addresses this here without mentioning his name, since he can't seem to keep her name out of his mouth. In fact, she keeps it to "I don't take time to address opinions that ain't 9th, Dre, or Jay-Z / Only rap radars I need are them and the streets." This short list of just three collaborators is already noteworthy, all of whom look up to her as a great MC. And it's not just her own people that want to cut her confidence short, it's the very people who could help her distribute her music. "White men run this, they don't want this kind of passion / A black woman story they don't want this kind of rapping / What good is a black woman to them? / Raped us in slavery, they raping us again." I mean fuck, it's a crying shame I can't just post the lyrics to this entire song because Rapsody took the time to make every line meaningful and tie in with the theme of never backing down on what you believe in. This track is such an easy listen because of the bounce in the bass with Phil Collins echoing in and out, 9th fading in and out for the chorus, and Rapsody reminding us she's still getting the money, money, money.
Aaliyah is an ode to the 90's R&B queen who exemplified another pillar of Rapsody's character, feeling like a tomboy and being comfortable with that. For as attractive as anybody finds Aaliyah, it seemed tomboyish yet acceptable for her to model for Tommy Hilfiger. "When Aaliyah was alive / It was cool to be a tomboy, Tommy boy fly." Rapsody feels she can't get the same treatment as she's been told she needs to sell herself (her body) more than she does now. She disagrees, stating, "Femininity comes in different ways, and this is my form of being a female. The way I dress is feminine in my way, so I call it tomboy femininity because that's what I saw in Aaliyah." Her own form of femininity shouldn't be subject to judgment by anyone else, as nobody can tell her how much of a woman she is, especially when she makes her whole image towards music speaking the loudest volumes about her persona. She does describe this beat as sexy though, which I find it to be too, so it was only frustrating for me when I spent about an hour during the release night trying to find the Aaliyah song this samples. I was shocked to find it's actually a Sabrina Claudio sample, given Aaliyah has so many dope tracks to choose from. This doesn't stop Rapsody from giving her more nods within her own track, stating she's "More than a woman, real enough to rock the boat." Oprah marks the first feature she enlists on the project with Virginia rapper Leikeli47. The first North American black multi-billionaire, known almost purely by mononym, serves as the most convenient conduit to illustrate the urge to get checks. Eric G pieces together a bouncy and riveting instrumental, letting the words circulate in a catchy tune. This is just a fun track in all seriousness, but Reyna makes another appearance at the end to remind her oppressors who told her that she wouldn't have shit, that she'll frighten them with what she has now. Whoopi offers a chance for a sister to act up, as Goldberg did in Sister Act. The cooing Watermelon Man sample brings that playful sassiness to life with just the beat. "Angela Bassett / Blow the whole car up, I ain't even gassin'" just like Bassett blowing up her husband's car in Waiting To Exhale. Rapsody's temper isn't to be tested, and she has no problem tapping into her ratchet. A multifaceted woman, she can play into this aggressive bag whenever she feels. And this album definitely won't let that stop, with the next track being no exception.
Serena is as energetic as Serena Williams is on the actual tennis court, owing that in part to the infectious Uncle Luke sample of Don't Stop. There's not a doubt in my mind that Eric G must've had a blast spamming the MPC key with the "don't stop" that rings throughout this anthem. "You the captain of your own ship, young blood / A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor." Rapsody cites how Serena and her sister Venus came up in the tennis world at a time when black people weren't always welcome in said arena, with these rough waters acting as the catalyst for their high level of play they currently occupy. Momentum is the path to greatness along such a murky path, and it's why certain people who come from nothing know to strike when the iron is still hot, as you gotta "get it while the going good." Prospering through treacherous trails is something Rapsody evokes from those before her, citing "We gon' save them all, Nat Turner, Tubman / For the hate you give, still thugging / That's Shakur life, Giovanni wrote it." Freedom fighters Nat Turner and Harriet Tubman physically pulled slaves out of their harsh environments to the free world, but the type of slavery perpetuated today is in keeping black people left to the bottom through mass incarceration, darkness being antonymous to beauty, among other racial injustices. All of this hatred sowed so deep in the infant from birth is the inspiration for the tattoo THUG LIFE across Tupac's chest, meaning "The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody." This persecution on the elements of a black person from the outside, namely their skin serve as a segue to the next track with Tyra. As Rapsody states, "self love is a radical act, when beauty is in the eye of the oppressor." A black woman reaching her level in the modeling and fashion industry is something to behold, as a compliment to her preaching of self-love and acceptance of woman in all shapes, sizes, and skin shades. The Bjork sample weaves these rhymes together so soulfully, and seamlessly into the next track with Maya. Maya Angelou is undoubtedly on the Mount Rushmore of black women for Rapsody. Best known for her autobiography I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Angelou is a monumental landmark in American poetry and champion in the black community, working with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, in addition to becoming the first female poet to speak at a presidential inauguration. Sampling Green Eyes by Erykah Badu, this paints a soulful palette in the mind of the listener, perfectly readied for the poetry that befalls on their ears not too long after. "I can't be a bird in no cage," as Angelou once said, but Rapsody flies high with her words throughout this track. Running back to that theme, "Told me, just like old Morgan, free man / A caged bird sings a song for freedom." This harkens back to Morgan Freeman's critically acclaimed film Shawshank Redemption where he played a man molded by the prison complex that sought the life of freedom, just as a caged bird. The song is beautiful in execution and reminds us to "stay moving forward, don't waste your soul" just as it closes with Erykah's gorgeous vocals.
Rapsody is someone who can't be fenced in, but fencing is ironically the eventual inspiration of the next track in Ibtihaj. Enlisting D'Angelo and GZA, the latter of whom made the classic Liquid Swords which is sampled in this track, 9th decided that since it was this track that was flipped, they may as well name it after the first Muslim woman to wear a hijab during the Olympics while representing the US as a bronze medalist fencer. Rapsody's verse is exceptional and features shout outs to early 90s hip hop in Gang Starr, Flavor Unit, and Lady of Rage. The true ode to the early 90s is GZA's standout verse, refurbishing some of his old lines into "a lot of rap is weak, low frequency in the tweeters / very inaudible, clock radio speakers / quietly whispering in a world of WikiLeakers." He transforms those old lines to connect with today's world, and passes the torch to Rapsody, who lives out the meaning of "an emcee should electrify, beautify, strive to / empower, inspire, transform a worldview." Myrlie Evers is the widow of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, who Nina Simone famously sung about with Missisippi Goddam as mentioned earlier. Mereba joins Rapsody to sing so beautifully "Take, don't take, my love away." While Myrlie lost her husband, she continued his work and eventually became an NAACP chairwoman, not allowing his assassination to take her love away. I should also take this time to highlight Mereba who released an incredible project in The Jungle Is The Only Way Out who /u/mehlibu so eloquently wrote about as well. Reyna Biddy, who's already appeared across the project at several points, finally gets her own moment with an articulate poem about the black woman's body and spirit in Reyna's Interlude.
Michelle pays respects to the Harvard Law School and Princeton graduate that became the first African American First Lady. Rapsody subverts expectations by using this track to hypothetically show what happens when she gains the world but must lose her soul. The Obamas faced scrutiny from conservative media throughout their tenure for a "lack of class" for frivolous things such as wearing tan suits. The different set of standards that came with being First Lady didn't mean that Michelle had to lose her values. Rapsody herself stated "You can be a girl from Chicago, who likes to dance and be a real black woman who goes to house parties, and still be a first lady. I wanted to showcase the side of Michelle Obama, like, 'I'm a first lady but I ain't lose my blackness. Don't get it twisted.' You hear it in the hook, with Elle Varner singing, 'ladies first.' That's me playing with wordplay again: We can go from being first ladies to a First Lady." Ebony. One of the first ladies to become a successful dark-skinned supermodel, Iman broke barriers for those to come after her, such as Tyra Banks. Accepting yourself inside your skin, whether physical or metaphorical, is another essential pillar to Rapsody's ideology, coming a long way from placing bleach cream all over her skin at age eight to face her insecurities. She brings along with her SiR and J.I.D. to ensure that black men are included in the convo of loving black women and themselves.
What better time to mention queens than the great mononym Hatshepsut, the longest reigning woman pharaoh of Egypt? What better time to bring on Queen Latifah to the project? Hatshepsut acts as a fierce anthem for black woman, recognizing the importance to a queen to every king and vice versa. Rapsody likens herself to Coretta King and Winnie Mandela while reminding us that unity is necessary. Queen Latifah wastes no time to describe what being a queen means to her, being there to love and raise a king, knowing when to be Cleo or Gandhi to protect those you love, and having pride stronger than lions. All queens are shout out by her to have their own throne, spot, and crown along their path to success that she's went through herself. We have another Black Reign to water and nourish the crop, just as we get drowned out by the melodic piano that riffs throughout the track. Sojourner originally appeared on Jamla Is The Squad II, but fits just right into this album with thematic elements to help articulate truths. Afeni marks the closure of this project, attempting to bring closure on the pain that black women feel when black men aren't taking their perspective to light. She finally samples the Tupac standout Keep Ya Head Up to bring all of the stories and concepts to a whole. Inspired by the general twitter sentiment that black men feel black women criticize them for every action, Rapsody aims to start a conversation with them that they should empathize with them, for Tupac famously said "we all came from a woman/ I wonder why we take from our women / do we hate our women?" This disdain must come to a stop, and both sides have their own grievances that have led to the bitterness. Black women are to be cherished and have been one of the most marginalized groups in America, having to fight alongside civil rights movements both for race relations, and feminist equality. Grace and emotion are evoked from this track, and they've touched me as the most heartfelt song found on the whole album.
Favorite Lyrics
Got my middle finger up like Pac after attempted murder
Failed to kill me, it's still me, woke up singing Shirley Murdock
As we lay these edges down, brown women, we so perfect
Went from field nigga to still nigga, being cropped out the picture
They gon make a sister act up, Angela Bassett
Blow the whole car up, I ain't even gassin'
I'ma go worldwide, I'ma go NASA
Yeah the arm strong, you can get it if you askin'
They gon make me go tap into my ratchet
I'ma go Left Eye when I get the matches
Black life we still going
They mad we still flowing
Black joy, euphoria
We wanna smile like gloria
That's Hov mama, word to my mama
I'm here for a different cause, we seldom receive applause
Never reeive awards if we ain't modelling something name
Fendi, Gucci, Dior, women like me ignored
But it's aight, though, outsiders never change what's in store
Discussion Questions
How does this stack up with the rest of her discography, did she surpass Laila's Wisdom?
Does Rapsody deserve more credit as a strict emcee and not just as a female? And if not, what does she have to do to prove herself?
Is there a collaboration she didn't have on here that you'd like to see in the future?
Rapsody encapsulated the emotions and sentiments of black women on certain parts of their character that are attacked such as looks and attitude, did she resonate that through her music so that any perspective could understand those troubles?
9th Wonder was still very involved with this project but gave Eric G a ton of production on the tracks here, would you like to see her lock in with 9th for an entire project again or another dream producer?
