I don’t sing. I don’t rhyme. I can’t produce tracks. I’m often the only non-rapper in a room. But I’ve always had an ear for good music and because of that, folks have respected my honest opinion. I don’t hold back. I’m also a fan of music. I actually remember when that meant something. RefinedHype has given me the opportunity to showcase a dope artist weekly, someone who is on the rise that has caught my ear and that you should definitely check out. This is "
Return of The Real". Chea!
L.A. is a fresh female emcee. For me, she came out of nowhere. For her, she’s always been here. And our path’s crossing was really all about timing.
I first heard her rhyme on Scienze’s recent project, "The Phone Tap(e)". Her bars on “From L.A.” (which I thought were initially about Los Angeles based on the title) were crazy. Her cadence immediately caught my attention. The words she chose and the way in which they were delivered proved that she wasn’t just your average rapper, regardless of gender.
Her rhymes are deep.
In the months since that feature, she’s been everywhere, including opening for Big Sean at NYU recently. But it’s her debut project that has people buzzing. A few weeks back she released two leaks, which were well received on the blogosphere and have kicked the door open for L.A.
So, L.A. has arrived.
In a Hip-Hop scene where people only recognize one female in rap (at a time), it’s important that you check for L.A. Her rhymes and thought process and views on music are much deeper than a lot of surface level music we hear today. I recently reached out to L.A. and we talked about Nicki Minaj, the term Femcees, who she’s listening to and her new project. Check out our Q&A:
TC: So, let’s not beat around the bush. Let’s jump right into this. You’re a female. You rap. You have a lot of personality. So, folks will inevitably compare you to Nicki Minaj. This is mostly because she’s the only female recognized on the scene. How do you respond to that? What’s your strategy for being different?
L.A.: I think Nicki is dope. You can’t take away from the fact the girl has bars and she comes with a different type of style that once upon a time I might of hated on but now she making it her own, which I respect. People will immediately assume that as female artist we need to have beef and blah, blah, blah. That shit wack. Everyone is different and I don’t really think I have a strategy to be different. I’m just being myself so when people compare me to her, I just use the mic and they can do the math.
TC: Okay, okay. Along the same lines, how do you feel about the title Femcee?
L.A.: Awww yes the Femcee … the Femcee has been a heading that has always been two-sided for me. For one, it is highly empowering for women and feminists to stand strong with the title that has developed some of Hip-Hop most vital personalities such as Queen Latifah, Salt and Peppa and MC Lyte. However, simultaneously, for some reason, it separates us from the collective of Hip-Hop as a whole and places the female body into a box. Personally, I would rather to be called an emcee or an artist, because for one, I speak to everyone, not just for women or men. I attempt to speak to the youth and humanity as a whole. Secondly, if I am able to kill a dude in a cypher, why not equate me to an emcee? I can go on and on with this topic and in general how the English language is tailored to male-dominant culture, but think about it-- dudes ain’t calling themselves Malcee, so why say Femcee? The times are a changing, my nigga!
TC: True, very true. You know, it seems like your background is in spoken word. Is that true?
L.A.: Yes, I have been writing poetry since I was 14 and have been doing spoken word since 16. It’s my home.
TC: Cool. How did you transition from spoken word to rhyming over a beat? What's the biggest difference to you?
L.A.: Well, most of spoken word was already rhythmic and held rhyme so the transition of my speaking to rapping really came into play when the beat dropped and I needed to learn how to hold my own on a beat. The biggest difference to me is the beat. With spoken word, you can hear the breathing of the masses who are listening to your every line and every syllable, but once you add a beat, it adds the whole new challenge of making sure the people are listening to you and enjoying the beat that is behind your thoughts.
TC: Music obviously inspires you. Who are you listening to? Who's on your iPod/mp3 player?
L.A.: Damn man ... everybody is on my iPod. I am mixed breed. I came from a Latino household that comes from a Caribbean household, so my music ranges from Salsa, to Kompa to Dancehall, all at once. However, I’m the weirdo in my family, so alone with my iPod, I listen to hella Sleigh Bells, Fabolous, Blu, Harlem, Lil Kim, toooooo much Kanye West, Big Sean, Biggie, Tupac, Big L and man everybody. My iPod is always on shuffle so it’s kind of what comes up. But on the real, I really love listening to my peers, like Scienze, Eric Sosa, J. Phillipe, Hi-Jinx, Dremur, JFace and a bunch of others, because I really love development and hearing growth. If you don’t know ‘em check ‘em out.
TC: Okay. So, L.A., when people see you and then hear that you're a rapper, what's the reaction?
L.A.: “SHEESSSHHH! Or ”“WTF? You just surprised the Hell Out of Me MA! Or “Damn Ma You got bars.” or the hating ass ones be like “ She’s iight.” (Laughs)
TC: Okay, so I’ve mentioned this a few times in different conversations with you. The first track I heard from you was on Scienze's The Phone Tap(e). The "From L.A." jawn ... was there anything before that?
L.A.: Well, rapping on a track, no. But I have some youtubes of me spitting freestyles and I also was in Tony Polo’s “We Got Bars”, which began my transition from poet to rapper. I actually met Scienze at “We Got Bars” in May and ever since then he has been like a brother to me and just one day he told me “aye Queen, I want you to vent on this track on my next mixtape.” and I was “Oh let’s do it!!”
TC: How has that feature on Scienze's project changed how people view you?
L.A.: “From L.A.” being my first track to open up to the world really means a lot to me, because it’s all truth and I remember when I was writing it, I was literally up at 5 am for two days thinking people are not going to understand this. However, this track has really allowed me to connect with so many people, on so many levels and people always come up to me and say like “I know exactly how you feel.” And that’s what really matters to me. Also, when people see me they usually think I’m some crazy party girl without a care in the world, but when they hear “From L.A.”, they realize how much more people have behind them.
TC: You have a project on the way. Talk about that a bit and where the concept came from and how long you've been working on it?
L.A.: Yes, my first project The Presentation, due to drop at the end of this year or beginning of the next, is my first full attempt to reveal myself to the world. I grew up listening to Kanye heavy, and continue to listen to him, so he has really inspired me to make “good” music that people should really “listen“ to. The mixtape in general, is off variations of Kanye West instrumentals, and remixes to other beats that are similar to that soulful, get to the heart music, because that’s what I hope my music does in general. Additionally, every track on The Presentation uses metaphors and symbolism that takes off the masks that people tend to wear, not only in the industry, but also in the world as a whole. But at the end of the day its also Fun, Love and Live, but real. A little gangsta sometimes too.
TC: What do you plan to accomplish with the new project?
L.A.: I want people to listen.
TC: Who's involved in the new project?
L.A.: Well, I have special appearances from underground grinders. From Hi-Jynx, Scienze, Melodi J, and many others. Don’t want to give you too much!
TC: (Laughs) Okay. I can respect that. So, as an artists, what impact do you want to have on the people who listen to your music?
L.A.: As an artist, I want people to see beyond the surface and reveal the truth behind the curtains of lies. I also want people to open their hearts and go back to where the light was. Music has become so dark and lost in itself that I really hope that I can shed some light on the reality of the world.
TC: Last but not least, what's next for you?
L.A.: What’s next? Making my dreams a reality.
For more from L.A, connect with her
via twitter.
For more from ThroatChopU,
follow him on Twitter and check out
TheMadBloggers.com.
And be sure to check out some real rap from L.A. right now below: "
So Appalled (Remix)" and "
From L.A.".
