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Rapsody

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Not to be confused with Rhapsody (disambiguation).
Rapsody
Rapsody in 2014.
Rapsody in 2014.
Background information
Birth nameMarlanna Evans
Also known asRapdiddy[1]
Born (1983-01-21) January 21, 1983 (age 41)[2]
GenresHip hop
OccupationRapper
Years active2007–present
LabelsIt's a Wonderful World Music Group, Roc Nation
Websiteiamrapsody.com

Marlanna Evans (born January 21, 1983),[3][4] better known by her stage name Rapsody, is a rapper from Snow Hill, North Carolina.

Career

Rapsody began her career as a member of the North Carolina-based hip-hop group, Kooley High.[5][6] She made her debut in 9th Wonder's sophomore album, The Dream Merchant Vol. 2 by free styling on 9th's re-chopping old samples he already used for other artists. She launched her solo career in 2008 after signing with 9th Wonder's It's A Wonderful World Music Group. Her first significant career breakthrough came with the release of her mixtape Return of the B-Girl on December 7, 2010. Return of the B-Girl marked her first work with legendary hip-hop producer, DJ Premier, and featured guests such as Mac Miller and Big Daddy Kane. She continued to build acclaim with the release of her next mixtape, Thank H.E.R. Now which showcased her storytelling abilities as she drew from personal life experiences and featured her work with a variety of critically acclaimed acts such as Marsha Ambrosius, Estelle, Raekwon, Jean Grae, Murs, and Big K.R.I.T..

Her next project, For Everything was released on November 15, 2011 and showcased her work with both newly acclaimed and established acts such as Kendrick Lamar and Freeway and a number of the tracks were featured in XXL magazine's "Bangers" section.[7][8] In May 2011, Rapsody joined Mac Miller on his Incredibly Dope Tour for 15 dates.[9] In late 2011, she toured with Phonte and 9th Wonder as a part of the Phonte & 9th Wonder Tour.[10]

On July 16, 2016, it was announced that Rapsody was signed to Jay-Z's record label Roc Nation.[11][12]

Style and philosophy

Rapsody is known for her intricate rhyme patterns, metaphors, and wordplay. She cites Jay-Z, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill and MC Lyte as the biggest influences on her music. Her production is primarily handled by The Soul Council, which is the team of in-house producers at It's A Wonderful World Music Group. The producers that comprise The Soul Council are E. Jones, Ka$h Don't Make Beats, AMP, Eric G., Nottz and Khrysis. Rapsody's philosophy is "Culture Over Everything," referring to the culture of hip-hop music. She describes this phrase in an interview with Vibe Magazine where she says, "To me, it’s about culture more so than money or anything. I make music for the people of the culture we’re in; that comes first. If you touch the people first, the rest just falls into place. That’s what it means to me, just preserving and respecting the culture." [13][14]

Personal life

Rapsody's height is five feet two inches.[15] In her younger years, she watched the MTV show Yo! MTV Raps and considered MC Lyte as one of her early influences and later stated Lauryn Hill as an all-time favorite.[16] She grew up in the small town of Snow Hill in North Carolina. Rapsody wasn't exposed to much hip hop and would listen to what her older cousins would play in the car. She would later develop her love for hip hop when she entered college.[17]

In 2004, Rapsody enrolled at North Carolina State University and joined the hip hop collective H2O and its spinoff group Kooley High. She took an interest in the group, despite not having rapped before. When she wanted to rap, the other members were initially hesitant, but later decided on letting her become an emcee.[18] She chose her stage name from looking up the word "rhapsody" in the dictionary, as the word was defined as "a written or spoken expression of great enthusiasm", which she felt described her feelings toward hip hop.[19]

In September 2006, Kooley High met producer 9th Wonder, who was meeting with them to tell them about working in the music industry. After listening to one of the songs on which Rapsody was featured, 9th Wonder listened to her verse five times in a row. He then said to the group in reference to Rapsody "Take note. That's your star."[20]

Her 2017 album Laila's Wisdom was named after her grandmother, Laila Evans.[21]

Discography

Studio albums

References

  1. ^ Aguilar, Andrea. ""LOVE AND HIP HOP" – INTERVIEW WITH RAPPER RAPSODY". beautifulstruggles.com. Beautiful Struggles. Retrieved 2014-12-29.
  2. ^ Dyroff, Denny. "On Stage (Spotlight): Made In America". unionvilletimes.com. Brandywine New Media LLC. Retrieved 2017-10-22.
  3. ^ Rapsody Discography
  4. ^ Hot New Hip Hop - Rapsody Biography
  5. ^ "Rapsody Bio | Rapsody Career". MTV. 2010-12-07. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  6. ^ Griffith, Spencer. "Raleigh hip-hop six-piece Kooley High hits the big screen". Independent Weekly. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  7. ^ "Rapsody ft. Kendrick Lamar "Rock The Bells"". Archived from the original on November 19, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  9. ^ Paine, Jake (April 18, 2011). "Mac Miller Adds More Incredibly Dope Tour Dates, Rapsody Joins As Opener". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  10. ^ Paine, Jake (September 19, 2011). "Foreign Exchange Continues Tour, With Phonte & 9th Wonder Dates Added". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  11. ^ Williams, Houston. "Roc Nation Signs Rapsody, Announced Deal At Brooklyn Hip-Hop Fest". Allhiphop.com. Allhiphop. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  12. ^ "RAPSODY SIGNS TO ROC NATION". the source.com. The Northstar Group. Retrieved 2016-07-20. {{cite web}}: |first1= missing |last1= (help)
  13. ^ "Watch Your Throne! Rapsody Discusses Becoming The Female Jay-Z And What To Expect From 'Thank H.E.R. Now'". Vibe. May 25, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  14. ^ "OK-Tho.com's Top 25 Artists of 2013" http://www.ok-tho.com/2014/01/top-of-year-deans-list-top-25-artists.html
  15. ^ Yeh, Samantha. "Where My Ladies At?". readymag.com. Ready Magazine. Retrieved 2017-10-22.
  16. ^ Yeh, Samantha. "Where My Ladies At?". readymag.com. Ready Magazine. Retrieved 2017-10-22.
  17. ^ Frank Stasio, Charlie Shelton. "Looking At The World Through Rhyme: Meet Rapsody". wunc.org. North Carolina Public Radio. Retrieved 2017-10-22.
  18. ^ Yeh, Samantha. "Where My Ladies At?". readymag.com. Ready Magazine. Retrieved 2017-10-22.
  19. ^ Yeh, Samantha. "Where My Ladies At?". readymag.com. Ready Magazine. Retrieved 2017-10-22.
  20. ^ Yeh, Samantha. "Where My Ladies At?". readymag.com. Ready Magazine. Retrieved 2017-10-22.
  21. ^ Hutchinson, Jacob. "Rapsody clever, insightful in 'Laila's Wisdom'". thepantheronline.com. The Panther. Retrieved 2017-10-22.
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