Triangle MC Rapsody, born Marlanna Evans, took the national stage last month with the release of her debut solo LP, The Idea of Beautiful, providing a voice for North Carolina hip-hop and a counterpoint to the popular conception of female rap stars.
The album, which was released Aug. 28 on Jamla Records, has received praise from hip-hop traditionalists and mainstream media outlets alike.
“To read the comments and the reviews that I’ve been reading, it’s very humbling,” Rapsody said. “It’s very, very humbling.”
The buzzing rapper has gotten to this point in her career by staying true to hip-hop’s roots in a pop landscape where female MCs are often treated as gimmicks — take Nicki Minaj, for example.
“There are some things about how hip-hop gets a bad rap with the media because people only associate it with what they hear on the radio and see on TV,” she said.
“It’s usually drugs or sex or women or things of that nature, but there’s a whole other beautiful side of hip-hop.”
Her relationship with producer, label head and hip-hop legend 9th Wonder has had a broad impact on the sound of her new record.
“I wouldn’t want to be signed or be under anybody else,” Rapsody said.
“He’s done so much, but he’s still here until four in the morning working. It just shows me through his actions what you have to do to really make it.”
Working with 9th Wonder — and heavyweight rappers including Childish Gambino, Mac Miller and Ab-Soul — on the new album has been a humbling experience for the artist as well.
“It’ll always pop in my head,” she said. “He’ll be making a beat and I’ll be like ‘Damn, I’m signed to 9th Wonder!’”
Hailing from Snow Hill, N.C., Rapsody is quick to give a shout out to her home state.
“Let me wreck microphones from Carolina to Rome, show you how we do it back home, Triangles we throw like the Roc’,” she raps on her single “Kind of Love.”
“There’s a lot of dope artists here — I don’t think the world really knows how many are from North Carolina,” Rapsody said, speaking kindly of fellow Triangle rappers like King Mez.
“It’s gonna take all of us as a whole just to keep working and just to keep North Carolina in people’s ears and keep it in their eyes.”
Rapsody still intends to keep her spot in Raleigh rap group Kooley High, despite the acclaim of her solo efforts.
The group plans to release a new album executively produced by 9th Wonder in 2013.
“I can’t wait,” Rapsody said. “It’s what I want to do.”
Never content to sit still, Rapsody will be releasing plenty more music in the next several months by the way of touring, music videos and three collaborative EPs.
“I’m just gonna keep working and get back in the studio and just have fun with it,” she said.
Contact the desk editor at diversions@dailytarheel.com.
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