To the Femcees

I just came in from Miz Korona's video shoot for "Bummer" and it was AMAZING! I have not been so impressed with the amount of energy that an artist can pour into their work lately.  This was definitely a mind altering experience. 

I became re-aquainted with the drive that I was introduced to in April.  Miz Korona, Miz Jes, and Mz. Jonz have all supplied me with a vision of what paving a road looks like.  DC, and Ms. Chyna D have given not only a face to the current road that a femcee has to travel, but they have given it a title and even a class.  This class of artist is a warrior as well as the castle she guards.  There is pain in her struggle as well as healing.  Loss and triumph.  There is a series in Kalamazoo called Blood, Sweat, and Tears, and all of these women have allowed me to see that we all have had to "put up or shut up" in different parts of our lives, and that is our art.

As an artist establishing myself, it is not an easy task to open up to people that may judge me for my lack of "swagger" or my mannerisms may be too "____"(you can fill in the blank), but I know what putting hard work into ones ability to express is, and I know what it's like to have a story to tell, but not be able to tell it in a certain way. 

I wanted to take this time to thank all of the Femcees of the past, present, and future for continuing to breathe new life and new forms into Hip Hop, making this culture strong enough to withstand the abuse of mainstream and the misunderstanding of much of the world around it.  I also wanted to take the time to also note that it's the women that made Hip Hop the source of power that it is for the blaq community.  Women and all.  It's women that use this avenue so strongly for conscious empowering messages! Yes men do too, sometimes, but it's the women that talk about "getting their own" "being met halfway" and "doing their own thing".  Yes, we have had women that have had some very negative messages, but REAL Hip Hop is about reclaiming who you are as a person.  So this is a thank you and an annoucement of what to look for when looking for great!!