female rapper

fathersokka is an 18-year-old musician from Washington, D.C.

“I would categorize myself as a vocalist, producer, instrumentalist and rapper.”
fathersokka

fathersokka began creating art as a child, when she would go with her mom to work. fathersokka’s family did not have enough money for a babysitter at the time, so fathersokka’s mother would bring her into work and give fathersokka paints and paper to entertain herself with until her shift was over.

She explained, “I’ve always been somewhat art-based. When I was younger, my mom couldn’t afford a babysitter so she would take me to work with her and she would buy me those dollar paint sets and I would be at her job writing poems and painting pictures. I also wanted to take guitar lessons, but we couldn’t afford that either so I spent a lot of time just writing music and singing it. I got back into songwriting like two years ago and ended up releasing my first song.”

Having this financial struggle from a young age has taught fathersokka how to best utilize limited resources. She used to be discouraged that she could not afford the expensive guitar lessons that her white peers so easily got, but found that she was able to continue to succeed in music when she started collaborating with other Black and brown artists.

She said, “I feel like I have been struggling with the fact that I never had the resources growing up to learn music like I wanted to. Sometimes that makes me feel like I’m far behind my white and affluent peers who seem like they all already have 10 years of experience. But learning to use the resources I had taught me a lot. So, I advise every artist to just work with what they have and push through those obstacles. Never stop trying because of a lack of resources, and collaborate and share resources with other black and brown artists so that you can all create together.”

Currently, fathersokka is working on two projects: an album and a three song EP. The album is entitled PSYCHWARDSHOWERS. This will be a co-album with her music partner and best friend, MAK. The EP, Crying in Places, is another collaboration with artist Javo.

When listening to her music, fathersokka says that you should expect to hear a mash up of a variety of genres.

“I would say that I fall under neo-soul, jazz and hip hop. I have major rap influences, but I also dabble in alternative music and switch between a bunch of genres often. I’m inspired by Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Steve Wonder, Outkast and Amine,” said fathersokka.

In the future, fathersokka plans to expand her brad by working on her personal sound and expanding her home studio. Her goal is to “push the limits and see how weird I can take this, how weird I can make everything I do.”

To other aspiring artists, fathersokka advises “Get a part time job, save as much money as you can, get your studio and do everything by yourself. Don’t feel like you have to work with some rich, white boy to get your art our there. Uplift yourself, uplift your friends, uplift each other. Create a dream and stick to it. Work hard for what you need to own.”

You can stay up-to-date with fathersokka by following her on Instagram @fathersokka. Her music is available on Soundcloud and Apple Mucis under fathersokka.

My style? I would describe it as elegant trap music.
Muva Mack

Muva Mack—Tasha Gaye—is an upcoming female rapper from Worcester, Massachusetts. She has been rapping since the age of 12, but just recently dropped her first project, “I’ll Be You,” on December 15, 2018. Only a few shorts weeks after this, Muva Mack announced that she would be dropping her first mixtape, the Muv Tapes.

“Then the new year rolled over and I basically announced that January 31st I was going to drop a mixtape, the Muv Tape. Mind you, I had no songs. I had no way of knowing how songs were going to be recorded, or even what studio I was going to use. I just let it be known that I was going to drop a mixtape” explained Muva Mack.

From there, it was a process discovering all the intricacies that really go into making a mixtape. Muva Mack bought the app, Canvas, for $8 to design her own cover art. She then had her friend, as aspiring photographer, take professional photographs of her. She used these pictures, posting one a day, to promote the Muv Tape. Her album was entirely self-produced and self-promoted.

The entire production of this mixtape was a spiritual journey for Muva Mack. The mixtape is composed of seven songs to represent the Biblical reference to the universe being created in 7 days and 7 nights.

“I usually party on New Years, but this year I went to church instead and asked to be closer to my music and to find my purpose. Now I know music is my purpose,” she said.

Since releasing the Muv Tape, Muva Mack has done several performances around the nation. Her stylistic influences include rappers like Lil Kim, J. Cole and Wale.

Her accomplishments don’t stop with rap. Muva Mack is also a professional dancer and the mother. Her daughter—stage named Trin Star—appears on the interlude to the Muva Tape on “Tx2.”

In the future, Muva Mack hopes to build her own music empire in service to women. In the music industry, female rappers often are not taken seriously. It seems there can only ever be one prominent female rapper at any given time. When more than one exists, they are pitted against each other (e.g. Cardi B and Nicki Minaj), as compared to the hundreds of male rappers who are simultaneously making millions in harmony. Muva Mack wants her empire to instead be centered around female empowerment, sisterhood and success for all.

To other aspiring female rappers, Muva Mack advises, “It’s a mans world 100 percent. Never allow yourself to get taken advantage of in any way. Go hard. Say what you want to say in your raps. Express yourself. Why can’t you express yourself? Make music for men to sing. Men make music for us and we spend all our money on it. Make music for men to be like ‘ooh yeah, this dominates.'”