Yes, you read correctly.  It’s Rapsody, without the ‘h’.  But, ask anyone who’s seen her perform live and they’ll tell you she is nothing short of rhapsody, which, among other things means an ecstatic expression of musical feeling.  Now that we have our definitions in order we can get to the heart of the matter: Rapsody is a dope MC!  While there are plenty of talented MC’s in hip-hop today, perhaps what sets Rapsody apart from the others is her desire to actually be an MC, simple as that.  While you may be thinking to yourself, “Doesn’t every MC want to be an MC?”, one could argue that that’s not the case.  The essence of hip-hop, whether we’re talking DJ’s, Graf Writers, Dancers, or MC’s, is showing off your ability and being the best you can be.  The way you become the best at anything is by studying and practicing your specific craft, tirelessly.  Going through the motions will only get you so far.  Herein lies the difference between Rapsody and other up and coming MC’s, her desire to study how to be an MC.  I have to admit, Rapsody holds an unfair advantage over most of her peers being under the tutelage of legendary producer 9th Wonder.  It is under 9th’s watchful eye that Rapsody’s flow has progressively grown.  Starting with Return of the B-Girl and most recently with Thank H.E.R. Now, Rapsody is showing that hard work does indeed pay off.  After blazing a recent set in DC, iHEARTDilla got the chance to talk to Rapsody regarding her new EP, her wish list of collaborators, getting homework from 9th Wonder, and much more!

A-TRAIN: First off, thanks for taking the time out to talk with iHEARTDilla.

Rapsody: You’re welcome and thank you for having me.

A-TRAIN: So, how are things going with your new EP, Thank H.E.R. Now?

Rapsody: Things are going really well, it seems to be moving well.  People seem to like it and they are saying it reminds them of the hip-hop they fell in love with.  Ali Shaheed Muhammad said something about it so, you know, I couldn’t be happier.

A-TRAIN: That’s dope.  I know in reading your interviews and listening to your music I’ve noticed that you’re a real student of the game and appreciate those who came before you, so as a listener who appreciates hip-hop you can only respect that.

Rapsody: Thank you. You have to know where you came from to know where you’re going.

A-TRAIN: No doubt.  Now, I know you started off writing poetry and performing spoken word before transitioning into hip-hop.  How has your opinion of hip-hop changed from when you started at NC State with Kooley High, to now, that you’re on the come up as an underground MC under 9th’s imprint?

Rapsody: It’s definitely been an eye opener, you know?  Starting off with poetry and then transitioning to rap, from [the student organization] H2O and then transforming into Kooley High, back then we were just making music for fun.  And it’s still fun now, I love it, but I’m getting to learn more about the business. And that’s the real eye opener.  Most of the times it’s the business that is a let down.  9th always says, “In this game it’s 10% about the music and 90% about the business.”  You learn things like how the radio works, about contract deals and the control you have and it is frustrating at times.  If anything, being under 9th has helped me the most because he’s told me to weigh the options, the pros and the cons of everything.  I think when I first started rapping it was like ’05, early ’06, [hip-hop was] just gettin’ into the swag era [laughing].  And not to down it or anything, it just doesn’t particularly grab me.  But now, with [artists like] Big K.R.I.T., Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, Laws, King Mez and Kooley High, to me it’s somewhat of a rebirth of a late 80′s, early 90′s era [of hip-hop].  I’m excited about that, because at one time you were like, ‘Is that feeling ever gonna come back?’, and now you feel it starting to come back.

A-TRAIN: Is there anyone’s flow or cadence that you particularly like to listen to and study?

Rapsody: Jay-Z.  Jay-Z is my favorite rapper of all time, him and Mos Def.  The first few songs I ever wrote, which happened to be the first songs 9th got to hear, he told me “You have a lot of potential and you have a dope voice, but you have to work on your cadence”.  So 9th gave me a number of artists to listen to and study [including], A Tribe Called Quest’s Beats, Rhymes and Life, Snoop’s Doggystyle, Lil’ Wayne, but you know the one I was most excited to study was Jay-Z’s The Black Album.  My homework was to memorize it front to back, word for word, but not so much listen to what he was saying, but how he was saying it.  So I had to memorize his infliction and his delivery and today, he’s still one of the one’s I like to study.  As far as newer artists, Kendrick Lamar, I love his flow.  Peers, both old and new, I try to learn from anybody I can.

A-TRAIN: That’s crazy, gettin’ homework from 9th Wonder! [laughing]

Rapsody: Right, [laughing] he’s a teacher at heart.

A-TRAIN: So, you’ve collaborated with a lot of dope MC’s on your first two projects, is there anyone that comes to mind that you still haven’t gotten a chance to work with?

Rapsody: Oh yeah, my wish list is so long I update it every day [laughing].  I’m gonna start with the newer ones; I’d love to do something with Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Jay Electronica.  There are some singers I’d also like to work with like Tiara Thomas.  I was just introduced to her music and I think she’s crazy dope.  Some older ones, Jay-Z, but I know that is so far fetched.

A-TRAIN: You never know!

Rapsody: Right, you never know so I put him on my wish list.  Also, Q-Tip, I’m a big Q-Tip fan.  Method Man, Erykah Badu and those are just a few, like I said my list is so long.

A-TRAIN: Any producers?

Rapsody: Yeah, you know, DJ Premier of course.  We’re supposed to work soon; I just went and met with him in New York about two weeks ago.  Also, Pete Rock and Hi-Tek.

A-TRAIN: Cool. What music are you listening to at the moment, other than your stuff?

Rapsody: Well other than a whole bunch of beats, which is what I listen to most of the times, I’m listening to Kendrick’s Section 80, Stally’s Lincoln Way Nights, Big K.R.I.T.’s  Return of 4Eva and you know, all the classics, I listen to those every day.

A-TRAIN: Let’s talk about last week’s show at Everlasting Cafè in DC. What were your impressions of the hip-hop scene?

Rapsody: I’ve performed in DC a few times and it’s one of my favorite spots.  I told 9thI would love if we could come back at least once a semester because, like 9thdescribes it, it’s like a Native Tongue type scene where you have all these kids ciphering and putting on shows all for the love. To be around that it keeps you humble and keeps you excited about the culture and the future of it.  These kids that are learning from it, grew up Tribe, listening to it on the way to daycare.  I loved it [DC], it was a great environment and it was a lot of fun even though it was 160 degrees I didn’t even mind it [laughing].

A-TRAIN: That’s what’s up, we’d definitely love to have you all come back to DC.

Rapsody: Yeah, I can’t wait.

A-TRAIN: What is something that people don’t know about Rapsody that you would like them to know?

Rapsody: Wow… [laughing]

A-TRAIN: And I know you still work at Foot Action [laughing] so something other than that.

Rapsody: Yeah, it’s wild cause I’ve had my video playing for the last three months and it’s crazy having to go to work while your video is playing.  When it first came on, my coworkers ran up to me like, “you’re on the DVD!” and I was just like ‘Ohhhh’, I was excited.  But, I’d say I’m kind of laid back and quiet when I first meet people.  Don’t get me wrong I’m goofy and stuff, but I know when a lot of people meet me they tell me that I’m nothing like I am on stage.  My mom tells me “I don’t know who that person is up their.”

A-TRAIN: So you have an alter-ego?

Rapsody: Exactly, like Beyonce’s Sasha [laughing].  Also, another thing is, I’m a tomboy.  I have three older sisters, but I also have a younger brother and he and I are 13 months apart, plus all my cousins were boys so I grew up liking basketball, watching ESPN, playing video games and that type of stuff.

A-TRAIN: I know you’ve said that outside of music, you want to help with sickle cell anemia, and write children’s books.  Is there a time frame you’ve put on being an MC? Or do you see this as your profession and doing it for a long time?

Rapsody: Yeah, well if I could have things my way, I’d mirror my career after Jay-Z’s.  I want to have longevity, still remain relevant and be able to branch off into other things.  I want to do a lot of community work and maybe some acting, do children’s books and stuff like that.

A-TRAIN: Name an artist that people may not be up on that we should check out.

Rapsody: JF Coup from DC, I think he’s really talented. Also, King Mez from North Carolina, he’s crazy dope.

A-TRAIN: Lastly, what are some pieces of advice that 9th Wonder has imparted to you that you could share with other young artists?

Rapsody: Wow there is so much! Well, the most important thing is to study and know your craft, no matter what it is. Whether it’s music, acting or if you want to become a doctor, there is a history in anything and you have to know that.  There is not a day that I’m not in the studio or writing because that’s my passion.  Follow your passion and work on it.  The more you work, the better you get.  Network as much as possible when it comes to music and be constructive and critical when it comes to your own work too.  Also if you’re in a crew, if you’re the best in your crew, find someone that is better than you like a 9th or a mentor that you can learn from and that’ll challenge you to be better.  That’s what everyone on Jamla does for me, guys like Big Remo, they push me to be better.

A-TRAIN: That’s a lot of good advice!  Make sure to look out for Rapsody’s new project entitled For Everything scheduled for October.  Return of the B-Girl and Thank H.E.R. Now are available now for free download.

Contact:

Rapsody on Twitter:  @RapsodyMusic

www.9thwonder.com

You should watch:

You should listen to:

Rapsody – “Thank H.E.R. Now”

Rapsody featuring Jean Grae – “Blankin’ Out Remix”

Rapsody featuring Raekwon – “Black Diamonds”

Rapsody featuring Rah Digga – Win