it's Hip Hop DARLING, and it's FRESH..

hey hey good people!!

so in case you don't know them already, which you may, and you should, I would like to introduce you to two young women that are doing their own thing, shining their own shine and rockin bodies and minds..

NOLA DARLING

citing the influences of everything from OutKast and The Fugees, Stevie Wonder and Donnie Hathaway, to Ella Fitzgerald and Jimi Hendrix, they've rocked stages from The Knitting Factory NYC to The Roxy and The Viper Room to UCLA's Jazz and Reggae Festival. they've been featured on XXL.com, Hip Hop DX’s “DX NEXT”, VIMBY’s “Candied Cartel” and Digiwaxx to name a few.

their journey began in high school at the NYU’s High School Acting Program at Tisch School of the Arts and both ended up attending and graduating from NYU after which they took a trip across the globe "to investigate Hip Hop and its impact on young people outside of the US". the two-woman team interviewed countless Hip Hop heads, producers, DJs, dancers, and artists from Johannesburg to Rome and produced the documentary film "WORD?! I Didn't Know ( ___________ ) Could Get Down Like That!” that was honored as the Official Selection of the 16th Annual Pan African Film and Arts Festival.

"That Nola D" by Nola Darling *Boom Boom Pow Remix" from Nola Darling on Vimeo.

with that much love for the art and so much talent between them, its inevitable and understandable that NOLA DARLING leave a lasting impression with their style and creativity. their FRESH. these sistas are pushing the envelope as MC's and singers and they are truly multi-threat.

after helping found A-OK Collective, which includes rapper Fresh Daily and Producer/DJ Melo X, they released "Nola Darling's Pretty-Gritty Mini-Mixtape" and are prepping for their next release, an EP due out in 2009. they'll also be rockin at SOB's on September 9th '09, opening up for Nina Sky...

and they answered my few questions..

me: how long have the two of you been working together as Nola Darling?

NOLA DARLING: We've been working on Nola Darling as an official group for about 2 years.

me: what is the creative process like for each of you, anything specific you do or need before you sit down to create?

NOLA DARLING: We don't have a set process. Each song is a baby born in its own unique way. Sometimes something in a conversation or experience will spark a concept or line, or melody....and we can build a song from there....but if we start working from a beat, we'll usually listen to the beat in the background for a few days before even writing, let the vibe sink into the subconscious, then come back to it on the day we're ready to dive in and just put the sucker on repeat! A relaxing and comfortable environment is always ideal...just not too comfortable.

me: do you write separately, then come together or do you write together?

NOLA DARLING: It really depends on the song...we usually write our own verses separately, but agree on a melody and/ or common theme. For hooks, it varies: sometimes one of us is particularly inspired or lightning strikes both of at the same time with scarily similar ideas. That's crazy, but we've come to expect it now. We always have at least portion of a song that is written in the same space and time.

me: how did you choose the name Nola Darling?

NOLA DARLING: On one of the first songs we ever recorded together, we used dialogue from the Spike Lee film "She's Gotta Have It", and decided to call the song "Who Is Nola Darling?" Ultimately, we decided to keep the name for ourselves because we could relate to certain aspects of the character: her freedom, outspoken nature, and joie de vivre. At the same time, we also felt the name was perfect because we wanted to bring character of Nola Darling into 2009, and make her the subject of her own story, instead of the object. Her story is told mostly through the eyes of her three lovers instead of Nola herself. We like to say that we represent the next chapter, told from the female perspective.

werd. so there you have it folks! check out NOLA DARLING at SOB's in NYC on 9/9/09! and find them on myspace, or their blog and support Hip Hop and the Woman MC!

and I just want to take a second to thank all those who check in every week and ARE supporting women Hip Hop, you are appreciated and all I can ask is that you keep supporting sistas in your area!

peaces

rox