wassup good people!
if you're reading this that means you came back through for another week's "She's So Fresh" Fridays, so welcome back and thank you, you are appreciated! and for all my new peoples checking in, welcome! please follow here or on twitter, leave a comment and continue supporting Women in Hip Hop! so now that we're all introduced and stuff on to this week's feature. A sista after my own heart b/c she is Boston via Brooklyn, and I be Brooklyn via the beloved Beantown! ladies and gents, give it up for:
Kiki Breevlife.
in her adopted home of Boston, MA, she's created a fan base using two of the most important tools in the arsenal of an artist: word of mouth and the skills to back it up. with songs like “Mind is Free”, “Hurt People, Hurt People” and “Far Away”, she's presenting diverse views of life, social issues, and personal experiences.
having won the 1st "War of the Roses” Female MC Battle, she took home the title as Champion against 32 Male and Female rappers at Kevin Powell's 2002 Harlem Hip Hop Speaks. she's been nominated for M.I.C's Hip Hop Music Awards and Urban Music Awards for Best Female Rap and rocked stages at Critical Breakdown, The Middle East Café, House of Blues, Milky Way Lounge, Paradise Lounge, Bill's Bar, Avalon, S.I.R Studios, Caviar Studios, EOW, 106 & Park (with crew Raw Earth) as well as Cuba and Jamaica.
and after rocking a spontaneous set in Boston with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Bahamadia, Slum Village at the Lyricist Lounge Tour, it's been all about building for Kiki Breevlife.
In 1999 she founded R.A.W E.A.R.T.H, (Real Artistic Women Entering Any Realm Trying to Hinder). and later, when Lexi Driva and Wizdom joined to round out the crew, together they were not only a female rap trio with influences of Wu Tang and Boot Camp but Raw Earth was also an entertainment company that offered young women resources through showcasing their individual talent. consisting of young female actresses, rappers, singers, and a STEP team, with Kiki conducting workshops with young people, performing for them and with them.
she's shared the stage with KRS One, Akrobatik, Special Ed, Pharoahe Monche, PMD as the only female gracing the stage at the 1st Annual Hip Hop Fest in Boston and returned to the 3rd Annual Fest in 2005 to rock with the likes of MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane and more.
I def had some questions for this sista:
me: do you feel there are advantages or disadvantages to coming out of the Boston Hip Hop market?
Kiki Breevlife: Coming from the Boston Hip Hop market has more advantages than many would think. The closest analogy I can think of is to compare Boston to a small university where the classrooms are smaller and there is a closer connection between the students and the faculty rather than a larger university. Here in Boston, the "who's who" in the music scene are well known based on thier talent and productivity. That makes it easier to carry out a national rapport and gain more support in the long run. Boston tends to have this natural family vibe that anyone who appreciates quality art will support an artist as a family member would. Fans and the people involved in the growth of an artists work (whether it is buying your product, attending shows, or aiding in the creation of a finished piece) kind of feel like they're a part of the artists' success. People here sense a connection with the artists based on the fact that you are coming from Boston and can carry out the city's legacy on a national scale.
me: have you ever felt discriminated against because you are a female?
Kiki Breevlife: Yes and no. I do think that the sub-conscience discrimination towards women is always present in any field that is pre-domninately male. I refuse to believe however, that anyone (male or female) should blame thier lack of success based on gender alone. In the words of the late James Brown "I don't want nobody to give me nothin', I just open up the do' and git it myself!" That's the attitude that anyone passionate about their art should have and the support will follow. When I began Raw Earth, I felt that most talented women weren't getting enough recognition. But we can't sit around and play the role of 'damsel in distress' all the time. Ironically, we just need to 'man up', work hard, and stop pulling the gender card. When you're a go-getter and stop looking for hand-outs, people will respect that. Soon everyone will take notice, and voila...A dream realized.
me: what is your favorite personal Hip Hop experience?
Kiki Breevlife: I have many personal Hip Hop memories but to sum it up I can tell you what I miss. I miss the days when hearing a rapper spit made me want to write. I miss when a new album came out and I rushed to the nearest record store early on a Tuesday morning to buy it. I miss freestlye sessions and ciphers, head nodding, and the days when the beats weren't so generic and we had an actual thing called "Hip Hop Quotable". Many of my best Hip Hop experiences all came from a time when that existed. Hip Hop evolves in its on way, so I know I'll have many more experiences and memories are being created every day I'm alive. I just want that good ol' -feel good feeling once again.
me: if you could let young sistas know one thing about doing what you do, what would it be?
Kiki Breevlife: Don't worry about being the next no-one and seriously just be yourself. Trust me, it works.
Kiki Breevlife is currently working on her new project: Positive vs. Negative (TBA), she's apart of R&B Group B'tru. in 2002 she teamed with Soulkore Productions and continues to work closely with Boston’s notable female DJ Nomadik.
so keep checking for Ms. Kiki Breevlife and her upcoming projects! and I'll see you next week with another sista out here creating and contributing to Hip Hop!
peaces,
rox
in her adopted home of Boston, MA, she's created a fan base using two of the most important tools in the arsenal of an artist: word of mouth and the skills to back it up. with songs like “Mind is Free”, “Hurt People, Hurt People” and “Far Away”, she's presenting diverse views of life, social issues, and personal experiences.
having won the 1st "War of the Roses” Female MC Battle, she took home the title as Champion against 32 Male and Female rappers at Kevin Powell's 2002 Harlem Hip Hop Speaks. she's been nominated for M.I.C's Hip Hop Music Awards and Urban Music Awards for Best Female Rap and rocked stages at Critical Breakdown, The Middle East Café, House of Blues, Milky Way Lounge, Paradise Lounge, Bill's Bar, Avalon, S.I.R Studios, Caviar Studios, EOW, 106 & Park (with crew Raw Earth) as well as Cuba and Jamaica.
and after rocking a spontaneous set in Boston with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Bahamadia, Slum Village at the Lyricist Lounge Tour, it's been all about building for Kiki Breevlife.
In 1999 she founded R.A.W E.A.R.T.H, (Real Artistic Women Entering Any Realm Trying to Hinder). and later, when Lexi Driva and Wizdom joined to round out the crew, together they were not only a female rap trio with influences of Wu Tang and Boot Camp but Raw Earth was also an entertainment company that offered young women resources through showcasing their individual talent. consisting of young female actresses, rappers, singers, and a STEP team, with Kiki conducting workshops with young people, performing for them and with them.
she's shared the stage with KRS One, Akrobatik, Special Ed, Pharoahe Monche, PMD as the only female gracing the stage at the 1st Annual Hip Hop Fest in Boston and returned to the 3rd Annual Fest in 2005 to rock with the likes of MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane and more.
I def had some questions for this sista:
me: do you feel there are advantages or disadvantages to coming out of the Boston Hip Hop market?
Kiki Breevlife: Coming from the Boston Hip Hop market has more advantages than many would think. The closest analogy I can think of is to compare Boston to a small university where the classrooms are smaller and there is a closer connection between the students and the faculty rather than a larger university. Here in Boston, the "who's who" in the music scene are well known based on thier talent and productivity. That makes it easier to carry out a national rapport and gain more support in the long run. Boston tends to have this natural family vibe that anyone who appreciates quality art will support an artist as a family member would. Fans and the people involved in the growth of an artists work (whether it is buying your product, attending shows, or aiding in the creation of a finished piece) kind of feel like they're a part of the artists' success. People here sense a connection with the artists based on the fact that you are coming from Boston and can carry out the city's legacy on a national scale.
me: have you ever felt discriminated against because you are a female?
Kiki Breevlife: Yes and no. I do think that the sub-conscience discrimination towards women is always present in any field that is pre-domninately male. I refuse to believe however, that anyone (male or female) should blame thier lack of success based on gender alone. In the words of the late James Brown "I don't want nobody to give me nothin', I just open up the do' and git it myself!" That's the attitude that anyone passionate about their art should have and the support will follow. When I began Raw Earth, I felt that most talented women weren't getting enough recognition. But we can't sit around and play the role of 'damsel in distress' all the time. Ironically, we just need to 'man up', work hard, and stop pulling the gender card. When you're a go-getter and stop looking for hand-outs, people will respect that. Soon everyone will take notice, and voila...A dream realized.
me: what is your favorite personal Hip Hop experience?
Kiki Breevlife: I have many personal Hip Hop memories but to sum it up I can tell you what I miss. I miss the days when hearing a rapper spit made me want to write. I miss when a new album came out and I rushed to the nearest record store early on a Tuesday morning to buy it. I miss freestlye sessions and ciphers, head nodding, and the days when the beats weren't so generic and we had an actual thing called "Hip Hop Quotable". Many of my best Hip Hop experiences all came from a time when that existed. Hip Hop evolves in its on way, so I know I'll have many more experiences and memories are being created every day I'm alive. I just want that good ol' -feel good feeling once again.
me: if you could let young sistas know one thing about doing what you do, what would it be?
Kiki Breevlife: Don't worry about being the next no-one and seriously just be yourself. Trust me, it works.
Kiki Breevlife is currently working on her new project: Positive vs. Negative (TBA), she's apart of R&B Group B'tru. in 2002 she teamed with Soulkore Productions and continues to work closely with Boston’s notable female DJ Nomadik.
so keep checking for Ms. Kiki Breevlife and her upcoming projects! and I'll see you next week with another sista out here creating and contributing to Hip Hop!
peaces,
rox
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