Rapsody
Appearances
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Coming up on Keep It Positive, Sweetie. My question was like, what is my real purpose? Same thing, like, you know, with the talent and everything that I pour in to be the best that I could be, why aren't I put up here in the light? And then, you know, for me, the clarity was, you know, sometimes you're not supposed to be in the light because you are the light. You know what I'm saying?
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
She's one of my best friends. I love her to death. Sanaa Lathan. You are now in my village, of course. Bianca, Sherri Bryant. And even the girls, Lady London. I love her too. Tiara Wack. I talk to her. So talented. I'm so happy.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Yeah. Lighten has given me advice sometimes. That's dope. Bia has hit me before asking for advice. I've given her advice. I love it. That's dope. I love it. It's important to me because I know how it feels to not have that community. So I try to, for me anyway, I extend myself to everybody. But Queen Latifah has taken me under her wing and given me advice. Badu is always giving me advice.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I didn't sit down like this with her and talk for maybe just 20 minutes. And she dropped so many jewels. It was past music. It was just life, love, relationships. So, yeah.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Isn't that crazy? It's so crazy. It's like, it's twofold, right? I definitely look at that. I be like, yo, me and Be a really cool. But I'm like, at the end of the day, they just like me too. They'll have people hit me and they're like, yo, we got a meet and greet. I don't know what to say to you. And I'm just like, just be yourself. I'm the home girl. And I have to think they want the same thing.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
But it is crazy because I grew up being inspired by these women. Mama's good. Listen. When I started rapping, Time's a Wasting was my soundtrack. Rap don't waste your time every day. Lauren, I don't have a deep relationship, but I'm able to email her those things. MC Lyte calls me the most. Rappity rap. I'm just checking on you. Where you at? It's just so dope. That's beautiful.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
And it can be just as simple as just sending a note. I'll just randomly text somebody, like, create a great day, breathe easy. You know what I'm saying? Oh, I love that. Yeah. Badu sent me one day at random, like, I declare, and she had like 12 things to declare that day. And I was just like, dope, I saved it. So it's just things like that. But we got to get back to community.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
We've gotten so far away from community. And that's what we were built on, you know, like looking out for each other, making sure. You heard of, I'm about to go, I'm about to be random. You heard of this term called Ikigai? So it's based on this small island in Japan where the oldest people live. And it's like, well, why do they live so long?
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
And they practice this thing called Ikigai and it's living within your purpose. And so the whole community, they walk a lot every day. They eat like a lot of rice. They only eat to 80% full, but I thought it was so dope that If someone in the village, and everybody has to get a job in their purpose that makes them happy. You have to do things that make you happy and bring joy.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
But if somebody loses their job, they're about having no stress in life. So the community take care, take cares of that person until they get back on their feet. And I just think about like, if we all operated from that place, like, I don't know.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
They have this bourbon chicken. It's got, like, this sauce on it with the corn in it.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
One day I stared at it on DoorDash for 30 minutes. I was like, is today going to be the day that I break? Because I could just taste it in my mouth. What inspired me? I was in the studio session with Amanda Reifer. And she and her manager were talking about a cleanse that they did. And they were like, yo, rap, like, you know, we lost weight, but they were like, we had the most energy we ever had.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Like, we felt this state of euphoria. Wow. And I was like, I want to feel that. Oh, yeah. I want to know what that feels like. I mean, I had been, like, wanting to go bigger for a while, but I was like, I don't... I don't know how to get there, so I was like, okay, before tour, I'm going to do this cleanse. It's a pretty intense cleanse, 21 days. I just started it one day.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I had the most energy because I have Graves' disease, so my metabolism is low. When I travel a lot, I could miss pills. So I would go home and I could nap four or five times a day. It was like I could never get enough sleep. So I started this cleanse and I had the most energy I've ever had in a long time. I would lay down and at least try to take one nap. I couldn't nap, so I'd get back up.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
It was like I had restless legs. I just always wanted to be moving. I would go to the gym and he'd be like, You only doing juices this week? He's like, yeah, it was gonna go light. I was like, no, I'm good. Like, you know, so I was, I was asking him to do more in the gym than normal. So I just felt really good. I reached a state of clarity and euphoria. My skin looked good.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
And I had been telling myself like, I want to get to the point where I don't have to wear makeup if I don't want to because my skin looks good enough. And yeah, I just felt good. So once I finished it, I was just like, I don't have an urge to go back. And I haven't gone back.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Yeah, it do. I tried to get my mom to stop drinking, like, certain types of water. I'm like, try this Mountain Valley. She'd be like, I don't like it. I'm like, you're used to them toxins in your water. That's why. Give your water a little taste. Right.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I'm glad that was the first show because these other years I've been working my way up to that.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
You can do so much for just changing our diet. Let us know how bad our food is. My dad is diabetic too. That runs on his side of the family. So it was something too. But I remember before I went vegan, I would be in the gym working out and I'd get down 145. I'm like, yes. And then, you know, traveling two months, I'm back at 173.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
You know, cause I don't know how to do hair. So.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Oh, no, that's fire. You know, on tour, I'm like, these tracks are hanging on by a thread. That's why I keep my, I keep something on my head wrapped up because I've lost a track on the show before.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
You just gotta, you gotta roll with it. Like your school days.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Yes! That's funny. So it's just, I forgot where I was.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
So I'm like, I can't go to the gym. I have to sweat my hair out. Food, you know, you want something quick and it's late. Yeah. And especially, I have Graves' disease, so my metabolism is already slow.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Yeah, I have it. Missy Elliott has it. It's an autoimmune disease. Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped organ that sits right over it.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Yep, it's like a bow tie. And it creates a hormone. It's like... The thermostat for your body controls your body temperature, your metabolism, your mind sometimes. It's a lot of part of the human body that it affects. So I got diagnosed in 2009. I was hyper, so I was creating too much of a certain hormone. My metabolism shot up. I could eat anything and I was still like 110. What?
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Yeah, I got down to 110. I hadn't been 110 since I was 14 years old. Oh, my gosh. Like, you know, my eyes bulged. Yep. Like, at one point I thought I wanted surgery just to get them back to normal. But, you know, they've gone down. And so I had to have radioactive iodine treatments.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
And one didn't work for me, I had to have three, which is super rare. And so now I'm hypo, which means I don't create enough of the hormone. I have very slow metabolism, which tired, brain fog, it can affect your memory, your joints. I was cold all the time, anemic, so all these things. But once I did that cleanse and started eating vegan, I was just like, I haven't felt this good in a long time.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
You have to trust and listen. You have to listen to your body. Yes. Yeah. It's crazy. I knew something was right just from the weight loss. I threw up one day. I never get sick. But I went to three, four doctors and they all were like, nothing's wrong with you. Nothing's wrong with you. I woke up one day and my eyes were bulging and my brother looked at me. He was like, why your throat so big?
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
We used to have talent shows and my mom would always try to get me in it. I was Paula Abdul one time. You heard of the cat? Yes. I was the cat and I was supposed to not get on stage. I was like, absolutely not. But my mom, she's really into that. She's the youngest of 13 kids. So she's the fun one. So every family reunion, she was Tina Turner.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
And I was developing a small goiter. And my brother was the one that was like... Wow. You got a quarter. And that's how they figured out what was wrong with me.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Yeah. I mean, he was looking at reading a joke for sure. Yeah, right.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
But no, he called it out. Yeah, but you...
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
you know, like our healthcare system, especially with black people. That's why you said they sent four people. It was like, oh, you're fine. You're fine. Nothing wrong with you. Like, you know, I guess we superhuman out this face. That's what they think. So yeah, we have to listen to our body and demand and go back and go back. Like I watched my mom deal with that for almost 20 years. Wow.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
And I look back and I tell her all the time, like, I wish that we were more supportive of how you were feeling and what you were going through. Because doctor, doctor, doctor, doctor would be like, no, the doctor said nothing's wrong. And she's like, no, something's wrong. So yeah, it was a good reminder.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I wanted to grow in that way. I wanted to have a better connection with my fans. Sometimes in our process of like, yo, why aren't I more well received? And it's always a self... I try to be self-reflective with it and not project it out on other people. And it was like, okay, maybe you make it too hard for people to... break down your lyrics, because you're so lyrical.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
That's why in the beginning it was heavy men fan base. When women, we operate sometimes from a more emotional standpoint. People don't want to think, they think all day at work, so I don't want to think too hard to break down all these lyrics. I'm already in this healing phase, and for me, when you do music, it should be a snapshot of your life. So you're already in this space, just document it.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
But it was scary to put out. I'm a private person.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I was like, this girl is under the radar. And when I thought I was sharing things in my music, I realized you were hiding the things so deep in your lyrics, and it was because you were afraid for people to see you, like I was. I tell people, I'm at the space now, I even want to go by my real name because I don't need Rhapsody anymore. She was a protection for Marlena. You know what I'm saying?
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I understand where I was. I talk about a lot of things on the album. I talk about abortion, I talk about having a relationship with a married man, my one time experience with a woman, Alzheimer's, family, the hard times that I go through personally with the music industry. I'm going to show up always. You never let anybody see your cards, see your weakness.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
But at home, like you say, we going through things. So it was like the only way you can have a better connection with people is they have to see that you're human. It took my friend circle to get me there. Really? Yeah, like two, three really. Lisa Hilton was one. She's so talented. My friend Raina Bitty, who's a poet. and Sanaa Lathan. During that phase, they were like my guys.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
And I had to be her backup ground dancer. So we would watch Tina Turner, study the videos, the movements every year. And that's where I learned to really perform. She's the beginning of that for me.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
They taught me so much about self-reflection, about manipulation, about fear. I had a lot of unlearning to do and relearning, but it was a pandemic. I was just in the house just pouring out, pouring out. I had two album ideas before I just
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
You know, the pandemic, you sit still and again, TV was off and it was just like all these things that I was hoarding and holding, they just came and resurfaced. And I just put it out in the music and I was just like, This is the album.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
It's so good. You want to grow, you have to do the hard things. And it's the best decision that I made. And I had to make it scared. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because, you know, it was like, I'm afraid of the world to judge me, but I learned that nobody is perfect. And what I learned in putting out these albums, a lot of people been through a lot of things that you've been through. They have.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
They just don't say it. You can say, I'll never do that, never do that, until you're in a situation and you're like, I don't know how I got here. Yep. I'm not happy about this decision I made. Yeah. But I got to learn from the experience and I got to share it. And hopefully, it's a guide for somebody else or healing for somebody else. Yeah.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I love that. But I mean, I think like... I was in LA last night and the homies were like, yo, you are so confident. And I think because I'm going through this healing phase and I love myself more and I'm more secure in myself, I can be more free on stage to allow people to see all parts of me.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I was like, this is a rock star right here. We started that in Chicago. Like I was on stage and they were so crazy. And Jock, my playback engineer, he was in my ear. He was like, you got to go in the crowd.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
They laugh at me because security came at one point. They were like, and I told him, I mushed him. I said, move. We with the
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Yeah, right. We don't even attract that kind of energy. At all. Exactly.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Yeah. But no, this album has been, it's the most important and my favorite album of my career. I love that.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I kept that one I shouldn't have been in private for nine years. It was horrible. I've been single now almost five years. Wow. Yeah. But retro going back, that one relationship I was in nine years, shouldn't have been in. I ain't going to get too deep in it, but you know how it goes. I was, I'd never do that. You know, somebody tells you like, oh, that's not really what my situation is.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
They will do that. You know, like, and you find yourself stuck, right? Especially because I was a people person and because I put other people's feelings and emotion before my own. It was like, I have to be there for you. I can't be there for myself. It was horrible. I'd be in the shower sometimes crying because I felt so bad about what I was doing. But, you know, it was, Only hotels, movies.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I ain't in no relationship, so it's not- Yeah, you're good now. I don't have the answer.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I grew up with my mom and dad are not affectionate at all.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Yeah. Yeah, my mom and dad, they show difference. My mom likes to do things. She's acts of service.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I like to cook for you. I'm going to clean up your clothes. I'm going to pay for somebody to come cut the grass. Things like that. I would say my dad is the same way. In his older age, he's a lot more words of affirmation. I'd be like, oh, that's cute. I didn't know you had that in you. But I had to learn, it took me a while to say I love you. I remember the first time my mom told me, said it.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I felt so uncomfortable. Me and my sisters talk about that all the time. And we always knew that we were loved, that we have great parents, but for them to be like, I love you. Yeah. That's weird. But I've come to, I say it a lot to my friends now. They've helped make me comfortable. My relationship in the past have made me comfortable. That's good. But yeah, no, I'm open to dating. I love it.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Somebody asked me like, how do you date, like being you? I'm like, it's a new, it's so hard. Yeah, no. One, the dating pool, I...
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Tragedy. I was like, I don't really go out like that. I'm not a club girl. I don't even know where to go. You're just always in the industry. Somebody was like... I know you got somebody in your DMs. I'm like, ain't nobody in my DMs.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
There's like no way. I went and checked and there was nobody there. I said, the only people in my DM are married men, people I'm not into. And ugly people. I didn't want to say that, but yes. I said it.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
And one of my homeboys, they was like, rap up and tell you what your problem is. I was like, what is my problem? He was like, men know that they have to come correct. And a lot of them know that they ain't coming correct, so they not going to step to you.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
And then, you know, like in the last four and a half years, I've probably been taking on maybe two or three dates. Mm-hmm. But they all be the young boys. I can't do nothing with you. They be like, but age ain't nothing but a number. I be like, you're an actor. Ain't you young? No, baby.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
During the healing phase, man, you really have to sit with yourself and be honest with yourself, forgive yourself for some things, for not taking care of yourself, for not speaking up for yourself. Because I think I had put myself in situations that left me in a bad place trying to be there for other people, trying to be that thing for other people. And you go home and mentally it's so much.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I was talking to this guy and he probably see this because I never said, but I'm giving you attention so you should know. I think you're cool, right? And he was like, yo, what shows are you watching? I was like, I ain't watching a lot, but in the last years, these have been my favorites. And he sent me a list and he had the Jamie Foxx show on it. And I was just looking at it. The Jamie Foxx show.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
My homegirl's like, just be in it. Give it a chance.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Oh, she want the freestyling game. I'm a rapper. Let me tell you.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
There's a difference in being a writer and a freestyler. I'm the best.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
You are amazing, yes. I can be a little shaky on the freestyling, but let's have fun. Okay, let's just have fun. So who kick it off?
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Two sisters talking love like the earrings by Simone and Mary. I got these freestyles and the words gonna carry.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
We came through feeling like Barry White. I want to say a song he sing, but I don't know like, I don't know anymore. I ain't got no mics. Give me one more word.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
You're not happy. You're caring a lot. And you have to learn. I have to affirm myself. I can't let this world do it. I can't look for that validation. I can't be sad if I don't get a certain... Let the ego part go. And I just had to learn to be happy with me. Whatever is for me is for me. I'm not trying to make y'all happy. I'm trying to make me happy.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
C-Murda. C-Murda. You know, you heard us. A body on the floor. That's what she did to the verses. Yeah.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Those verses. We connected like sisters in cursive. And if you want to see it, we bring the worsted. Yes. I love it.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
And I think once I understood that, it just fell into place. But it was a journey. You know it's not easy at all. It's not, trust me. A lot of crying, a lot of solitude. I didn't want to talk to nobody. It was during the pandemic, so... That was a rough time for everybody. Yeah. I didn't turn the TV on. I hardly watched TV. One of my best friends, Bianca, loves you. Shout out, B. I love her.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
She be like, you ain't seen Sisters? I said, Bianca, I haven't watched TV like that in four years. I don't know what it is, but it's just like I just had everything felt like fantasy illusion. And you're in the music industry.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
It's a lot. You know... They tell you, make you think these things are real, but you realize that's not the reality of the world. So I was just sitting with a lot and shitting with a lot and I had to learn my own truth and reality.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Not so much. I was talking about this earlier. I'm still, I don't feel like I'm that famous where it's that much pressure for me. I put more pressure. London may know who you are. You worldwide. What are you talking about?
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
But I can move around. They was like, you came here by yourself? I was like, yeah. I travel by myself a lot. That's amazing. I think I put more pressure on myself than anything because I feel like I have to check all these boxes off to be successful. It's really not that. It's like I wake up and I get to do what I love every day. I'm happy. I'm at peace. I can eat. I like food. Me too.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
The only one thing is I need more money because I like expensive clothes. You know, I try to go thrifted and all that, but I just have an attraction to expensive clothes.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
That is me. I'm just like, you know, I don't need a big house. I don't need five cars. I just need a closet full of fly clothes and I'll be happy.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
So, you know, I had to learn those things. Like, you think, you know, in my profession anyway, like, you got to get the Grammy. You need five BET awards. You need that NAACP. You know, like, and it's like, yo, you just got to touch people at the end of the day. Wow. You know, and that's why this tour has been, like I tell people, it's my place of peace. Because in healing, it's not linear, right?
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Right. Like, I had my days where there was some days on this tour I did a lot of crying.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Yeah. Like, frustrated. Like, you know, just reverting back. And I... It was the shows, meet and greets, people affirming you. The stories I heard, that can feel like... It could be weight, but I don't make it weight. One girl told me, she was like, you're the reason I'm still here today.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I write through lived experiences and I look at the world, but we make this music and you never know where it's going to go and how it's going to affect people until you meet these people. That was just one story. Another lady was like, my baby was born with half a heart and the only way I was able to get through her surgeries was listening to your song, Faith. It was just so many things.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Another guy, my mom was murdered and it's just like... None of that other stuff matters. It's great to be acknowledged for your work, but it's always the people. I'm thankful for this tour because it keeps me centered. Yes.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
They will. And things have changed so much. Yeah. It's just different. Everything is about numbers and that can be the illusion of it. It's not so much about talent and the image of things. When that changes, we have to change with it, what we look at. But the people, they're going to keep us here forever. They will. I was telling somebody, I took my mushroom. and I'm like, listen now.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
That was my, you know, they say, there's a question that you want to have answered. You may have your answer when you have that type of clarity. And my question was like, what is my real purpose? Same thing, like, you know, with the talent and everything that I pour in to be the best that I could be, why aren't I put up here in the light?
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
For me, the clarity was sometimes you're not supposed to be in the light because you are the light. You know what I'm saying? Yes, you are. And I was with my homeboy, Nico Brim, who's my artist, and he was like, yo, rap.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
He talked to me. He was like, you don't know how much many people look at you. It's like you're on an unbeaten path and you just got a machete and you just shoom, shoom, shoom so we can walk behind you. I was like, damn, I appreciate that perspective. I thought I was like, but so many people have cleared the path for me and I had to think, but it's been intended to.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Yes, the weeds have grown up, so now you have to go in and be that. That was my clarity.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I can say mine has been blessed. I've heard some horror stories. And initially getting a bad rap, I don't think everybody's experience is like that. I'm not saying mine was all good. Anything you want to have is going to be challenging. Absolutely. But I came up under 9th Wonder and Young Guru. Wow. And I could say in the early stages of my career, the men really looked out for me.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
They were the first two that saw my talent, that poured into me, that told me I could do it. Because being from where I'm from, a small town in Snow Hill, North Carolina, For me, I never had exposure to that type of success to be able to think. I never had anybody I could look to and touch. You know what I'm saying? I was like, I want to do that, but I have no idea how.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
So they were the first ones, but they protected me. The first thing they sat down and told me was, before you do anything in this industry, Before you get in the booth and record a song, I want you to define your line, the line you will not cross, you will not lose yourself over. They made me do that before anything. So I had to sit and know who I was first. And a lot of artists ask me for advice.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I said, before you do anything, you have to ask yourself, who am I? What do I want to do in this business? That'll answer all the questions of how you moved from here on out. And we just moved with intention like that. organic, authentic, everything that we had, like it was all organic relationships, like just building with people. I got nothing easy. I had to earn every bit I had.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
And you know, there are some challenges like, As a woman, I had to work 10 times harder. Coming up in the era that I did, it was early 2000s. So it was like the late 90s, early 2000s, a woman image in hip hop changed. And so it was like... finding our way back into that. And I felt like I had such a hard fight with that. It wasn't about the sexual image to me. It was all about the talent.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I didn't have a strong sisterhood village at that time. I'm so excited to see so many women now and to see their friends. I think that's so dope. I didn't get that experience. So the guy, Kendrick, held me down. Big K.R.I.T. held me down. My brother held me down. Nipsey held me down. The guys really looked out for me. But otherwise, it was just really hustle. I just put my head down.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I don't know. I wouldn't take no for an answer. It was like I've been called everything. Ugly, I was chunkier than you. Fat, you'll never make it. Nobody wants to hear that. You're boring. It's too black. It was just thing after thing after thing. A lot of it from the early beginnings was from black women. I remember that was probably the hardest wave that I had to carry.
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I mean, I'm always with the boys. I grew up with boys all my life. I'm from a big family. My mom is one of 13. But all my cousins around my age were boys. So that's what I was used to, comfortable with. But you grow up and you really experience life and you realize it's not until you find your sisterhood village. I have four or five really, really close best friends. And I was like...
Keep it Positive, Sweetie
Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
I understand the importance of having sisterhood now because the way we show up for each other and the way that we see each other and understand what we go through, I can't really have with guys. They have been my rock, but in the industry, I have a beautiful village. Rod Digger, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Erykah Badu. The last two or three years, we built a beautiful friendship.