Rapsody
| Rapsody | |
|---|---|
 Rapsody in 2014. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Marlanna Evans |
| Also known as | Rapdiddy[1] |
| Born | January 21 |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels | It's a Wonderful World Music Group, Roc Nation |
| Associated acts | 9th Wonder, Mac Miller, Kooley High, Khrysis, Childish Gambino |
| Website | iamrapsody.com |
Rapsody (born Marlanna Evans on January 21) is an American rapper from Snow Hill, North Carolina.
Career
Rapsody began her career as a member of the North Carolina-based hip-hop group, Kooley High.[2][3] She launched her solo career in 2008 after signing with 9th Wonder's It's A Wonderful World Music Group. Her first significant career breakthrough came with the release of her mixtape Return of the B-Girl on December 7, 2010. Return of the B-Girl marked her first work with legendary hip-hop producer, DJ Premier, and featured guests such as Mac Miller and Big Daddy Kane. She continued to build acclaim with the release of her next mixtape, Thank H.E.R. Now which showcased her storytelling abilities as she drew from personal life experiences and featured her work with a variety of critically acclaimed acts such as Marsha Ambrosius, Estelle, Raekwon, Jean Grae, Murs, and Big K.R.I.T..
Her next project, For Everything was released on November 15, 2011 and showcased her work with both newly acclaimed and established acts such as Kendrick Lamar and Freeway and a number of the tracks were featured in XXL magazine's "Bangers" section.[4][5] In May 2011, Rapsody joined Mac Miller on his Incredibly Dope Tour for 15 dates.[6] In late 2011, she toured with Phonte and 9th Wonder as a part of the Phonte & 9th Wonder Tour.[7]
On July 16, 2016, it was announced that Rapsody was signed to Jay-Z's record label Roc Nation.[8][9]
Style and philosophy
Rapsody is known for her intricate rhyme patterns, metaphors, and wordplay. She cites Jay-Z, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill and MC Lyte as the biggest influences on her music. Her production is primarily handled by The Soul Council, which is the team of in-house producers at It's A Wonderful World Music Group. The producers that comprise The Soul Council are E. Jones, Fatin "10" Horton, Ka$h Don't Make Beats, AMP, Eric G., and Khrysis. Rapsody's philosophy is "Culture Over Everything," referring to the culture of hip-hop music. She describes this phrase in an interview with Vibe Magazine where she says, "To me, it’s about culture moreso than money or anything. I make music for the people of the culture we’re in; that comes first. If you touch the people first, the rest just falls into place. That’s what it means to me, just preserving and respecting the culture." [10][11]
Discography
Studio albums
- The Idea of Beautiful (2012)
with Kooley High
- The Summer Sessions EP (2008)
- Eastern Standard Time (2010)
- Kooley High Presents...David Thompson (2011)
Mixtapes
- Return of the B-Girl (2010)
- Thank H.E.R. Now (2011)
- For Everything (2011)
- She Got Game (2013)
Extended plays
- The Black Mamba (2012)
- Beauty and the Beast (2014)
- Crown (2016)
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other performer(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "We Are Jamla" | 2009 | Skyzoo, Big Remo, GQ | The Power of Words |
| "As We Shine" | Thee Tom Hardy, D-Mal | The Hardy Boy Mystery Mixtape: Curse of thee Green Faceded | |
| "Okaaaaaay" | Thee Tom Hardy, TP | ||
| "Let's Go" | 2010 | Actual Proof | The Free EP |
| "It's Cool (Word to A. Gilliam)" | |||
| "Times Up" | Actual Proof, Halo, GQ, Sean Boog | ||
| "I Will Always Be Down" | Heather Victoria | Victoria's Secret | |
| "Your Favorites" | Thee Tom Hardy | The Hardy Boy Mystery Mixtape: Secret of thee Green Magic | |
| "Never Settle" | Sean Boog, Halo, Sundown | Light Beers Ahead of You | |
| "What It Is" | Sean Boog | ||
| "Heroes" | Sean Boog, Big Remo, King Mez, Halo, GQ, TP | ||
| "Breathe" | 2011 | Actual Proof | The Talented Tenth |
| "The Jungle" | Halo | Heat Writer II | |
| "Dream Big" | TP | TP Is My Hero | |
| "Won't Stress Me" | Heather Victoria | Graffiti Diary | |
| "Fight the Feeling" | Sean Boog, Halo, Tyler Woods | The Phantom of the Jamla | |
| "Represent" | Actual Proof | Still Hotter Than July | |
| "Sizzlin" | Median | The Sender | |
| "Lines" | Halo, 9thmatic | The Blind Poet | |
| "20 Feet Tall (Remix)" | 9th Wonder, Erykah Badu | The Wonder Years | |
| "Set It Off" | The Away Team, Talib Kweli | Scars & Stripes | |
| "Black Swan" | Statik Selektah, Nitty Scott, MC | Population Control | |
| "ACC" | GQ, Halo | Trouble Man | |
| "Optimus Prime" | GQ, Bluu Suede | ||
| "Not Taking You Back" | Heather Victoria | Hip Hop Soul Lives | |
| "Headlights" | 2012 | Actual Proof | Black Boy Radio |
| "Many Microphones" | Actual Proof, 9thmatic | ||
| "I'm Back" | Big Remo | Sleepwalkers | |
| "A Love Never Dies" | Sean Boog, Khrysis | Sean Boogie Nights | |
| "And Another One" | Rah Digga | N/A | |
| "Shorty Left" | Buckshot, 9th Wonder | The Solution | |
| "Get Together" | Murs, 9th Wonder | The Final Adventure | |
| "Gettin' Mine" | 2013 | Big K.R.I.T., Heather Victoria | N/A |
| "Same Shit" | Oh No, Psalm One | Disrupted Ads | |
| "I Know" | GQ, Rocki Evans | Death Threats & Love Notes: The Prelude | |
| "Before Midnight" | L'Orange, Stik Figa | The City Under the City | |
| "It's OK" | Add-2 & Khrysis | Between Heaven and Hell | |
| "The Resurrector" | 2014 | Bishop Lamont | The (P)reformation |
| "Hallelujah" | Dilated Peoples, Fashawn, Domo Genesis, Vinnie Paz, Action Bronson | Directors of Photography | |
| "Pretty Balloons" | Halo | Mansa Musa | |
| "Pump Ya Brakes" | Diamond D, Boog Brown, Stacy Epps | The Diam Piece | |
| "Never Give Up (One for Ava)" | A-Villa, Guilty Simpson, Villa, Avalyn Villagomez | Carry on Tradition | |
| "Complexion (A Zulu Love)" | 2015 | Kendrick Lamar | To Pimp a Butterfly |
| "Told Y'all" | dEnAuN | sTuFf In My BaCkPaCk | |
| "Kidnapped" | King Magnetic | Timing Is Everything | |
| "Another Level" | Statik Selektah | Lucky 7 | |
| "Stop Play Rewind" | Add-2 | Prey for the Poor | |
| "Kool Aid" | Add-2, Sam Trump | ||
| "Guillotine Flow" | Big K.R.I.T. | N/A | |
| "Respect" | Bad Lucc | Breathe | |
| "Ski Mask Way" | |||
| "Every Ghetto" | Talib Kweli, 9th Wonder | Indie 500 | |
| "Life Ahead of Me" | |||
| "Don't Be Afraid" | Talib Kweli, 9th Wonder, Problem, Bad Lucc | ||
| "See Love" | Shawn Stockman | N/A | |
| "Walk Like a God" | Murs, 9th Wonder, Propaganda | Brighter Daze | |
| "Without You" | 2016 | Anderson .Paak | Malibu |
| "Far Gone" | Musiq Soulchild | Life on Earth | |
| "Shadows Crawl (DJ Premier Open Eyes Remix)" | Torii Wolf | N/A |
References
- ↑ Aguilar, Andrea. ""LOVE AND HIP HOP" – INTERVIEW WITH RAPPER RAPSODY". beautifulstruggles.com. Beautiful Struggles. Retrieved 2014-12-29.
- ↑ "Rapsody Bio | Rapsody Career". MTV. 2010-12-07. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
- ↑ Griffith, Spencer. "Raleigh hip-hop six-piece Kooley High hits the big screen". Independent Weekly. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ↑ "Rapsody ft. Kendrick Lamar "Rock The Bells"". Archived from the original on November 19, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
- ↑
- ↑ Paine, Jake (April 18, 2011). "Mac Miller Adds More Incredibly Dope Tour Dates, Rapsody Joins As Opener". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ↑ Paine, Jake (September 19, 2011). "Foreign Exchange Continues Tour, With Phonte & 9th Wonder Dates Added". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ↑ Williams, Houston. "Roc Nation Signs Rapsody, Announced Deal At Brooklyn Hip-Hop Fest". Allhiphop.com. Allhiphop. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
- ↑ "RAPSODY SIGNS TO ROC NATION". the source.com. The Northstar Group. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
|first1=missing|last1=in Authors list (help) - ↑ "Watch Your Throne! Rapsody Discusses Becoming The Female Jay-Z And What To Expect From 'Thank H.E.R. Now'". Vibe. May 25, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ↑ "OK-Tho.com's Top 25 Artists of 2013" http://www.ok-tho.com/2014/01/top-of-year-deans-list-top-25-artists.html