Birth name Marlanna Evans Occupation(s) Rapper Years active 2007–present | Name Marlanna Evans Role Rapper Also known as Rapdiddy Nationality American | |
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Labels It's A Wonderful World Music Group Albums She Got Game (Deluxe E, The Idea of Beautiful, Thank HER Now, Return of the B‑Girl, Beauty and the Beast Profiles | ||
Rapsody on wanting more balance among modern day female rappers
Marlanna Evans (born January 21, 1983), better known by her stage name Rapsody, is a rapper from Snow Hill, North Carolina.
Contents
- Rapsody on wanting more balance among modern day female rappers
- Rapsody the man
- Career
- Style and philosophy
- Studio albums
- with Kooley High
- Mixtapes
- Extended plays
- References
Rapsody the man
Career
Rapsody began her career as a member of the North Carolina-based hip-hop group, Kooley High. She made her debut in 9th Wonder's sophomore album, The Dream Merchant Vol. 2 by free styling on 9th's re-chopping old samples he already used for other artists. 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. In May 2011, Rapsody joined Mac Miller on his Incredibly Dope Tour for 15 dates. In late 2011, she toured with Phonte and 9th Wonder as a part of the Phonte & 9th Wonder Tour.
On July 16, 2016, it was announced that Rapsody was signed to Jay-Z's record label Roc Nation.
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, Ka$h Don't Make Beats, AMP, Eric G., Nottz 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 more so 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."
Studio albums
