Rah Digga reflects on her career, the state of hip-hop, and lists her top MCs in this exclusive one-on-one with MADAMENOIRE.
The legendary MC, an established member of Busta Rhymes’ Flipmode Squad, commanded the attention of audiences with her fierce rap style, easily holding her own amongst her fellow rappers. “What was important working with so many men at the time was just to have the standout verse,” she said.
“So I’m gonna be that Brick City, extra punchline girl. And I just had to make sure that whatever I was doing, I just did it to the fullest.”
Giving Props To Fellow MCs
The Brick City MC shares the artists that she drew inspiration from. “I always channeled my inner KRS, Kool G Rap and Rakim,” she said. “Those were literally the three men that taught Rah Digga how to write a dope 16.”
If she could go back and do a collaboration, she would get the “hardcore females” together like Remy Ma, Shawnna and The Lady of Rage. “That would’ve been something really dope,” she said. “Kim blessed us with ‘Ladies Night,’ and as beautiful as it was, I would’ve loved to see something a little more dark and scary.”
The State of Hip-Hop
One thing that Digga is not feeling about today’s rappers is their downplaying the art of freestyle. “I don’t like this going up to radio stations and declaring that you don’t freestyle. What do you mean you don’t freestyle?” she said. “Lyrics are everything. This is hip-hop. This is rap music. If we’re not concerned with the lyrics, how does it quantify as rap music?”
Well aware of the new versus old narrative, Digga makes it clear that she’s not about all that.
“I think that’s a really big misconception of trying to convince the younger artists that the older artists are haters. But it’s not that,” she said. “Please rock what you wanna rock on. Just rap. And if you’re gonna perform, perform.”
No matter what, the lyrical powerhouse is still out here celebrating hip-hop and representing it to the fullest as one of the originals who laid the foundation for new generations of artists. She’s doing her part to preserve the culture. “We cannot move away from the core fundamentals of hip-hop,” she said. “It’s about the rhymes, it’s about the vibes, it’s about empowering and informing. It’s a voice for the voiceless.”
