Hip Hop has proved to many as a tough industry to tap into,
a male dominated game in which only the toughest survive. However, female
rappers have been fast emerging proving to be fearless and capable of not only
being contenders to their male counterparts but also outperforming them. Meet
Blaq Carrie, a ‘Femcee’ who is not only taking careful steps to fix this
ratio slowly & surely, but also proves that as a female artist- you do not
need to shake some ass to be recognized.
Hailing from the city of Harare, in Zimbabwe, Blaq Carrie
whose real name is Tsitsi Mafuta fell in love with Hip Hop at the age of 15.
She cites artists like JayZ, Lauryn Hill and Nas as her biggest influences at
the time. When asked about how she got into the game, Blaq Carrie says
“I grew up a tom boy and seeing people like Lauryn Hill and Aaliyah, who
appeared to be tom boyish as well made me realise that I could make this work for me too and that is when I decided to start making my own music".
Realising her lyrical and performing talents through
participation in local talent shows at a young age, it wasn’t until she moved
to Australia in 2004 that she decided to take a step forward towards achieving
her dreams. She released a couple of mixtapes and performed in various clubs
around Brisbane from 2008 to 2011 in efforts to get her name out. It was a step
in the right direction, and despite personal and professional obstacles that
she faced during these times, in years to follow she would reap the
payoffs.
In 2012 and 2013 she got her big break when she was selected
to participate in the 100 Songs Project, an Independent Music Research Project
held in Brisbane. In 2013, she solidified her mark in the Hip Hop community
when she won Triple J Unearthed Spring Hip Hop Festival competition and also
went on to win the Queensland Music Award for Best Urban Song and the
Australian Independent Award in the same event for her breakout single “Let There Be Hope”. This was followed and complimented by the release
of a two-part YouTube video where
she talks about the making of the single and breaks down the meaning of the
song.
In 2014, Blaq Carrie released the critically
acclaimed EP “Best wishes” which boasts production credits from Hamley and
Tristan Hoogland (who has previously worked with Kevin McCall, Jessica Mauboy,
& Jason Derulo).The single has garnered some positive feedback and is her
most critically acclaimed to date. We met with Blaq Carrie to talk about the
success of her single and her upcoming projects.
For those that don’t know much about you and your music, who is Blaq Carrie and how would you describe your sound?
I am a Hip Hop artist.
My sound is still a work in progress but i call it the ‘Labour of Love Music’
which gracefully falls under good music.
Having grown up in Zimbabwe, what are some of the struggles that you have faced
trying to break into the music industry in foreign country?
I would say right now
in my current situation, firstly is trying to connect with people (music
lovers/listeners) just for people to get to know your sound and style.
Secondly, is trying to staying focused and in my lane. This requires me to find
the right people to surround myself with, positive people, who can support me,
inspire me and challenge me to push my music career in the right direction.
What do you think of the future of Hip Hop in
Australia?
I personally think
right now Hip Hop in Australia is on a verge of a burst (in a good way). There
are a lot of good artists here and they are slowly getting much more
recognition now.
Congratulations on winning the Queensland Music
Video Award of the year and Best Hip Hop Music Video Award at the Independent
music video awards for your song Let There Be Hope. What does this award mean
to you?
The making of that
video I and Sarah Robinson, my music video director can trade war stories about
it….haha. But to answer the question, right now in this very moment I am
definitely filled with nothing but gratitude for the support that i got while
working on the song and the people that voted for it to win.
What projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently working
on my next EP ‘Til We Meet Again’. People can find and follow my updates on
Facebook (Blaq Carrie )
Author: Mini
Photos: Blaq Carrie
#Mini #Char #MiniandChar
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