Continuing with Bounce-Worthy Femcees Week here at SoulBounce, we bring you one of the hardest working and most respected rappers around: Medusa. Her history is extensive, and her prowess indisputable. She's paid her dues winning many a battle and at the famed Good Life Cafe and Project Blowed. Though she has been on the grind as a staple of the LA underground Hip Hop scene for many years, honing her craft in the same circles her fellow West Coasters NWA during the rise of Gangsta Rap in the late '80s and early '90s, she never really broke into the mainstream in the way that Yo-Yo or some of her female contemporaries did. She's experienced first hand the roller-coaster of being talented, innovative and a woman in the rap game but never succumbed to the pressure of mainstream success at the cost of artistic integrity.
The respect she commands and deserves comes from years of innovation
and an unwaivering love for Hip Hop. Impressively, she is still rhyming
and recording, holding her own against greats like KRS-One. Her next offering is Gangsta Goddess, scheduled for release in February '09. Medusa remains relevant, still
expanding the perception of who an emcee can be but also Hip Hop
itself. She appears frequently at music conferences, has conducted
college seminars on Hip Hop, and continues to use her clout to denounce the
questionable exclusionary tactics employed by the music industry
against women.
Her sound is rough but distinctly melodic, and her delivery is
undeniably West Coast. In addition to rocking mics solo, she also performs with Feline Science. While much is made of
her ridiculously strong resume, she continues to bring a healthy amount
of innovation, a ridiculous amount of skill, and a seemingly undying
love of Hip Hop to audiences not just over here in California but
across the globe. To connoisseurs of underground she's known and
respected, everyone else needs to catch up.
Medusa: "Cali Frame"
Medusa feat. MC Lyte: "Lay Down"
Medusa [MySpace]
[Image: Nadia J]
