Cdot The Catalyst is a dope lyricist who I’ve been chatting with on Twitter and iChat since last year. She’s cool, uber smart, talented, and well, definitely under exposed. We’ve had so many great talks and I love her irreverence and snark so much that I wanted her to submit this piece explaining her identity as a “femcee.” (I was supposed to post this months ago as part of a project that I never really got off the ground but that’s another story). Check out C Dot The Catalyst as she breaks down her disdain for the “f word” (femcee) and why Nicki Minaj gives her hope…

Words By C Dot The Catalyst

Apparently the tweets is watchin’ and reading my mind because I noticed a trending topic that read #becauseofnickiminaj…now aside from reading the obvious comments about chipmunk voices, Barbie personas and butt pads, I had my own response. “because of Nicki Minaj…I might have a chance.” My name is Charity Clay and I’m a woman and an emcee. I have difficulties with the term femcee because it implies that the term emcee is normalized to be a guy and I don’t think mic skills have a gender. I consider myself to be a lyricist and only measure myself by who I consider to be the best, but I digress. I was talking about how the popularity of Nicki Minaj is a good thing for us women in hip-hop who consider ourselves to be emcees. Now one would assume that my claim to be a lyricist would indicate some desire to reject the Nicki Minajes of the world because of the belief that they are destroying the purity of hip-hop but I have a different perspective on the situation.

First, we must not forget our history, there has always been wack shit out there, if there wasn’t wack shit then how would we know what’s dope? We do things by comparison and on the basis of our own tastes and preferences. I quote the famous common line “some of that shit y’all pop to I ain’t relatin/if I don’t like it I don’t like it that don mean that I’m hatin.” Meaning, I can appreciate the multiplicity of hip-hop, even the aspects that I don’t particularly like. It comes with membership of the culture, recognizing that its not perfect and loving it anyway. It’s not dead or dying, it’s ever changing.

Now back to Nicki…On one hand there are those who are calling her the next Lil’ Kim or Foxy Brown and the loads of young girls (and grown men and women) who have begun calling themselves Barbies to show their support of her movement. And then you have those who reject Nicki Minaj as nothing but an industry puppet making mockery of all that is sacred in hip-hop. Beyond those perspectives what I see is opportunity. The message that the Nicki Minaj lovers and haters are both sending is that people miss women in hip-hop. Those that identify with her express how long they’ve been waiting for a new hip-hop vixen in the tradition of the Lil’ Kims, Foxy Browns and Trinas and those that dismiss her continue to express their hunger for the reemergence of new women emcees like the Rah Diggas the Jean Graes and Mystics.

Not that I seek approval or acknowledgment from the mainstream but the removal of the Grammy category for Best Female Hip-Hop Solo Artist sent a message that we were unimportant and expendable; a message that hip-hop seemed to accept. So, to know that people actually miss women in hip-hop is reassuring to those of us emcees who often wonder if there is any place for us anymore.Those of who try to let our lyrical skills speak instead of letting our physiques do the talking. Now this is not an attack against Nicki because I actually heard her before the make over and was impressed. But even her new manufactured persona, still leaves me hopeful about the possibility of me and others like me to have success because eventually the pendulum has to swing the other way to maintain balance. She represents one woman’s perspective but there are so many others equally worthy of our attention and support. 
The task for me and those like me is make sure we have the material to satisfy the hunger of those who claim to be starving for real women emcees. So when people ask where the “femcees” are I tell them, we’re in the studio workin on our craft. The RA the MCs, Mae Days, Dominique Larues, the Invincibles…and countless others are out here, you just have to look. The search to uncover dopeness used to be what drove hip-hop. Now with internet accessibility artists have to work harder and be more strategic. But the listeners should put the same effort into finding new muic that they do complaining about what’s not available. And most importantly, when you find something, support it. Tell a friend to tell a friend, send it to your favorite bloggers for submission, purchase an album or attend a show. It seems that hip-hop is getting lazy because we want something for nothing. We seem to have forgotten that its been the fanatic necessity to hear something fresh for the first time that’s vital to hip-hop continuing to grow as a culture. But seeing the embrace and rejection of Nicki Minaj is what gives me the confidence that people will listen and like my music. That and my shit’s just dope.

–Cdot the catalyst

Her music is available upon request. Click Here to follow her on Twitter.

P.S. There’s a really deep story behind the middle picture (with the car). You should ask her about it when you go to her Twitter page.

A lot of folks are taking back to the 60s these days. I’m not mad but what’s up with that? lol

BET premiered My Mic Sounds Nice: The Truth About Women in Hip-Hop last night and it was good, really good. I was actually surprised at how good it was. The filmmakers did a superb job conveying the tremendous impact of those of the xx variety on the culture. I didn’t learn anything new but it was informative enough for people who may have needed that lesson.

However, there wasn’t much of a solution presented. They tried at the end but most of the people they interviewed had a very industry way of thinking ie, shallow and narrow-minded.

“For me to try to find another Lauryn Hill is like for me to try to find another Jay-Z. That’s not happening. It’s like you don’t find those things those things find us,” said Kevin Liles.

That’s part of the problem.

Kevin Liles is far removed from the days he actually cared about scouting talent and lives his kushy life in The Hamptons and St. Tropez, where the talent definitely won’t “find him.” Plus, even if he did actively search he’d most likely go to some uppity industry showcase cluttered with wannabes so desperate to get put on that they will be what they think is necessary and not who they really are. That never works but so many people haven’t gotten that memo because in industry think the goal is to find a duplicate, even if the original (who is probably extremely talented) is tap dancing on stilts right in front of them.  This is the case with several talented women who rap but can’t seem to get that mainstream machine behind them (not that they’d want that in today’s industry climate, but I’m just saying).

Folks are afraid of something new and get stuck in the same mundane ethos, that’s what stalls progress (that’s part of how we ended up in this recession and part of why folks are so scared of Obama). People look at Kanye West like he’s crazy all the time because they don’t get his left-of-center ideas but when he executes them the tune changes from, “You’re crazy”  to “Ooooooh, he’s a genius” but what if he never took matters into his own hands and kept pushing his ideas?

Note to record execs: Fearlessness wins most of the time. It’s one of the 48 Laws of Power aka the business Bible. You should know better.

It was frustrating to watch Liles and Russel Simmons talk about no one conspiring against signing women because that’s not entirely true. Of course there was no secret meeting against women, as Simmons sarcastically suggested, but talk to female emcees who have either been signed or came close and they’ll tell you some of the crude things they’ve been told with regard to their sex and signing the dotted line, like, “Women don’t sell” or “Lose 20 lbs.” Point, blank. Even Nicki Minaj struggled with getting signed despite the Wayne cosign, because people were skeptical about her sex. I know this because she told me in an interview (that part didn’t make the piece). It’s not just her, a lot of women have told me the same thing famous or not.

Another misguided belief is that being signed to a major label is the only way to be successful. Yes Nicki Minaj is doing her thing but she is not the savior for women in hip-hop. We never left. There are so many femcees, b-girls, djs, etc who have taken control of their art and still manage to make a sustainable living on what they love to do. Several of them were even lucky enough to globe trot while doing it but I digress.

My Mic Sounds Nice was a good film, again, but what I got out of it was that narrow-minded thinking is a major part of the problem. It’s a travesty that most of the people saying that there are no women in hip-hop or that Nicki Minaj is the end all be all of new female talent are seen as taste makers, because they usually don’t do their research nor do they realize that they are part of the problem.  Most of these folks would never promote a new artist solely based on talent. There would always have to be a stipulation like a big name attached, marketability based on things that already exist, payola, or a gimmick with a proven track record. People don’t study the culture enough anymore in order to really know what has potential, they just jump on bandwagons and exploit.

But on the flipside, shouts to Glennisha Morgan and Tiye Phoenix! They kept it real by affirming that female talent never left hip-hop and by dropping names of dope women like Eternia, Pri The Honey Dark, Likwuid, Atlas, etc who are hiding in plain site. It’s up to you to take the time to listen.

*Drops mic and walks away.*

Blogger Sessions With iHeartDilla.com Pt 2 from GangStarrGirl.com on Vimeo.

CLICK HERE for part 1.

I attended a nice dinner with R&B singer/songwriter Tank along with a few other journos and bloggers a couple of weeks ago, at a Chinese Restaurant called Chin Chin. We dined on good Chinese, as in, there was no General Tso’s or chicken wings and pork fried rice on the menu lol, and we chatted with Tank as we listened to some of his music, old and new.

Tank is promoting is new album, Now or Never, which drops on September 21. We only heard snippets of the new stuff and our chatter was raucous so it was hard to pay attention but what I did manage to hear was good. The main point of this dinner was for Tank to get to know the media because although he has done some interviews here and there, people still don’t really know who he is.

Weeks prior to the dinner I interviewed him for VIBE but I didn’t know him beyond “Maybe I Deserve” and “Slowly.”

Tank doing this dinner was a great idea (shouts to 135th Street Agency) because one thing a lot of artists don’t realize is that personality goes a long way. It’s sad to say this but from my experiences with actors vs musicians (we’ll toss rappers in the musician category too), musicians, a lot more than actors, lose on the personality front because despite their music, they come across as vapid (not all but a good amount). Tank, however, speaks Spanish fluently, he’s very worldly, loves to travel and explore new cultures and again, is also a songwriter so he knows how to make money behind the scenes, which is more important these days. I also tested his talent by making him improvise songs based on random phrases I threw out like “water lilies,” “mellow yellow,” etc. This wasn’t the type of dinner where I would flip cam that stuff lol but he passed the talent and personality test.  It sucks that I assumed the negative at first but like I said, my experiences have taught me to go with the negative thoughts first.

Tank definitely proved me wrong.

www.poepicasso.com

It’s always refreshing when I come across a blogger who has a unique perspective and iHeartDilla.com is definitely a blog that fits the bill. It’s run by creator, Jessica Estevez who put together a team of writers who have a deep passion for talented artists who may have a hard time getting press elsewhere. The hip-hop based website site features fresh new music weekly and at just one year old is a contender for Best Music Blog in the Black Weblog Awards.

I caught up with Jessica Estevez to chat about her blog, her supplementary radio and the inspiration behind her brand and the link to where you can vote for her.

For those of you too lazy to actually watch the video (*side eye), see below for a basic guide on what we talked about.

Blogger Sessions With iHeartDilla.com from GangStarrGirl.com on Vimeo.

:50 – Jessica talks about how her blog helps indie and underground artists, as well as her affiliation with Beatminerz Radio.

1:28 – Jessica explains her Black Weblog Award nomination, which came as a surprise.

2:20 - Jessica explains what makes her blog different and how she fell into blogging.

3:15 - Jessica explains how artists can benefit from one of her most popular features, “iHeart Track of the Week.”

3:59 – Jessica  provides tips on how artists can get coverage on her blog.

5:35 – Jessica and Starr break down the symbolism behind their blog names.

6:52 - Jessica talks about her relationship with the Yancy family and the J Dilla Foundation.

Check back for part two tomorrow where we talk about women in hip-hop, how artists shouldn’t be charged for promo and how Jessica got into J Dilla.

Please vote for iHeartDilla.com for Best Music Blog HERE.

Everyone has encountered someone who gets off on drama and likes to hurt people. These types of manipulative beings do whatever it takes to create strife whether they’re in the center of it or it started between other folks because of their manipulation and sometimes lies. Either way, you can bet that they are always the root of the problem. I’ve been dealing with these types of people all my life. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that I got an official diagnosis of what these people are called and it made perfect sense. According to Julia Cameron author of a very inspirational book, The Artist’s Way, these types of people are called crazymakers.

A couple of days ago, I had an unexpected brush with a crazymaker who I stopped talking to because of that reason. This person had been trying to get my attention for months to no avail (sending fraudulent email threats–that I was smart enough to trace with all the handy software that exists today–telling lies about me behind my back–the works) and decided to do something really foul that they thought would work (ie, defame my character). It didn’t. Why? Because I’ve been hip to game and didn’t give them the irate response that they’re used to. That person had the nerve to apologize later and brush it off to, “You know I just talk sometimes.” I didn’t respond because that’s how they reel you in–disingenuous remorse. I won’t go into it anymore because crazymakers don’t need to be entertained. They like to hurt and then thrive off the resulting negativity (ie curse outs, fights, etc, like I said). However, this person inspired me post this because I want more people to recognize what crazymakers like to do so that they can combat it better. Sadly, crazymakers can even be your relatives in some cases. But without further adieu, the following excerpt was taken from ThinkBlackBelt.com (because she was cool enough to write it all out so well, and even relate her own stories):

Crazymakers, as detailed in Julia Cameron’s Book:

1)  Their time, schedules, energy, drama, and life issues always outweigh yours

“Crazymakers thrive on drama, and melodrama requires a sense of impending doom. Everything is an emergency, a deadline, a matter of life and death, or something they will get to eventually. Read ‘never’ … Nearly any situation can be cast as melodrama to support a crazymaker’s plot lines …”
2)  They expect special treatment
As the book authors write,

“They suffer a colorful variety of ailments that require your care whenever you have an important deadline or anything that deflects your attention from their demands.”

They also demand special treatment in their daily lives:

* Do you know that man or woman who loves to insist the doctor or chiropractor in the house stop what they are doing and treat them right now?
* Ever met someone who grandiosely insists the dining party sit a certain place in a restaurant?
* Have you watched someone work a situation so they always come across as the Alpha wolf, whether they deserve the leadership position or not?

3 ) They belittle and downplay your needs, emergencies, and requests
Despite howling over a broken nail, a crazymaker will say your requests for their time or help are just so much drama — a way for you to get attention. They might also add, that you are disrespectfully expecting too much of their good will or prevailing too much on their valuable time.

“Crazymakers discount your reality. Your pressing agendas – however real – are never as real, as important, as critical as a crazymaker’s drama of the moment.”

4) They triangulate to stay in power

The blogger added this story: One Dark Hart I know compartmentalizes all information so much one staff member doesn’t know what the other is doing, so no real coordination can occur. Of course coordination like that would mean some power slips into the hands of the staff, and a narcissist can’t handle that.

Crazymakers also elevate gossip to an art form of power and control. (But be wary of accusing them of it, or they will say they are only trying to help others and how could you be so cruel to think otherwise?)

“They are experts at gossip, at feeding paranoia, at driving wedges between working colleagues.”

One Dark Heart made sure I knew who the sole dissenting voter was in a secret meeting involving a decision about me. Despite saying that he wanted teamwork among his staff, he tried to subtlety create rivalry instead.

5)  They sow the wind, while others reap the whirlwind
Added by the blogger: When I think of the term crazymaker, I see Taz, the cartoon Tasmanian Devil, stirring up the world with his manic spins. Dark Hearts adore making much ado about nothing. As the authors put it:

* “A crazymaker is someone who makes you crazy by constantly stirring up storms.”
* “‘Normal’ doesn’t serve their need for power.”
* “Everything is always their problem, but nothing is their fault.”

We’ve all been there. Hopefully you can identify who that is for you and get away from them. They’re emotionally draining, abusive and just not good for your well-being. Take care of yourself.