About a year ago, I became very interested in female rappers. There is something about them that makes their music and visuals more entertaining and relatable. I would spend hours on Youtube watching music videos and saving their songs on Spotify, but at the beginning of 2018, I realized that I was supporting everyone but my Toronto community. I was so excited about releases from Saweetie, Molly Brazy and Killumantii, but the only Canadian rappers I had heard of were men like Drake and Nav.
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So, I did some research. After listening to all the Torontonian female rappers I could find for a few weeks I am both happy and embarrassed to say that though the rap scene in Toronto is thriving, talented female rappers get only a fraction of the exposure they deserve. Let me put you on to some music to listen to all summer. Here are a few that I really want to highlight (but definitely not the only ones I was impressed with):
The Sorority
The Sorority is a rap group formed in 2018, and I am surprised that they are not more popular. The group is composed of rappers Keysha Freshh, Haviah Mighty and Lex Leosis, who are all individually talented in their own right but together are really something else. Their music is both catchy and thoughtful, taking care to comment on issues women face in the industry to some really great beats. Just listen to the track “SRTY” and you will understand what I mean:
You can find their music on YouTube and Spotify.
Tara Lord
Tara Lord is a 19-year-old rapper. She does not have a lot of music (I found 3 songs in total, one of which was a cover), but her single “Viola Desmond” shows that she has a lot of talent. I love her confidence, not to mention the lyrics are an appropriate social commentary on the violence we experienced in Toronto during 2018. I also enjoyed her flow, and although I can’t say it was amazing, I look forward to new releases. Take a listen and see what you think:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAGZii-EYAM
You can find her music on YouTube and SoundCloud.
Nesssia
Nesssia is a Latina artist who is originally from Jersey but moved to Canada when she was 12. In an interview with We Love Hip Hop Network, she claims to take her greatest inspiration from family members’ rapping. From listening to some of her older music to her most recent track, it is evident that she has always been lyrical but has improved her flow over the years. Her energy and aesthetic combine to create raps that are fun to listen to:
Find her music on YouTube and Spotify.
Exmiranda
Exmiranda has been releasing music for quite a while and almost always delivers impressive lyrics with an incredibly clean flow. While her song “Goose” gained a lot of popularity in 2o17, her 2018 and 2019 releases like “Tell the Time” are definitely extremely underrated.
Exmiranda’s music can be found on Youtube, Spotify and SoundCloud.
Featured Image Credit: @thesororityyz on Instagram
