She is the protégé of Grammy Award-winning producer 9th Wonder, the first lady of North Carolina super crew Kooley High, and one of the first artists signed to Jamla Records/It's A Wonderful World Music Group. As the brainchild of 9th Wonder's true school resurgence, Rapsody consistently sets the bar high for all emcees, male and female alike. Paying homage to her hip hop godmothers MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, and Lauryn Hill, this Snow Hill, North Carolina native represents much more than just the female side of hip hop culture; she is an emcee who represents hip hop culture beyond the lines of gender, proving that anything the boys can do, she can do, too, and better. Her virtuosity and dexterity behind the microphone highlight her presentation, and her humble demeanor attests to her constant pursuit of improvement with every beat and rhyme.
After proving her impeccable craftsmanship with features on 9th Wonder's "Dream Merchant 2," Skyzoo's DJ-Drama hosted "The Power of Words," and numerous Kooley High releases, Rapsody made her solo debut on December 7, 2010 with "Return of the B-Girl," a 20-track project boasting production by 9th Wonder and DJ Premier among others, as well as features from Big Daddy Kane, Mac Miller, Skyzoo, Rah Digga, Phil Ade, and more. A published review praised the record: "A poet-turned-rapper, Rapdiddy (as she's dubbed herself) has always possessed outstanding wordplay, but B-Girl finds her effortlessly nimble delivery -- capable of both gritty and biting or sassy and sultry -- continuing to improve."
Rapsody has shared the stage with hip hop legends and rising stars alike, including Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan, Big Daddy Kane, J. Cole, Wale, Colin Munroe, Tanya Morgan, Suede of Camp Lo, Blu and Exile, and The Clipse, but it's her ability to captivate diverse audiences with her explosively dynamic live performance that sets her apart and has earned her much-deserved accolades from major media sources including Vibe, XXL, HipHopDX, and more. She has captivated audiences at sold-out performances at dozens of venues on The Incredibly Dope Tour with Mac Miller and the Mic Fest Tour with 9th Wonder and her Jamla Records label mates. In her sophomore project "Thank H.E.R. Now," she weaves more intimate stories of her personal experiences and shares the studio and soundbooth with heavy hitters Jean Grae, MURS, Raekwon, Estelle, Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T., Marsha Ambrosius, and more.
Her style is polished and distinct, and her wordplay and flow are unparalleled in both delivery and execution. As she continues to strive to contend with her hip hop predecessors like Jay-Z and Mos Def, Rapsody is already undeniably one of the strongest and most promising forces in today's hip hop culture.
1983
Rapsody Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Three in the hands of the D-O-C, a baby
Head noddin to the beat of momma drum crazy
Had rhythm in my soul for the nurse that would weigh me
Told Mrs. Evans like they told Mrs. Wallace
That I'll prol'ly be a pro'lem 'fore I enter kindergarten
Was a pro'lem like colic, and them preacher kids in college
To my knowledge, you niggaz ain't this polished
So let me carry on and tell you suckas how I started
Three sibling home, one mother, one father
Grew up to them oldies, Luther V, homie Marvin
No, never were we starvin, though every glass milk
Wasn't from a name-brand carton, I freakin beg your pardon
My parents worked hard, many ways graveyardin
Then I come home after school - Different World, Cosby, Martin
Brought up to be smart, and smart ones are like darts
Dangerously, anger-ally, mentally apart
Drive me mad when these scabs say I'm lazy with no heart, heh
But let me chill... back to the part
I was on the schoolyard, recess in the park
Then this kid came up and he asked me like, "Uh
'Ey misses, 'ey listen on the ro-say misses
How you get to play with them words like you play, misses?"
It's cause I'm smart and got a library card
From my momma and when I was born, the doctor said I'd be hard
So I guess described in holy, designed by God
I'd be as good with words and my flow just evolve
Year later like tot taters, fryin all of you haters
Spittin vapors like rapers, if you ain't likin the Lakers
You callin out, still for acres? I've been sharper than razors
Playa hater, I'm Kobe, faker, I coat it like blazers
The beat, and I freaked, this story of mine
Lemme take you back like spine, I was tryna get signed
High school Division 1, only Duke on my mind
But like stoop, I fell short like Muggsy Bogues of that crime
On kin that sport, and so I cradled the rhyme
Now look at lil' me at the front of the line
Killin' dream killers ever dream they ever killn mine
A Wonder World, 9th Wonder, Jamla yo I'm signed
On Ka$h beat, I flush heat, been a bad girl
Since I grew feet and momma leaked in '83
Dropped out the womb, head noddin to a heartbeat
Heh, now back, to the start of me
Aiyyo, I DROPPED out the womb in the year nineteen eighty -
Three in the hands of the D-O-C, a baby
Head noddin to the beat of momma drum crazy
Had rhythm in my soul for the nurse that would weigh me
Told Mrs. Evans like they told Mrs. Wallace
That I'll prol'ly be a pro'lem 'fore I enter kindergarten
Was a pro'lem like colic, and them preacher kids in college
No smiles, gone wild, 'fore the day I started crawling, like POW!
Ka$H, Rap Diddy
Wonder World, The Return of another B-Girl
Ka$h, Wonder World
Enigma the Riddler on the boards for the god, hehe
Yeah, PEACE!
In Rapsody's song "1983," she begins by describing her birth year: 1983. The lyrics "dropped out the womb in the year nineteen eighty - three in the hands of the D-O-C, a baby" indicate that Rapsody was born in the same year that Dr. Dre's album "N.W.A. and the Posse" was released. She then goes on to mention how from birth, she had rhythm in her soul, which was evident when she would nod her head along to her mother's heartbeat. Rapsody's parents were hardworking individuals who raised her on oldies music, including Luther Vandross and Marvin Gaye. They made sure that she and her siblings never went hungry, and while they may not have had the name brand items, they always had enough to get by.
Rapsody then describes her childhood, where she was brought up to be smart and was always reading books. She was often teased by her peers for being too smart and was called lazy, but she didn't let that deter her. She would spend her recesses reading in the park and was confident in her abilities, telling her peers that she could play with words because she had a library card. Rapsody then transitioned into her high school years where basketball was her main focus, but she fell short of her dreams of playing for Duke. However, she then found her passion for rapping and is now a signed artist.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, dropped out the womb in the year nineteen eighty -
I was born in 1983
Three in the hands of the D-O-C, a baby
The doctor delivered me
Head noddin to the beat of momma drum crazy
I was born with rhythm in my soul and was already dancing to my mother's heartbeat.
Had rhythm in my soul for the nurse that would weigh me
Even the nurse who weighed me heard my rhythm and commented on it.
Told Mrs. Evans like they told Mrs. Wallace
My parents told my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Evans, that I would be a handful.
That I'll prol'ly be a pro'lem 'fore I enter kindergarten
They predicted that I would be a challenging child before I even started school.
Was a pro'lem like colic, and them preacher kids in college
I was as much trouble as a colicky baby and those rebellious preacher kids in college.
No smiles, gone wild, 'fore the day I started crawling, man
I was already not smiling and causing chaos before I even started crawling.
To my knowledge, you niggaz ain't this polished
I doubt anyone can match my skills and sophistication.
So let me carry on and tell you suckas how I started
I'll continue to explain how I came to be so talented.
Three sibling home, one mother, one father
I grew up in a household with three siblings, one mother and one father.
Grew up to them oldies, Luther V, homie Marvin
I grew up listening to classic artists like Luther Vandross and Marvin Gaye.
No, never were we starvin, though every glass milk
Though we never went hungry, we didn't drink milk from name-brand cartons.
Wasn't from a name-brand carton, I freakin beg your pardon
I apologize if that offends you.
My parents worked hard, many ways graveyardin
My parents worked hard, sometimes even graveyard shifts.
Then I come home after school - Different World, Cosby, Martin
After school, I watched TV shows like A Different World, The Cosby Show, and Martin.
Brought up to be smart, and smart ones are like darts
My parents raised me to be intelligent and sharp-minded.
Dangerously, anger-ally, mentally apart
Being smart can be isolating and can lead to frustration and anger.
Drive me mad when these scabs say I'm lazy with no heart, heh
It angers me when people call me lazy or question my passion.
But let me chill... back to the part
But let me calm down and get back to my story.
I was on the schoolyard, recess in the park
I remember being on the playground during recess.
Then this kid came up and he asked me like, "Uh
Then this kid approached me and asked me,
'Ey misses, 'ey listen on the ro-say misses
"Hey, miss, how do you play with words like that?"
How you get to play with them words like you play, misses?"
"How do you manipulate words like that?"
It's cause I'm smart and got a library card
I can play with words like that because I'm intelligent and have access to a library.
From my momma and when I was born, the doctor said I'd be hard
My mother instilled a love of learning in me from the beginning, and the doctor predicted I would be a tough kid.
So I guess described in holy, designed by God
I was destined to be talented and was designed that way by a higher power.
I'd be as good with words and my flow just evolve
My talent with words was innate, and my musical flow developed gradually over time.
Year later like tot taters, fryin all of you haters
Years later, I'm still cooking and frying anyone who tries to bring me down.
Spittin vapors like rapers, if you ain't likin the Lakers
I'm spitting hot bars like a rapist, and if you don't like that, it's like not liking the Lakers.
You callin out, still for acres? I've been sharper than razors
You're still trying to come for me, but I've been sharper than any razor blade.
Playa hater, I'm Kobe, faker, I coat it like blazers
You're just a hater, but I'm like Kobe Bryant, and I wear my talent like a blazer.
The beat, and I freaked, this story of mine
When I heard a good beat, it inspired me to create this story of mine.
Lemme take you back like spine, I was tryna get signed
Let me take you back in time when I was trying to get a record deal.
High school Division 1, only Duke on my mind
In high school, I was thinking about going to a Division 1 college, and Duke was my top choice.
But like stoop, I fell short like Muggsy Bogues of that crime
Unfortunately, I didn't succeed in that pursuit, similar to how Muggsy Bogues fell short in basketball despite his talent.
On kin that sport, and so I cradled the rhyme
Since I didn't make it in sports, I turned to music and held onto my talent for rapping.
Now look at lil' me at the front of the line
Now look at me, a successful artist leading the pack.
Killin' dream killers ever dream they ever killn mine
I'm killing the naysayers who tried to squash my dreams.
A Wonder World, 9th Wonder, Jamla yo I'm signed
I'm signed to 9th Wonder's label, Jamla, in a world full of wonder and greatness.
On Ka$h beat, I flush heat, been a bad girl
I've been killing it on Ka$h's beats and been a bad girl in the music industry.
Since I grew feet and momma leaked in '83
I've been talented since birth, even before I could walk, and my mother nurtured that talent.
Dropped out the womb, head noddin to a heartbeat
I was born with music in my soul, even nodding my head to my mother's heartbeat.
Heh, now back, to the start of me
Now let me return to the beginning of my story.
Aiyyo, I DROPPED out the womb in the year nineteen eighty -
Once again, I was born in 1983.
Contributed by Aaliyah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.