Laila’s Wisdom by Rapsody (Review)
[Originally Published on April 23, 2020]
On J Cole’s debut album Cole World, the track “Rise and Shine” kicks off with a snippet of Jay-Z’s voice. The excerpt from the Marcy legend’s 2000 “Backstage” documentary sounds bootlegged and he speaks with candor. Jay describes a hungry emcee “out there” eating Apple Jacks and writing rhymes at his kitchen table tirelessly—salivating at the chance to take his spot. He pauses, presumably remembering what it was like to hunt instead of being the hunted. “Imma sign him. I don’t want no problems,” he chuckles, dead serious. Well, in 2016 he signed an emcee to Roc Nation who has the chops to go toe to toe with anyone in the ring. But it wasn’t quite what Jay predicted. Her name was Rapsody.
Many of us were introduced to Rapsody on her powerful “Complexion (A Zulu Love)” verse, the only feature on Kendrick’s To Pimp a Butterfly (2015). However, the North Carolina rapper has been releasing quality projects for over a decade. From 2013’s lyrical She Got Game to 2018’s empowering Eve, her catalog speaks for itself. She functions as a rap supercomputer, her wordplay and flow programmed to run simultaneously at elite levels. She spits with a tenacity that would lead most emcees to exit the chat. Rapsody has shared the ring with hip hop heavyweights such as Queen Latifah, Black Thought, Kendrick Lamar, Talib Kweli, Busta Rhymes, and J Cole. Each bout has gone to the judge’s scorecards. One could argue she’s never lost a fight. Each of Rapsody’s albums is an ode to the strength and grace of black women. Laila’s Wisdom is dedicated to her late grandmother, who put her on game that she intends to pass to the next generation.
The opening title track is so church influenced, you envision organ pipes, flower hats, shoe polish and stain glass as you bop to Rapsody’s bars. Though there’s a chance they’ll fall on deaf ears, she delivers messages to her younger self: don’t be desperate for love, forgive and let go of the haters, and believe in yourself. Rapsody is from the small, southern town of Snow Hill, NC where church was clearly a huge influence on her upbringing. She aims to create an environment more accepting—of unladylike, sexually-empowered, and non-CIS women—than the halls she walked through as a girl.
Equally impressive as Rapsody’s rap skills is her thoughtfulness with her pen. On “Power”, Rapsody breaks down what sources of power we fear (independent women, empowered black people) and the ones oppressors use to remain in power (money, violence, institutional racism, mental slavery). The track also features a dizzying Kendrick verse in which he raps partially in patois. Dressed as a tomboy and shooting hoops with the fellas, Rapsody carried herself as an oldhead from a young age. Without preaching, she advises the youth against manipulative relationships (“Pay Up”) and clout-chasing (“Ridin’”).
Though she prefers a hoodie and Jordans to a dress and heels, Rapsody is a reluctant romantic. She admits her fiercly independent attitude causes her to sabotage her relationships (Rollercoaster Love) and yearn for another chance (U Used to Love Me). Too prideful to admit her mistakes, she apologizes on wax.
“Black and Ugly” and “Jesus is Coming” are the album’s most stirring songs. “Jesus is Coming” is the story of a black woman and her daughter being struck by bystander bullets during a playdate in the park. The song is brilliantly told from both of their perspectives, and is absolutely heartbreaking. On “Black and Ugly” Rapsody shares how she was ridiculed for her dark skin, full lips, and thickness growing up. She encountered this same hatred as many music execs wouldn’t take a risk on her, judging her by their arbitrary beauty standards instead of her lyrical ability. Instead of folding, she honed a self confidence and sexiness she wants everyone woman to feel.
On “Power”, Rapsody spits “I’m not in the top 5 unless we talkin bout emcees/ and I’m at the top of that the rest beneath me all cowards.” Somewhere, the other four emcees are wiping sweat away, hoping she doesn’t call them out by name. Their careers just might depend on it.
