Women Are The Secret Weapon of 2019

The DC, Maryland and Virginia area have been bubbling with new, prominent talent. As Hip Hop has continued its domination on pop culture, it has opened a new door for opportunity for those sometimes overlooked. This year, the women of the DMV Hip Hop scene are breaking out and moving up. In 2018, a handful of local female rappers and singers grew in stardom. Artists such as Rico Nasty, placed on 2K19’s official soundtrack, Chelly the MC, covered in the Washington City Paper, and Kelow LaTesha, featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk with rapper GoldLink, generated hundreds of thousands of plays on streaming platforms last year. They perform, sell merchandise and maintain a connection with their growing fanbases across the country- and the world.

It’s obvious the women’s movement is growing not just in politics, but culture and music. The shift of artists being more personable than proper while communicating with their audience is seen most clearly in Cardi B’s career. Her fans and followers pride themselves in supporting someone who’s real, someone who appears organic and inviting. Opening up and being emotional are traits a modern artist needs, and probably what women get called out for doing the most... historically. In this day and age, that can generate success, if done properly. Cardi B’s boisterous and eccentric personality is deemed authentic and has been a critical component throughout her career. It’s relatable and refreshing. She gives her audience energy and somewhat a mirror to reflect themselves and their reality onto her. That sort of relationship is crucial in an ever-changing digital age.

The combination between Hip Hop being the new Pop and the new era of the women’s movement, it seems to be a new dawn for music. Women might have the secret weapon, loved across music and being the muse of most radio hits. The developing popularity of independent artistry has granted thousands free, crucial exposure for their content. It won’t be long until more women are able to make this their career. Undoubtedly, there has never been a better time in Hip Hop for women to blossom than now.

HEYMANNY2 by YungManny

‘HEYMANNY2’ is the sequel to its predecessor of the same name and the first body of work by rapper Yung Manny. The ‘Moana’ rapper starts off the well awaited mixtape with a track most wouldn’t expect. ‘I’m YungManny’ is a melodic r&b-trap experiment produced by Manny himself. It still holds his unique flow in the middle of the song. He mixes styles- showing his versatility and openness to a new, different sound. We’ve come to learn he’s certainly not afraid of doing the unexpected.

10 Band Lick has become a fan favorite in the few hours since the project’s release. His connection with those who support him is hard to ignore. He navigates social media, staying out of any real drama and sharing his views with his peers. He advocates finishing school and totes his own report cards online. Although only being fifteen, he’s also spoke on the misuse and overuse of marijuana to his followers on Instagram. The young talent explained his belief that marijuana should be used as a reward rather than an activity, if not used medicinally. It’s no secret minors smoke weed. Why not be real about it? He’s a light for the future, if anything.

The mixtape has a few features, each noteworthy in their own right. ‘Billy & Mandy’ feature’s rapper Good Intent, a fellow Maryland rapper. The two work well together and create an energetic dynamic. KJ feature’s Lil Gray, another DMV native. Yung Manny, with this being only his second major project to date, has secured a spot amongst local veterans in the game. His most well received feature is ‘Manny 2x’ with Young Manni of Rich Shootas. The music video, now sitting at over half a million views, hosts a cameo of Q Da Fool, another local rapper who happened to sign to Roc Nation in 2018. 

With the current trajectory of this young man’s career, there’s no telling where we could see him by even next year. The team behind him seems to be genuine and solid... and well versed in marketing. Their strategies haven’t seemed to fail so far. Yung Manny’s energy and appeal is refreshing and could be what gets him national- and even possibly global fame. Right now, it seems it’s all up to him.