Rap's Got A New Lady, And She's Ready To Ride!
by Samantha Hunter,
Photographs by Stanley Debas
As seen in Issue #4
Lady May has a lot to talk about, and it's not all fast cars, hot clothes, and stacks of money. Going against the grain, she refuses to conform to other people's preconceived notions of how a female rapper should be. "I'm here to say it's okay to be exactly who you are," challenges the 23-year-old female MC who hails from Hempstead, Long Island.
"To be a part of rap and say it's okay to be a lady, to be dainty, submissive, and vulnerable, as well as invincible and empowered—I find it amazing. We as women are very, very unique creatures. I'm so glad to be a woman. As needy and vulnerable as we can be, we can be just as powerful and brilliant. We’re both sides of the coin. We have a lot of issues that haven’t been discussed in rap that I haven’t touched yet. I’ve just gotten started."
The former back-up dancer (who uses the words, "gypsy," "hardheaded," and "walking contradiction" to describe herself) is off to a good start with her eponymous debut album, Lady May. The project's first booty-bouncing single, "Round Up" is a fine example of Lady May's extraordinary ability to give people what they want, while remaining in control every step of the way. Both in her music as well as in her personal life, Lady May is keenly aware of the power that perception holds. When asked how she was perceived growing up, considering her Asian-Jamaican roots and the jealousy that can exist among young girls, Lady May's response is a bit unexpected.
"It wasn't that serious," she flatly states. "My parents are both Jamaican, but my dad's mom is from Singapore. My mom's side is mixed with all types—Portuguese, Asian, Indian. But I was always perceived as Black. People ask me, ‘What are you?’ but I think they just wanted to know what made my features the way they are—the mix. I don’t think there was any animosity there."
As a female in a male-dominated arena, the inquisition hasn’t stopped for the gal who’s also known as "Mae West." Folks want to know if she really has the right stuff, but it's nothing she can't handle.
"People would say things like, 'She looks like a singer—you sure she raps?’" But the skeptics are being converted one by one, and things are looking up for the high school dropout who toured as a background dancer for several big-name rap stars, she lied her way into a mall job as a nail technician and has the acid burn on her leg to prove it. She even worked as an accountant for a firm whose client list included Jay-Z, Noriega, DJ Clue, Trackmasters, and Chris Lighty and the Violators, before hooking up with producer Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie (of L’il Kim, Puffy, and Biggie fame).
"I think women live in a very interesting time right now," she muses. "Instead of women being so quick to envy, they're more secure and complimentary nowadays."
And men?
Continued in Issue #4
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