Underground hip hop

SHELLY B. – The Queen of North Carolina Hip Hop

Women’s History Month 2012 – Cover Story

ON HER DIVA

Exclusive interview with TRIBES Magazine

By Gabriel Rich

Photos by Emanuel Cole

SHELLY B is not one  to take her work as a  Hip Hop emcee lightly. The Raleigh native has worked far too hard to gain her status as a pioneer in both the Triangle Hip Hop scene and nationally. Strong, dedicated to her   craft and on a mission, Shelly B.’s versatility is what sets her apart from the rest of the pack. You have rappers that can entertain but aren’t lyricist and there are wordsmiths that can fashion a rhyme but can’t entertain. Neither is a problem for Shelly B. She’s more than capable of giving you something for both your mind and your body and it shouldn’t surprise anyone that knows her. After all, Shelly B’s been in the game long enough to know about pleasing fans.

Shelly B. represents a number of firsts for female rappers in North Carolina.  She was the first female rapper from the state to be featured in the Source Magazine’s “Unsigned Hype.” Shelly B. was also the first female artist to make it on Allhiphop.com’s “Breeding Ground” section.  The winner of numerous awards in her home state, Shelly B. is a leader in NC Hip Hop and a leader among Indie artists on the Hip Hop scene. Challenge her to a battle and she’ll clean her claws on you just to let you know why she is who she is. TRIBES Magazine interviewed Shelly B during her photo shoot for the TRIBES Magazine Spring 2012 Women in Hip Hop edition.

TRIBES: You’ve made a name for yourself in the Triangle and beyond.  How are you being received now?

SHELLY B: I think I’ve always gotten love from this area.  It was a little tough when I first started, because at that point in time, the idea of a female emcee was foreign to the entire industry, let alone
 the local industry.  There weren’t very many females in this area grinding and going to the studio.  So in the beginning, I had to fight for my respect; for a couple of years.  But when I started putting myself out there, I had that determination to be known and make sure everybody knew who Shelly B was.  I started doing every talent show and open mic I could find.

I started calling up promoters. I called the radio station until they put me on.  I got my actual start on the Larry Pickett Show, which was like a local talent show that was on TV in the Raleigh area.
That’s where a lot of people know me from. So I always say that’s where I got my start.  After I made my appearance on that show, I started getting my name out there and the respect just grew.

TRIBES: How would you rate the Hip Hop scene in the Triangle and the Carolinas?

SHELLY B: I think with anything, growth is going to get it where it needs to be, to its ultimate destination. There definitely needs to be more growth and a bit more unity here but the talent here is out of this world as far as singers, rappers, producers…just entertainment professionals, period.  This is one of the most talented markets that I know of.  I think that with people getting a bit more in touch with the business side of it, coming together, unity and all that good stuff, we’ll be alright.  But we’re getting there.  Carolina’s got next…No. We got now!  [laughs] READ MORE NOW.

SHELLY B. – The Queen of North Carolina Hip Hop

Women’s History Month 2012 – Cover Story

ON HER DIVA

Exclusive interview with TRIBES Magazine

By Gabriel Rich

Photos by Emanuel Cole

SHELLY B is not one  to take her work as a  Hip Hop emcee lightly. The Raleigh native has worked far too hard to gain her status as a pioneer in both the Triangle Hip Hop scene and nationally. Strong, dedicated to her   craft and on a mission, Shelly B.’s versatility is what sets her apart from the rest of the pack. You have rappers that can entertain but aren’t lyricist and there are wordsmiths that can fashion a rhyme but can’t entertain. Neither is a problem for Shelly B. She’s more than capable of giving you something for both your mind and your body and it shouldn’t surprise anyone that knows her. After all, Shelly B’s been in the game long enough to know about pleasing fans.

Shelly B. represents a number of firsts for female rappers in North Carolina.  She was the first female rapper from the state to be featured in the Source Magazine’s “Unsigned Hype.” Shelly B. was also the first female artist to make it on Allhiphop.com’s “Breeding Ground” section.  The winner of numerous awards in her home state, Shelly B. is a leader in NC Hip Hop and a leader among Indie artists on the Hip Hop scene. Challenge her to a battle and she’ll clean her claws on you just to let you know why she is who she is. TRIBES Magazine interviewed Shelly B during her photo shoot for the TRIBES Magazine Spring 2012 Women in Hip Hop edition.

TRIBES: You’ve made a name for yourself in the Triangle and beyond.  How are you being received now?

SHELLY B: I think I’ve always gotten love from this area.  It was a little tough when I first started, because at that point in time, the idea of a female emcee was foreign to the entire industry, let alone
 the local industry.  There weren’t very many females in this area grinding and going to the studio.  So in the beginning, I had to fight for my respect; for a couple of years.  But when I started putting myself out there, I had that determination to be known and make sure everybody knew who Shelly B was.  I started doing every talent show and open mic I could find.

I started calling up promoters. I called the radio station until they put me on.  I got my actual start on the Larry Pickett Show, which was like a local talent show that was on TV in the Raleigh area.
That’s where a lot of people know me from. So I always say that’s where I got my start.  After I made my appearance on that show, I started getting my name out there and the respect just grew.

TRIBES: How would you rate the Hip Hop scene in the Triangle and the Carolinas?

SHELLY B: I think with anything, growth is going to get it where it needs to be, to its ultimate destination. There definitely needs to be more growth and a bit more unity here but the talent here is out of this world as far as singers, rappers, producers…just entertainment professionals, period.  This is one of the most talented markets that I know of.  I think that with people getting a bit more in touch with the business side of it, coming together, unity and all that good stuff, we’ll be alright.  But we’re getting there.  Carolina’s got next…No. We got now!  [laughs] READ MORE NOW.

DOWNLOAD TRIBES’ 2012 ALL FEMALE HIP HOP MIXTAPE!

 GET ONE OF THE HOTTEST MIXTAPES OF 2012! 

DOWNLOAD FREE! 

WARNING: Parental Advisory! Some tracks contain explicit lyrics! 

Where are all the really dope female emcees? was the sparking question that ignited this Spring 2012 edition of TRIBES Magazine. While it became apparent immediately that some purveyors of pop music and commercial hip hop may want us to believe that there aren’t many worthwhile women out there rapping today, make no mistake! Women have not fled the Hip Hop game. They are out there rapping for their lives and, if the eager response to TRIBES Magazine’s search for the most talented female rappers on the indie scene is any indication, they are steady on the grind and very much a part of Hip Hop’s future. Nearly two-dozen artist submissions and fifty tracks later, TRIBES has compiled a Top 5 from the nominations. From shoe fetishes to paper stacking, loving their children to sexing their men, being independent and maintaining their faith in a higher power, these women rap about life, their dreams and the communities that gave rhythm to their flows and taught them about love.  Not marginalized figures or victims raging against the power machine, these ladies are perfectly confident in their right to rap and cleat about their place in a seat at the Hip Hop table. Step outside of the mainstream box and meet 5 Female Emcees beating the heart of Hip Hop from the underground. Featuring the hot new single, “On My Diva” by NC’s Queen of Hip Hop, SHELLY B.,; KRISTEN B. and KARINA LOPEZ bring the New York flavor; southern raps’ LADY CAM from Texas, ACE REIGN representing Chocolate City, and Greensboro’s own TREZURE are also featured! DOWNLOAD FREE!

View the latest issue of TRIBES Magazine now!

TRIBES Magazine’s TOP 5 FEMALE EMCEES to watch: ACE REIGN

ACE REIGN (Washington, DC)

Equal parts emcee, philosopher, and storyteller, ACE REIGN is an artist from Washington D.C. who is unafraid to speak to and from the real world.

Earnest with a passion for tackling life’s tough questions, ACE REIGN is an urban griot reaching out to the lonely, the angry, the desperate, with a salve for their struggles; and in her own practice of personal reflection and catharsis.

Disinterested in the trappings of the material world, ACE REIGN’s lyrics deal more with humanity, communicating identity, experiences, and the pursuit of spirituality and nobler states of being. “Making music is a way to vent my thoughts and emotions…” she explains and freed from the tethers of champagne dreams, ACE REIGN’s distinctive voice

and perspective, readiness to collaborate with like-minded emcees, and depth of artistry and production in her music, will continue to generate music that connects with fans and promises to set ACE REIGN apart from the pack.  REVERBNATION.COM/ACEREIGN

WHO IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE FEMALE EMCEE? The votes are in!

The votes are in! Lauryn Hill is your all-time favorite female rapper, with Missy Elliott coming in 2nd and Nicki Minaj rolling in at no 3.

The poll results were mixed with old and new school favorites, along with popular independent artists, like Kin4Life, being shown some love in the TRIBES poll.

Get the full survey breakdown in the SPRING 2012 WOMEN IN HIP HOP ISSUE coming soon! Check out the results!

TRIBES MAGAZINE’S TOP 5 FEMALE EMCEES TO WATCH: KRISTEN B.

KRISTEN B. (Queens, NY) 

She’s sexy, stylish and stacking paper on the regular! 

An eighties baby from Queens, NY, Kristen B. was heavily influenced by the music and major movements in Hip Hop born in her city. A natural on the mic, Kristen B. uses her smooth raps to talk about the good life, purveying that perfect mix of penthouse and street emblematic of the NY sound, to stand as good as the best of them at cataloging the essentials of Hip Hop extravagance in  the VIP room at the nightclub and the shops on Madison Avenue. Kristen B. exemplifies the glamourous days of rap’s golden age, ruled by the queens like Lil Kim and Foxy Brown. In 2012, she is more than just high-end, new-millennium, eye-candy. She brings a sleek and sexy lyricism back to Hip Hop that’s still uniquely her own and with the support of her cadre of loyal fans, this delicious sound and glitter are so ready for the video countdown, they’re sure to carry Kristen B. on to major mainstream success. Visit KRISTENBMUSIC.COM.

Learn more about TRIBES MAGAZINE’S TOP 5 FEMALE EMCEES TO WATCH!