Rapsody Says Forget Best Female MC. She Wants The Top Spot (BET Hip Hop Cypher)

Cypher Season is upon us, as the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards is ahead. With one of the most lauded and overall talked about albums of the moment in Laila’s Wisdom, Rapsody sets off a grouping of MCs who happen to be women—and DJ Premier resumes his post as cypher DJ.

With EPMD’s “You’re A Customer” playing, Rapsody gets the final two minutes of the cypher to herself. She looks dead into the camera, “I’m better than all y’all / I been better than all y’all / I’m M.J., Kobe, K.D., and ‘Bron in one, while y’all talkin’ LaVar Ball,” she begins. The North Carolina MC is not speaking about her stage collaborators, but a crop of Rap talent that she seemingly out-works, out-writes, and out-raps. “I’ve been humble too long,” she contends, swinging bars in every direction, under complete control. Her verse salutes Mobb Deep’s Prodigy, addresses O.J. Simpson’s release from prison, David and Goliath, and then shouts out a who’s who in 2017 female Rap artists. She suggests that an olive branch and air of peace is best, given her skills. However, that is not just an address to one section or gender among MCs. Rapsody warns all: “Screaming ‘Go JamRoc / F*ck ‘Best Female,’ I’m comin’ for your top spot / Top five, top two ni**as grabbin’ they crotch / Feelin’ insecure / Hi Issa Rae / King crowned by queens, shout to 9th, Gu’, and Jay.” She references Royce 5’9″‘s famous “hi Rihanna” break in the 2011 Shady 2.0 cypher, while stating a bigger thesis. Rapsody’s last line is “ain’t no competition,” summarizing her place at the top, and welcome to challengers.

A host of great MCs from Busta Rhymes to Scarface, Jay to Black Thought have cosigned this patient artist. Neither sales nor props appear to satisfy Rapsody’s hunger though. She is out for history.

Hosted by DJ Khaled, the 2017 Hip Hop Awards air Tuesday October 10 at 8pm EST.

#BonusBeat: In 2015, Rapsody narrated Ambrosia For Heads original “Finding The GOAT: Why Are Women Excluded From Talks About Hip-Hop’s Greatest MCs?”

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