Dime is the premier basketball magazine, covering the NBA, NCAA, High School, Playground and International basketball - as well as sneakers, fashion and music.
Issue link: http://dimemagazine.epubxp.com/i/56522
BEATS & RHYMES INTERVIEW. Julian Caldwell PHOTO. Chris Charles Rapsody "Respect culture over everything" is the phrase that heads the website of North Carolina rapper Rapsody. Tat's why unlike many female emcees that are accused of selling sex, Marlanna Evans sells dope rhymes over dope beats. Signed to Jamla Records, the label of Grammy Award-winning producer 9th Wonder, as well as collaborating with the likes of Raekwon, Big Daddy Kane and Erykah Badu, it seems the culture respects her back. Fresh off the release of her For Everything mixtape, we caught up with Rapsody to talk about basketball, family and getting props from a former national champion. Dime: How does it feel to get the stamp of approval and work with artists like Big Daddy Kane, Raekwon and Jean Grae? Rapsody: To say the least it's very humbling. It's people that I look up to and influence me in my own ca- reer. To be able to work with them, and learn from them and earn their respect, it means a lot to me. Dime: Even when you get your props, it's as being one of the best amongst female rappers specifically. Is it hard always being compared to just other females in the rap game? Rapsody: I get it all the time. I get everybody from Jean Grae to MC Lyte to Lauryn Hill. I even got Da Brat. I've gotten so many people. To be named with artists like that you're honored because those are the artists I grew up listening to and I hold them in high regard. I think a lot of times they do that just because I am a female and they need another female to compare me to. Dime: You and everybody that's part of Jamla Records talks about it being more of a family than a label. How do y'all maintain that family dynamic? Rapsody: Communication. I think communication is the biggest part of any relationship – whether it's a family or a love relationship or just friends, it's that communication. So we have fun and we goof around. We work hard, but we play hard too. Dime: Where do you get your inspiration to continue growing as an artist? Rapsody: My labelmates are definitely an inspiration. To have all those artists around you that are just as good or even better than you makes you always wanna keep going and keeps you hungry just to keep up. Not so much for a negative competition, but it's a way to help you grow and learn, so they definitely inspire me. Dime: Where do you get that competitiveness in music? Rapsody: I used to play basketball, so there's a competitive part in me and it's just me always wanting to get better. When I played basketball, I was the first one in the gym for practice and the last one to leave. And some practices I would stay and practice with the JV team or the varsity team. So it's just always wanting to get better and grow and create a legacy to have longevity in the game. Dime: Speaking of basketball, former Duke guard Nolan Smith has shown you a lot of love on Twitter. How does that support feel? Rapsody: That's crazy. I grew up a Duke fan, a big Duke fan. And to have someone like Nolan reach out and show support, and tweet and text to see how my tour's going, that's crazy to have someone of his stature care. Dime: How was basketball a part of your life before you really got into your rap career? Rapsody: I started playing ball when I was seven or eight. I got into it because I have a younger brother. We're a year apart, so we're really close. My dad took my brother to basketball practice and he said, "I don't wanna play if Marlanna is not gonna play." So that's how I got into it. Dime: And we heard you almost had the opportunity to play in college, right? Rapsody: Right. At an all-girls school by the name of Meredith College, they were looking to recruit me. But I wanted to go play for Coach Kay Yow at NC State. I really wanted to play for Duke, but I was like I don't know if I'm quite tall enough or good enough for Duke, maybe NC State. But that didn't work out either. I played club at NC State a couple of years, and after that it was all about the music. Dime: Clearly recording and performing take up a lot of your time. How do you keep basketball a part of your life? Rapsody: Don't laugh, but when I'm at home sometimes, I'll get the trash can and I'll make an aluminum ball and I'll play trash can basketball. Dime: Any ambitions to branch out and do more than just rap? Rapsody: Yeah, definitely in the future. I'd like to get into acting. I'm a big movie head and I think it would be fun to learn, possibly try. Maybe writing children's books, I love kids. Those are just a couple of things I'd like to do. Starting a nonprofit organization and helping the community. Basketball camps for my hometown, Snow Hill, for the kids. You know, just to keep them out of trouble and expose them to things they might not have seen in life. SNEAKER SPOT 25