«I’m not trying to be the lyrical champion – just your ordinary MC.»
Die 25-jährige Underground-Rapperin Gavlyn aus Los Angeles hat gerade ihre sechste Europatournee hinter sich. Das Ausnahmetalent kommt ursprünglich aus der Spoken Word Szene, bis sie 2006 zu rappen beginnt. Ihre Songs sind inspiriert vom Funk der Siebziger und dem Hip Hop der Neunziger – und klingen trotzdem wie neu: «The words I speak over beats never sleep.» Neben Referenzen wie Kendrick Lamar, Mos Def und Schoolboy Q ist sie ebenso interessiert an Rockmusik wie der von Gorillaz, Amy Winehouse und Portishead. Als Mitglied des Kollektivs Organized Threat arbeitet Gavlyn mit Poetic Death, Phora, DJ Dubplates oder DJ Harper daran, jungen Poeten und Musikern eine Plattform zu bieten und die Jugend daran zu erinnern, was Hip Hop einmal war und was die Zukunft des Hip Hop sein kann.
In einem Mailaustausch erzählt Gavlyn vom Struggle einer Female MC, vom Internet als Vermarktungsinstrument, von ihren Vorbildern und nächsten Plänen. LOL.
– Hi Gavlyn, how are you? Where are you at the moment?
Hello! I’m in Los Angeles in Korea town.
– You say it’s easier for female hip hop artists to act girlie and sexy. Who are you in this world, and what are you trying to represent with your music?
It’s easier for an artist to act girly and sexy depending on the artist of course. As for myself I am a LA native hiphop head/rapper that loves to talk shit and act a fool and my music represents all my experiences and point of views in everything in my life.
– There are still much fewer female rappers around. Why do you think this is so? Is it more difficult to get a fanbase as a female? Or is it hard to get accepted from male colleagues?
Luckily the female rappers are growing in numbers through the years. As for it being hard to get a fanbase as a female, I feel it’s difficult 70 percent of the time and the other percent are those sexist people that hate on girls killing it. It gets hard to get accepted sometimes I can’t lie that, but the way I get accepted is by not showing attention to that and rapping my ass off. LOL.
– What other female hip hop artists are you into? Who inspired you?
I love Jean Grea and Lauren Hill – they are my #1’s. LOL. I like Ladybug Mecca, Mystic and I also really love Rapsody, Blimes Brixton, and Snow tha Product.
– In a previous interview you said that your connections with the European music scene come (also) from myspace. And your fanbase in Europe is even bigger than in the US. How important is the role of the internet in getting recognition as an artist today? Is it no longer possible to get discovered performing live? Or else: what’s the best way to make connections in today’s rap scene?
It is still possible to get discovered performing live of course, but the internet plays a huge role in getting dicovered today. But it also makes it very hard because everyone is trying to get discovered on it as well. Everybody has the tools to make something good so I feel like you gotta work harder.
– From the 90s Boom Bap to now: Your newest album ‹Make Up For Your Break Up› is much smoother and more melodical than your previous ones. I heard you love to challenge yourself in your music and find new ways. How has your sound developed over the years, and what would you like to try next?
As for what I have coming next is a project with DJ Hoppa called «WhyWait» and it’s straight boom bap actually. LOL, I took back.
– What do you think of the cloud rap movement like Yung Lean, A$AP Rocky?
I think they’re super dope! Very different sounding artists, both killing the game.
– You’ve made tracks with Scratch Bandits and Rawlegit ect. – who would you like to collab with and why?
I would love to collab with Gorillaz, 9th Wonder and Lakim – why? The reason is because they are ill! And I think we could make some fire.
Gavlyn wird im Clubraum der Roten Fabrik ein Rapfeuerwerk zünden, und zwar zusammen mit Reverie am 16. April um 21 Uhr, mit Beats von DJ Lala.