Female Hip Hop artists have always been an endangered species. If you peruse through unfiltered social media commentary, it won’t be much of surprise to see fans who openly admit they hate all female rappers in the same breath they make an alibi for Lauryn Hill.
These days, you’re only as strong as your last hit regardless of gender, but the fairer sex still has a time getting the respect they earn for themselves. Seeing that we’re currently in the midst of the most publicized female rap battle of all-time courtesy of Nicki Minaj and Remy Ma (it would have been 1990s Lil Kim and Foxy Brown, but pride prevented both ladies from ever creating a full-blown diss record toward the other) it’s a good time to be a female rapper.
Of course, Young M.A can proudly distance any of her success from the rabid interest of the “SHETHER”s and “No Frauds” of the hashtaggable Twitterverse and meme museum of Instagram. Fans who keep their ear to rising NYC Hip Hop can attest that the Brooklyn-born MC was putting in work well before her breakout record, “OOOUUU” became a top 20 Billboard smash.
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“While they making disses I’m just making hits/
‘Cause if it don’t make dollars it don’t make no sense/
This is chess, not checkers, learn the game dude/
But I just can’t relate ’cause that’s what lames do”
But like I said, you’re only as strong as your last hit, which pretty much sums up the reason for the existence of her new single, “Hot Sauce.”
“OOOUUU” carried the high school hallway nickname of being the “2016 Bobby Shmurda Song,” mainly because it identified as a New York rap dance hit that was heavy with the bars. Adhering to her coast’s stringent guidelines on what constitutes as “real” wasn’t lost on M.A, either. In a November 2016 interview with FM.TV, she allowed viewers in on the jitters she had to go against the grain.
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“When ‘OOOUUU’ was created, I was a little scared. I didn’t know how people were going to take to it, because it wasn’t me crazy spitting bars, storytelling or whatever the case that people were so used to me doing,” she shared.
Thankfully for her, said jitters were shook like halfway crooks and now Young M.A can add “superstar” to her byline just off of one hit.
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Which sets the stage for “Hot Sauce,” produced by Showtyme On The Beat. It sounds like “OOOUUU.” Chills like “OOOUUU.” It’s not quite “OOOUUU,” but yes it will do. Success breeds swag and Young M.A sounds extremely comfortable in the pocket as the hazy trap spiral, complete with rattling 808s and drums tailor-made to bop to, will suit any club setting as the smoke and bubbly create a slow motion atmosphere.
The record won’t be a runaway hit like its first cousin, but it will give her more buildup in the live show to pad the buildup for “Eat” and “OOOUUU,” not to mention increasing the anticipation for her upcoming works, the Herstory, and its subsequent debut LP follow-up, Her Story in the Making.
One aspect that cannot be overlooked is how M.A’s slinky vocals across the mystical track will continue to boost her sex symbol status for those who find her sexy. It’s an uncharted territory for Hip Hop to have an openly gay female rapper who’s actually poppin’ and there’s not a bead of sweat dripping from her braids.
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After all, confidence is king.
