It seems like perfect timing for a female lyricist of superior caliber to arise when there’s barely a handful today to name. And the few that we do have such as Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim are so busy at each other’s throats to the point that the artistry is being compromised. So, it’s more than refreshing to say, “Welcome back, Da Brat.”
Since stepping onto the music scene in 1994, Shawntae “Da Brat” Harris has had platinum-selling albums, Grammy nominations, Billboard awards, countless features and hit singles. Those accolades, in addition to her close ties with So So Def CEO Jermaine Dupri and other well-known music figures, made her a household name. Now some 17 years later, we’re begging for an artist with such versatile flow, lyrical content, and obvious hunger for the rap game as Da Brat brought to the game — since she was unceremoniously dethroned due to her self-imposed issues with the law.
On October 31, 2007, a verbal dispute evolved into a physical attack on a hostess of Jermaine Dupri’s Studio 72 Club during a Halloween party. Da Brat received an aggravated assault charge that resulted in a three-year prison sentence, seven years of probation, and community service. But, just months ago on Feb. 28, Da Brat was released from prison — and she’s already eyeing her spot back where she belongs, on top.
If you think that after doing time she’s washed-up, irrelevant, or unable to deliver just as she has in the past, I dare you to listen to JD’s and her take on Chris Brown’s hit “Look At Me Now.” Her flow is sick and seems even crisper than before her prison stint. In her rhyme, she flawlessly asserts that she’s still the baddest chick, that she’s learned from her mistakes, and she belongs in the upper echelons on the rap game.
Quickly name five female lyricists out there now that can match that kind of pure, raw talent. Go ahead … I’ll wait. Tell me what you think of Da Brat’s post-prison flow.
–juwon jackson
