Tee-Kupp TaTaLe was one of the bright spots of Tha Female Cypher Part 5, hosted by rolling out. She didn’t win, but she put up an amazing second round performance that had everybody lit. She checked in after the event to talk about her experience competing.
How was your experience at the Female Cypher?
I enjoyed myself for the most part because I love music, and I love performing regardless. Of course, I was a little upset because the first round; the song that I had ready for the cypher, they said they didn’t have it. I was completely confused because I know they had it because I sent it twice, and I have the paper trail for it. The judges were a little harsh, but I can take criticism. The thing is normally I do check in with the DJ, but I was told whenever I got here, we didn’t need to, and we should go ahead to the back. So, that kind of discouraged me a little bit because I’m, like … I know what I had to offer, and I know what I had prepared. In the second round, it was a whole lot better. I still was able to do the song that I intended, but I didn’t make it forward after that. It’s okay because I still got performances and I still got bookings.
Performing for a crowd that big takes confidence. Were you always a confident person?
So, believe it or not, I am extremely shy. I do not like to talk and speak. I do not have to call it cliche, but it’s just like how Beyoncé put on her Sasha Fierce Mermaid. You know what I’m saying? I do what I need to do, and I do it well.
Who are your female rap inspirations?
I love me some Trina. I love me some Trina, Eve. I’m not gonna lie … right now I gotta throw Glo in there. I gotta throw Glo in there because my girl is killing it. She came out for the females like me with the raspy voice that we don’t sound like the poppy and the high-pitch stuff; just some real like down south s— like country gutter, gangster … and that’s my persona. Like they said, I had an old-school vibe, and I know I do because that’s the majority of my influence. That’s when the music was real and it felt good. It didn’t feel forced.
