Lizzo (2016)

One Liner: Bad ass female rapper

Poster Position: 17

Thoughts: I have been genuinely grinning by myself in my office all morning jamming this fantastically unexpected, bad-ass woman.  Totally out of left field here, I expected "Lizzo" to be another gentle indie girl group singing plain but harmonic tunes about getting high and being bored, and instead, I get this genuinely funny, hella cool, big mama spitting rhymes. You just have to start with her new single, which is also her most popular track right now, but lives up to the name easily. This is "Good as Hell," and has 2.2 million streams.

I'm going to be singing that all day.  That song, that beat, those lyrics, it all is a great package.  It makes me think of the Mark Ronson and Mystikal track "Feel Right," in that I want to sing it and strut around.  And then the next one that got an out loud chuckle from me was "En Love," from her 2015 album Big Grrrl Small World.

"Wit myself..."  Ha!  But she's got so many that I think are awesome.  I really don't think I can do it justice by just adding links here.  "Let 'Em Say," "Batches and Cookies," "Ain't I," "Bus Passes and Happy Meals," I mean, this is just lighting me up.  You should at least go check her top ten on Spotify.  It's a little bit Missy Elliott, a little bit Nicki Minaj, but its all fun as far as I'm concerned.  I bring you "Batches and Cookies" now.

That is from 2014's Lizzobangers.  Also in 2014, she did a remake/remix of Blondie's "Rapture" that is pretty tight.  What is it?  Why am I so tired of most other rappers I'm hearing right now but this just clicks right and is making me bob my head and grin?  What is the deal?  The male rappers right now who get all sing-songy in their raps (Drake, Torey Lanez, etc.) annoy the crap out of me right now, but I don't mind Lizzo doing it at all.  Am I sexist?  I don't know.  A few ideas: (1) her cadence and pronunciation is clear, so I can hear the jokes and the entendre; and (2) her beats are pretty dang good, brawny and swaggerfied.  Whatever it is, I'm lovin' it.  "Faded" is reminiscent of Outkast's "Bombs Over Bagdad," "W.E.R.K. Pt. II" is that Missy/Nicki sound, and the out of control flow and badass sample on "Pants vs. Dress" are unhinged and fun.

Who is this bad mamajamma?  She is apparently originally from Houston, but moved up to Minneapolis a few years ago.  She had a few other bands she sang with, but this solo stuff is the real deal.  Good as Hell indeed.  I want to go see her live.  Like, now.