Rapsody is a long-established rapper whose intricate flows and lyrical dexterity have seen her nominated for two Grammys. She has appeared on tracks with everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Anderson.paak to Herbie Hancock to Busta Rhymes. Her albums Laila’s Wisdom (2017) and Eve (2019) won praise from critics and fans for their musical, lyrical, and conceptual quality. The former was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards, while one track, ‘Sassy’, was nominated for Best Rap Song.
Rapsody was born Marlanna Evans in Snow Hill, North Carolina. She didn’t take an interest in rapping until she joined a musical collective whilst at university. When the group met producer 9th Wonder, he was impressed by Rapsody’s skills and gave her a guest spot on his album, The Dream Merchant Vol. 2. She signed with his label and launched her solo career in 2008. Her storytelling qualities immediately placed her above many of her peers and she found growing acclaim with her first two mixtapes, ably assisted by the likes of Mac Miller and DJ Premier.
However, things really began to move for Rapsody when she signed with Roc Nation in 2016. The following year, she dropped Laila’s Wisdom (Laila was her grandmother), which was immediately hailed as not only one of the best hip-hop albums in years but also as one of the best female hip-hop albums ever recorded. Such praise saw it enter the Billboard 200, the Grammy nominations, and took Rapsody to a new level. She continued her ambitious approach with 2019’s conceptual Eve album, with each track named after an inspirational black woman.
