REAL TALK WITH REBECCA DAWN

Just in time for the Freestylimpics 2013, we got the free style femme Rebecca Dawn to give us the low down about her role in the YYC hip hop scene and we also found out she is a dog person.   

G.O.D - Who are your influences in the hip hop community?

R.D - The other ContraVerse members (Jayzen, Twizzie, Rubix, DJ Scarlett) are my biggest influences in the city, they teach me about freestyle art, music and lyricism... but what they really teach me are life skills! Other than that my biggest influences in the YYC Hip Hop community are Dragon Fli Empire and Ricca Razorsharp/Blades of Steel because of their confidence on stage, their skill at moving the crowd, and their ability to create great events and these kinds of magical opportunities for music to improve life. 

G.O.D - What’s it like to be a femcee in YYC?

R.D - I think its dope, basically because it's fun to blaze a trail through uncharted territory and there are not a lot of femcees in YYC yet, especially in the freestyle and battle arenas. Whirly Bird is the only other female I know in Calgary who battles. In the studio and out on stage though, you find a lot of female rappers and singers who are so talented and fresh, like Politique Queen, Jaynova, Yolanda Sargeant, Lotta Chops, Nki-Louise, Ayoo Angie, and the list goes on. Now, as for the boys, I think a lot of guys are really elevated in their thinking these days, and they're not judging you as a female or whatever, they only care about your emcee skills & credentials, and they'll battle you or collab with you on the level of a human being and not care what gender you are. So I give respect to the men in this city because for the most part they are amazing to be around and I am always learning from them. I have the same attitude as the B-Girls that you don't get props just for being a girl, it is about your art and your skill, first and always. I am so blessed to be involved with Girls on Decks because it gives the ladies a real platform to shine and showcase our talent, and also to teach each other and improve!

G.O.D - When is your next album being released?

R.D-  I have a single called 'Critical Collabo' coming out on April 5 which I made with EvryGurl, Jayzen and Whatevski - it's a hype party track and we did our first music video for it! You'll be able to find that at www.rebeccadawnhiphop.com

I also have a mixtape coming up in May 2013. 

G.O.D - Where do you hope to see your career at in 5 years?

R.D- I love working with youth through the urban arts programs I'm involved with now (Global Fest and Calgary Young Offenders Centre programs), I would like to develop that and spend more time doing it, because when I can share my art with other people and make a difference in their life, even just for a few hours, with the message of Hip Hop, then I feel I am using my time well on this Earth. Life is so precious and I want to spend it making music and sharing it with people. I have been playing a lot of live shows in Calgary over the past few years too, so I would like to get out and go on tour in some different Canadian cities and other countries. It's time!

G.O.D - Why do you think it’s so important to be an advocate for femcees in the hip hop community??

R.D - I think it is important because Hip Hop is an amazing culture that can unite us, strengthen us as conscious human beings, and help us to prosper in every way. Hip Hop saved my life many times, so if other women are thinking about getting involved in the scene I want to welcome them and share what I know, and also to learn from them and get new ideas and inspiration - the kind you only get with a bunch of girls!

G.O.D - How did it all begin?

R.D - I started out writing songs during a university research trip. I was living between two rural villages in the south-Mexican jungle to study the social drivers of tropical deforestation for my Masters thesis. The temperatures were extreme and the sun was harsh, with thick mud, horrible biting insects, and extreme poverty everywhere. I was a foreigner in a foreign land, speaking Spanish and working with a translator to speak with Aboriginal people in their languages. I ate only beans, tortillas and bush meat for months, cooking over a fire, hauling water from a well, and washing my clothes by hand. It was very difficult to carry on some days, especially hearing and witnessing all the tragic stories of how the people out there had to suffer, especially the women and children. I would sit in my hammock at night listening to the storms blast my tiny hut and to KRS-One on my ipod. Then I would write songs about what I was going through and the thoughts that occurred to me, and that is my EP.    

G.O.D - What kind of pre or post show rituals do you have?

R.D - Before a show I like to run, meditate, pray, freestyle a bit, drink water and try to remember to eat something but it's hard when I am nervous! Also I MUST get my hair braided and have cornrows for very important shows. That can take a couple days. 

After a show I like to take some shots at the bar with the ContraVerse crew. 

G.O.D - When you don't have a Mic in your hand how do you chill out?

R.D - Walking my dog Arrow is good for chillin'. Of course snowboarding in winter and rafting in summer - the Calgary way! Lately I have been so focused on planning Freestylimpics and recording my mixtape that I don't get a lot of downtime. When I don't have a mic in my hand though, I like to cypher acapella with the crew. 

G.O.D - Where is your favourite place to eat in calgary?  

The Coup  

 

G.O.D - Who are your Sheros/Heros?

R.D - The Dalai Lama, Aung San Suu Kyi, Viktor Frankl, Cupcake Brown, Jean-Dominique Bauby and Lauryn Hill

G.O.D - How many times did your mom tell you to "turn it down!!"? 

R.D - approx. 1 million :)

WHOS TA KNOW?

Wonder Woman or Cat Woman? –  Cat Woman, although ironically I am a dog person

Freida or Cleopatra - Frida Kahlo por supuesto

Madonna or Gaga - same dif

Lisa or Meg - who? lol

Betty Page or Betty Boop - Betty Boop

Angelina or Jen - Jen

Lil Kim or Lady Soverign - make way for the S.O.V. !!! Lady Sovereign is one of my biggest influences and favourite rappers. 

Annie Oakley or Annie Mac - little of both

Oprah or Ellen - Oprah

Girls on Decks is pleased to announce that Rebecca Dawn will be performing alongside Miss Erica Dee on Sunday, April 21 at Habitat Living Sound. TIckets are available at ericadee.zoobis.com.