By Chiagoziem Onyekwena
Kel, Sasha, Blaise, Weird MC, Bouqui, Bola… Pick the odd one out!
If you happen to know anything, and by that I mean ANYTHING at all about Nigerian ‘femcees’, chances are you’re most likely going to single out the rather conspicuous-looking Bola , at the very end of the list. To be honest; I really wouldn’t blame you if you did.
But maybe, just maybe if I asked you this same question in a few months time, the roles could be reversed and by then the other rappers on the list would look a bit more out of place when our currently little-known Bola’s name is mentioned. No disrespect to the other gifted Nigerian female rappers, but there’s a certain buzz that comes with being the First Lady of one of the most respected record companies in worldwide Hip Hop.
Rather surprisingly, Bola isn’t just a recent signing to Grammy-winning rapper T.I’s Grand Hustle roster, au contraire the Georgia native has been on the Atlanta-based label for a number of years now. Bola was first signed as one half of the Hip hop duo, Xtaci but with her partner’s decision to put the microphone down and pick up the baby pacifier instead, Bola’s been left to swim the murky waters of Atlanta’s musical landscape alone and so far, the young lady isn’t doing too bad for herself either.
TI may be currently incarcerated and Bola’s solo debut album might be eons away from store shelves, but that hasn’t stopped the femcee from going hard on the mix tape front. Her upcoming mix tape Black Betty Boop will feature southern heavyweights like T.I’s lieutenant Yung Dro, Yung Joc and Lil’ Scrappy.
In the sex energised world of American Hip Hop, where one female emcee subtracts a few of her clothes, multiplies it by a couple of overtly suggestive magazine poses, and then divides her topical range to equal just sex, sex and more sex, all in a bid to achieve mainstream success, it’s good to know Bola isn’t the type of gal to just throw away her good ole Nigerian values. She’s been quoted as saying, I’ve got stripper friends but I never judge women. I’m always going to tell them how I feel… Sometimes I get a little frustrated because I think to myself well this is not most of us, what they see in these types of females, this is not most of us.
And just in case you were wondering how open Bola is about letting the whole world know about her ‘tainted’ ancestry, she has no qualms whatsoever about letting everyone know where she’s from. In a recent online interview Bola offered, I’m very interesting alone (as a solo artiste), being that I’m Nigerian, and I come from just a very musical background so I feel like with my music, that’s the best of all worlds… I embrace where I’m from.
Awwh… We are so touched Bola, and we embrace you right back! But what NET really would like to know is if she’d be willing to work with some of the other emcees from our list (please refer to the top of this article for more information), now or in the near future. And while we are keeping our fingers crossed for that killer collaboration, while also clapping our palms together in prayers that Bola’s studio album sees the light of day (very difficult combination of things to do with your hands, I must tell you), for now are just happy knowing that at least another one of Nigeria’s own has made it this far.
