
Rah Digga: 'We Cannot Move Away From the Core Fundamentals of Hip-Hop'
Rah Digga shared her thoughts on the Hip-Hop's connectivity across eras, and what she believes are the core elements of Hip-Hop.
In a recent interview with Madame Noire, Rah Digga shared her thoughts on the Hip-Hop's connectivity across eras, and what she believes are the core elements of Hip-Hop.
Early in the interview, Digga, who's touted as a premiere lyricist backed by her work with the Outsidaz, Flipmode Squad, and on her own solo albums, including Dirty Harriet, explained her motivation early on in her career.
“So I’m gonna be that Brick City, extra punchline girl," she said. "And I just had to make sure that whatever I was doing, I just did it to the fullest... I always channeled my inner KRS, Kool G Rap and Rakim. Those were literally the three men that taught Rah Digga how to write a dope 16.
She also talked about the value in real, off-the-top freestyling. “I don’t like this going up to radio stations and declaring that you don’t freestyle. What do you mean you don’t freestyle?” she said. “Lyrics are everything. This is hip-hop. This is rap music. If we’re not concerned with the lyrics, how does it quantify as rap music?”
And as for the hot topic of bridging the gap between Hip-Hop eras, Digga said, “I think that’s a really big misconception of trying to convince the younger artists that the older artists are haters. But it’s not that. Please rock what you wanna rock on. Just rap. And if you’re gonna perform, perform.”
She stressed the importance of embracing Hip-Hop's fundamentals. “We cannot move away from the core fundamentals of hip-hop,” she said. “It’s about the rhymes, it’s about the vibes, it’s about empowering and informing. It’s a voice for the voiceless.”