According to Kabanda Slayman, a blogger for the Zed Corner blogging site, Cleo Ice Queen is apart of the top 10 sexist Zambian artist. As apart of keeping this image, she is the brand ambassador for Maximum Diva Female Condoms, she talks about it openly in her music, and even her apparel reflects her sex appeal.
In her song and video “XO Fever,”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lKYkCD2JbMk
Cleo Ice Queen openly expresses her sexuality,
XO XO you know your body make me feel like so
Me no slow down the tempo loving how you feeling on my hips o
you bout to give me fever till the morning light
you bout to give me fever but you do it all right.
In the first verse alone, Cleo Ice Queen makes it know that she likes to have sex, and a lot of it. This gender role switch is a huge stand out for social norms because usually women are suppose to be quiet and modest about their sex lives and sexuality but Cleo Ice Queen lets it be known to everyone what she likes, when, and how.
In the “XO Fever” video, it appears to be a summer fairytale fantasy and it switches between that into Zambian traditional dance. These two very different worlds, help Cleo Ice Queen bring her wishes of finding her XO lover that will love her all day. The unity of women in her video, shows power and togetherness of women. This empowerment and uplifting of each other is what more women need to show within the rap community.
More women in Zambia as well as other African countries should do collaborations with one another, one to show togetherness, and two to get their names out on a more global level. Making connections with other artists results in making connections with their fans, and if your music is hot, then it will go viral on its own.