Kinshasa-born female rap artist and emcee, Sista Becky is one of the few in her domain that raps about struggles within the country and the issues she faces as a woman. She uses her song “Plusqu’un rêve” (More than a Dream) to demonstrate braggadocio, which is a style of rap that emcees utilize to brag about one’s self to demonstrate their rap skills, warn competitors, material goods, or violence. Sista Becky utilizes braggadocio to reveal her position in a male-dominated field and how her skills are unmatched compared to her counterparts.
In the song, she establishes her credibility as a rapper. She says “Je réalise.. Que sous ma main j’ai du pouvoir // Mes cordes vocales ont un pouvoir // A 27 piges, toujours madame le rap // Et oui j’ai 27 piges…et toujours ma bague au doigt // Égérie du rap2kin, je suis fatidique // Incontournable, je garde le cap // Je reste exclusive // Inevitable, je m’affirme // J’écris l’histoire d’un genre // Inevitable, que ma plume // Devienne decisive (I realize.. that under my hand I have power. my vocal cords have power. at 27 years old, still madam rap. and yes I am 27 years old.. and still have my ring on my finger. muse of rap2kin, I am fateful. unavoidable, I stay the course. I remain exclusive. inevitable, I assert myself. I am writing a story of a genre. inevitable, only my pen. become decisive).
In this example, Sista Becky uses braggadocio in her song to attest to her skills and talents as an emcee. She amplifies and reminds her audience that she received the award for the best female Congolese hip-hop artist at the “Rap de Kin Awards” and participated in the Red One festival in Kinshasa, an urban music festival organized at the French Institute of Kinshasa. She also spotlights her penmanship which allows her to live out her dream while simultaneously proving herself as a woman in a male-dominated field.
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