Rosa Ree is one of Africa’s fast-rising women in hip hop. With a few singles to her name and an album that is slated to be released this year, the rapper is a force that contends with her male counterparts in the genre.
Rosa Ree stated in an interview that, In society,” I come from women are not believed to be able to do hip hop, so the number of female hip hop artists is very low. We’re trying to do something of a revolution because we want to make people believe that females can play a game that is dominated by males. People have been taught that males can do it only because it’s hardcore. What we’re trying to do is to bring change into society so that people can believe in female rappers.”
As she said in her interview she is making a revolution to change the “single story” of not only women but the capability women have in the male-dominated hip hop industry. You can see this translation in her songs. Some prominent examples are the song champion, Balenciaga, satan, and many others. She redefines what a woman is and what they can do despite the very heavy gender norms that are placed on them. There Is an emphasis on female independence and freedom in her songs. She uses bright colors in her visuals and can be described as fierce or even a “boss”.
Historically speaking men are always in charge of women. Women are supposed to traditionally clean the house, take care of the kids, and attend to that of the male of the household. Rosa Ree speaks on financial independence “she got her own money” her own flashy items that she got herself with no help. It creates a very inspiring narrative for girls to stand up and stand out. Be uniquely yourself and defy any boundaries put on you. I think Rosa Ree is a great example of the type of woman that we used as a model for making a change. Tanzania’s finest will have no trouble continuing on that idea.