SHunda K. (left) and Jwl B. are part of lesbian hip-hop duo Yo Majesty, known for the song "Kryptonite Pussy." They'll be performing at DC9 on May 18. (Photo by Seth Walker)
advertisement
advertisement
|
ZACK ROSEN
Friday, May 16, 2008
Hip-hop is generally viewed as male-dominated, misogynistic and homophobic, but queer artists have been making inroads in recent years. One of the more noteworthy acts headed to Washington is Yo Majesty, a lesbian duo whose best-known song is called “Kryptonite Pussy.” The pair plays DC9 on May 18, and group member Shunda K. says to expect a diverse crowd.
“It’s so mixed, you have hippie kids, business people, everybody’s loving this shit,” says Shunda. “Everybody is feeling it, that’s what’s so beautiful. If you keep it real with the people, everyone can feel it, everyone can hear the truth.”
Shunda describes the group’s sounds as “sonic hip-hop” and says it contains elements of booty bass, house rap, rock, gospel, RnB and “every genre of music that you could imagine.” They garner frequent comparisons to OutKast, but distinguish themselves from the pack with fun, video game-style beats. London electronic act Hard Feelings U.K. began supplying the beats in 2002. Yo Majesty released the album “The Yo EP” in 2006, and its yet-untitled follow-up is due later this year.
The group was born in the Tampa, Fla., area in 1998 when Shunda christened herself “Ya Majesty.” She was joined by current band mate Jwl B. in 2001, and third member Shon B. joined but has since left the group. Though their moniker has been slightly altered, its initial significance has not diminished.
“I was just this little girl from the city who had this out-of-the-blue desire to be a rapper, so I wanted a name that nobody could imitate or duplicate,” Shunda says. “I was looking in the thesaurus one day and came across ‘majesty,’ which means ‘the most high.’ Because I’m from the hood, it would be cool to do Ya Majesty, that’s how it started.”
AS WITH ANY MUSICIAN, the music is only half the story. Shunda is religious and was raised in a Christian household. She came out to her family in 1998, at the age of 18, but tried to be heterosexual again in 2003, marrying a Christian preacher.
“I came from a religious background where if you’re gay, you go to hell. [In 2003] I was broke down for loving women. I said ‘I can’t do it no more, I’m gonna get saved.’ I married this man.”
The marriage didn’t work, and in 2005 the couple separated and divorced, and Shunda returned to women. She soon got tired of meeting “straight up ho’s” and made a vow to God that she would stop having sex until Jan. 1, but on the condition that she would meet her dream girl beforehand. She met the woman that is now her partner on Dec. 19, 2005, and they’re still together. No wedding date is set, as the couple is still in counseling to work through various issues, but Shunda is confident that her life is still “stress free” and some day hopes to have a baby.
“I know that God is blessing me with my gay ass,” she says.
Shunda’s wife-to-be is not her only blessing. As evidenced on any of her songs, Shunda is a skilled rapper, with the rare gift of being able to spit rhymes at lightning speed without muddling her words.
Yo Majesty also doesn’t shy from their sexuality. Though earlier songs were “so gay,” as Shunda puts it, the newer material encompasses the subtle nuances of queer experience. Their song “Crybaby” is about a married man with kids who is sleeping with other men.
Shunda believes that speaking from a gay perspective is significant, but also a good marketing tool.
“We reference it because it’s who we are, but we were listening through the album and it’s like ‘this shit doesn’t even sound like we’re gay.’ That’s how little focus we put on it. We reference it, like us talking to a female in the song … Being gay has helped us to get the notoriety we have as fast as we have. People say ‘Hell, no, I wanna see.’ It’s a marketing tool. If you want to use that, it’s fine as long you don’t compromise my character.”
Though Shunda has had to deal with some opposition for being a lesbian in a predominantly straight-male genre, she relies on her skills and a fun sense of music to carry on. The single “Club Action” has a sing-along chorus of “Fuck that shit,” and Shunda is confident that her abilities will stand up against any detractors.
“I got the skills and the talent, you can’t even say shit about me. I’m the best, nobody can fight me when it comes to writing lyrics and spitting. Shunda K. is the most wanted, everybody will give me my respect.”
|
 |
