#ginelly

[dontbefun]

On the grind. #Pincus #Ginelly #Winters #TheFaceOffPodcast (at Spokane, Washington)

[nlinak]

Netherlands in Alaska

March 19th, 2016

Episode 42: Ginelly, ‘Revolution Time to Grow Mixtape’

Last semester, in a move that unfortunately came much too late, we played the debut album “De Laastigste” by female MC Nina.  The release marked the first time that a female-MC in the Netherlands had released an album.  Although the album itself was, perhaps unfairly, panned by critics, it played a much larger role as a symbolic milestone; since its release several female MC’s have made their mark on the contemporary Dutch hiphop scene, including I Am Aisha

In an interview with funx.nl titled “Why Does the Netherlands have so Few Female Rappers?” Mc Melodee said that hiphop culture can often be an impediment, because many see ‘true hiphop’ as dealing with limited subject matter and thus what female MC’s rap about a deviation from that established ‘norm’:

“For example, I never rap about bling bling or ‘poppin’ bottles in the club....as a female MC you have a different perspective, but that’s exactly what makes [female hiphop] so good.”

Some here in the U.S. may bemoan the male dominance of hiphop, and the nature of discrimination against female artists through less afforded opportunities and unsafe or unwelcoming spaces in the community.  But interestingly enough in most articles and interviews on the subject the U.S. is brought up as a positive example of what the Netherlands could be; afterall each successive wave of Hiphop in the U.S. has had its female pioneers (Queen Latifa, Missy Elliot, Ladybug Meca, Lauryn Hill).  Most Dutch MC’s, when asked, seem able to point to their favorite female MC’s in communities an ocean away, while struggling to name more than one or two in their own small country.

While the mainstream releases by female artists are increasing in the mainstream, the pace is still slow, and full length material very hard to come by.  Luckily we’ve managed to track down the debut mixtape from one of the most interesting and solid new artists out there.

With laid-back delivery, thought provoking lyrics, and solid production Ginelly caught my ear with the music video for ‘Focus.’ Her sound could’ve been pulled straight out of the streets of Bronx circa 1993, and yet she was wandering the streets of Paris, rapping in the language of Van Gogh. 

While she’s yet to be signed to a label, if her mixtapes keep sounding this good, does it matter?

Tracklist:

Tegen Mezelf

Vraag Me Af 

Van Alles 

Keuzes 

Its Time

Geen Refrein

Hier Zit Ik Weer

Hoe dan Ook 

Revolutions Sound 3

Dheemahi - Ginelly

Werken 

Geen Refrein II

Focus (ft. JZB)

Nieuwe Generatie ft. Jazz JZB

Heldere Ideen (independent release)

Stand Up!