Da Brat Has Message For Chicago Rappers Looking To Make It Out Of The City
Originally published by AllHipHop Read the original
Da Brat is bringing a message to a new generation of Chicago rappers as she prepares to return home this month. She’s joining The Hip Hop Nutcracker with advice for artists still trying to turn neighborhood recognition into something bigger.
“I just wanted to be a star outside of Chicago,” Da Brat told the Chicago Defender in a new interview. She remembers watching performers around the city before her own records reached listeners far beyond home.
That jump arrived with Funkdafied in 1994, when she became the first solo female rapper to earn a platinum album. Working with Jermaine Dupri and So So Def helped turn that ambition into a career that still brings her onto new stages.
She’s now taking the host and MC role in a production that pairs Hip-Hop dancing with Tchaikovsky’s familiar holiday score. The Chicago engagement brings her to the Cadillac Palace Theatre from November 24 through November 29, giving that advice a hometown audience.
“We all started from the mud and didn’t have anything. Anything is possible,” Da Brat said, encouraging younger artists to stick with their goals.
She also urged them to stay humble while putting in the work to get where they want.
Her musical education started well before the recording studio, with church giving her room to sing and play instruments. Writing poems eventually gave her another way into music, while watching other Chicago performers helped her imagine making that move herself.
The holiday show gives her a different setting from a conventional rap concert, with a dozen dancers sharing the production.
A live violinist and DJ help carry the music as the story shifts into a contemporary New York City setting. Digital graffiti replaces the familiar old-world backdrop as the characters travel through the updated version of the story.
Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince remain part of the adventure, with Jennifer Weber directing and choreographing the production. The performance runs approximately two hours with an intermission and welcomes audiences of all ages to its holiday run.
Da Brat’s first Chicago performance with the production is scheduled for 7 p.m. on November 24.
