(Post by broken cool writer Maxine Ross...no Officer Ricky)
As we crossed over into Leimert Park it became clear this would not be a regular night in LA. The line to get into the MC thick Project Blowed was out the door and cats were squaded up 8-10 and sometimes more deep. An all female MC Song battle dubbed “The Female Perspective” hosted by the (Sis) Tem, a West Coast collective reminiscent of Wu-Tang, was a few minutes from going down.
The buzz in particular seemed to surround the Black Wall Street crew’s B-Fly, better acquainted as Los Angeles native The Game’s little sister who was entering the battle. Wearing a T-shirt brushed with the words “Thugs Need Hugs” burgundy hair streaks and two different rainbow dunks, one would imagine young B-Fly had swag to spare.
She started her set by rocking the crowd with the club friendly 808 driven beat knocking the walls of the Kaos Network and shadowing the basic flow of her rhymes. Her presence was definite, her lyrics confident if not actually lyrical, her sex appeal led the way through her first song backed by the cheers and chants of the Black Wall Street family.
It appeared that all was well as B-Fly watched her opponent take the stage. The only visible trait a small frame coupled with a natural mane enough to make an African Lion look twice, the lioness known as Madam Brown stepped to the mic. The “Dope Man’s daughter” raged into her first song, with such intensity there was a collective gasp throughout the venue.
Finishing her rap without the last 45 seconds of song track, the clarity, brevity and control, combined with that Cali drawl, allowed Madam Brown’s voice to cut through the crowd and show off her lyrical ability. The one they call “Lil Tupac” had ripped it as per usual.
What happened next is the stuff of Hip Hop cipher history. The crowd couldn’t come to an agreement so Project Blowed host DVS did what any MC battle facilitator would do and told each warrior to mount up with a hot 16. As Madam Brown went last in regulation, she was on deck to lead the OT quarter. Amid cheers of “The champ is here!” Madam Brown dropped an effortless, punch line driven structured freestyle that had the crowd damn near climbing over each other.
Clearly a little shaken, her flyness approached the smoldering stage and rambled off a brief, nonsense rap that kept her glancing at her crew for audience back up. Before B-Fly could get her rhythm tight and her thoughts together, Project Blowed audience participants decided to take the Apollo approach. Jeers of “Please pass the mic! Please pass the mic!” reverberated off the steel of DJ JIJI Sweet’s 1’s and 2’s and went directly to the source, causing B-Fly to walk off the stage and complain that the crowd was being “disrespectful.”
Host DVS unconventionally offered B-Fly a second chance; however the MC was suffering a severe contusion to the ego. The Game’s little sister gathered with her folks, screwed up her face and left the venue with theatrics like those of someone else we know. Perhaps thugs really do need hugs.
For summary’s sake, the night ended with (Sis)Tem member Oracle having to literally divide the room as Madam Brown and another Femcee went head to head, round for round and bar for bar. Perhaps it was fitting that Madam Brown’s winning song was titled, “Go Hard or Go Home.” Indeed.
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