At times, it’s hard and sad being a hip-hop creator. I am often disturbed knowing that women, especially black women who helped shape a style and music culture accepted and celebrated worldwide, are still treated as sexual objects. This reason makes it sad to embrace the fact as a creator in this genre. Rappers like me (Keldamuzik), Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Bia, and others have much more to offer than looks.

In the early 2000s, when Hip-Hop as a genre was evolving, I always wondered why most of what I heard revolved around the looks and characteristics of women’s bodies. And growing up, videos of vixens get way more attention than women musicians without much effort.

Body image is the main focus for many new female rappers, another method used to push them out of the male-dominated space. Unlike male rappers, today’s female rappers are expected to look better than average vixens and outdo their male counterparts. Since hip-hop was primarily male-occupied, it was known for objectifying women and promoting sexism. And we were now used to having men dominate the hip-hop industry that we neglected to realize that other genders can thrive within it.

For me, someone who says they enjoy a genre but don’t enjoy other certain genders in the genre does not enjoy that genre. And the only difference between men and women who rap is their physical characteristics and nothing else, as you can find women thriving in any given genre.

When it comes to the male rap game, with the likes of Drake, Lil Wayne, and Kanye, there is a friendly and mutual understanding with the world at large that they put out different music in the same genre and are at the top of their game. But when it comes to their counterpart, like when Cardi B went into the spotlight, she was constantly compared to Nicky Minaj and Meghan Thee Stallion. But given Hip-Hop’s history of ignoring the contributions of women, it’s easy to see the problem. A community where lyrics about violence, sex, and masculinity reigned but still had no space for women to thrive; instead, women were objectified and ignored, thanks to Queen Latifah, missy Elliot who paved the way for female rappers.

Currently, I love how much the industry has grown and is growing. I love all the new sounds and courageous female talents keeping hope up for the female rap community. I’m happy to see the female rappers’ representation and accomplishments. One of the unacceptable truths is that times have changed, and the rise of female rappers has never been better.

Currently, more female artists are ahead of their male counterparts in areas like entertainment and being more lyrical.

After the late 90s, the era of Lauryn hill and missy Elliot, there was hardly any female representative for the rap industry.

Then the arrival of artists like Nicki Minaj changed the demographics; starting her rap career during the mid-2000s, she did not gain any popularity or traction until 2009 due to the album release. With the likes of Taylor Swift winning the best video of the year and Nicki Minaj winning the best hip-hop artist at the MVCA Awards, I can proudly say the female rap community has come so far.

Seeing these women be themselves and accomplish incredible feats encourages more talent and empowerment. As a woman, there’s no perfect way to depict Hip-Hop as a culture, but looking towards the women like Keldamuzik, who continue to carry the torch for us, brings a lot of comforts that the females will always make their way through as they usually have.

Keldamuzik gives her opinion on a very popular topic of our time; what is beauty? While the definition of beauty has constantly changed, its main key points tend to be based more on physical attributes.

As Coined from Wikipedia, beauty is commonly described as a property of objects that make these objects pleasurable to see. These objects vary from manufactured objects to humans and works of art.

For a feature like beauty to exist, its far away opposite has to live; its opposite is to be known as Ugliness. In this Era, beauty as a character is taken as a high priority. For example, to be successful in both the fashion and entertainment industry, beauty as a physical characteristic is considered. With the advent of the digital age and social media, the aim for perfection has never been higher. The aim of attaining perfection brought up new methods of body modification by specialized doctors. Body modification includes face remodeling, bone restructuring, peels, Botox, and fillers.

One of the main difficulties in understanding beauty is that it is not affiliated with a specific object and has both objective and subjective aspects. Like Margaret Wolfe, Hungerford said, “beauty lies in the eye of the beholder,” which means every single person/ judge all have different tastes in their beauty requirements. While some people’s perception of beauty is similar and believed to be more accurate, it is never the same. Though there are undeniably beautiful people and objects, disagreements by others may be blamed on their inability to perceive the feature accurately, which is also known as lack of taste.

With many people having high aims of attaining beauty perfection due to social media influence and peer pressure, this has led to the age where body modification is honorable. People now tend to spend fortunes just trying to perfect the shape of their face and their bodies, to belong. People who can’t afford this fortune to perfect their skin or looks, tend to get depressed, leading to social stigma and low self-esteem.

Ooh, let’s not talk about one of the most common skin problems, which is believed to be associated Ugliness and hinders beauty. Acne is one of the most common skin problems we know today. Acne, usually found on the face, is known to disturb many people from their teenage years, and it’s also known as a symptom of growth because it has different forms and causes and is very hard to get rid of.

Acne is a selling point for influencers due to its commonness and no specific way of getting rid of it without spending a lot. So paid or self-employed influencers start to promote easy cures or organizations that can get rid of acne and other beauty hinderers for you. This is also applicable to other diseases. While they might be cheap and compelling, these products are usually not verified or known not to cause more damage.

So why do we go this far to attain beauty? This is the question usually asked through the years, but I still get no specific answer. It is undeniable that it is due to peer influence and social media Because people come to social media to look like they are perfect and never go through rainy days, which in turn cloud most minds to want to be like them. But let me reassure you all nobody is perfect or close to perfection; making those drastic changes won’t bring happiness or make you belong.

In my idea, we quickly forget that beauty isn’t only about physical perfection; other attributes like self-confidence, manners, and behaviors are also another form of beauty. There is no limit to what you can achieve with the right mindset. Not everything might see the beauty that lies within and above you. Nobody is physically or mentally the same but still is regarded as beautiful. So, what makes you think you need the right jawline or nose to attain beauty? This brings us back to the statement, “beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, ” meaning everybody is beautiful in their form. We were all created with unique attributes; why will you want to edit those attributes to look like others?

Keldamuzik believes that beauty is not just affiliated with physical properties that spark pleasure in the eyes of the beholder; it is the quality that gives pleasure, satisfaction, and meaning to one’s mind. So, go out there and shine; you deserve it.

To get more tips from Keldamuzik, click here.

You could also buy her glamorous beret here.

Today another hot topic is the 360 deal, a current alternative to the traditional and outdated recording deals or contracts. While it’s mostly perceived as a bad idea since most assume it was created to screw artists over. But trust me, that’s not the case, as the application and terms of the contract vary. So, if the deal is monitored and structured relatively, both the record company and the artist gain profit. As a veteran rapper (Keldamuzik), I am here to give you the full details on a 360 deal and its Benefit.

A 360 Deal

But first, what’s a 360 deal? A 360 deal is an alternative to traditional record contracts. It’s a business contract between artists of any kind and a music company. The deal comprises the company agreeing to provide financial and other support for the artist. In turn, the artist accepts to give the company a planned percentage from any revenue the artists earn through. Revenues like digital sales, placement royalties, endorsement deals, and merchandise sales.

A deal developed in the 21st century as an alternative to the traditional recording contract in which the artist usually had complete control over personal revenue streams. But in the 360 deal, also known as the multi rights, a company agrees to provide full support to an artist upfront to more extraordinary lengths than the regular support covered by a traditional recording contract, with a condition of receiving a percentage from all the source of the revenue made by the artist.

In the past, the traditional recording deal did not offer a share of any income other than the revenues from record sales and other forms, which include the recording to the recording company. This gave a massive chance to famous artists to make a comfortable income from their performance, royalties, talents, and tours or concerts. Then artists limited the recording company’s access to those revenues until the advent of the 360 deal.

Unlike the traditional deal in which the recording label pays the artist an advance for recording a piece of music or an album, the artist is required to repay the advance with interest from their successive income from the album. In the multi-rights deal, if the artist doesn’t earn enough royalties from one album, record labels may use royalties earned from other sources like other successful albums to repay the advance of previous albums.

READ: How Old Music is Killing New Music?

The 360 deal was created in the early 2000s as a response to the significant drop in album sales due to the advent of technology. The decline in album sales was placed to the emergence of the digital music age and made the profit margins for the recording label and artist decline progressively.

The 360 deal has become common within major recording labels’ contracts because recorded music sales and profits aren’t as robust as before. This doesn’t mean that people don’t enjoy or spend on music as they used to; it’s just that people don’t purchase records and CDs the way they used to.

The Pros of a 360 Deal.

Though the characteristics and benefits of the deal for the record label are known, how does it benefit an artist?

Let me get you through that quickly.

• Financial Support.
• The recording label provides more commitment to promoting and developing your interests
• Rising artists get opportunities to collaborate with professionals.
• Gives artists more time to concentrate on their talent and creativity
• Proven in increasing revenue streams.
• Investment in revenue stream on the artist’s behalf.

Cons of a 360 deal

Due to the low success rate of emerging artists, most labels take drastic actions to ensure they get something in return for taking the risk. This is where the controversy around 360 deals arise. The debate about them wrecks artists’ careers in the long run. Below are a few cons of a 360 deal

• The upcoming artist mostly lose the copyright of their music
• The record labels take a percentage share of every income.
• Artists have to give up creative control over how their music is produced and how it sounds.

In conclusion, is a 360 Deal Good or Bad?

Though there are many advantages for an artist in signing a 360 deal with a record label, there’s still the issue of the record label earning from all their sources of income. While most record labels request 10-25 per cent of the artist’s income other than record sales, artists should negotiate the deal properly. Lawyers can arrange 360 contracts to fit the interests of the artist and the record label. So, my advice will be to see an experienced entertainment lawyer to tailor the contract appropriately, Cheers on signing the contract.

You can also check my recent thoughts on the impact of female rappers here.

READ: Keldamuzik Voices Out on The Impact of Female Rappers

Since the 70s, hip-hop has been known to be heavily dominated by men, thanks to the likes of Tupac, Drake and Kendrick Lamar.  The popular rap stars were generally men and surrounded by male teams, producers and managers.  Although women were not to be excluded, the likes of Missy Elliot and Queen Latifah paved the way and boldly entered an area where women were scarce.

Since hip-hop was mostly male-occupied, it was known for objectifying women and promoting sexism.  Then came the female rappers to put things right in order and make more awareness against misogyny and sexism.

One of the unacceptable truths is that times have changed, and the rise of female rappers has never been better.  Currently, more female artists are ahead of their male counterparts in areas like entertainment and being more lyrical.  After the late 90s, the era of Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliot, there was hardly any female representative for the rap industry.  Then the arrival of artists like Nicki Minaj changed the demographics; while starting her rap career during the mid-2000s, she did not gain any popularity or traction until 2009 due to the album release then.  With the likes of Taylor Swift winning the best video of the year and Nicki Minaj winning best hip hop artist at the MTV Video Music Awards, I can proudly say the female rap community has come so far.

The likes of Nicki Minaj and Cardi B have given rise to more confident rappers like Bia, Young Ma, me (Keldamuzik), and Dream Doll.  I believe the new and the current female rappers are more confident and have dominated the rap industry more.  They are known to have had a very high positive impact on how women should be treated and have made a very arguable awareness of female rights and power.  I am so happy with the improvement in the industry and the current support given to female rappers.  With the likes of the internet and social media still in place, female rappers will continue to strive and compete in the male-dominated genre.

Last year, due to the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on the world, most sectors thrived and struggled through the progress of getting back on their feet. And none has thrived more than the music sector. During the waves of the pandemic, we were forced to quarantine and stay inside and out of sight.

While the pandemic separated us from our family and loved ones, we had to turn to music and other forms of entertainment to keep us busy. And hip-hop has done nothing but give us countless artists to listen to and update our playlist. The pandemic helped upcoming artists eager to break through give their shot at the public and did nothing but surpass most expectations.

In 2022, things are returning to normal, and a new set of young rookies and seasoned veterans are setting the waves and increasing the bar of hip-hop music. Below is a list of 8 artists to expect more from in 2022:

Keldamuzik

To no surprise, Keldamuzik is at the top of this list, as she has announced her upcoming projects, which are excitingly going to blow your mind. With her projects and achievements, she has proved and will prove the fact that she’s here to stay. Hailing from the Bay area of California, a special place for the most unique, innovative, and open-minded individuals, Keldamuzik is no less. The latest release of her latest music video, “Mind Sex,” is currently setting the waves in the music industry. She shows no sign of stopping anytime soon with her upcoming projects and events.

Tems

After her exciting debut in 2019, she continued to soar high and make her country proud. With her initial hit “try me” in 2019, she began to draw international attention to her sights. With her way of blending R&B and Afrobeats, she has successfully appeared on high-profile tracks like Wizkid’s “essence,” which got Tems, her first top 10 billboard hit, and Future’s single hit “wait for you,” which topped the US billboard in 2022. Born in the capital city of Lagos to a British father and Nigerian mother, she has nurtured her talent and made her country proud.

Baby Keem

An American rapper and record producer who gained significant recognition following the release of his single “Orange Soda” in 2019 and later collaborated with Kanye West on the song “praise God,” which peaked in the top 20 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and was certified platinum in April 2022. He has accomplished spicy songs, including collaborating with Kendrick Lamar on “Family Ties.”

Lady London

Having shown interest in poetry at the age of 11, Lady London has always had a talent for creative writing.. after discovering her passion for music, she went further and learned her style of music and released her first rap song at graduate school. With her debut in 2021, after she released “never,” she has proved that her wordplay is one of her best attributes and is in its best form. It’s only a matter of time before she drags her way into the mainstream media.

B-Lovee

After closing 2021 with a self-released EP, “Cortlandt Baby,” with six unique tracks, B-Lovee has flexed one of his talents to the public. With an ear for implementing nostalgic samples and hit, he separated himself from the pack and went further to grabbing melodic elements and creating hits out of them. Born in Maryland, b-Lovee is an American rapper who got popular through his participation in the “IYKYK viral hit. He later went from “my Everything” to appearing on songs with prominent rappers such as Digga D and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.

Ayra Starr

Another Nigerian female singer-songwriter has captivated her fans and other artists with her blend of Afropop and R&B melodies lined with her stunning vocals. Along with Terms, this Nigerian star is leading a new class of Women, singing about preserving their power, preserving and protecting peace, and providing awareness for them at large. After being signed to one of Nigeria’s leading labels, “Mavin,” she released her global charting single “Bloody Samaritan.”

DreamDoll

A rapper from Bronx, New York, has worked her fame into rap stardom. She started her rap journey in college and has seen it through. DreamDoll has worked different jobs to meet ends meet, including a bartender at starlets of New York, where she was discovered and signed to Warner Records. 

Nardo Wick

Another rapper slowly grinding his way to success in 2021 after releasing his breakout hit “Who Wants Smoke?” in January 2021. Initially, the track didn’t crack mainstream media until G Herbo, Lil Durk, and 21 Savage induced the track with rap reinforcements and added their grim tales and style to the official remix in October. His hit “Who Wants Smoke?” later cracked the Hot 100’s top 20 and earned him his first glorious platinum single.

In conclusion, I recommend that you look forward to their upcoming performances. Artists like Keldamuzik are sure to keep bringing top-notch performances to our screens.

Self-confidence is related to one’s trust and beliefs in their ability and skills. It refers to the way you treat and think about yourself. It also means confidence, judgment, and faith in one’s ability. This means self-confidence is directly related to your ambitions and how you believe in yourself to achieve those goals. It is not associated with your existing skills. 

According to Healthy Place, self-confidence is a state of one’s mind and depends on many factors like one’s society and culture, wealth, facial looks, peer influence, and mainly on success & failures, as they go hand in hand. Self-confidence is not self-esteem, but a few self-confidence synonyms are positiveness, self-reliance, and belief in oneself.

While self-confidence is a state of one’s mind, it is never permanent. A person’s self-confidence may increase or decrease at a given point. While some people are usually confident, others have very fluid self-confidence. People tend to slow themselves down due to a lack of high self-confidence.

Low self-confidence is mainly based on one’s perception, and the way you think of yourself. People with low self-confidence tend to lose belief in their abilities; due to this, they don’t accomplish much and always get themselves down. Lack of faith in one’s ability also makes them not put much effort into things they try to achieve, leading to continuous failures and, in return, a steady reduction in self-confidence.

RELATED: “We Stand with the People of Ukraine”

On the other hand, people with high self-confidence tend to be more successful and accomplish more. However, a highly confident person might begin to lose confidence after suffering consecutive failures. A highly self-confident person usually has enough courage to take their aims and ambitions head on. They also know the limit of what they can accomplish and put limitless effort into completing their tasks.

Don’t get me wrong; self-confidence is not believing or thinking you should be perfect. Self-confidence is also not setting unrealistic standards or expectations for yourself.

Self-confidence will not eliminate your problems but help you cope with life’s problems and difficulties.

In today’s society, I believe lack of self-confidence is like a plague affecting youths and people of any age. Since we are different and have specific unique skills, we tend to compare and contrast our achievements. While we compare our achievements, we never look at the consequences and obstacles that either help or slow us down. While most lack confidence in their abilities, others lack confidence in their body and image.

 Never compare yourselves; you do not have or face the same consequences. Try to do better and never criticize. Don’t dwell on your previous failure; instead, believe more in yourself and face your problems head-on.

Keldamuzik Own Self Confidence tips:

• Never compare yourself; nobody faces the same consequences.
• Set realistic challenges and aims.
• Recognize your strengths and weaknesses so you know where to work on them.
• Nobody is perfect; stop stressing yourself.
• You are helpful one way or another.
• Learn to say no.
• Treat yourself kindly; you’ll get better.
• Always look back to your previous wins, achievements, and not failures.

RELATED: Keldamuzik on Being an Entrepreneur and Dabbling in Other Industries.

That’s all from me Keldamuzik a.k.a Diva. You could also go for individual counselling or check for self-confidence quotes here or here to raise your mood.

You could also check some tips from here.