While Ice Spice plays up a rap beef with Latto for headlines, her bestie Cleotrapa might just snatch the 'Princess of Rap' crown off her orphan Annie wig with the release of 'Rockstar.'
Cleotrapa, TikTok queen turned rapper, dropped 'Rockstar' on Friday, and the track is already a top conversation in female rap. True to its name, the song kicks off with a girly rock feel - guitar and drums, before seamlessly blending into a Hip-Hop beat that channels an Ice Spice RIOT-produced hit. But the mastermind behind Cleotrapa's sound is producer Malcolm Flex. Malcom Flex's catchy rock-infused beat + Cleotrapa's rap cadence, similar to Baby Tate and Flo Milli, and you get a Black Barbie meets Joan Jett in a lyrical mosh pit. This genre-bending banger showcases Cleotrapa's raw talent as a rapper and ability to command the spotlight without any gimmicks.
If female rap wasn't being held hostage to the 'brown paper bag test,' you'd already see headlines screaming about a potential Ice Spice replacement – the 'New Princess of Rap.' However, in the current state of the genre, crowns don't quite fit the dark-skinned princesses yet. With the success of Flo Milli's 'Never Lose Me,' we might be witnessing a shift back to a time when darker girls were rightfully included in conversations about the upper echelon of female rap.
To clarify, I'm not suggesting we crown Cleotrapa based on one song, because it is too soon for all that - just like it was too soon for Ice Spice. Cleotrapa's 'Rockstar' encompasses Ice Spice's catchy elements while bringing genuine rap prowess. Will blogs and media outlets rush to prematurely crown her anything? We know the answer.
Overall, if you lean towards what I dub "Baby Doll" or "Barbie" rap, where the cadence is a playful baby talk style of rapping, "Rockstar" is your new anthem.
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