Aside from being known as The City that Never Sleeps and America’s melting pot, Manhattan is definitely full of individuals who happen to have a load of talent, whether it be artistic, entreprenurial or athletic.
Lil Kim, Cardi B, MC Lyte, Remy Ma, among others are top female artists in the hip-hop industry. These ladies are the complete epitome of the NYgal, especially since they’ve hustled and bustled to becoming the greatest in the game in addition to being born and raised in the Big Apple.
With that being said, Nitty Scott, an NYgal full of creativity and intelligence, is climbing the ladder in the hip-hop game. Scott’s career went viral after freestyling over Kanye West’s hit Monster in 2010 due to feeling inspired after listening to Kendrick Lamar’s version.
"I had heard Kendrick Lamar’s version and felt inspired to go off in a way that contrasted the content of the original one," said Scott. "I wasn’t a monster for the same reasons the original artists were and I think that cut through at the time.”
Image Credit: Robert Adam Mayer
Scott has succeeded ever since. NYgal spoke with Scott about her journey in the hip-hop industry and so much more.
Q & A with Scott:
Tell me about yourself:
I’m an afro-boriqua 90’s baby and I’ve lived in New York for about ten years. I graduated from John Jay Journalism High in Brooklyn and now reside in the Boogie Down Bronx.
What do you love about New York and what inspired you to pursue a career in music, especially a career in the hip-hop industry?
I love the ambitious energy of New York, full of dreams and drive and motion – you can feel that things are always happening.
I grew up on stages and just being creative – I did talent shows, speech contests, beauty pageants and some television then went to art school before moving to New York City to pursue music at 17. It definitely chose me.
What female hip-hop artists inspire you?
I’ve been inspired by many women of the culture, both OG’s and new girls. Missy Elliott, Left Eye, Rah Digga. I also really love BbyMutha, Junglepussy, Ana Tijoux and K. Flay!
What is your message as an artist?
I think a lot of my work deals with identity, spirituality and the human condition – afrolatinidad, queerness, womanhood, mental health – I think I seek to find my place in the world through my art and hope to inspire the same in others.
Tell me about Creature!
Creature! is my latest project, which tells the musical story of Negrita in Wonderland, a hood feminist version of Alice in Wonderland. I was in total creative control of my album for the first time, which liberated me to be as radical as I wanna be. It sounds like piña coladas in the concrete jungle … island roots on city stoops … an urban tropicana. La Diaspora, For Sarah Baartman and Kaleidoscopes are my favorite joints!
Click on the video to listen to La Disapora.
I’ve read on other articles that you were terrified to bluntly express your sexuality, why was that?
I came into the game as a teenager and I think at that time I had internalized a lot of mixed misogynist messages about both my bisexuality and existing as a sexual being in general. I used to let homophobic and sexist ideas trap me into thinking that being myself would cost me somehow. But I’ve gone from that to seeing how imaginary all the imposed “rules” really were, and use my platform to advocate for myself, for women, and the LGBT community now.
Overall, what do you look forward to with your career?
I look forward to breaking barriers for everyone I represent, progressing more every year and just contributing to the culture in an impactful way. I’m really just getting started! If there was someone I’d love to model my career after it would be Queen Latifah — I want to start my own record label, a talk show, humanitarian work, books, film, cosmetics — Nitty Scott is much more than a lyricist.
Want to listen to Creature! ? No problem, because the album is available on
YouTube and Spotify.
Image Credit: HipHopWorld
