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Rapping
female rap August 23, 2019
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Meet SU’LAN: The Oakland Rap Duo inspiring young moms to keep rapping

Rap duo SU’LAN is making a name for themselves in the Bay Area music scene with hard af lyrics packaged with badass visuals. In a world where female rap artists are finally getting some respect, SU’LAN brings a unique perspective to the game. The Oakland artists talked to us about their journey and how they developed their sound.

How did SU’LAN get their start?

SU’LAN is comprised of Saunsu and Emahlani. They met during their modeling careers and became best friends through their love of music. Their recent career moves began when they started bonding over freestyling.

“Once me and Su really started being around each other we just used to rap in the car a lot and I’m like hey you are tight! Then it just became a thing. And now here we are!” -Lan

The two women began rapping at a young age. Lan told us “I have been writing raps since I was 14, 15.” Their focus on music was put on hold for a few years as they grew into women. So we asked why that time was important for their development as artists.

“I think just growing up and maturing. We are both mothers now, so I think that by itself forces you to see things differently. So growing as a person and artist is something that has to happen.” -Su

Motherhood in the Music Industry

The women also bonded over motherhood. We’re in a time where women are able to be more authentic about their lives as women. But the music industry especially the hip hop and rap industries are still not very inviting to mothers. We asked how being mothers helps them in the music industry.

“Being a mother makes me feel very powerful like I can do anything. If I can be a mother…being a rapper is easy lmao!”  -Lan

The women went viral on twitter after Lan posted photos of her stretch marks. Twitter still labels the photo as sensitive material so we asked the women what they thought of that and why the images are so important. They told us that it’s empowering women, especially young women.

“I think it’s important for women especially young women to see that you don’t have to be embarrassed or ashamed of being a woman.” – Lan

The women are inspirational to other women for obvious reasons, but how do they find inspiration for their own art? In part, they find inspiration from each other as well as their every day lives.

“We always write together. We write our own verses but we are always bouncing ideas off each other during the process. And we are at a place where we literally are giving you our lives as we are living them on paper.” – Su

Even in our world where representations of women pursuing their dreams are becoming more and more visible, it can be hard for mothers to go after their passions. The duo left young mothers who want to pursue their passions after and during motherhood with some life-long advice.

“Go after your dreams! People will always tell you what they think isn’t possible for you, but usually it just means that isn’t possible for them. Never let anyone or anything stop you from doing the things you love.” – Su

Up Next

Look out for SU’LAN’s “Tia & Tamera” project dropping soon on all streaming platforms. In the meantime, you can stream their latest single “Play Child (prod. Jay Anthony)” out now on all major streaming sites. No Disrespect their debut project is also worth checking out on SoundCloud, showcasing their West Coast flows and distinctive voices.