The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement has reminded us there’s never been a better time for some of us to pass the mic. That it’s time for some of us to listen and learn. That it’s time to elevate voices on platforms where they may have gone unheard up until now. In this episode of The Reason I Rhyme, we hear from Houston rapper OMB Bloodbath. Watch as she details her motivation, her upbringing and what she hopes her legacy will be:
"My name's OMB Bloodbath. I rap, I sing, and I write music. What're the reasons that I rhyme? It's a way to express yourself. I can get all the emotion that's inside me or however I'm feeling, all my thoughts, and put it into a song, and other people can feel where I'm coming from without me having to explain myself, like, in a conversation. I was always the kid like, every year at Christmas, I'm getting music instruments instead of toys. Like, I wanted pianos and drumsticks."
"I grew up near Third Ward, Houston, Texas. That's where I got my swag from, that's where I got my lingo from, my struggles, my stories. I try to incorporate a lot from my neighborhood into my music 'cause everybody don't know what it's like out there. They might say, 'Oh, why you act like that?' or 'Why you talk like that?' or 'Why you do the things you do?' So, I make songs, I try to incorporate it in there, so they can get a little taste of where I'm from, and why I am the way I am."
"A lot has changed in my life. One of the rules I live by is be humbly aggressive: you gotta be aggressive in the game, but you still gotta be humble so you can learn stuff. ‘Cause I don't know everything. So I'm a sponge when it comes to music, because I just wanna soak up as much game as possible."
"I still haven't had that 'Wow' moment yet, because I'm still so hungry and so humble in my mind. I know I'm getting an opportunity a lot of people wish for, but it's like, you gotta stay grounded. So everything is just— I take it as a blessing. I'm not even thinking about too far in the future, I'm trying to get right now right."
"My legacy: I'd like to be a good person. Knowing I came from what I came from, and I ain't let it overpower me. The stuff that I went through, for like, where I come from, it ain't any good for everybody. I made it out, but a lot of people didn't — you know what I'm saying? So I just wanna show every kid that's in the hood and the ghetto that it's possible for you to get out and be a good person, and like, leave all the bad stuff behind you. It means a lot."
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