(photography: StokesUP)
Sirah One thinks girls can't rap. Funny, coming from a girl who raps. However, that statement makes you wonder where are our prevailing lady MCs with lyrical flow? If one tried to figure it all out, it's as useless as a teacher doing roll call in an empty classroom. But here's Sirah, a pint-sized emcee, who's as cute as a Pixar cartoon character, with a booming, New York drawl. She possesses the potential to be the next rap superstar sans the shiny shimmy shorts and stripper heels. Her Latest release, Smile,You Got Teeth is a revelation for many woman in the game: be yourself without succumbing to the pressures of the industry.

ND: Tell me about the slogan on your Myspace page "Girls Can't Rap."
Sirah: First of all, Murs said that to me and I thought it was really funny. I was really young and impressionable and I was like, oh, ok girls can't rap. I ran into him the other day, and I was like yo, do you remember!  And he said, "no, girls can rap, like they get turned out or they get put down." What he was saying  was that it's so much harder so girls can't rap because the industry makes it impossible to do so. But it's funnier because people think that that's what I believe wholly.


ND: You were born and raised in New York before coming to California, tell me how life was like before making the West Coast transition.
Sirah: I grew up partially on Long Island and Queens, which is the same thing. It was a lot different growing up there than it is here. I also lived partially on an indigenous reservation. I had like a really, really speckled childhood. You have to grow up a lot quicker out there than you do here from what I've seen. 


ND:You also grew up in a very musical family.
Sirah: My father toured, but he was also home a lot and we always had musicians coming in and out. He was in numerous bands until he joined From the Hip, a nine piece blues/rock 'n' roll band which toured with the Doobie Brothers. My family still plays music. My aunt sings; my uncle has a Neil Young cover band, it's really dope(laughs). 


ND: Wow, the Doobie Brothers?
Sirah: Yeah, he was touring at the height of his musical career. His band had a lot of success. They did a lot of festivals. He was more of a heroin addict so his career never really got to the place it could.

ND: How did that affect your childhood?
Sirah: It was awful. I took care of my dad for a year and a half. I dropped out of school in the 4th grade to take care of my dad. When he passed away when I was 12 I was completely devastated. I didn't know how to do anything anymore. So I figured out how to do it real quick.



ND: When you dropped out in 4th grade, did you manage to finish school?
Sirah: I was put back into school. They put me back, but I ended up graduating high school at 16. School in New York is so much faster than out here (in California). I remember moving here and going to high school partially and them being like, (does an old lady voice) "this is an exit exam this is all you need to do to get out of high school. And it consists of thirty questions. A lot of people fail."  And I went to take the test and it was like, what is 4+4. And then it was multiple choice, 8, 2, or 4. And I was like what the fuck, what is this?

ND: You are very candid about suffering with drug abuse in your music.
Sirah: Yeah, I used drugs from the age of 10 until 17 like everyday. I didn't think it was a problem. In the beginning I was smoking blunts and drinking 40s. I thought that was normal. I thought that's what people do: they just sit on porches and die or whatever. And it just progressed from there because I was so uncomfortable in my own skin, and didn't know how to do anything else but chill with people who got high and put their names on things. I sought help and it's been fine ever since. Now I volunteer with drug addicted kids. I've been off drugs for 3 1/2 years and I don't smoke and I don't drink.



ND: You grew up on classic rock. Where did hip-hop come in?
Sirah: Puffy's remix to "Every Breath You Take." I didn't know that Police & Sting originally did that song. It was funny because I would be like, "It's kinda hard with you not around…" and when the chorus came on, my dad would be like "every step you take…" I would tell my dad that it's not the song, and he would say "you don't understand, this is music that came from [a classic]."

ND: So you are still learning about hip-hop?
Sirah: I don't know anything, I just remain teachable.  People know a lot more than me. I'm young. I wasn't at the birth of hip-hop in the park smoking a blunt with my boombox. I wasn't. I'm not going to front.

ND: Do you feel like you always have to prove yourself in this industry?
Sirah: I think that I've gotten pass the point of having to prove. When I first started rapping, I used to wear hoodies because naturally I was always really hardcore--kinda gangsta. I lived in East LA and I would take the bus all over. I thought I had to protect myself, because I did, so I would be all covered up. I've really grown into being a women in general, not only in rap. So what I find happening is that when people meet me I'm really nice and really loving and really compassionate and it doesn't make any sense to them. I mean, if you fuck with me or cut me off in traffic that's a whole other look. I'm really nice but don't mistake that me for not trying to bite your fucking ankles right now. I'll do it (laughs).



by Nicole Dawley