VICE’s music site Noisey.com chops it up with new MC Tasha the Amazon.

Toronto is teeming with new young rappers, which is exciting because even though the city is more than happy to have Drake billboards pop up here and there, it’s certainly time for a freshman class. Tasha the Amazon, afreshwoman, is part of that cohort. Her new video “Scallywags” lights the taco-filled Kensington Market neighbourhood ablaze with a lot of public drinking and general fuck-you-we’re-cool behaviour that makes for an entertaining video. Since you probably are hearing about Tasha for the first time, we asked her some questions to try and get under her scalp and figure out what’s going on in there.

Noisey Canada: It seems like young Toronto rappers are very quickly finding their voice. Would you agree with that?
Tasha: For sure. We’ve been down here just living and DJing and partying, running mischief and making tracks… at some point you look up and realize people you run with are onto something big. Something different and important.

What’s the most fun part of being a female rapper?
[Laughs] I’m a rapper, I’m an artist, I’m a producer. So I guess the most fun part about it is transcending that category. Having rappers clamor to come to my studio, to collab with me and be produced by me. And schooling everyone. Constantly.

What are the challenges involved with being a female rapper?
For me, there are none. I guess some people see the world in terms of male/female, but that’s not the way the pie is actually sliced. There are only two kinds of artists – the ones who are great, and the ones who suck balls. There are lots of chicks and dudes in both those categories. The only challenge is to be real, to ignore the noise, to push yourself, to break the rules, and to fear absolutely nothing. If you can do that every day, you end up not sucking balls.

It’s all about avoiding ball sucking. Why does the Kensington Market neighbourhood work so well in a rap video?
Kensington is like Neverland. It’s a misfit’s paradise. There’s flame-juggling hippies, a good low-rider scene, nice tattoo spots, and your friendly neighborhood dope boys in the park. Plus there’s the legendary Sneaky Dees. Filming there, out on the street, and at hidden gems like Cold Tea… that’s that Scallywag life. It works because it’s natural for me.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

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