Miss Kitana Blade

(MISS KITANA BLADE)

Give us some background info as to who you are.



Well I was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. Being a BX Native, I was exposed to Hip Hop at a young age. I also went to an Arts school, so music has always been a strong part of my life. I was shielded from a lot of the pitfalls that come with the streets, like gangs, drugs, etc. This is mainly because my focus has always been music. But growing up in the Projects taught me what I needed to know to survive. So I guess I got the best of both worlds you could say.

I learned how to play the guitar, the piano, and had vocal training. At first I thought I would be a singer, but when I reached the age of 16, I realized that writing rhymes was what I enjoyed doing. To me, it is a unique creative process, and the feeling you get when you think of a hot line is priceless. Emcees are always in competition to prove who is the best; and I am competitive by nature.

And no, I did not get my name "Kitana" from a video game (laughs). I have always been fascinated with swords (I started my own collection) and aspects of the Japanese culture. So "Kitana" stems from the Japanese sword "katana".





What sets you apart from other aspiring Hip Hop Artists?



What sets me apart from other Hip Hop artists is my style. I'm not trying to be someone I am not; I am as real as it gets. I talk about what I know from experiences I have had personally, or through the experiences of people close to me. I see Hip Hop on a spectrum, with me sitting in the middle. I am not on the extreme left, where everything is happy and good, because that is not realistic. I have always been a very down-to-earth, "tell it like it is" type person. But I am not on the extreme right either, talking about how many times I was shot or stabbed, my life as a drug dealer, or anything else like that. I did not experience anything like that, so I feel it would be an insult to talk like I did. That is why I get respect from people from all over the spectrum.





What is the philosophy by which you live by?



The philosophy I live by is really simple: just live life the best way you can. We are all human and nobody's perfect. But Karma is a b*tch, and you need to stay on Karma's good side. I truly feel that the energy you give out is the energy you receive back, whether it is positive or negative. And always be a person of your word. If everybody truly lived by the code "my word is my bond", I think there would be less problems.





Which artists have inspired you?



Hip Hop music of the '90's influenced me the most to pursue a music career, because that is when there was a lot of good music out. There are way too many to name, but I listened to everyone from Wu-Tang to Onyx, Nas, 2Pac, Hov, Brand Nubian, to Black Sheep, Lords of the Underground, DeLaSoul, Das Efx, Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, to even Will Smith. It just seemed the most "real" then.

Like I said before I like the creativity of Hip Hop, so I am not a fan of songs where the emcee basically says "nothing". Anyone can make two lines rhyme together; but what the person put into it makes the difference between what makes a "rapper" and what makes an "emcee".

But if anyone who knows me will tell you, my ultimate influence is Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. I feel she was one of the most underrated emcees and did not get her due. Her style was original, and she did her own thing which I loved. Plus she was never afraid to speak her mind. She was truly a strong woman.





Who does your production?



I have had the pleasure of working with some talented underground producers from the U.S. and from around the world. My right-hand man through my latest project has been Seneca "Purple Chrome" Malcolm, a talented underground producer also from the Bronx. I have also started to do my own engineering to strengthen my audio skills. I have an independent way of thinking; there is nothing better than doing it yourself, and having the satisfaction of hearing that finished product.



What is your opinion of the current state of Hip Hop Music?



Hip Hop, in my opinion, is in a current state of flux. There is always a period of "domination" (P.O.D.) from a certain region. The east coast had its P.O.D., and so have the west coast and the mid-west. Now the P.O.D. seems to be within the south. Dance-themed songs are the trend now, which is cool, but one thing is missing: the message. Real Hip Hop has always been about unity and having a good time, but there was always a MESSAGE within the words somewhere. A lot of the songs being produced now neither have a message nor any SUBSTANCE. As an emcee, I take pride in the lines I write, no matter the subject. I feel that pride (and thus creativity) is being lost among the business side of the industry. It is time to bring that aspect back to OUR music. You can still hear it in the music from many underground artists, but mainstream and/or commercial artists coming out? Few and far in between. The industry is getting too "gimmicky" and forgetting what Hip Hop is really about.







If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be and why?



There are quite a few things I'd like to change about the music industry (laughs). However, one of the main things though is the conception of female emcees, the low-respect level that is given to us, and the fact that female emcees are not seen as "marketable" compared to our male counterparts. There are some very talented female emcees out there (including myself) that are not being recognized as they should because they are not being sought out by record labels like that. It is not like back in the day where you could hear more than one female emcee on the radio. I can remember when I could hear MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, YoYo, Salt N Pepa, even Lady of Rage within the same playlist. Now you are lucky if you hear one Hip Hop joint from a female within 2-3 hours, if even that.





What can we expect from you within the next 5 years?



You can expect Miss Kitana Blade to be everywhere. There are so many things I want to do, and God-willing, I will be able to accomplish everything. But ultimately, I want to have my own entertainment company.





Any artists who you would like to collaborate with in the future?



There are so many talented artists I would love to collaborate with, both within and outside of Hip Hop. Jay-Z, Nas, Mobb Deep, Method Man, Lil Wanye, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, Mary J. Blige, Pharell, Chris Brown, Lupe Fiasco, Robin Thicke, Joss Stone, Amy Whinehouse (best wishes to her), Diddy, Beyonce…the list goes on and on. But in another lifetime, it would have been Tupac, Biggie, and of course Left Eye.





What producers would you like to collaborate with in the future?



Timberland, the Neptunes, Just Blaze and Kanye West.





What is your favorite movie and favorite book?



I do not have one favorite movie because I am a movie-buff. I do have a top ten list though (smile). My favorite book is "1984" by George Orwell, and more recently "Why Men Love B*tches" by Sherry Argov.





What are some major misconceptions that you think people have about you?



The biggest misconception people have about me is that I do not rhyme. At first glance, I am always told that I look like a singer…or a teacher (laughs). They do not believe it until they hear my tracks or see me perform.



What is your favorite part of your live show? How has it evolved?



Well the favorite part of my show is when the crowd gets into it. There is no better feeling than to see others feeling your music and singing along, especially if it is the first time they may have heard it. I have been performing since I was young, but with every performance, you should always find ways to make it better and entertaining. So my show will continue to evolve 'cause I will always try to raise the bar.



What is your LP going to be like?



My latest project is "Razor's Edge—the Mix Album". I decided to call it a mix album rather than a mixtape because I feel that it's a combination of both. These are not just freestyles, but full songs. Plus many of the tracks are from personal situations that I wanted to share. I tried to include something for everybody; I covered everything from love, "Grown and Sexy", party tracks, tracks for my females, battle rhymes for my true emcees out there…everything.




What is your website?



www.myspace.com/mskitanablade



contact email:

kitanablade@gmail.com





Any final words for the people?



I would like to just say Thank You to everyone who has supported me to this point. Also, come check me out on myspace and I hope you enjoy what you hear.

Stay true to yourself and your dreams.


(original can be viewed at: http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=107781) - Mi2N- Music Industry News Network