Ang13

Ang 13 should have been huge eons ago. We'll get hate mail for this, but one characteristic of too much of Chicago rap is that it's solid but not really ready for primetime. Nothing wrong with that, right? Ang 13, however, has all of the tools, including some dazzling arrangements that even incorporate tango-like accordion riffs. Don't miss this set. myspace.com/ang13

Kevin Williams
July 24, 2009 - http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/events/chi-0727-audible-filljul24,0,5325954.story

Relative upstart EV Records joins the fray with Everything, another faithful and well-appointed chronicle of the city's buzz. It divides its time sagely between promising newcomers and underground somebodies, cools off with brief interludes at appropriate moments, and offers a varied, enticing sample of acts drawn mainly but not exclusively from its roster. We get cautionary street anthems from Longshot on "Day By Day" and from Pace One on the excellent "Here We Go," cerebral abstractions from Diverse and Illogic on "Vintage," gun-toting wordplay and precious sample breaks from Royce Da 5'9", Longshot and Profound on "The Mic," romantic catharsis from British import Verb T, and so on in this fashion. Especially impressive are the two tracks with female MCs, Ang13's "Ain't Goin Down" and Psalm One's "Things I Do," both of which are clever, uncompromising, and mildly risqué without being Lil' Kim-caliber vacuous. - http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/events/chi-0727-audible-filljul24,0,5325954.story

In 2001 Ang13 was judging a freestyle competition between female MCs at theEmpty Bottle when her frustration level began to boil over.
Once home, she placed a call to Cristalle Bowen, a.k.a. Psalm One, and lefta fiery two-minute message on her friend’s answering machine. That recordingsurfaced last year as “Prelude to a Diss” on Psalm One’s sophomore album, “TheDeath of Frequent Flyer.”
“Unfortunately, in hip-hop, it’s often the men telling the women what theyneed to be. You gotta be sexy. It ain’t what you say. You gotta look good,”says Ang13, born Angela Zone. “At the time the girls were on stage I couldfeel their frustration. It was like, ‘What have we gotten ourselves into?’ ”
The phone message was a definite turning point for the MC, leading to thebirth of the Wonda Women project, a group designed to reconstruct the image ofwomen in hip-hop.
With three albums currently in the works (a solo EP and album, as well as aWonda Women full-length), Ang13–who is also completing a degree at DeVryUniversity–is focused these days. This wasn’t always the case. As a teenagerin Rogers Park, the rapper was something of a hellion, spraying graffiti ontrains and abandoned warehouses before graduating to petty theft, acting asthe lookout while her crew carried out a string of muggings and robberies.
Things weren’t any easier at home. As a 15-year- old, Ang13, now in herearly 30s, was abandoned by her mother, who was struggling with substanceabuse problems. “From 15 to 18, I was living in my own apartment, going toschool and working,” says the rapper, who had the added responsibility ofcaring for her younger sister. “I never had a chance to be a kid. It wasalways survival mode. Hip-hop was one of those things that kept me from goingcrazy.”
Ang13’s love of writing blossomed when she began keeping a journal as an11-year-old, jotting down her thoughts at the urging of a therapist who metwith her shortly after her sister attempted suicide. (“I only met with [thepsychiatrist] one time, but the suggestion she made really helped save me,”notes the rapper.) Eventually these diary entries took on more structure andbecame Ang’s first rhymes. By the time she was in her early 20s, she wasperforming regularly and earning a reputation as a fierce battler.
“The hip-hop scene can be intimidating because it’s so male dominated,”says fellow Wonda Woman Tequila Cooper (a.k.a. Unmovabo Vendetta). “I reallygot strength from seeing [Ang] perform. She is one of the legends.”
Still, Ang13 worries she didn’t do enough to help female MCs during herfirst go-round, saying: “If I had pushed a lot harder when I first came out itcould have been easier for other female MCs to get on.”
She intends to avoid making those same mistakes this time out: “Before Ididn’t think I could affect the world with the things I said,” the rappersays. “Now I know I can, so I’m hitting on some grown-up issues. It’s notkid’s stuff anymore.”

Wonda Women
featuring Ang13
When: 6 p.m. Thursday
Where: Hot House, 31 E. Balbo Drive
- http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/events/chi-0727-audible-filljul24,0,5325954.story

ANG 13 is a multitalent when it comes to Hip Hop as she ain’t only reppin her skillz on the mic but also as producer and even as actress. Angela started it all with the lovely age of thirteen (therefore ANG 13), went from break-dancing to graffiti and then to emcee & producer. As she’s from Chi-Town it was kinda fate that she would meet the crazy producer-combo THE MOLEMEN. So eventually it was also those guys that helped her to break thru and be able to drop some of her first releases so this is what I gonna up here. This record-release on the very small NMotion label was back in 1998 and the EP goes under the name of “1999 EP”. Most of the production is done by the Molemen and all told, the record is very solid IMO. If i had to choose then I’d name “what it’s like now” as my favourite on this wax.
What I really like about this emcee is that she ain’t sort of the “typical female bitch-mcs” that is mainly rappin bout clothes, dudes nu car, sex, who got the biggest tits and how to steal a man’s dough!
- http://indie-cratez.blogspot.com/2008/09/ang-13.html

Ang13 (Angela Zone) is a legendary Hip-Hop artist and owner of Verseen Publishing based in Chicago. She has been a stage performer for more than 10 years, while also doing voice-over work for major products such as Bisquick (get with the Biz), Coca-Cola (always Coco-Cola), and BET.com (Woman Zone). She is one of the founding members of the Chicago Props awards, an organization that recognizes the city's best in the culture of Hip-Hop.  Her work is part of the Museum of Science and Industry's Hip-Hop Floating Exhibit, currently in its seventh year.  Ang13 participates in hip-hop culture panels across the U.S. at universities, colleges, and museums. Her work has been published in several magazines, books, and periodicals.  She is the Founder and President of the Wonda Women Project. - http://www.colum.edu/Academics/Inst._for_the_Study_of_Women_and_Gender_in_the_Arts_and_Media/2007_Fe

"A lot of people still think girls can't rap," says veteran rapper/producer Ang13, one of the city's most respected MCs for the past decade. Source Magazine named her one of the undergrounds "best kept secretes" and is one of the most respected icons in midwest hip-hop. Her music has graced such projects as The 2000 Census, Nike Mix CD, Sprite Mix Tape, Chicago Rocks, The 50 Man Cipher(Rec Center), Chicago vs. New York, along with her own solo EP Phat as Yo' Mama which sold 7,000 in one month.
 
Rita J is a long-time member of the world-famous All Natural, Inc. family. Rita's highly-anticipated debut solo album Artist Workshop was released this year. Rita rhymed on tracks from an impressive collection of producers including DJ Spinna, Black Spade, and Jungle Brothers. Rita J grew up in a southern suburb of Chicago and in 2001 graduated from Southern Illinois University with a B.A. in Mass Communications and Media Arts. She now resides in Atlanta where she is currently working as a model.
 
Natalie Y. Moore is a public affairs reporter at Chicago Public Radio. She is co-author of Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation. Natalie has worked for several newspapers and magazines. She's happy to be finally living back in her hometown. - http://chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=26407

.......Although the two were glad to see that local Chicagoans did the graffiti art, they were somewhat disappointed with the lack of Chicago representation in the rest of the exhibit. It consisted of three large posters of Common, Da' Brat and Crucial Conflict. But nearby there was a small display case that pacified them because it had the artifacts of Chicago underground artists like ANG13. She seems to be a favorite of the Cinderella duo.

According to the museum display, ANG13 AKA Angela Zone is from the Northwest side of Chicago. She started rapping at age 10 and is now a speaker, writer and member of an all female rap group called Lyrisis. - http://newmedia.medill.northwestern.edu/studentprojects/atChicago/stories/hiphop.htm

Chicago MC and hip-hop artist Ang13 already is selling albums directly on her MySpace page using PayPal and delivering them by mail, and she says she's willing to try selling downloads from the new album she's getting ready to release.

"You cut through a whole lot of red tape if there's no red tape at all," Ang13 says. "Labels are sweating right now. More and more money is coming out of their pockets." - Myspace blog

......While this year’s Convention is focused on training leaders, there also will be entertainment. The host committee for the 2006 NHHPC presents “The Take Over” Hip Hop Concert and Block Party featuring performances by Dead Prez, SB (dubbed by Chicago Tribune as “One of Chicago's Ten Hottest Acts"), Ang13 (listed in the Source as “one of the underground’s best kept secret”), Immortal Technique, respected Hip Hop artist and activist; Chicago’s very own Twon Gabbz, Mikkey, Cappadonna along with many of the nation’s most positive independent artists. - http://www.netweed.com/hiphoplogic/2006_07_01_archive.html