Richardine Bartee
CupcakKe’s third studio album starts and ends strong (like all great things and people to come from Chicago).
Whenever I listen to an album or any body of music, I expect to get to know an artist. Suddenly, their cognitive well-being is on display. Within moments, you’re able to make an assessment—of whether you want to support the artist, meet them, or keep it moving.
From the beginning of the LP on “2 Minutes”, she exudes confidence and embraces her flaws. “Cartoons” is a lyrical exercise that includes several cartoons that I watched as a child. She is considerably younger than me, so it’s interesting. Perhaps, she has older siblings or an affinity for entertainment before her time. “Duck Duck Goose” is hilarious.
“Crayons” suggests that LGBT like who they like. I also enjoyed the line where she plainly mentions the hypocrisy of lesbian acceptance, not man or man.
In “Self Interview”, the rapper questions double standards concerning sex on the first date, and the morals of people in general. I think it is an open topic for anyone to address. I’m open, too, so I appreciate it.
As I listened to the album for this review, I added the following tracks “Self-Interview”, “Navel” (I love the beat and the adlibs) to my Library. CupcakKe experiments with different genres (‘Crayons’), speaks about social media and relationships (‘Single While Taken’), making her album relevant, relatable, and age appropriate. According to Wikipedia, CupcakKe cites 50 Cent, Da Brat, and Lil’ Kim, as early musical influences. I can hear it from the rawness, gangster, and gender fluidity she personifies.
Overall, her lyrics are simple and fun and charged with high-energy, but she is unapologetically sexually and politically responsible. CupcakKe leaves nothing to the imagination on her new album, “Ephorize.”It’s my first time listening to a full project by the Chicago-born rapper. It won’t be the last.
