Genesis Be: Making Moves From Mississippi to Manhattan

Genesis Be, a Mississippi transplant and Hurricane Katrina survivor, is working hard to make her mark as a member of the New York City hip hop scene, preparing her full-length release Mississippi to Manhattan, scheduled for an April, 2011 release. Genesis Be precedes the project with “Like a Movie,” a bouncy, synth-heavy “down South” sounding track, that gives listeners a good idea of what Genesis Be is bringing to the table.

Despite our pro-New York hip hop mission, we’re not anti-Southern hip hop, and while Genesis Be heavily leans to a sub-Mason-Dixon-Line sounding style of music, she has an obvious dedication toward lyricism, and in “Like A Movie,” almost sounds like she’s working on a hybrid flow, a little Southern staccato mixed with a little East Coast lyricism and delivery. If she continues to work in this direction, Genesis Be could hold the attention of fans of either faction.

It should be noted that Genesis Be also has a history of serving up a bit of social and political discourse through her music, having been an outspoken activist regarding many issues, speaking out publicly against the Iraqi war and even protesting at Ku Klux Klan rallies. Her efforts to help empower youth continue through her Strive Till I Rise project, an effort dedicated toward working to “to empower and educate the youth about voting practices, responsible consumerism, safe sex, how to positively exercise their individual influence and how economic trends can affect their college and career opportunities.” In addition, Genesis Be is slated to graduate this year from the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at NYU, no small feat in of itself, and is releasing Mississippi to Manhattan under her own production company and label, Open Sky Artworks.

With this blend of style and substance, we’ll certainly continue to keep an eye on this young, hustling spittress, and as we await the April 29 release of Mississippi to Manhattan, we share with you “Like a Movie,” her previous video for “Lovers and Friends,” and the humorous (and a bit catchy) “I Don’t Discriminate,” and appearance in the Efficacy video interview series. Genesis Be embarks on a tour at the end of March, for more on that, and her, visit GenesisBe.com.

Genesis Be – Like A Movie
[audio:likeamovie.mp3]