With her „Biggest Female Allstars Cypher“, Swiss rapper KT Gorique brought us not only a welcome change during the lockdown in May 2020, but also pure entertainment: 19 female* MCs from nine different countries delivered concentrated female* rap power on eight minutes. Amongst others, well-known voices like Tyriss, Starrlight, Miss C-Line and KT Gorique herself were represented, as well as numerous newcomers who performed in top quality and presented their dope rap skills. One of them was the 21-year-old rapper BouKi from Lyon, France.
Her participation in the „Biggest Female Allstars Cypher“ was not even planned at first, as BouKi revealed to 365 Female* MCs in an interview. In fact, the selection of MCs for the project was actually already completed when BouKi heard about it through a befriended rapper who was also involved in the project. So without further ado she took the opportunity: BouKi asked KT Gorique if she could also participate in the Cypher, she said „Yes“… and we all know the rest of the story!
Without any doubt this was a big chance for the young rapper who had just released her debut single “Premier regard” in November 2019 and was able to participate in such a project less than six months later.
Bouki’s passion for rap only developed when she moved to Lyon about 3 years ago. She began to write, at first mainly for herself and mostly loose thoughts and poems. However, after she came into contact with some MCs from the local rap scene in Lyon, they encouraged BouKi to publish her lyrics and to rap over some of their beats. With the support of her newly won friends and inspired by their musical work, BouKi finally started rapping herself in 2018. She gained her first rap experiences a short time later at hip-hop jams and rap battles in the Lyon area.
As BouKi says about herself and her music, she is still in the early stages of her journey into her personal musical universe in which she can unfold. Accordingly, the young MC presents herself in a diverse and versatile way on her previous releases, such as the songs „Roomie“, „Parle-moi“” or „Rap pour moi“. Despite this musical discovery phase, it is important for BouKi to address topics that concern everyone and with which everyone can identify. Even though she is reflecting on her important and representative role as a female MCs in the male-dominated rap scene, it is of particular concern to her not to overemphasize this aspect:
Je rappe en tant qu’artiste et non en tant que femme, et c’est aussi une forme de féminisme. On a parle pas de rock féminin or de jazz féminin, but for a parle pas de rap féminin? On a tous un univers propre et un objectif commun qui est de faire de la musique pour notre plaisir et celui des autres.“
Quote from an interview with MadameRap
(Eng.: „I rap as an artist and not as a woman, and this is also a form of feminism. We do not talk of „female rock“ or „female jazz“. So why talk of „female rap“? We all have our own universe and a common goal,namely to make music for our own pleasure and that of others.“)
It is an important message and view that BouKi underlines so reflectively at the beginning of her young career – Big shout out for this!
We are excited to see where BouKi’s musical journey will take us and are looking forward to more music from this promising rap voice from France.
With a little luck, BouKi says, we might even be able to listen to her debut EP „7 Milliards“ before the end of this year!
