FOR the longest time, rap music has been a man’s world.
But the soundscape has been changing as female acts such as Cardi B and Nicki Minaj create a rhythm of their own.
Slowly, the trend is changing.
We are finding that more and more female rappers are emerging and shining like bright stars.
This trend is also emerging in the Malaysian music scene.
Singer and songwriter Preme Lathevi Sivadasan, known as AmySi, released her first single Art Thandavam four years ago.
The Tamil rap, which uses a lot of words in English and Bahasa Malaysia, connected easily with multi-lingual Malaysian music lovers.
She was also featured in the title track of the movie Venpa in 2019.
AmySi, who works in technical support for a car company, is planning to release her second rap song at the end of this year.
“I want to create quality music,” says the 30-year-old Port Dickson native, who holds a diploma in logistics management.
“You have to take time. I do not want to rush and produce inferior songs.”
What is the biggest misconception people have about rappers?
People always associate rapping with negative influences. That is not true. If you carefully analyse the songs, you will find rappers talk about issues affecting the world and society with their lyrics.
I believe rappers want to change the world for the better. For example, in my first rap song, I talked about the difficulties that young singers like me face in penetrating the Malaysian music industry.
In my upcoming second song, I am highlighting women empowerment.
I hope that people who look down on women will change their mind after they hear my song.
What is the biggest challenge you face as a singer?
I have a husky voice and I was bullied for my voice for the longest time.
This bullying created low self-esteem.
I became very self-conscious whenever I spoke. Slowly, I learned to overcome my low self-esteem.
I believe when you suffer from low self-esteem, you cannot achieve much in life. Now, people seem to like my husky voice.
What are your future plans?
I want to bring my songs outside Malaysia. I have been discussing it with rap artistes from Norway, United Kingdom and India, for us to work together.
I would also like to further my studies in political science.
What made you choose to study political science?
I want to serve my community. I want to become my community influencer. I want the community to think out of the box and make our society a better place.
I believe gaining knowledge in political science will help me achieve this goal.
What motivated you to be a singer?
When I was young, I stayed in a house that was far from town.
I could not go anywhere. I could not visit my friends. I was trapped in my house. My radio became my constant companion and my only form of entertainment. I would listen to all kinds of songs, from Malay to English.
That was my first exposure to music. I learned that music can create beautiful sounds.
Who are the singers you admire?
It is my policy never to admire and idolise one singer. I find every singer has his or her uniqueness.
Every singer has something to teach you.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your personal life?
The death of my father in 2014. He was only 50. He died due to a complication from a kidney problem.
What kind of activities do you do when you are not rapping?
I love to sketch and paint portraits and landscapes.
