Anonymous hip-hop artist B of Briz has just released her new single Shadow Play, in which she has set herself the task of challenging right-wing men.
This is on-brand for B, who wants to highlight women’s voices and stories in her music, by crafting very personal and specific lyrics. Often, she vents her frustration at being a woman in a patriarchy. On Shadow Play, for example, B tells right-wing men to go to therapy.
Alongside her music, B is also pursuing a PhD in philosophy, which reflects in her thoughtful music. She’s always asking questions of the world and the people around her, and pointing at inconsistencies in their behaviour.
“For so long, the inner lives of women were not represented authentically in art, music, fiction, mostly produced by men. So I feel there’s a real corrective that still needs to happen,” B told WAX.
“And it’s important for boys to see girls and women in their full humanity – to correct misogynistic elements of our thinking and culture, and to imagine us as fully human, and full protagonists in our own stories.”
We sat down with her to chat more about her music, why it’s important to tell women’s stories, and her new single Shadow Play.
It sounds like you highlight a lot of feminist issues in your music. What do you hope people take away from your songs?
I think a lot of women will find it at least interesting to hear music that’s this much from a woman’s perspective, that’s kind of particular – and probably peculiar, to be fair!
This is specific – it’s me – this woman, a feminist, with a PhD in Philosophy, who lives in Bristol, who’s also white and cis and disabled, and middle class, saying – this is how I think and feel about these specific bits of the world. I think women crave authentic, fully human stories and connection with other women – in music and art and intellectual life.
Why do you think it’s so important for women to speak up and be represented in music?
For so long, the inner lives of women were not represented authentically in art, music, fiction, mostly produced by men. So I feel there’s a real corrective that still needs to happen. We need to have space and time in the public sphere to correct the record, and also to have a full range of women’s experience accessible to all people. It’s important for girls to see that representation – to see all the kinds of womanhood on offer – all the different women they can be like! The interiority of it is important.
And it’s important for boys to see girls and women in their full humanity – to correct misogynistic elements of our thinking and culture, and to imagine us as fully human, and full protagonists in our own stories.
What is your songwriting process like, what inspires you and how do you decide on lyrics and tracks?
I really do love to write around a theme – I guess that’s the erstwhile academic in me – love a project!
And I really try to bring some specificity to my work – I think one of the totally wonderful things about the lyricism in hip hop is its ability to feel very specific, and rooted in time and place, but also with feelings and ideas that are timeless. I think it’s one of the things that captured people’s imagination about my debut single ‘What would Buffy do?’, which was at once both completely rooted in a single narrative, and evocative of a familiarity people could relate to.
What is it like to be part of the Bristol music scene for you, are you inspired by the diversity of music going on here and any of the local artists?
The Bristol music scene is to me this weird and wonderful microcosm of Bristol itself – so much to offer, but feels small – in the best way. I’ve been blown away by the kindness and creativity I’ve encountered in other artists, and generally in the industry, in studios, and Lady Nade’s got an album out in October, so I can’t wait to listen to that. I’ve been waiting with much anticipation to see what Nat Oaks is gonna do next after being completely entranced by her at the Gallimaufry a couple of years ago. I love doing this here. I don’t even know what music some version of me that hasn’t lived here most of my adult life would make!
I personally love a bit of anger in music. It seems you do, too – is it cathartic to leave your anger in the song and say what you think out loud?
Getting that anger out there into the world in a meaningful way definitely feels cathartic. I think there’s nothing more bewildering than to feel alone in our anger. And so I wanted to make something angry because this is the kind of angry we need to be to make proper change in the world, this is the kind of anger that has to be felt collectively and experienced collectively, and I wanted to be part of that process!
What influences your music?
My music is a bit like a zine (shout out to all the zine-makers and bloggers out there!). I make it out of love, and sure, I’ve used crayons, and the paper’s wonky, and only five people read it. But I’ve done my best to make something that I think is worth sharing.
Musically, I’ve been really inspired by a range of voices in hip hop – from Wu Tang to Dead Prez, from Salt n Pepa to Run the Jewels, from Kae Tempest to The Streets, and love bass-led genres.
But inspired to actually make music myself – I think, honestly a big part of it was the DIY push at the start of podcasting, as a thing. It was me developing a (never-released!) podcast with my best friend, that meant I had a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). And actually it was a specific convo with her, where we were chatting shit about certain tropes in the narratives of certain kind of guys’ writing in creative /self help genres – I said ‘car crash boys’, then ‘it sounds like a song’ she said ‘write it’. So I did!
I’ve just released the second single from my latest album (‘A Lyrical Fash Bash’ – coming 6th October!). The single is ‘Shadow Play’ and it’s a double A-side with ‘Shadow Play’ and ‘Not that deep’. ‘Shadow Play’ is kind of a psychoanalytic look at what’s wrong with the misogyny and twisted masculinity of the right wing – saying to right-wing men – get thee to therapy! It’s got amazing bassy string and a super-modern beat but with 80s sounding drums. ‘Not that deep’ is a reminder to stay awake – ‘wokeness’ is just deciding not to ignore certain types of suffering, so staying under the duvet is a bad look!, It’s got a dream-like melody and organic, satisfying beats.
//Words: Clara Bullock//