Missy D

Missy D, a bilingual MC and rapper, shares her journey across Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Côte d’Ivoire, and Canada, shaped by a rich blend of musical influences. She highlights her latest project, “La Poursuite”, which explores themes of self-belief and overcoming adversity. Missy D also reflects on her Juno Fest performance and the vibrant local music scene. She speaks on the importance of community support and addresses the impact of the Lapu Lapu Festival tragedy in Vancouver, emphasizing the need for the BIPOC community to stand in solidarity with the Filipino community. Looking ahead, she’s planning tours, new visuals, and possibly a New York performance. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on resilience, creativity, and community in Vancouver’s diverse music landscape.

Introducing Missy D - 0:00

Musical Origins and Global Influences - 9:12

Vancouver Journey and Hip-Hop Scene - 22.12

La Poursuite: A Musical Crossroads - 32:19

Performing at Juno Fest 43:18

Reflections on the Lapu Lapu Festival Tragedy in Vancouver - 49:04

Quick Fire Questions - 1:03:46

Intro Song : Matin Midi Soir - Missy D 

Missy D’s top 2 song picks from her new project  "La Poursuite,"

J’avance

Une Chance

Read More - blackvanclub.com

Podcast Intro

Podcast Outro

Transcript

Introducing Missy D

Speaker 1 0:54

I'm here, call me. In any case, take my hand, we'll warm up. I'm here for every moment, as sublime as it is. In any case, take my hand, we'll warm up. I'm here for every moment, as sublime as it is. It's the starting point. Take it and start, but you're in a state. Tell me if you need help. A little step, don't do the head.

Speaker 2 1:30

Bomb the torso, put yourself platform where we spotlight Black events and creative shaping culture in Vancouver and beyond. I'm your host, ruvie, and today's guest is an incredible lyrical force whose music moves across languages, borders and generations. She's a bilingual MC, rapper and soul artist who blends French and English into a sound she calls rap soul. Born in Rwanda and raised across Zimbabwe, cote d'Ivoire and Canada, she's influenced by icons like Lauryn Hill, missy Elliott, mc Solar and more. You may have seen her lighting up the stage at Junofest this year in Vancouver or across stages at South by Southwest, north by Northeast and the Vancouver Jazz Festival and more. She's also the 2024 Francophone Artist of the Year awarded by the Western Canadian Music Awards. Her latest project, la Pursuit, which translates to the pursuit, is a powerful reflection on purpose, movement and healing. I'm so happy to have you on our platform. Welcome to the show, missy D hey wow, thank you for that introduction.

Speaker 1 2:43

I'm going to need to copy that and use it all the time I can send it to you.

Speaker 2 2:48

I can send it to you after, feel free. No, but this is a reflection of you and your work. I mean, this is just a summary.

Speaker 1 2:56

I appreciate you, Ruby.

Speaker 2 2:58

A lot and you are an amazing, amazing rapper. I can say firsthand for anyone listening. I have seen Missy D perform multiple times, from big stages to small events, and she always brings it every single time. So I'm so happy. I've been waiting to have this conversation with you for a while. So how have you been Tell me? I know you've been coming off a lot of amazing things. Just, you know, maybe introduce yourself to the Black Van Club audience and, you know, just get into it.

Speaker 1 3:32

Thank you. Thank you for that introduction. I want to also give you your flowers at Black Van Club, you know, for shining a light not only on, like Black events, but just, I think, lightening um the, the, I want to say the entertainment, music, creative industry of Vancouver in so many ways. I look forward to every post you make. So I'm gonna start by saying that, first and foremost, um, myself, I'm doing, I'm doing all right, I've been keeping busy. Right now I'm on a little, uh, I'm gonna say a tour throughout some schools and theaters across the country, some festivals as well. Um, so, that's been keeping me busy. Right now I'm joining you from nova scotia, actually on the other side of the country, on the opposite coast.

Speaker 2 4:19

Yeah, I've never been to Nova Scotia ever.

Speaker 1 4:23

First time here as well. First time here it's different.

Speaker 2 4:25

How is it out there?

Speaker 1 4:26

It's very small. There's not a lot of black people.

Speaker 2 4:30

I mean not so different from Vancouver, I guess.

Speaker 1 4:33

True, true, that's for sure. It's a very small town. It feels very like a small town. Vibe, I'm becoming like I didn't know. I was a city girl, like you know. I like the city. I like bigger towns yeah there's not a lot to do here, but uh, the kids have been very sweet, the the schools have been very welcoming. Uh, so we're appreciative of that and, like I saw a post recently from a parent that said that I was their kids first concert, some people's I'm their.

Speaker 1 5:01

I'm their first concert in their life, when they're in grade eight or nine or whatever grade they're in.

Speaker 2 5:06

Yeah, I guess you never think about that. Oh, that's amazing. That's amazing, that's a big deal. That's like a milestone in a kid's life, like the first concert, like the first album. I don't even know what my first concert was, do you?

Speaker 1 5:24

I'm trying to recall I don't really remember as well I think I want to say. The one that comes to mind is do you know? Magic System.

Speaker 2 5:36

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 5:38

I remember going to their show, so I feel like they might have been my first concert or the ones that I knew of, and then we went and saw them.

Speaker 2 5:45

That's a good one, though. That's a good one.

Speaker 1 5:47

They got bangers yeah yeah, yeah, especially the African parties we going out with them. Oh, you already know Like wedding celebrations.

Speaker 2 5:55

So I'm trying to think. I can't even remember. I'm trying to think the first one from Canada that I went to it might have been Usher, okay, but I mean I was in university.

Speaker 2 6:09

I was in university, but yeah, it's a long time ago, I don't want to give away my age, but yeah, it was a long time ago, but I think it might have been Well. Thank you for sharing your experience in Nova Scotia, so I guess we can get right into it. So let's talk about Missy D and I guess the beginning, the origin story of Missy D, I guess CD, I guess, um, how your love for music first began and like just your journey, from a young age I guess, into music rapping, soul music, rap music just a little bit about that oh, it's a long story, so I'm gonna try to condense it yeah cut me off whenever.

Speaker 1 6:57

uh, I want to say it started for sure with just coming from a family that loved music. They're not musically gifted, none of my family members sing or dance or play, like I think, like, let's say it like that they don't know, they haven't discovered it yet.

Speaker 2 7:12

Let's say it like that.

Speaker 1 7:13

But they definitely love music, like it's always been a thing in the car, cds in the house. There's always been a radio in my house in some way, from from a young age. So I loved listening to music from around the world which made made it eclectic, uh, and I think that's where I got my love from. Like you know, my big brother made me listen to like 90s hip-hop too, posh or core. That that kind of vibe is where I get that energy from.

Speaker 1 7:40

And then when my siblings would come visit you know they would drop off some cds and be like, hey, you should listen to indiari and you should listen to, you know, um, some french rappers. And my dad would sometimes travel and randomly see a rapper on tv that nobody knows and then go buy that cd and bring that back as my gift of like, hey, I think, I think this artist is popular and sometimes sometimes he would you know he'd be right there I'll be like, yeah, that's Missy Elliot, let's go. And then sometimes I'd be like I don't know who this Moroccan rapper is but, let's go, let's check him out.

Musical Origins and Global Influences

Speaker 1 8:18

So that love came from there. And then my own rapping came from school actually. So we did an assignment about hip hop and then I took that assignment seriously. It's like I'm doing that homework still 20 years later. It was supposed to be just, you know, a one time off poetry lesson. Learn about hip hop. Do it at the end of the year and then fast forward to 20 years later.

Speaker 2 8:43

I'm like, oh I, I'm still doing it okay, so okay, I'm gonna double back because your story is quite interesting because of where you've lived. So you have a global perspective. So for me I know, like as an African, that rap music is popular in some parts but it's not the dominant music, I guess. Well, for my country it's not the dominant music. So you're saying you were introduced through family and kind of picked up from those family influences as well as the experience of those different countries that you've lived in, I guess?

Speaker 1 9:27

it's a mixture. Yeah, it's a good question. It's a mixture of those two things. I think the family for sure, bringing in their own influences, because I'm like the youngest of the family so. I get, you know, I get the hand-me-downs of my siblings, I get the hand-me-downs of my parents, the cousins that are not your cousin's cousins, but they're like the cousins that you see at the parties or when you go to those parties.

Speaker 1 9:49

I remember going to like Eid parties with my Muslim friends, going to like Christian parties, and then we exchanged gospel music. We exchanged music from their region, gospel music. We exchanged music from their region. So everybody around me kind of like had a piece in, I want to say, influencing my ear, because that's why I love. Like you said, yeah, hip-hop wasn't always the top sounds, but I remember listening to like oliver mutukudzi and being like hey, I like that type of music, right legend that's that.

Speaker 1 10:20

That's the music that my dad used to play in the car. And then suddenly you know, you go into the, the living room my brother's listening to like tupac's record. Yeah, so that's. That's a very, very different piece of element.

Speaker 2 10:33

Yeah, that is a unique um, I guess musical journey, especially if you've lived in africa. It's like there's so many different influences that the taste is very like. The range is large. The range is so many different um influences around which is good because you know you can hear some of those influences in your own music. You know, it's a global sound, I think, and also a canadian sound, but very global yeah, exactly, and all those influences like make it's a fusion, like it makes.

Speaker 1 11:07

It makes what I make today, like I even now I listen to the music I make or the lifts, and I gravitate towards and like, oh yeah, like, is that an influence from zimbabwe? Is that influence from irish coast? Is that an influence from, like, whitney houston? I didn't really listen to whitney houston but you're like, hey, I want to make music like that, or I wish I could sing like that, you know, uh, so all those people kind of played a role into it. And then of course, there's the popular hip-hop, american hip-hop, that kind of. At at that time in the early 2000s, you know everybody, even if you didn't speak English, my friends were listening to 50 Cent G-E-D. We were all there trying to rap like them. So there's that piece as well that I think it makes me nostalgic when I hear those songs.

Speaker 2 11:55

Especially the early or mid-2000s. It was like another renaissance, I think, in hip-hop. Like the hits, the new artists, like so many good rappers, came out of that um time, you know, because I think people focus on the 90s, but I think also the 2000s, mid 2010s there's a lot, a lot of good mcs that came up during that time as well, you know.

Speaker 1 12:18

Yeah big time yeah yeah.

Speaker 2 12:20

So for me I like to kind of like link everything back, or all the artists to their Vancouver story. So what brought you to Vancouver and how did you get to Vancouver? You know what I mean, and what has it been like being in the music scene here? I guess it's a lot of questions. We can start with what brought you to Vancouver and how did you get to this amazing city?

Speaker 1 12:46

I love it. It's a very reflective interview. What brought me to Vancouver was school. Actually, it was to study. At the time, I wanted to be a pediatrician. I wanted to do sciences.

Speaker 1 12:59

So I got accepted at ubc bachelor in science, and that was the dream, that was the goal, that was the main reason I was coming to vancouver and how I got here was a long flight, two, three long flights from zimbabwe to vancouver um would buy by myself. It was like one of my first flights by myself, uh, with just two suitcases of everything I owned in my life and you know, showed up to to my first year residence and being like, hey, I have no family in Vancouver.

Speaker 1 13:32

I don't really know why I'm here, but I don't know why I chose Vancouver precisely. But I know that it was meant to be that way, and then I was gonna be a. I was gonna be a good student. That was the the goal.

Speaker 2 13:45

Yes, I feel like you copied my homework there. I'm like whoa, it sounds like me, yeah. I guess, I mean, I mean, uh, for people listening, I also am Zimbabwean. Uh, I grew up in Zimbabwe. I grew up there. I was born and raised. Missy D was raised there, I don't know if you were born in Rwanda but so we have that commonality.

Speaker 2 14:07

We've always like talked about it but we haven't really got deep into it. So it's kind of like crazy that we were in the same country at the same at a certain point and we never knew each other and then it's like met in Vancouver. Of all places, it's, it's crazy, the, I guess, the butterfly effect, the degrees of separation, the amount of things that had to happen for us to meet right now, yeah, it blows my mind.

Speaker 1 14:31

I remember meeting. I was like, I was like what?

Speaker 2 14:33

you were there at the same time.

Speaker 1 14:34

Yeah, we didn't go, we didn't bump, we didn't play basketball or something, I don't know.

Speaker 2 14:38

I know you play basketball. I play basketball too listen, I don't know.

Speaker 1 14:40

I know you play basketball.

Speaker 2 14:40

I play basketball too, Listen maybe we were on the same court, maybe we did, you never know. Maybe we were in some school event together at one point. But yeah, and what you've described is a common experience, especially for people who come to school, people at UBC, sfu, coming here alone and trying to figure things out. You know, and the like you're saying the pursuit of, you know, a better life, better education and also discovering things that maybe we might have not considered if we had stayed back home, you know, like being a rapper, or you know how acceptable it is maybe for a black woman to pursue those type of things.

Speaker 2 15:26

Yeah, it's great to know that. That history. So what have been some of the the joys and um, you know, I guess, of discovering your music journey here in Vancouver and connecting with the rap industry, the hip hop, soul industry in Vancouver and working and performing?

Speaker 1 15:49

in the city yeah, I think I think you summarized it well where, like, I think there's a piece of curiosity and discovery when you first come to Vancouver and you're like, hey, like my mindset wasn't going into rap, it was going into science. I didn't think that was a career, I didn't think that was a thing I could do, that was a hobby. That was my fun fact. You know I rap, like that was, that was the fun fact, hobby of mine. But it was never, never something I. I took it seriously but it wasn't like a pursuit at the time.

Speaker 1 16:21

So I think Vancouver added this piece of curiosity and like possibility of like, well, what if? What if you worked hard at it a bit more? What if you performed a bit more at this open mic and told a few more people and that word of mouth got out to more people? And then suddenly you know, everybody knows you on campus as this performer. Most people thought I was in a Bachelor of Music. Like, yeah, stuff like that turned around in my life and I was like, well, I could do both. Also, the possibility that I could do both, because people always wanted me to make a choice either or yeah and for a long time I did both.

Speaker 1 17:00

I really stuck to it and I don't know where I got that energy to do that. Nine to five, five to nine time for life now.

Speaker 1 17:09

I don't know if I could do it right now, even in this present moment, but back then I if you talk to my friends that know me, they knew that I. I really what I was in, this hustle mentality, grind of it all just going to class, doing what I can, passing my class, going to this open mic. And then suddenly I was like, hey, let me go downtown, you know, forget the UBC bubble, let's go freestyle with a bunch of random guys yeah become like and it was like funny to be in a freestyle like I went to this freestyle session.

Speaker 1 17:39

It was like all these white guys and I was the only girl and I was also the only black person. I was like this is a lot. And then, but you know, I did my thing and it was like the, the stereotypes of it, all of like, oh, people underestimating what you can do, and then suddenly they hear your voice on the mic and they're like, oh shoot, she knows what she's doing.

Speaker 2 18:03

They underestimated you. I'm surprised actually.

Speaker 1 18:07

Yeah, I think it's back then. Maybe it's changed now, but back then there wasn't that many, like I want to say female rappers yeah, that is true so I still was like a minority. It was kind of like high school. It was like a minority within this hip-hop male dominated industry. And so when you show up to these events, it's typical, like you know, everybody wants to freestyle, throw in like a type of word.

Speaker 1 18:36

Uh, you can censor that if you need to, yeah, and then, and suddenly you're like, when you're in the room, they're like can I do it? Can I not do it? Plus, I'm black in the room, the only black person in the room, so they're navigating all these different things. So they're I don't know what they were feeling, but they were feeling something. And then I felt their I want to say their respect. After I did something on the mic, after I said something and I showed what I could do, they're like oh shoot, suddenly they want to add me on Instagram. Like yo, we should work.

Speaker 2 19:07

Yeah. I guess it's different. Yeah, you are right. To be honest, I feel like the rise of female rap which I even hate saying female rap because it's all hip hop, but the rise of the female MC, or the resurgence of it, it happened within the last, I'd say, since I guess I mean in the northern hemisphere it was like Nicki Minaj you know, those, and then it was Cardi B and then after Cardi there's like a bunch of people came and obviously there was still like the Missy Elliot's holding it down in the early 2000s and stuff like that.

Speaker 2 19:46

But I think in terms of female MCs, there was a resurgence and I think that that also kind of there was a not that there's never been people who rap. I think it might have opened up people's minds. I guess in terms of if there's an, a rapper, and you're a girl, woman, and you want to do that, you're like, hey, I can do this, I can hang with the guys you know like I'm just as good or even better, because what happens is when you're a minority in something, you have to work 10 times harder than everybody for the same level of respect.

Speaker 1 20:21

You know so I you know.

Speaker 2 20:24

I respect that. You were brave enough to do that, because it's not easy to walk into a room of guys and you're just like, yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming and I'm going to you know drop that 16 or you know.

Speaker 1 20:39

And back then I was much serious. I think now people that maybe have seen me perform, I sing a bit more and rap a bit more and mix the two together, but back then I was like you know rapper Straight bars.

Speaker 2 20:50

Yeah, I just want to rap.

Vancouver Journey and Hip-Hop Scene

Speaker 1 20:51

Don't make me sing, I can't. I don't want to be exactly. I don't make me sing, I can't. I don't want to be exactly. I didn't want to be the hook. You know, yeah, people, people loved to to kind of be like hey, can you do the hook on my song? I'm like, nah, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do the rap part, I'm gonna do something 16. So I was very hard about that personality. But I think it's because I really wanted to prove something to those guys which now I look back, be like, yeah, I had nothing to prove, I just had to be myself and be in that room and show what I got. But it's part of the hip-hop world of competition and bravado that people want to have, certainly when you're in a cypher, when you're in those rooms. It's very much that mentality. But it changed what I appreciate about Vancouver, what I'll say. There was a community-minded aspect to this scene that I saw where people then it wasn't about competition, it was about jamming.

Speaker 1 21:42

They were like we don't have enough of this. So even the little that we have. Let's cultivate it, let's celebrate it, let's uplift it. And those are the friends that I made. Those are the friends that I surrounded myself with were people that were community myself with, were like, people that were community-minded, that were like hey, you know what, forget the competition. Actually, there shouldn't be just one girl on your bill yeah, I should be the girl.

Speaker 1 22:05

I should be the. There should be multiple like. Let's get together, let's create our own show, have a roster of like female rappers, rappers, non-binary rappers, whoever it is that wants to to get on the mic. And then, the more I surrounded myself with that, the more I'm like oh there's, there's more than just me.

Speaker 2 22:21

There's another person, there's another person yeah yeah, I think that's what I like about vancouver is, um, I think people there's a critique that there's not a lot of opportunities, and there's some truth to that, but what I do like is that when there is an opportunity or there are a group of people, it's very, um well, I can't speak for your experience, but what I've observed is that people are willing to be open and work with each other and be more, like you're saying, community focused, like kind of bring in people in the fold. It's like, okay, you might not have a bunch of experience, but if you're good, come, let's work together. You know it's like, yeah, you know, like you said, you still have to prove yourself, but I feel like here there's a a hunger to find other people, so they're more willing to bring you into the fold.

Speaker 2 23:12

You know, in terms of, um, like anything like creative related. So for you as a hip-hop, for me it's, you know, media and, uh, I guess, blogging and stuff like that and entertainment, and it's like maybe in a different city I might not get that reception, I might have more barriers to entry, maybe out out East or like Toronto, you know, but here it's like, because there's a lack of it and a desire for that community, people are more willing to embrace even someone who's a novice like myself when I started, like people are more willing to embrace, just like you. Right, you found your community. So that's what I love about vancouver yeah, it's true, there's a need.

Speaker 1 23:58

There's a need for for all these things. You know, when something is missing, when something is not in the room, people notice it, and once it's in the room, I feel like, well, you know, one thing I love about vancouver is that people will be like, oh, we need more of that oh, like, how do we? Help you and it's not everybody for sure. But I think when you find the people, the community, the resources, you can make something that, yeah, I don't know if you could make as fast in another place.

Speaker 2 24:29

Now I mentioned in the intro, you just released a new project, la Pesou. Am I saying it right? Tell it, tell me if I'm saying I tried my best to remember my french lessons. But you can go ahead and let the people know like the album title and I mean you got it.

Speaker 1 24:50

It's like that pursuit, the pursuit, right, oh, pursuit, okay, it's like poursuite, yeah, it's like you're saying sweet, sweet okay, that makes sense.

Speaker 2 24:58

I mean, that's how it's spelled. I was close guys. You know it's not my first language, but I tried. You did, yes, so congratulations on releasing that.

Speaker 2 25:09

I think that dropped in march, or yes, it did yeah, so it's been almost a month ish, just over a month, and um, you know I'm sure it's been a whirlwind with the Juno Fest or the tour with the performance. So to me is, um, what inspired this project? Because from when I was listening to it, I noticed um also, it's mostly french, mostly french what inspired la pursuit? And you can speak as well on being a black francophone, uh, mc as well yeah, uh, a lot of things inspired this project.

Speaker 1 25:54

I think the first thing that comes to mind was I wrote this project a year and a year and a half ago. It feels like a long time ago now, because I was contemplating sort of pursuing this music career and I had big questions.

Speaker 2 26:13

You were contemplating, I was contemplating, I know, contemplating, I was contemplating, I know right. I'm confused. Okay, go ahead.

Speaker 1 26:21

No, but it is exactly that. Can I be a full-time artist? Can I even say that? Can I even? You know you go to a networking event and you're like hey, what do you do for work If you?

Speaker 1 26:31

had asked me a year and a half ago what I did, I would have been like I work at UBC. It would have never been. You would have known Dee like Diane, not Missy, right away. I would never say that right away, except if you know me as Missy. You would hear that part of my life and it would be evident to you. But I think that was the big question I had. Starting this album was like hey, do I pursue this thing? Do I actually go for it? I have this momentum that's building up. I think I can continue this, I think I could give it a chance, and this is a perfect time to do so, because I don't have other responsibilities apart from myself and my close loved ones. Other responsibilities apart from myself and my close loved ones. So it's like, okay, do I, you know? Do I take that leap of faith or do I take a step back? Do I do it in english? Do I do it in?

Speaker 1 27:22

french, so the whole album is me, if I was to translate to an english speaker. It's me asking myself those questions. Do I actually go for it? Do I give it a chance? Should I take a step back? Do do we care if we can dream? Do we make how? How do I make sure that my friends can pursue their dreams?

Speaker 1 27:40

whatever that means whether it's full-time, part-time, you know, on the weekends. How do I make sure that people have a chance to live a life beyond? You know their, their nine to five or whatever it means?

Speaker 2 27:54

I get that. Yeah, like I guess the title, love is pursuit, the pursuit in english. Yeah, what you're talking about is. Obviously I don't understand all the lyrics, but the way you're breaking it down is there's a, I guess, almost like a crossroads. It's like do you live the life that you expected or do you dream bigger?

Speaker 2 28:17

and pursue your dreams, and I think that's a universal theme for anybody, anybody, whatever you're doing, in any capacities, do I accept what I have, what's in front of me, what's expected, or do I take a leap of faith? And it might not be the easiest, yeah, it might take a lot longer and it might not be the conventional cookie cutter way of um being successful quote unquote. But you know, taking what I've realized is taking that next step and taking a chance. I think that you've already wanted that, the fact that you've taken that step and you've been like yes, I'm going to go from Diane and I'm going to be Missy D and this is what I want to do. And it might not be the expectation or the thing that you had planned on when you were younger, but this is where you are and you've landed in a place where you're pursuing something that you love, and that's always the goal for anybody.

Speaker 1 29:24

So I have mad respect for that. Yeah, thank you, thank you, thank you I wish that for everybody and, like I think you know, the more I talk to, to the children I perform in front of, the more I talk to my friends, to you, to anybody. I want to create that possibility for people in order to make it accessible, to make it look like, hey, we're not all going to be Beyonce at the Rogers.

Speaker 2 29:51

Arena BC.

Speaker 1 29:53

Place state, but that doesn't mean you failed. I think the idea that that's the only version of success is also like. Just you know one definition, but the more I get to do this, the more I'm like. Ok, I took this pursuit. I'm also now defining what success means. Is it all the accolades? Is it big stages? Is it performing in front of like? If I told you the number of people I perform on, you'd be like whoa that's a lot of people isn't.

Speaker 1 30:19

That number, is it the streaming numbers is what is it that makes you feel like you're doing it and I'm like, okay, I think taking that first step and doing it is already a win, it's already a privilege. And then if I can do it, if I can show it to people, and then that inspires someone else to be like hey, you know what, I'm going to give it a try. If that's what I get, if I get a couple of those, I feel like I'm doing something right.

Speaker 2 30:46

Yeah, well, I appreciate it. I enjoyed the album as well, the project. I've already seen you perform a couple of the songs you know, so it was it was nice to hear on track, because I've already seen you perform and I'm like, oh, okay, I know, I'm like, I know, I know this one, okay, I know. So, yeah, I mean, missy's an amazing performer, uh, and you know, I could hear that in the music in terms of you know the different vibes, like from like the rap rap to the rap soul to you know the French influence and then some of the songs that are in English, and just, you know your message, the message that we're discussing right now.

La Poursuite: A Musical Crossroads

Speaker 2 31:31

It's in the music. So if you haven't listened to it, it's on spotify, so or any streaming platform. So you definitely should check it out. Uh, even if you don't speak french, I encourage you to listen to it because it's just good music, and good music, you know, transcends language boundaries, anything. So I would definitely definitely want the listeners to check you out. If they haven't and, of course, I'm sure a lot of them have seen you perform as well. If they are from vancouver, they have definitely seen you perform. So, in terms of the, the ep. What is your favorite track on that? And you can speak to the messaging as well on that.

Speaker 2 32:21

Or maybe you might not have a favorite, I don't know. You love them all equally. Thank you.

Speaker 1 32:29

They are really. Thank you for the kind words as well and sharing my music with your audience. Yeah, I think I know it's a very French heavy project, which was also that leap of faith. It was like oh, I live in Vancouver, where most people speak English. Yeah, so how do you, how do you present this body of work? That's in French, but I want people to capture the vibe and like the essence of it. If I had to, I I'm gonna give you two answers, because there's so many different styles of music in the project.

Speaker 1 33:04

Top two. Yeah, I'm cheating a little bit. There's only six tracks on the top two J'avance, which means move forward. Yes, it's a very hip hop track. You might've seen me perform it live as well. That one gives me like hype, it's the, it's the. It's like when you're doubting yourself and like you need that pump up music to be like yo no, you got this, let's go. Let's like don't, don't listen to your subconscious words that come to mind.

Speaker 2 33:40

Just words that come to mind, just like go for it. Okay. So for people who don't speak French and the message, maybe it'll help you know when you're listening so you can keep that in mind. If you're not a French speaker, so speak to maybe the lyrics and the message yeah, so javance means move forward, so the course is about like it's.

Speaker 1 33:49

It's basically my subconscious talking to myself being like yo is it gonna work? Should I should I do it in French? Should I do it in English? And then you know, the positive subconscious is like no, you should go for it. Like this is the time you need to believe in yourself. You need to go for it, whether it works or not. Just you've got. You've got to take that first step.

Speaker 1 34:11

I know the first step is the hardest, but but you got to take that first step and if you can take that first step, you might surprise yourself. So it's a lot of you know. Some people would say I don't know if it's God's voice, whoever it is kind of being like sort of encouraging you to go forward when you feel very stuck, because there's a lot of moments in my life where I'm the kind of person when terrible things are happening. You know, in the world I sometimes freeze and I hate that about myself.

Speaker 1 34:41

That's a flaw of mine. I want to say, like when I freeze and I can't respond, and I'm trying to tell myself like hey, when I'm freezing, when I don't know what to do, stop this, freeze, response, actually go Like you need to move.

Speaker 2 34:54

I love that. I love that. Wow, I love that. That's a good message that I mean I can definitely relate to that. It's like you just kind of have to like, ignore the noise, ignore everything and just keep moving. That's what I realized it's like.

Speaker 2 35:09

Life is about just advancing, like chevron, you know it's about no matter what's going on in life, because I think sometimes we think everything has to be perfect for us to pursue things and it's like no, in those imperfections and those tough times is that's. That's the times you should actually push forward you know, you should push harder. You know you should try and do new things. That's the time that you should do it you know because there's never going to be a perfect moment, and there's never going to be a perfect world or a perfect time.

Speaker 1 35:41

Yeah, the balance. You know I'm still seeking balance, but balance sometimes is hard to find, and I think there's a line in the song. If I was to translate it in English, it's like my head is saying, head is saying one thing, my heart is wanting another thing. But what I'm realizing? We're part of the same team, like, like.

Speaker 1 36:02

It seems like we're battling each other, but we're actually part of the same team so sometimes I feel like those two things are like I don't know, is it a smart idea? And then my heart's like no, let's go for it. And I think when I tell myself we're part of the same team, we're able to do accomplish something together, compared to like fighting between my head and heart all the time yeah, well, I do love that song, especially when you perform it and you're like and you're like trying to teach us how to speak french I'm like hey, man, I'm trying, I don't know it's french lessons french lessons with the cd always so it has a deeper message, but it's also very, very entertaining to listen to.

Speaker 2 36:44

So I appreciate that. And then, okay, number two, I guess oh, number two.

Speaker 1 36:49

Okay, well, not number two, but you know the top two this is top. Top two, I think. Uh, une chance is the last track of the ep. I think it's my, it's another favorite because it's challenging me to sing which I usually don't do in a full track.

Speaker 1 37:07

I don't like you will find me sing a chorus, maybe a bridge, something on Asteroid, but that's the one song where the beat is not. I guess it's unconventional, kind of going back to the story of like doing things are unconventional, like where I'm like a guitar and just a voice and it's very ballady. When I listen to it I like I wrote this. Like sometimes, you know, when I haven't heard it in a while, I listen to it and I'm like, yeah, that doesn't sound like me, um, but it's a piece of my identity that like I love ballads.

Speaker 1 37:40

I love soul music and you know I I joke around with a lot of my friends who know me like when I'm 50, get ready for the jazz album. It's coming, it's possible, it's possible.

Speaker 2 37:53

I don't know. I have a voice for it, so I mean, why not? We're working on it?

Speaker 1 37:57

We're working on it and it's something that I'm like. I like to, you know, blur the lines of genres where I'm like, hey, maybe one of these days I will present a project that you'll be like yo, you're not rapping, Like, yeah, I guess not, but it's music, it's music, yeah, and the messaging Une chance, une chance.

Speaker 1 38:19

Yeah. So une chance means another chance, so there's different layers to it, where in each verse you might, it stems from from. Actually, if you've listened to other projects of mine, I always have a song dedicated to grief, mmm. And like processing grief, like I lost my dad a couple years ago and like in each project I was trying to unpack what that grief meant. And you know, the first time it was like sort of the denial stage of grief, like not knowing how to say goodbye. When I said goodbye to my dad, he would always come back. And this time I was like, oh, he's not going to be back. And then you know the last project, I said, which means beyond, and I was like, hey, maybe someone's watching over me from beyond. And Unchance is a bit nostalgic, it's a bit of the. The grief is weird, where suddenly you're doing fine and then one day something reminds you of that thing.

Speaker 1 39:13

So in chance is like oh you you wanting another chance to relive that moment, if you were to open a um a photo album and you know you see a picture and you want to like transport yourself into that memory. So there's that verse in there, but there's also in chance could be. You know that one person that you know you loved a lot and that got away and you're like oh, I wish we had. We had another chance and it felt so good when we were together.

Speaker 1 39:43

There's that point, there's that part or just moments that are joyful, like there's a lot of memories I get as I get older. I'm like I feel like I'm forgetting the good and bad memories of life, but sometimes the good memories that I'm like, oh, I wish I could hold on to them, and so, in chance is like I wish I had another chance to like hold on to it, and then the only time I get to really live those memories is when I fall asleep.

Speaker 1 40:05

So the chorus talks about when I fall asleep is when I'm able to dream and you're like you know, it's like you're falling into the the what's that movie inside? It's inside and out. You know the little, the central place where they have all their memories. Like you're falling into the memories, yeah, yeah, oh.

Speaker 2 40:23

That's a beautiful message. Well, thank you for sharing that. I really, really really appreciate that. It's super, I think it's super deep and, you know, I think a lot of people could relate to that messaging of losing a loved one and having the memories and, you know, wanting those memories back as well, as you know, if you love somebody and lost somebody, you can also relate, whether it's romantically or, you know, family. So I that's that's very deep. I appreciate you sharing that. I can listen to it differently now that I understand so well. Thank you, I appreciate that. So I think now we're gonna move to juno fest.

Speaker 2 41:06

Obviously, we had the Junos in Vancouver for the well, not the first time, but it came back again in Vancouver and it was an amazing, amazing week of events. It's a run up to a lot of events and what I appreciated about it is that it brought a lot of excitement to the local industry, to the local industry, and it also, you know, local artists got a lot of opportunities on a big platform, which is amazing for the city, because I'm always saying, vancouver has amazing creatives artists and they just need the platform, they just need the microphone, but we have everything that every other city has. We just need that spotlight. So I think that did bring the spotlight to Vancouver and you were part of that. You're part of Juno Fest, which was a two-day festival, um that showcased um Canadian artists so from different genres and Missy performed and I had the pleasure of watching her perform. It was an amazing performance super professional, super fun, super, just everything. Like you know everything that you do already, but on a bigger platform, like it's not. For me it's not surprising.

Speaker 2 42:15

Like she always kills it, no matter what, like whether it's small stage, but I appreciate that you had that big platform to showcase your talent. So to maybe speak to that and how that was finding out that you were going to perform and lead up to it and practicing and then actually performing.

Speaker 1 42:35

So no, you said it beautifully. I think it's.

Performing at Juno Fest

Speaker 1 42:37

It's very exciting when there's infrastructure, momentum energy in in the city which I think that's what sort of the juno fest brought to to vancouver at like in march. Uh, the process of it, you know you have to apply. Uh, so you know, for future artists, creatives listening, like you know, um, make sure to, you know, subscribe to whether it's music, bc sort of a newsletter to to get that application in on time. But you never know if you're going to get it. There's a lot of creatives, as you said, and I'm lucky and I appreciate the people that said yes to having me be a part of it as one of the local artists, because I know they want to showcase local artists, judo nominees, different artists visiting. They try to sort of include those different voices to the platform. There were so many events, that's the one thing I noticed, I wanted to go.

Speaker 1 43:30

I even wanted to see my friends and I couldn't see them.

Speaker 1 43:32

Yeah, they're performing 30 minutes, yeah so it's, it's, it was, it was. It was also a testament to how much talent there is in the city, where you're like, hey, there's five different events happening at the same time. How do you get to all those events at the same time? So I I it made me excited, being like we need more, we need more judo fest, we need more um platforms that that are gonna be able to showcase the the vancouver scene, but, like, like you said, on a, I guess, on a larger scale or on a bigger scale, whatever it is, because that's the one thing that we're missing maybe in the city is like infrastructure, like a lot of a lot of those pieces keep, pieces that build quality music, build quality performances make you want to step your game up make you

Speaker 1 44:21

want to practice with your band a couple of times. That's hard to find, always in vancouver, or that's when people you know move. If you talk to a lot of creatives are like, oh, maybe I should move to another city, um, so that that's something I took in before getting ready for the show was just wanting to to practice, wanting to give something different to the folks that come out to see me. I had Nebu on the trombone, I had Faven on the bass, dave on the guitar, todd on the drums, so it was like showcasing also my different friends. It's not just me I know it's my name on the bill, but there's also a lot of talented musicians that I get to call friends, that I'm like yo. I want people to see them Like they're rad. I wish I could play the trombone and I don't. Yeah.

Speaker 2 45:14

Well, that's amazing and you did a fantastic job. So I think, hopefully we'll see more on the stage and maybe one year you will be on the main stage at the Junior Awards. Put it out there, it's possible.

Speaker 1 45:32

It's possible, you have the talent.

Speaker 2 45:35

You have everything. It's just a matter of getting that platform.

Speaker 1 45:40

All is possible. I appreciate that. Let's manifest, let's manifest.

Speaker 2 45:46

To any of the Vancouver artists. Just take Missy's advice that you know if you're looking to part of the any festivals, or just keep in touch with, like I guess, music BC, even, like you know, I guess, advance and those type of organizations.

Speaker 2 46:02

Yes, Advance BC, you know those are really helpful and I guess, um, propelling people into you know spaces that you may not have access to but they do and they can connect you to these opportunities. Um, I could probably link some things if people are interested in the episode description, just if you're starting out and you're trying to figure this out, I think that's another thing is in vancouver. It's like a lot of people, if you have the information, you have the information, but if you don't, it's almost like you think it's impossible because you don't have the information. And that's part of my purpose.

Speaker 2 46:40

I guess my pursuit is to bring to light this. Information that is readily available is to bring to light this, you know, information that is readily available, but maybe to make it more accessible or curated towards our community, the Black community especially. That some of the stuff is, it's not gatekept but it's not brought to light or it's not highlighted for them to find easily. So that's part of the the the goal, I guess, as well then you do it well yeah, I try, I try.

Speaker 2 47:13

I'm also learning as I go. So you know, there's a lot of things I'm like oh, I had no idea. So in times it's like if I don't post something it's not because I may not know about it. I mean, I might. I don't want to it. It's like me. I'm learning as well.

Speaker 1 47:25

I'm a student of the game as well.

Speaker 2 47:27

I'm not some expert or whatever. I'm learning and I think that's, for me, is the opportunity to learn and grow in an area where I have no experience or background, you know. So I'm humble enough to say, hey, I didn't know, and now I know. And moving forward, we can, you know, know, highlight that as well.

Speaker 1 47:48

so that's, that's me but that's how you need I feel like when you have that drive and that curiosity and the fact that you're even self-aware about like oh, there's things I might not know. I feel like all of us are like that. I always joke around like I. There's no book of like the artist, maybe there is, but I haven't read it.

Reflections on the Lapu Lapu Festival Tragedy in Vancouver

Speaker 1 48:11

It's more questions, conversations with friends, with other people from different parts of the so-called industry that you're like, oh, ok, oh, I should apply for this. Wait, there's a grant for this. Oh wait, I didn't know that. Ok, this is how I could get a music video done. And then the more you have those conversations, the more you talk to people, the more it sounds possible, whether it's whether it's hard to do, maybe it will take some work. But if there's not a possibility, or like a little window that's open, that you're like, okay, now I just have to crack it open again. Or if it's not crack, if you can't crack it, then you make your own window, which I've also learned to do. That sometimes Like, hey, apparently we're going to have to create our own show, you do your own show.

Speaker 2 48:58

Yeah, you kind of have to create your own platform. I think, yeah, that's part of it. I think also, I guess, since we're talking about festivals, obviously I know you've heard the news about- the festival that happened this week, the Lapu-Lapu Festival, and I think when I was watching the news unfold, I guess Sunday, monday, and I just started to think of all the amazing artists, you know, I mean it's the Filipino community, but all the communities are connected.

Speaker 2 49:30

So, just waking up to that news and thinking, I know people who put so much work into organizing events and they're doing it for the good of the community and the artists who come out to perform, and the happiness and joy that people get from these events, that music brings, that events, you know that music brings, that culture brings, that community brings, and to have something tragic happen, it, you know it's, it ripples throughout the entire industry, you know, and then throughout the entire city, and my heart goes out to the families, to, to the victims and also to the creative community. You know who are, you know, touched by this and you know, I don't know, I hope it doesn't, I guess, discourage people as well.

Speaker 1 50:23

Yeah, you read my mind Like, first and foremost, yeah, for sure. Yeah, you read my mind Like, first and foremost, yeah for sure, like sending our love to anybody that's been impacted from injured folks, from people that have lost folks from exactly those organizers those vendors those creatives that you know saw horrific scenes, experienced a horrific moment, or even had you know a family member.

Speaker 1 50:50

I know a lot of friends who had, like family members family members, nurses, people in the medical team like having to to support the tragedy and like the there's so many things I I could say about that that moment, because we were, we were on a flight. We're actually going to come to nova scotia. Both me and my my friend, my dj um, we were supposed to be there, wow, and we were. We're thinking about, like you, it brings so much, there's so much perspective to it.

Speaker 1 51:12

Like you're like oh, you know what could have happened, what could have been, and it makes you think again about you know. Is it discouraging? Does it make you question your safety when you go to events? There's a lot more, hopefully, festivals coming up in the summer, and so you start questioning. I know I'm not the only one who's like wait. What does that mean for our own security, for our own livelihood, for the people around us? How are we taking care of ourselves? How are we taking care of people's mental health?

Speaker 1 52:07

no-transcript yeah so that that to me is like is something, it's something that gets me, gets me stuck in my thoughts. I don't have the answers. I just have a lot of questions and a lot of like, how do we come up, come as a community, which I see that, and I see a lot of my friends coming as a community to hold space for grief, uh, for support, for fundraise, um. But then the question comes as well of, like, what happens after that? Um, which, yeah, I, I don't.

Speaker 2 52:40

I don't know if I have any answers yet I think we're still all coming to terms with it and I think it will take some time. You know, and you know, I think this moment I think we're just in a moment of grief and we don't know the solutions. But what I do know about the city of Vancouver and the creative cities that they are, like you said, we are a community-focused city. We are all interconnected and people are willing to step up, to do the necessary work to bring the communities back together and find some solutions, find comfort, find resources, like you're saying, for people and victims, and also the creative community as well as the Filipino community.

Speaker 2 53:31

Out of the communities, POC communities. You know that's what we're here for to step up for each other, to speak out for each other, to advocate. So we may not have the answers, but we are there to, you know, propel or support the people who know the answers and who can provide the help. And I think that's for me as a black person and seeing another POC community going through it. You know that's how they've shown up for us. You know, in terms of how the city of Vancouver they showed up for the Black Lives Matter protests a few years ago during COVID. You know the people came and stood with the community and I think as the Black community, we can also. You know, when we are called we can stand also and speak and help, support for now you know.

Speaker 1 54:23

Yeah, until we figure it out. Yeah, that's very true, true, and I think that solidarity is that is key in those types of moments. I feel like that's I. I rather see us come together than divided and sort of you know yeah that's, that's that to me, will will not bring us anywhere.

Speaker 1 54:41

But I think that solidarity, that seeing people step up in different ways and little ways, you know, like I think that's, that's a big start. And then now I just think about, you know, how do we sustain it, how do we keep going, how do we, you know, make sure that this doesn't happen again?

Speaker 1 54:57

oh, those, are the things that come to mind for me now. But I know that you know, we, we, we will get through this moment, and grief takes time. Grief has ebbs and flows and I think that's also a piece where I think community will be key to get through that.

Speaker 2 55:21

Well, thank you, we're going to move into our last segment. So just to bring back uh to music and yourself, I had like a quick fire round episode, so there'll be five questions, or is it four, four or five questions? Just, uh, quick fire, whatever comes to the top of your head. So my first question is what's one song that's been on repeat for you lately?

Speaker 1 55:49

uh, you know what? Uh, leon thomas smut oh okay, yeah, yeah, that's been an earworm that I randomly sing every day or every other day okay, that's a good choice.

Speaker 2 56:04

And and then okay, dream artist to collaborate with. It can be local, international Dream artist to collaborate.

Speaker 1 56:15

Today's answer.

Speaker 2 56:17

Okay, today's answer so many.

Speaker 1 56:18

Today's answer. Today's answer. Today's answer is going to be Lauryn Hill. That would be like I be out of this world, that I you'd have to pinch me a couple of times to be like, no, this is happening, uh, but yeah, that that would be dream, dream for sure okay and a mantra or quote you live by.

Speaker 1 56:39

I feel like we discussed this whole episode, but it might be different I mean, there's so many mantras, but the I think, these days, these days I don't know if it's a mantra or quote but uh, I'm reminding myself and my friends and my loved ones to be kind to yourself, to give yourself grace, uh, because I think there's yeah, there I hear a lot of harshness and critique and hardness on ourselves and I'm just like, I think I'm in that era of no longer having to, you know, find validation and prove myself to people and and so on. So I'm like, how do I give myself grace and how do I give other people grace and how do I encourage that for my friends so that we can, you know, be OK with where we are and where we're heading?

Speaker 2 57:36

That's a good one. That's a good one, ok. And lastly, obviously, we have to ask you're an emcee. We have to ask the question that every emcec has asked top five where did you go? You disappeared. I'm here, I'm here, I know what's coming right away from the question top five rappers by missy d dead or alive.

Speaker 1 58:00

Oh my gosh. So top five rappers?

Speaker 2 58:04

oh uh it doesn't have to be in order, it can just be your top five, yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't know if there's an order.

Speaker 1 58:10

Okay, top five, okay. So we're going to go with J Cole. He's one of my favorites, so he's going to be in the top five. Black Top from the Roots roots, lyrically, just on another level, if people paid attention more, they'd be like well, this is on another level. Missy Elliott, of course, the legend, and I think there it's hard to do top fives because it's all about like, what's your criteria? Is it lyricism?

Speaker 2 58:55

Is it?

Speaker 1 58:55

artistry, so there's a mixture in my top five.

Speaker 2 58:59

Yeah.

Speaker 1 59:00

Missy Elliott is both lyricism but artistry as well, like the package deal of this person is somewhere else.

Speaker 2 59:08

Lauryn.

Speaker 1 59:09

Hill similar thing. Package deal triple threat you know like there's so many things about this rapper that you're like wait, how can you not be in the top five? Yeah now, is that four? That's four. You got gosh. Uh, number five, number five, number five, uh, I mean, I kept it english, by the way, I kept it english okay there could be some french rappers too.

Speaker 1 59:44

French rapper I'm a, I'm a number five, I'm gonna give it. I'm gonna give it to kendrick and and that's because I think in in this current moment I feel like he he's a type of rapper not a lot of rappers do this where you have to go back and listen to the lyrics, not just to the song. There's songs where you go back and listen to the songs because it's a bop and you're like, hey, this is fun. I, I have to go back and listen and rewind and be like wait, what did he say again?

Speaker 1 1:00:12

yeah and try to understand every line that he's saying uh, which that's a? That's a technical rapper, like that's a technicality that I, I wish even myself I had, where I'm like I think I'm more simple with my, my lyrics, and I'm like whoa, he's got layers to him so. I'd give him a top five, but you know that's today's list Call me tomorrow.

Speaker 2 1:00:35

Yes, I mean, that's an excellent list. I mean I can't debate that. That's your list, hey, but every person you pick there great artists, great MCs, lyrical, and obviously I can see the influences as well in your music. So all right. So, lastly, any what's next for missy d? Do you have any shows, any visuals?

Speaker 1 1:01:01

any other projects in the works. I feel like you're in my google calendar or something.

Speaker 2 1:01:06

I mean you don't have to drop it if it's still, you know, if it's top secret, don't tell us, but if it's uh something you can share, definitely do uh, definitely, visuals.

Speaker 1 1:01:17

Working on visuals for first for a song on the ep that's gonna come up soon. I'm still finishing this tour right now. Uh, we're in nova scotia. We're going to ottawa soon, next week. Uh, so going to to finish my east side of the of the tour and then I'm going to come back to vancouver to do some other shows and then last stop will be saskatoon, saskatoon uh so wrapping up that tour which is like more towards young audiences.

Speaker 1 1:01:48

But then you know, the summer is coming. I heard it's sunny out there in the yeah, it's beautiful in vancouver, which is my favorite time of the year. So there's some. There's some summer festivals that I I don't know if I can announce them yet because they haven't they haven't put out the their posters yet, but that's coming up and then an exciting show. If all goes well, if all looks good, if the world is in a better place, I'll be going to New York for the first time.

Speaker 2 1:02:18

Oh my gosh, the heart of hip-hop, yeah.

Speaker 1 1:02:25

So that's happening in June, if all goes well. So I'm crossing my fingers and praying for that one.

Quick Fire Questions

Speaker 2 1:02:32

Well, there's a lot going on for you in the spring summer and obviously once they start making announcements, I'll definitely post anything that Missy's having. If she sends it to me or if I find it, I will definitely post it. On the website blackvanclubcom. You can now find event listings on there. Makes it easier to find information and ticket links. So whatever's going on with Missy I'll definitely try to post on there so you all are on top of it and can go see her perform live. So I just want to thank you again for coming on our show.

Speaker 2 1:03:10

this was actually an amazing conversation yeah, thank you a lot of people enjoy listening to you because I feel like you are such a layered artist and there's so many things that you know. People may not know, but now they have a little bit of insight into Missy D the artist.

Speaker 1 1:03:28

Thanks to you, thank you for the space and the place that you hold in our community, and I'm very grateful to people like you and to anybody listening. It's thanks to people championing and shining a light on others that you feel also things are possible. So I owe it to a lot of people in my community that have held that light up for me and I hope to shine that light on them as well.

Speaker 2 1:03:50

So thank you oh, thank you, and I'd also like to thank the audience again for tuning in to another episode of Black Van Club on the mic.