Lady Te

Artist Information

Biography

A timeless talent whose lyrical creativity will inspire a nation and generations to come. This is the era of Terra aka Lady Te. It is her goal to become a voice for every person who ever had a dream. It is her heart’s desire to mirror the thoughts of her peers. She uses her personal life experiences combined with the experiences of those around her to create music that people can listen to, identify with and be encouraged by. Though she is young in age, she is wise in spirit and knowledge and is no amateur.

Terra began rapping in 1999 when TLC’s “No Scrubs” was on the charts. Six years later, her admiration for her favorite performer, the late Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes, has kept her focused on the bigger picture. This is a picture that is framed with the courage of self expression. Industry insiders say that Terra carries that same strong, defiant sound and attitude that “Left-Eye” was famous for. “I like her style and she didn’t care what others thought of her,” says Terra of Lopes. “She expressed herself and in my heart, she is my big sister. She inspired me in many different ways. Her music and spirit will live on through me.”

A fearless firecracker whose presence is unmatchable. Once you hear her music and see her perform live you will become a believer. Her charisma emanates through her music and arrests you when she’s on stage. She’s captivating and her lyrics whether fun or serious are intelligent and stimulating. This is what sets Terra apart from her counterparts. She is a star.

“The music industry needs more young female rappers, “says Terra. “I keep it real. I write my own songs and I write from my heart when I’m happy, said or mad. I am just being Terra. I rap because that is the way I express my feelings. I am a young lady and I can’t say everything that I want to say so I express myself in my songs.”

It is this sincerity, drive and determination that is currently propelling her to higher heights and catapulting her career to new dimensions. Terra’s vastly growing fan base is extremely loyal as she has become a staple in her hometown of the Motor City, Detroit, Michigan. Her list of accomplishments only confirms that she is a seasoned professional and that her experience in the industry has groomed her into becoming the polished, passionate artist that she is.

She has performed across the country sharing stages with the likes of Chrisette Michele, Young Jeezy, Fabolous, Travis Porter, K’Jon, N.E.R.D., Gucci Mane, Sammie, Rick Ross, OJ Da Juice Man, Sean Kingston, Jibbs, J Holiday, Playas Circle, Twista, Kelis, MC Lyte and many more. Her songs have received over 4 million plays on MySpace, she’s had over 130,000 views on Worldstarhiphop.com. With many performances and three studio albums under her belt, she has proven that she has what it takes to take over the world and it is just a matter of time before everyone is able to see what is already been predestined; The Era of Terra.

“I’m going to bring my own style, and I am going to express what I feel in my heart. I’m not going to hold back and that’s what’s up.”

Instrumentation

Discography

Terra-Fied
Bag Back
Hip Roll
I Got Yo Back
I Know I Look Good (Ponytail) (Released to Radio)
Shut Yo Mouth
G'd Up
Special
Meet Me on the Block
I'm Done
I'll Holla
Ride Yo Whip
Get Hype
Special
Stronger
Lookin at Me
Hurricane
Back Hallway
(K'Jon) What's Really Good
Gotta Stay Fresh
Shut It Down
Gettin Thick
Make Me Sick (Throw Up)
We Out Here
All My Ladies
Jump In Front
All My Haters
Like A Sigma
Marco Polo
Good Life
Leaving With Her
Never Dreamed
Girl U Dumb
I Cheated On My Boyfriend
Princess of Detroit

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter

Audio

• Shut It Down
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• I Know I Look Good (Ponytail)
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• Hurricane
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• Princess Of Detroit
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• Jump In Front Ft. Vina Mills
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Lyrics

• I Know I Look Good (Ponytail)
• Hurricane

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

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  Special to the cynics and chick-offensive: Bet you never thought lipgloss and ponytails would be two...Special to the cynics and chick-offensive: Bet you never thought lipgloss and ponytails would be two vital elements in resuscitating hip-hop's party face. But in the wake of another year of rap albums by rap dudes-- and perky workout jams by pop stars like Gwen, Fergie, and Harlem rapper Young B of "Chicken Noodle Soup" fame-- two more charismatic and strong16-year-olds descend like an oxygen mask on Meredith Grey's face. Lil Mama's first single is about her lipgloss, while Lady Te hits with a track about her ponytail; such accoutrements of beauty might seem like superficial topics (ha) but ask any teen chica about the symbolism of such objects and you'll leave with a greater respect (or a stunning shiner). But I'm all about talking it over before punching you out, baby, so let's break it down.
  
  Lil Mama is a 16-year-old from East New York, Brooklyn, and the girl can flow. On "Lipgloss", the break-out track that garnered the high-schooler a record deal with your old pals Jive, she wonders, "What you know about me?"-- street rhetoric with a confrontational inflection-- before delivering the punch: "My lip gloss is poppin. My lip gloss is cool. All the boys keep jockin. They chase me after school." Rank capitalism has been the name of the game with self-interested party chicks as of late (coughGWENcough), but when Mz. Mama namechecks make-up brands-- department-store stalwart M*A*C, drugstore staple L'Oreal-- it's because "I'm worth it." The culture of spoiling oneself as expression of purchasing power and affirmation of value has finally hit the 11th grade. (Well, it's got a past: then-teen Shanice's 1991 smash "I Love Your Smile" comes to mind. Because she's gonna "put that new black mini on my charge anyway.") And if you're worried about the end game: the lip gloss application is purely about looking good, and feeling good about looking good. Lil Mama levels, "The boys really like it/ The girls don't speak/ They rollin they eyes/ They lip gloss chic." And when she cheeses, "I be lovin it, I be lovin it, I be rubbin it on my lips, my lipglooosss," she raises up a ritual that's as perennially important to the socialization (and mythology) of American teen girls as slumber parties and sneaking out the window to [meet boys; smoke cigs*; read books]. Still, in another song, "Hate Me", Lil Mama assures us, "I'm still pretty with no make-up." Get familiar.
  
  *NOT RECOMMENDED
  
  Sure it's Lil Mama's sass and flow that make her special but it's also her register: So many female rappers in the recent past have baritone growls (we'll get to that in a sec) so hearing someone with a higher voice is a refreshing change. Her alto swagger doesn't render her any less ferocious, of course, but it pairs like port and cocoa with the minimal bass boom and handclaps she favors for beats. "Lipgloss" is a nugget single, a hook to draw in all you fish, and if you check out her other tracks you'll see Lil Mama is one of the first new lady rappers-- who can actually rap-- to come around in a while. As remixes go, she brilliantly repurposed a recent Jay-Z single so it sounds like the rap CEO is addressing her on the chorus: "Show me what you got, Lil Mama." Other tracks like "Hate Me" and "No Music" show her ingenuity and the diversity of her style-- she's got a little Lil Kim in her here and there, but to that I cannot be mad. There's lots of room to grow, and not to diss on my sistren in age Gwen and (gulp) Fergs, but high school anthems just sound more believable when they're coming from actual high schoolers. Sorry.
  
  Over in the Midwest, Detroit actually, 16-year-old Lady Te makes a nice counterpart / companion to Mz. Mama. As opposed to the New York grit and bang on Mama's beats, you can hear a tinge of Detroit city's synth-love in Te's production. Her single, "Pony Tail," says she looks good no matter what hairstyle she's rocking, á la "Lip Gloss", but with a harder angle and headgear. But "Pony Tail" is not Lady Te's best track-- that honor gets split between "Get Hype" and "G'd Up", two songs from her 2006 album Terra-fied. The latter is a depth-charged club thumper with a chorus that's more Crime Mob crunk than Detroit funk. The former is an electro-sizzle of a shopping anthem so brass tacks, it's Lloyd Banksian-- less fun for its topic, but catchy nevertheless. Still, "Get Hype" is the kind of jam I'd bump in the Prius (if I had one)-- a scream-along chorus and a synth to back it up.
  
  These chicas focus more on brains than brain, and don't care so much about catering 2 dudes than primping and rocking good parties. This may have to do with the (presumed) absence of men writing their lyrics (Biggie RIP). In fact, in each of their flagship songs, they talk about the boys who admire their fancy looks, but you get the feeling the dude-mention is as much to set a mise-en-scene as to express their own desirability. No club anthem is written without love and sex as the subtext (unless "fighting" is the text-text) but the way these ladies approach dudes and hotness is refreshingly on their own terms, with healthy dose of self-worth tied to their looks (the area where most females feel the least confident). These are early entries into the idea that rap gender roles might be shifting a little. There are other signs-- Ludacris' Grammy-winning (but terrible) accession, "Runaway Love"; the new supergroup, Head Bitches in Charge, formed when Bronx bruiser Remy Ma, Florida honey Jacki-O and Chicago super-rapper Shawnna finally got fed up with the bullshit they had to put up with as female rappers in a male-run industry-- and, I must add, the visibility of rapping non-rappers Gwen and Fergie, who are no Rakims but are helping basic self-empowerment, as a theme, gain in popularity. I'm not making any great proclamations-- that shell game'll get you in trouble, B-- but it's just, you know, something I've been thinking about. For like, 900 years.

• Catch Lady Te on BET’s 106 and Park Today
  

  MetroTimes talks about Lady Te's upcoming appearance on BET's 106 & Park

• Lady Te only female feature on K'Jon's Debut Album
  

  Lady Te and K'Jon

Setlist

I Know I Look Good (Ponytail)
Hurricane
Gotta Stay Fresh
Back Hallway
Shut It Down

Basic Requirements

Calendar