Lega-C
Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | SELF
Music
Press
German-American digital imprint Block Starz Music has announced the signing of Tulsa, Oklahoma rapper/singer/producer Lega-C, whose viral video, "White Girl Raps Fast", has generated nearly 70,000 views on YouTube in less than three months. The multi-talented artist will announce the signing tonight during a live Ustream interview/performance on the Zedalza Entertainment Network, www.zedalza.net, at 8:15 PM CST/ 9:15 PM EST.
Lega-C was brought to the attention of Block Starz Music executives by a fan who submitted her video to the music company's website. "Honestly, we we're expecting it to be nonsense," says Peppy Johnson, Block Starz Vice President of A&R. "But from the moment she started rapping, her skill and talent level were undeniable. We believe, with a strong team around her, she has enormous commercial potential."
Originally from Michigan, the 25-year-old Hip-Hop artist, born Danielle McLean, wrote her first rap in church at age 10 and hasn't looked back since. After a brief stint with Swisha House in Houston, Lega-C returned to Oklahoma and released her self-produced debut album, "Underestimated", which she sold over 5000 units of independently from the trunk of her car and online. She was also nominated for "Hip-Hop Artist of the Year" at the Tulsa World Spot Awards, in addition to being featured in various local news outlets.
Lega-C will be featured on the upcoming "Midwest Block Starz: Reloaded" compilation and will release her major label-distributed solo project through Block Starz Music in 2012.
- blockstarzmusic.com
January is already halfway over and already we’ve seen some of 2011’s finest come out to play! Getting things started this week and completely impressing the world with an iPhone-shot music video debut is Lega-C with her song, “When I’m With You”. Watch out Lady Gaga … Ms. Lega-C is comin’ up this year! Second up on this week’s list of our favorite staff-selected videos is a smoking sensation out of Romania on the Roton label … Her name is Antonia, she’s already graced the cover of FHM Romania and is bringing the heat with her amazing Latin-flavored club hit, “Shake It Mamma” this week on FEMMEBOX.
- Women's Radio
The December edition of the ChronicCast Radio monthly mixtape. This time TaylrMayd has Oklahoma's own Lega-C co-hosting. Featuring the mainstream and underground jams, snippets of ChronicCast Radio shows and exclusive tracks.
- Chroniccast Radio
Take, for starters a brand-new name and face to WomensRadio – Lega-C – and her offsetting track, “Spain”. We say offsetting because it caught us off guard and it will hopefully do the same for our listeners. It is equal parts country and rap – without sounding like “c-rap” (pun intended). It’s actually quite good, that’s why we placed it at the front! Just Blue steps up for the second track in the mix with “Better Off Alone”, which forces our audience to pull over and stop at the closest coffee shop. Luckily, the coffee is strong and the danishes are filled with homemade cream cheese. Mmmmmmm homemade cream cheese danishes.
- Women's Radio
The week leading up to what many see as the Devil's holiday gets a swift kick in the pants in the form of a decidedly un-Halloween show on Thursday at the Spiritbank Events Center. Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith will be soft-rockin' for God starting at 8pm. Elsewhere on the 23rd, we've got some footstompin' red dirt at Bob's (Cain's 2nd stage) in the form of Back Porch Mary, Brandon Clark Band, and the Turnpike Troubadours. At the Soundpony, The Way it Was, Jor Dan and The Moss will no doubt be very, very loud. And at Plan B, you've got Tulsa's own Fergie in the form of Lega C (still carries the classiest MySpace quote in Tulsa: "She doesn't swallow...she spits").
- Urban Tulsa
Aug. 21--On a summer weekday afternoon, Tulsa musician Lega-C sits in a local downtown restaurant, scooping chipfuls of five-layer Mexican dip into her mouth. She's just finished a photo shoot in some of the dingiest parts of the area -- an abandoned loading dock with a stained vagabond mattress heaped on its center, a rusty staircase that yelped at her touch, a vacant building with yawning, wide concrete spaces and a single well-worn chair.
She's dressed in a retro style, below-the-knee, herringbone pencil skirt and delicate black, scoop-neck top. Her blonde hair is pulled into a classic side ponytail. Her black spike heels are to die for. Danielle McLean is a woman of outward contradictions, and she's perfectly comfortable with that.
She wrote her first rap song with her sister at age 10, then performed it at her church talent show. "I love every kind of music," she confessed, "but country and gospel."
When Lega-C writes about Oklahoma, like in "Where I Come From," it's Okla-homa, baby -- form your fist into the letter "O" and pump it in the air.
She'll dress in a golden ball gown and don her matching
grill. She'll rap about sex. She'll rap about power. She'll rap about how much better she is than you. She'll rap about how she's underestimated, "like an Oklahoma grassfire."
After a brief move to Houston, McLean decided that Tulsa was her home and returned in April. She's opened a recording studio and has collaborated with just about everyone who's anyone in Tulsa hip-hop: P.D.A., T. Hooks, Mister Popeye and more.
And, while preparing for her next album (which she hopes to release later this year), she played guitar and keyboards. In fact, she's dumped the "pre-recorded backing tracks" that defined her earlier live shows. On Saturday, she'll debut her new sound with a live backing band, and one of Tulsa's most popular band-based rap acts, at that: HipHopotamus.
"HipHopotamus really likes my stuff that's further 'out there,' " McLean said. "They have a lot of fun with my dirtier stuff. When I saw them live, I knew they had to perform with me. They were exactly what I was looking for, so I just asked.
"They agreed, just like that."
Over lunch, McLean talked about her own trials -- about dropping out of high school at age 17, and about the tribulations of being a single mom (now engaged) all these years -- with no embarrassment, no apologies in her voice. And about her 13-year-old daughter.
"I would like to have her on my next album," she said, laughing. "But my girl doesn't even like hip-hop.
"She just sees what mommy does as work. It's boring for her, and that's OK with me," she said. "I don't pretend to be a 'child-safe' rapper. My power is my message -- I am who I am."
LEGA-C'S "PARTY ON THE PATIO"
with HipHopotamus and special guests Trauma, X-Cal, Physiques, Innocent Incision, Your Final Thought
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Plan B, 520 E. Third St.
Admission: $15
Online: tulsaworld.com/LegaC
Jennifer Chancellor 581-8346
jennifer.chancellor@tulsaworld.com
- Tulsa World
Discography
Underestimated
Last Born
Happy Together
Spain
Photos
Bio
Danielle “Lega-C” McLean is a pop/hip hop artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her creativity was born in roots that go deep in American music. Whether you hear her on the radio or see her perform, you will feel the presence of a music icon. She can sing and rap with unforgettable precision.
“Straight up artist” -Mark Bryan (song writer, producer)
“She’s no novelty act-she’s the real deal” -Matt Gleason (Tulsa World)
Lega-C has developed an unparalleled blend of remixing classic rock songs and adding her own hip hop style. Remixing is not all she can do. She has been writing her own songs since she was 10 years old.
Lega-C found her passion for music in the church choir and school band. Her teenage years were greatly influenced by hip hop music. She released a solo hip hop album in 2006, and was nominated for Hip Hop Artist of the Year by The Tulsa World Spot Awards in 2006.
After doing solely hip hop for many years Lega-C began to tap into her Oklahoma roots of classic rock, blues, and country, and learned how to incorporate various genres into her songs. Her unique touch is present from the booth to the mastering process.
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