DEVMO

We're all for women who are breaking glass ceilings. So when female rapper DEVMO broke into our inbox, we had to push play. The Santa Monica based hip-hop artist has been defying stereotypes of what a female rapper would be. She's a petite redhead; yet her flow, fluidity, cadence, and bars go bigger than her tiny frame. Over the past few months, she's risen in the underground hip-hop scene, earned recognition of some big names in the industry, due to her stint on having Usher’s MegaStar competition, and also winning last year’s TeamBackPack’s Mission Underground New York.



Today, the artist releases for us a new single "Hollywood", a true tongue in cheek summation of the cut throat industry in the titular neighbourhood. On the motivation behind the single, DEVMO states “Hollywood sums up with chaos that you're confronted with when you arrive in the center of entertainment. I never understood why people would move to Hollywood who aren't pursuing something in the arts.” - EARMILK

ON HOW SHE IDENTIFIES:
I came out as bisexual to my mom when
I was in college, and I was heartbroken
after a girl and I stopped seeing each
other. I am as bisexual as it gets. The
lesbian community has supported me so
much throughout my music career and
with my personal life. They’re the people
I turned to when I thought no one else
would understand.

ON RAP AS MUSICAL EXPRESSION:
I’ve always loved music and poetry and
they sort of collided at a young age,
and when I’d hear hip-hop on the radio
I was instantly happy. My family moved
to Los Angeles when I was 14 and I was
introduced to West Coast hip-hop (Tupac,
Dre, Snoop, NWA) and completely fell
in love. I met some rapper friends from
school and they gave me the opportunity
to get on a track and I knew instantly that
this was what I wanted to do. Our high
school won a contest and Kanye West
performed, and he totally blew me away. I
wanted to do that.

ON HOW THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
PERCEIVES HER:
As a more feminine, petite female rapper,
you really need to earn respect. Even
if you absolutely slay, some people will
just hate because they can and you look
“weak.” If you’re a woman in hip-hop and
you’re not oversexualized or masculine, it
can be hard to get noticed or respected.
However, anyone, no matter what they
look like, will get the most respect if they
stay authentic to who they are. Hip-hop
is all about a message, confidence, and
authenticity.

ON RAPPING FOR IGGY AZALEA:
The day my friend showed me Iggy
Azalea’s music video, I went home and
cried. I was so sad that I wasn’t the first
white girl to make it in hip-hop, but I
was far too young and inexperienced
back then. I became a big fan of hers
and went to one of her shows before she
blew up, and I rapped for her backstage
after. She was ridiculously sweet. She
took her time with every fan who wanted
to see her and clapped and applauded
my god-awful rap! You know, I think
the media is a bit hard on Iggy and I
understand why. I’m still an Iggy Azalea
fan, the only thing I think she could do
diferently is voice her opinions about
social issues more and use her platform
to help inspire positive change.

ON MUSIC CHANGING THE WORLD:
I think a lot of the world’s issues would
be solved if people were more willing to
be loving and accepting of one another.
I would love for people to judge less
and name positive qualities in each
other more.

ON WHAT’S COMING UP FOR HER:
Lots of really exciting things are
happening this fall. One is the release
of my EP, Call it a Night, which is out in
October. There are so many others that
I can’t quite talk about yet but be on
the look out. All announcements will be
made on all my social media pages. - Curve Magazine

Devin Moses, under the moniker DEVMO, is the female hip-hop artist that has been rapping better than your boyfriend since 2013 - and she is nowhere near finished. This fiery redhead is a prime example of the unexpected. Do not let her appearance fool you, because as soon as she spits verses on the mic, her talent speaks for itself. The rap goddess recently performed at OC and San Francisco Pride, is opening for Snow Tha Product in July and plans to release her five-track EP, Change My Mind on July 20.

What are the challenges you face being a female, LGBTQ rapper?

Being a female in rap is a little more difficult to break into the game because there’s less females. But I also think it gives me an edge and there’s an advantage because when people see me performing, they automatically will pay attention just because I’m a girl rapping. I automatically get ears and then they hear me spit and they really like it. I think there’s definitely an advantage. There’s been some men that unfortunately will try and take advantage and bribe you upfront to get places. But right off the bat I make it apparent that I’m into girls and that I don’t do that. In a sense I feel it saved me in some ways.

Who throughout LGBTQ history or in the community has inspired you to embrace your individuality and artistry?

When I was little there wasn’t anyone that I looked up to that was gay because I didn’t even realize that I liked women until I was older. So, this is kind of embarrassing, but I guess my first girl crush was Tila Tequila when she did A Shot at Love. That was like the first mainstream, bisexual or even slightly gay reality show or love show.

What type of advice would you give your fans who are currently struggling with their identity?

I don’t know because I think for me, it wasn’t that big of a struggle. The first girl I actually liked, I loved her and because I loved her so much, that to me was more important than keeping a secret. Nothing else really mattered at that point. I was ready to tell the world. That’s how much I love and cared about her. My advice is, I think love is more important than people’s judgment and be true to yourself. Because for me, it totally overcame any type of doubt I had in my head about who I would lose in my life.

What’s a step that you can take as an artist to normalize LGBTQ romance and relationships?

For me, that involves me talking about what’s going on in my relationships. In my songs when I’m talking about a girl who broke my heart, then I’ll say ‘she’, I’ll say ‘her’. I’ll be very outward about it because I don’t think there's anything for me to hide. I’ve been told by people that I shouldn’t say that because you want to be more relatable to the masses, but I don’t care because this is first and foremost my art and my therapy. I’m going to talk about my heart being broken by a girl. I’m going to talk about being in love with a girl. I’m just going to be myself. I need to talk about it. I think that’s one way, just not to be scared. - FLAUNT

DEVIN Moses is the young rapper on everyone’s playlist in LA — and she has a secret Irish connection.

Known as DevMo, she has stunned fans with her fast-flowing style and catchy tracks, and latest singles Hollywood and Kylie Jenner have fuelled talk of this being her breakout year.

Devin Moses is an up-and-coming rapper in the US

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Devin Moses is an up-and-coming rapper in the US
As for the link to these shores, it goes much deeper than her flame-coloured locks — she is a niece of none other than the fleet-footed Michael Flatley.

In an exclusive interview with the Irish Sun, she laughed: “My natural hair colour is actually blonde, but a few summers ago I spent some time with my grandmother in Ireland and it inspired me to dye my hair red like hers.

“After the first time I did it, I knew I was going to be a redhead for a very long time.

“It’s sort of become my thing now and people recognise me as the redhead rapper girl.

DevMo is niece to Irish dancing legend Michael Flatley

GETTY - CONTRIBUTOR
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DevMo is niece to Irish dancing legend Michael Flatley
“I love it, I think it reflects my fiery personality and my Irish roots, and I’m very proud of that.”

While she is “incredibly inspired” by her Riverdance star uncle, DevMo is hoping to make herself known on her own grounds.

She said: “My mother, Annie Flatley, is the oldest child of the family, with Michael born second.

“Right before Riverdance became a big success, we all lived in Los Angeles and we spent a lot of time together. Growing up we would go see his shows all the time and it was incredibly inspiring to me.

“I loved the music and lighting and, of course, the dancing. I thought it was incredible how rhythmic the dancers were using just their feet.

“I think I have that same rhythm in me but dancing wasn’t my thing. I took Irish dance classes as a kid but wasn’t passionate about it enough to pursue it past middle school.

Just seeing the success my uncle had made the possibility of “making it” seem so real to me. I knew if I worked hard, I could make myself a success too.”

She didn’t follow in his footsteps of dancing, but her love of a beat led her to the world of rap. And the teenage star said getting it right was like solving a maths equation.

DevMo dyed her hair red after taking inspiration from her Irish grandmother

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DevMo dyed her hair red after taking inspiration from her Irish grandmother
“Well, I grew up in Chicago, but when I turned 14 my family decided to move back to Los Angeles, which is where we lived when I was a baby.

“I went to Santa Monica High School and was introduced to West Coast Hip-Hop and fell in love with it. Artists like Tupac, Dr.Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar really inspired me.

I was constantly listening to Drake, Kid Cudi, E-40, Kanye West, Eminem, Tech N9ne, Hopsin, Yelawolf, Rittz and so many more. I could rap their songs flawlessly and when I did, it felt like I was solving an intricate algebra problem.”

It didn’t take long before she started making her own music, playing her first ever gig in one of Hollywood’s iconic venues.

“I got a laptop when I was a junior in high school and would play around on garage band all the time. I would make my own beats and write full length songs to them and record them through my laptop speaker.

“I showed my mom my very first one and she cried, telling me it was really good and that I should make more music.

“I found a group of kids at school who were part of a rap group called The Killbots and knew one of them had a crush on me so I figured I’d ask if I could be featured on one of their songs. They agreed, so I wrote and recorded a verse with them and I remember them being surprised that I could actually rap.

The talent raps about the celebrity-obsessed lifestyle she’s witnessed during her time in LA

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The talent raps about the celebrity-obsessed lifestyle she’s witnessed during her time in LA
“My first performance was on their set at the House of Blues Hollywood in the foundation room. I was intensely nervous because the room was packed with people from my High School who wanted to see if I could actually spit.

“It was my first taste of performing live and I think I fell in love with that aspect of music more than anything else.”

And now she is creating her own songs and performing in shows across America, surprising critics wherever she goes. Devin wanted to write about what she already knew and for her that was the life in celebrity-obsessed LA.

“I’ve lived in Hollywood for a little over three years now and it’s such an incredibly chaotic city. Everyone here is trying to make it in something whether it be acting, music, comedy, dancing or anything else in entertainment.

“The values here are different and the intense idolization of celebrities is overwhelming. I’ve observed a lot while I’ve lived here and I pretty much write about everything that goes on in my life.

“Hollywood is about the insanity of living here. People move to Hollywood to hustle and pursue their passion regardless of the awful traffic, thick layer of smog over the city, minimal pay, sky-high rent, with very little space of our own.

“It’s all worth it at the end of the day when we’ve booked another gig that’ll help us stay here another month.

“Kylie Jenner touches on the backwards values people have in Los Angeles and America for the most part. In general, it seems you’re valued more for your wealth, status, and success over who you are as a person.

In her single Kylie Jenner, DevMo shares insight into how fame impacted Kylie’s life

GETTY - CONTRIBUTOR
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In her single Kylie Jenner, DevMo shares insight into how fame impacted Kylie’s life
“Kylie Jenner is probably the most iconic person of my generation. She’s a young girl born into fame who has had tons of work done because the whole world was telling her she wasn’t pretty enough.

“Sadly, this way of life is seeping into our subconscious and it’s really hard not to believe that your worth comes from how big your bank account is and what you look like.”

Rap music is mainly a male-dominated area, with artists Drake and Macklemore regularly topping the Irish charts, not only in the rap and hip-hop category.

However females like Nicki Minaj and Cardi B are now changing the game and bringing a new flock of fans to the genre. For DevMo, she said she uses people’s opinions of female rappers to her advantage.

“The rap industry for me has been a combination of ups and downs. I’m underestimated, undervalued, and put on as an opener more often than I’d like, but on the other hand, I’m paid attention to.

“As a female rapper, when I’m on stage, people listen. People pay attention because they want to see if I can rap. Then when they see I can, they start to listen to lyrics and that’s what really matters to me. I think we are in a time of “the woman” so it benefits me more than it holds me back.”

DevMo’s music is available on Spotify or find her on Facebook and Instagram

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DevMo’s music is available on Spotify or find her on Facebook and Instagram
And when it gets too much, she has one place she always comes to clear her head from Hollywood- here.

“The first time I went to Ireland, the whole family went to Michael’s home in Cork and spent a week there.

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“I’ve been to Ireland several times since. I studied abroad at UCD for a semester, I opened for Angel Haze in Dublin at The Academy, I’ve spent time with my grandmother Elizabeth at her home, and recently my mother and I spent some time at the family’s 300-year-old farm house making it beautiful and enjoying the quiet nature.

“Ireland is a second home to me. If I’m ever feeling sad or stagnant, I try to get away to Ireland. There’s something so healing about it. I hope to spend a longer length of time in Ireland in the near future and hopefully come back for another show.”

To learn more about DevMo and hear her music, check out DevMo on Spotify, Facebook or Instagram. - The Irish Sun

DEVMO is blowing all stereotypes for redheads out of the water with her fluent flow and socially aware lyrics. New track "Hollywood" is another snapshot into the reality-driven foundations that propel her music.

"Hollywood" is a beautiful contradiction, as DEVMO infuses the track with sultry pop and her impressive, eloquent flow.

Her crystal cut rapping opens the track with velocity, swerving like sports cars between the humming bed of synths.

As her flow begins to pan out, the complexity of her vocal delivery becomes apparent, and her ability to do so in a refined way is admirable.

Speaking about the track, DEVMO explained, “Hollywood sums up with chaos that you're confronted with when you arrive in the center of entertainment. I never understood why people would move to Hollywood who aren't pursuing something in the arts."

Having recently placed second in Usher’s MegaStar competition, DEVMO is upping the heat with sickly sweet beats and an overwhelming injection of female rap talent. - The Line of Best Fit

L.A. based rap artist DEVMO just released the video to her new single, “Hollywood” from the same-titled EP set for release July 20. The song depicts the struggle and strife of life in the land of hopes and dreams. Hollywood is about DEVMO’s experiences with living in the famous L.A. city. Her next single, “Kylie Jenner” will drop July 6.

She has performed locally and internationally in rap battle contests (placing 6th last year at TeamBackPack’s Mission Underground New York out of 2,400 people) and well-known events like SXSW and the Dinah, opening for artists like Angel Haze, Snow Tha Product, and Elle King. DEVMO is openly bisexual and was featured in Curve Magazine back in 2016.

DEVMO will premiere her new EP Hollywood when she shares the stage with Snow Tha Product at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz, CA July 20th. You can purchase tickets here. - The Women's International Music Network

Female rapper DEVMO has released her new music video for her song "Wah Wah Wah," and it consists of a great deal of spunk.
In this song, DEVMO takes aim at all the girls who have used her as a side-chick. Maximilian Jaeger served as the music video's producer, and the clip was directed by director Montana Bertoletti.

"Wah Wah Wah" tells the true story of falling for a girl whose family didn't approve of their relationship, and the song is about DEVMO coming to terms with the mentally damaging situation and accepting her role in it. The song has a retro alternative grunge vibe to it.
Her vocals are quite distinct from the other female rappers in the music business, especially since she switches up the norms and add her own flavor to the song.
The Verdict
Overall, DEVMO is not afraid to showcase her vulnerability in her new song "Wah Wah Wah" and its music video. She does not hold back on her emotions, and it may be vituperative in a few instances, so listener discretion is advised. This song as a whole is badass, and it is worth more than just a passing glance. - Digital Journal

After making waves in the underground Hip-Hop scene Irish rapper DEVMO is setting her sights on the mainstream. Her lyrics are full of razor sharp social commentary about relationships, celebrity and destroying Hip-Hop stereotypes.

Her new single ‘Change My Mind’ is rammed with filthy bass lines, skittering Trap beats, and flawless scatter shot rhymes making DEVMO sound like K.Flay being remixed by Amon Tobin. We have the premiere, listen below.

Throughout ‘Change My Mind’ DEVMO manages to boil society down its base elements and takes pot shots at the value of social status and how hilarious it is, to live your life by those values. DEVMO. Remember that name… - God is in the TV

Devin Moses, performing at DEVMO, is a singer songwriter from Santa Monica, California. Her latest single, ‘Hollywood’, is a hard hitting rap talking about why on earth anyone would live in Hollywood if they’re not from there.

DEVMO is a petite redhead, and tends to shock new audiences when she opens her mouth and starts spouting fluid rhymes about her day to day life. ‘Hollywood’ is a local-eye view of what living in LA is really like, and she debunks all the glitz and glamour that outsiders are led to believe is the truth about Tinseltown.

DEVMO has opened both locally and internationally for the likes of Angel Haze, Snow Tha Product, Elle King, and more. Her third project, ‘The Hollywood EP’, is out now. - Essentially Pop

Devon Moses, better known as her stage name Devmo, is a rising recording artist by way of Los Angeles with several hot tracks “Kylie Jenner” and “Hollywood.” After a brief campaign, the redhead firecracker unveils her brand new EP, entitled, Change My Mind.

Change My Mind is a five-track refresher course that features two previous buzzworthy releases in “Kylie Jenner” and “Hollywood.” With new music including “3174”, “Get My Shit Together,” and the project’s title track. The new project touches on several personal topics while addressing her point-of-view on social issues like classes, sexuality, and injustice. Check out the complete project below, courtesy of Soundcloud.

Its been three years since Devmo released a feature project, being her 2014 debut EP, entitled, ‘Real Talk.’ A 12-track project that began her buzz thanks to breakout songs, “Dirty Paradise,” “Pass the Blunt,” and “Chinese.” Along with projects, Devmo’s popularity grew through her impressive rhyme skills in various cypher clubs.

Due in part to “Hollywood” being a fan favorite, Devmo has unveiled a video for the Jesse Evans-produced EP cut, shot by director Shot By AE. In the video, Devmo relives the struggles of trying to be heard on the streets of Broken Dreams and foreshadowing her name in lights under the iconic Hollywood sign. Released back in June, watch the new video below in the YouTube link.

Following the release of her latest EP, Devmo is currently touring throughout California on the sold-out West Coast leg of the Atlantic Records recording artist Snow Tha Product. Along with performing in her new home of Los Angeles, Devmo hits the stage of Santa Cruz, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento, and Santa Ana. While relatively new to the breakout radar, music executives will be on the lookout for her by the end of 2018 as she continues to rise in popularity on social media. - Above Average Hip Hop

Rumblings are coming out of West Coast about a familiar face in the Underground Hip-Hop community, a fast-rising new female emcee by the name of Devmo. With tremendous wordplay and unique ability to command a presence from all those around with her voice alone, Devmo arises out of the underground with a new offering in convincing EP, ‘Change My Mind’.

The new effort by Devmo is a five track collective including previously released tracks, “Kylie Jenner” and “Hollywood”, along with three new songs. The latest project is celebrated as progressive, entertaining, and buzzworthy. Devmo tackles several trending social issues, providing thought-provoking commentary, and showing a side of the rising star we haven’t heard before.

Back in May, Devmo returned the UGHH office after making her debut in 2017 and dropped a persuasive a cappella of her song, “Bad Girls”


Devmo is growing into a breakout star of 2018 and ‘Change My Mind’ only diagnose that statement. Accruing a collection of fan favorites, Devmo is currently opening up for Snow Tha Product on the West Coast addition of her popular Vibe Higher Tour. Performing for sold-out crowd nightly in major markets like Santa Ana, San Jose, and Los Angeles. - Underground Hiphop Blog