Listen Live!
Chicago born rapper CupcakKe has a work ethic we barely see in the music industry anymore. At just 21, she has released six full length albums in the last two years alone and has had 32 features in the same time frame. Compared to other artists in her genre who typically have a new album or EP every year or so, CupcakKe’s grind is surely admirable.
Her most recent release, Eden, is just over thirty minutes long. CupcakKe has a tendency to keep her songs short, with a few exceptions. The instrumentation of most of her songs are not very complex, most likely to bring the most attention to her lyrics (and her ad-libs). An example of this would be the single “Quiz” from Eden. Her lyrics are clever and unapologetic, “Uber pull through the drive-thru/I’m tryna get me some Popeyes/Bought like twenty wings/You would think I’m ’bout to split it with Five Guys (I’m hungry!).” Clocking in at 2:17, this song is short, and fun as hell.
One thing that CupcakKe consistently delivers on is sex positivity. In an interview with The Fader, she talks about being an independent artist. I feel like that’s what keeps her from being watered down. When CupcakKe raps about sex, she does it in such a way where it would be grotesque if anyone else tried to do it. CupcakKe manages to normalize and destigmatize female pleasure in sex by simply not filtering herself. Her music is empowering and honest. In that same interview with The Fader, CupcakKe said this about her music potentially being too sexual, “I don’t want to be changed or sugar-coated. That’s why I’m here doing what I’m doing—because I want to remain me.”
In addition to sex positivity, CupcakKe has written songs in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Her song “Crayons” specifically talks about how love is love, “Boy on boy, girl on girl, like who the f*** you like, f*** the world.” In the rest of the song she continues to say how she doesn’t care about anyone’s sexuality or gender because they’re people, and you should get to know them before you judge them. She’s unsurprisingly gained a huge audience within the LGBTQ+ community.
CupcakKe simply doesn’t get the credit that she deserves. Where her instrumentation may lack, she makes up for it in her clever lyricism, constant hard work, and her ability to impress.
Favorite Tracks: “Crayons”, “Deepthroat”, “Quiz
Review By: Danielle Ciampaglia
