If you haven’t been eagerly anticipating the release of Kid Sister’s debut album, Ultraviolet, you may want to come out from under that rock, because that’s exactly what the album does—it rocks. Melisa Young (AKA Kid Sister), girlfriend to famed DJ A-Trak, friend of Kanye West (who raps on the song “Pro Nails”) and sister of J2K of electronic act Flosstradamus, is the well-connected face and voice behind the record. But now, two years after work on Ultraviolet—and major hype about Kid Sister as a female MC—began, Young emerges a little older, a little wiser and ready for center stage. Watching her perform live at LA’s Echoplex on Saturday night, it’s clear that her success isn’t all connections; she brings plenty of talent and charisma to the table as well.
After Flosstradamus whips the crowd into a house-remix dance party, Kid Sister enters stage right—no longer sporting the hoodie-and-sneaker look of her beginnings; flaunting instead diva-worthy tresses and shiny black leather pants. But once she starts strutting across the stage, spitting in-your-face rhymes that reflect her endearingly girly yet refreshingly rough-n-tumble tomboy attitude, it’s clear she’s not forgotten her roots.
And despite the aforementioned connections, those roots are pretty humble. Young grew up in Chicago and until she was “discovered” in 2005, reportedly worked three jobs, riding her bike through harsh winter weather to get around. Now, in songs like “Right Hand Hi” and “Pro Nails,” she’s singing a decidedly different tune. The confidence and swagger that come through in rhymes like: “I’m lookin’ sharp, you can’t compete with the champ, Steady flickin’, I’m holdin’ done that layaway rack,” are in some ways reminiscent of other hard-hitting female rock goddesses like Santigold and MIA. But Kid Sister brings her own flare to the party, her own contribution to the burgeoning genre. Her scrappy lyrics, high-energy, aggressive beats and the anthemic melodies that accompany them are the soundtrack of a triumphant woman, one who’s come of age, worked her way to the top and plans on staying there.
Words by Christine Spehar
Kid Sister – Pro Nails ft. Kanye West
KID SISTER | MySpace Video
