Kid Sister Wants to Distance Herself From Pop Stars Like Britney Spears

Posted on Oct 19th 2011 1:00PM by Melody Lau
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Don Flood

Kid Sister is not your average rapper -- and she's definitely not a pop star. The Chicago native, who cut her teeth in the electronic rap scene performing at dance parties thrown by her brother Josh Young (of Flosstradamus), may have struck a nerve in 2008 with 'Pro Nails' featuring Kanye West, but don't group her in with the likes of Nicki Minaj.

"I feel like it's gone pop," she tells Spinner in of the female rappers who've come onto the scene in recent years. "When I first came out it was me, Peaches, Northern State and M.I.A. And I think when Ke$ha happened it was like, 'Oh, it sounds like that now?' It's just evolving in a pop way."

"It is what it is," the 31-year-old adds. "And you can ask me how I feel about any pop; it's not my first choice, but it appeals to kids and it has its place. My music has pop sensibilities for sure but it's definitely not straight-up pop."

So when her label forced her to record a pop song on her 2009 record, 'Ultraviolet,' she wasn't exactly happy.

"It was supposed to be my pop smash and I was like, 'I told you guys, I don't want to do this. I'm not Britney Spears -- it's just not me.'"

While she's quick to draw a distinction between her electro-propelled hip-hop and the radio-ready hits pumped out by the reigning popsters, Kid Sister doesn't necessarily identify with other female rappers either. "There's two roads in life [as a female rapper]: drinking or having sex with women," she says, suggesting that lady rappers are either party girls or lesbians. "I'm neither -- I'm a tomboy who happens to really like nails. I'm like a grandma."

Kid Sister isn't focused on fitting in, she's more concerned about rolling out new material. With an EP -- a collaboration with an artist Kid Sister isn't ready to name just yet -- and a full-length waiting for producers to put the final touches on, the Chicago native is excited to come back, full-force. After all, it's been a two-year haul since she released her last effort.

"I didn't know that most of these people out there have people writing most of their albums for them, and that's how they can get it done so fast," she says. "Even rappers who you would consider as skilled lyricists are not writing their own s---. I was talking to [rapper and Chamillionaire collaborator] Paul Wall about it and he was like, 'Yeah, it's like finding out that everybody on the baseball team has steroids and you didn't get any!'"

Watch Kid Sister's 'Pro Nails' Video

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