The Singles Jukebox

Rounding out the day: a Houston rapper and childhood pal…

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Katherine St Asaph: Ingrid, a Houston rapper and childhood neighbor of Beyonce’s, raps like she’s been storing these words for decades. These words tend not-too-subtly toward “conscious” respectability politics at times, but never enough that you don’t first notice a self-assured talent, with some great boasts (“the best Ingrid a genius can be”).
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Alfred Soto: This is self-assurance: “You wanna be a star, I’m tryna be like my mama/Self-sufficient, independent and strong.” She loves words and the sound of her thick, lustrous voice.
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Cassy Gress: “Damn Ingrid”, indeed. She’s got a voice that’s not a preacher per se, but it’s the language and flow of someone who cares about you and really wants to make sure you understand this shit, for your own good. 
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Brad Shoup: There’s something thrillingly and queasily throwback about that “Streets of Cairo” melody loop. If it helps, it has little interaction with the corny, didactic bars: the recorded equivalent of Chuck D’s Twitter.
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Juana Giaimo: “Double Pedigree” has a strong and encouraging message, but — maybe because English is my second language — I wish the music could captivate me as much.
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Leonel Manzanares de la Rosa: Fierce lyrics, boring flow. Fortunately, the beat fulfills its promise to sound “very Texas”, but that also means it feels like it’s a chopped-And-screwed version of a better track. 
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