WBFO features host Pretty Bulli in the second installment of this series on the women of Buffalo’s hip-hop. Hit the ‘Listen’ button to hear Bulli’s story and clips of her music.
Words matter to Pretty Bulli. That means she has to choose carefully when she’s with her.
First, don’t call her a rapper. she is the moderator.
“To be an emcee, you have to be a master of the ceremony. You have to be able to control the crowd, be mindful of the lyrics that come out of your mouth, combine metaphors and play with words.” doesn’t do that,” Brie says.
Second, don’t call her a girl.
“I won’t name names,” Bulli says with a twinkle in his eye as he recalls what happened in the studio.
When she put a 16-bar intense freestyle on the track with a male artist, the man still seemed stuck in Bri’s lyrics, turned to her, and said her work was “perfect for girls.” said. Bri was not happy.
“It imposed something horrible on my soul, because it’s so despicable. What’s wrong with my gender? Did I make you a body for girls, or just for you?” Did you just put your body on it?” she frowns.
“You shouldn’t say anything back. You shouldn’t have a wise mouth. You must sit clean and keep quiet. No, you’re not going to get it here.” I no Barbie doll! ”
cute bully
That frustration was the fuel for Bri’s 2020 single not barbie This encapsulates the host’s essence and no-nonsense attitude in lyrics. More like a Harlequin. ”
Bri says it goes against the fact that many men in the industry expect women to act.
“They want women in the industry to be like Barbie dolls,” she says. “You shouldn’t say anything back. You shouldn’t have a wise mouth. You must sit clean and keep quiet. No, you’re not going to get it here.” I no Barbie doll! Buzi laughs.
Bulli grew up in Buffalo’s Fruit Belt neighborhood and was always on the talk. During her childhood, her father regularly sent her to her room as punishment for her feuding. During that time she was writing poetry and fiddling with a tape recorder. Around the same time, she was hanging out with a few boys across the street who were making radios and recorders out of her car parts.
The backstory, the poem, and the recording all worked together, and one day she heard the boys recording themselves a rap. , wrote some lyrics, and two days later Bri marched down the street and freestyled with the same boys.
“And the rest is history,” Buri grinned.
Its history includes the release of multiple singles, mixtapes, EPs and albums. She also writes for other artists. But these days, instead of freestyle fighting in the corner, Bri is fighting expectations of what women in the industry should look like.
“If you lead with sex, it’s easier to attract the viewer to you. I’m wearing a hoodie just like him, as opposed to me coming in.” It’s like, ‘You can’t really sell it,'” says Bulli.
She also found herself fighting for proper credit on other artists’ records. She recounts a time when she wrote and starred in a male artist’s project, but upon release she learned she was uncredited.
“I don’t want to lose control of my creativity. Ever.”
cute bully
“I was on four tracks. He didn’t even have my name on the tracks… I didn’t get any writer credit or anything,” she says.
When asked why she thinks this happened, she replies with a shrug. I don’t know why, but they’re testing us. Yes they try us a lot. ”
But Bri says she doesn’t feel pressured to express herself in a sexual way. Having a teenage daughter, she believes it’s important for her to set an example by being true to herself.
By day, Buri works as a mobile phlebotomist. So she spends a lot of her time on the track. Like her bedroom days, she spends her writing. No pen and paper needed until Bulli starts freestyling. She proceeds by memorizing her lyrics. Her 2022 track Her Duffel Bag captures this life as a working mother who balances her work and her art from nine to her five.
But I don’t hear any complaints about this juggling act from Bri.
As an independent artist, Bulli has complete control over how he presents himself. ever. “There’s a pause before she bursts out laughing.
Pretty Bulli isn’t just a doll who sits quietly and watches the world go by.
Tracks featured in this audio story:
Not a Barbie (Single, 2020)
I’m Really Nice (Duffel Bag Bulli EP, 2022)
Duffel Bag (Duffel Bag Bulli EP, 2022)
Released by Pretty Bulli:
Duffel bag Bulli (EP, 2022)
Looking A** (Single Feat. Fever Moore Fire, 2021)
Not a Barbie (Single, 2020)
The Burial Song (Single Feat. L Biz, 2020)
Dope tick soda (Mixtape, 2019)
The Break Up (album, 2018)
Respect UR’s History (Mixtape, 2017)
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