"What does (religion) have to do with me as an artist, and what I create?" she said. Malaysian hip-hop artist Nur Batrisya Mohammad Nazri, known as SYA, is among a crop of young artists from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines who have been signed by global music giant Def Jam's Southeast Asian arm Mohd RASFAN AFP Most members of Malaysia's ethnic Malay Muslim community follow a moderate form of the religion and while the majority of women wear a headscarf, there is no law requiring it.īut conservative Islam has been gaining ground, pushed by hardline politicians and preachers, accompanied by growing criticism of any activities and behaviour seen as undermining the faith.įor SYA - real name Nur Batrisya Mohammad Nazri - art and religion should be kept firmly separate, however. SYA says she is facing down the "patriarchal mindset" and "sexualisation" of those who don't conform to the cliched expectations of Muslim women While Malaysia is a relatively affluent country, society remains largely conservative, with critics saying women's rights are not sufficiently protected and harassment is common. "'Is she a Muslim? How much per night? Why is she showing so much skin?'" 'Imposter syndrome hit me'
"I've had a lot of disturbing comments," the rapper reveals, adding that she has been accused of being a prostitute and had her faith questioned. Lauded by the industry as a rising star, the 25-year-old says she faces online abuse from those who believe her behaviour is not appropriate for a young Muslim woman. She is among a crop of young artists from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines who have been signed by global music giant Def Jam's Southeast Asian arm. Underlining her desire that women should not be pigeon-holed, it then switches to her holding a snake and wearing a leopard print jacket, as she defiantly raps: "I wanna be like me." The track, which also features up-and-coming Singapore artist Yung Raja, includes scenes of SYA dressed in white, and stroking a cat wearing a pearl necklace in a lavish bedroom. "I don't have to pretend to be somebody else just to fit what society deems is good." "I just want women to feel more comfortable in their own skin," SYA, whose long dark hair is uncovered, tells AFP. While LL Cool J has an acting role on “NCIS: Los Angeles,” Memphis Bleek is signed with a new label and will be releasing a new album in November.īoth artists have spoken out against the label and neither appeared at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors.The first female signing for label Def Jam - the label behind superstars from Jay-Z and Rihanna to BTS and Justin Bieber - in Southeast Asia, her debut single "PrettyGirlBop" tackles misogyny and acceptance in her Muslim-majority homeland. Memphis Bleek also left the label, but earlier this year because he was never properly promoted. As a result, he left after his 2008 release, Exit 13. In 2007, Jay-Z stepped down, but LL was still disappointed with the new direction of the label.
In 2004, Jay-Z became the CEO of Def Jam and he chose to release a solo album from himself, rather than a planned LL Cool J release. His albums were never promoted the way that other albums were. When the 2000s arrived, LL Cool J was overshadowed at Def Jam by Jay-Z, DMX, Ja Rule, and Ludacris, along with many other artists. As a result, Memphis Bleek was never properly promoted by the label. On a label like Def Jam, that is not enough. Still, he always sells a consistent 400,000 to 800,000 copies. He was poised to become the next big thing on the label, but things never worked out right for him. Roc-A-Fella Records helped to revive Def Jam behind the efforts of Jay-Z. The two went on to have successful releases on the label. He helped Jay-Z secure a deal with Def Jam for his Roc-A-Fella Records and got DMX signed to the label, also. When this happened, Irv Gotti was signed on as an A&R. Def Jam was sold to Universal in the same year and reorganization took place. The reign that LL Cool J had over rap ended in 1995 and the label went into a dramatic slump. As a result, Def Jam became the biggest hip hop label on the planet. In the late 1980s until the early 1990s, LL was the biggest rapper on the planet.
Without LL Cool J, the label would have never risen to the heights that it did. All of his thirteen albums were released on the label. LL Cool J was the first artist signed to Def Jam. The show has yet to air, but taped earlier this week, with the highlight being a reconciliation between Ja Rule and DMX. With VH1 gearing up to celebrate the 25 year history of Def Jam, two of their former artists, LL Cool J and Memphis Bleek will not be taking part in the excitement.