Maniac Music: Rich White Ladies
When you think of rich white ladies, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Suburbia? Trophy wives? Perhaps the phrase conjures the image of two blonde women in their forties, tastefully adorned in sparkling diamonds, toting different versions of oversized designer bags?
Rich White Ladies, the rap duo of Scotty Rebel and Tokyo Diiva, aims to change your perception of what that term means. Or perhaps, the term was already hungry for reinvention.
“We didn’t choose the name,” asserts Scotty Rebel. “The name chose us.”
Rich White Ladies blew up when the music video for their song “Wimbledon” came out in April of this year. Though it’s set at a tennis court, the song and video aren’t about a polite day watching a sporting competition.
Unsurprisingly, and despite their talent, it hasn’t been exactly easy for this young, black, female rap duo. People throw shade and hate at confident women, and the song “Wimbledon” is all about blocking it out, and serving it back.
“When it comes to haters I laugh and pay them DUST,” says Rebel. As a result, “me and Tok spend most of our time laughing together.”
The duo stands against the status quo and aims to create their own reality. They like to give people an escape with their music, and to teach their fans not take things so seriously. Their self-titled EP came out in March and it has been doing exceptionally well on iTunes. People are hungry for something original, uncontrived, and fun—which is everything they are.
But despite what they’ve already accomplished, their journey is just beginning. “We’re finishing up our promo tour and getting ready to roll out with the start of the new album,” says Rebel.
When developing their music, Rich White Ladies has worked extensively with glam rockers by the name of Semi Precious Weapons, a band that has supported Lady Gaga on her many world tours.
“We went to the studio with a bottle of Jack Daniels and that’s when the creative juices started flowing,” says Diiva. “Justin Tranter [lead singer of Semi Precious Weapons] is a visionary and we were very lucky to work not only with him but the whole band.”
But it’s not all about the music for these two. They have their own sense of style and they own it. In fact, the duo finds following trends tacky; they go by other means when picking out their looks.
“I’m usually inspired by how I’m feeling at the time, an era, or what character I’m obsessing over,” says Diiva. “I’m a mixture of Vivian from Pretty Woman and early nineties runway quite often.”
It’s tough to categorize these ladies as they aren’t your typical pop duo. While Rebel does most of the crooning, Diiva doesn’t classify herself as a rapper, explaining, “I just have a lot to say and I articulate myself in a way that seems to rhyme.”
Did we mention Diiva met God?
“She was awesome.”
Whether you love them, or love to hate them, Rich White Ladies bring a racket in a different bracket. Not sure what that means? Take a listen to “Wimbledon” and you can thank us later. To catch up on all things Rich White Ladies, follow them on twitter @richwhiteladies
Photography by Emilio Sanchez
