Winsome G the Androgynous Rapper from “The Bay” By: Asia “Chantil Brown” Stewart-Washington
Photo/ Chantil Brown
Oakland, CA- Winsome G from “The Bay” in California brings a fresh edge to the hip hop community through her alluring androgynous image and personalized rhyming.
Winsome G is a Bay Area native who was born in San Francisco, California and raised in Berkeley, California. The Oakland resident describes herself as a “fun rapper” who promotes the party life style.
Winsome G was born Daniella Arellanes and has used her alias name for three years, which is a name derived from a Wizard of Oz story about the main character Dorothy going on a winsome quest. Winsome was the name of an attractive androgynous, having the characteristics or nature of both male and female, person going on their journey to a better place. Winsome G was inspired by the story due to the androgynous character’s symbolism. She says the character was very relatable to who she is and where she wants to be in life.
“She definitely has androgynous swag”, says Alex Scott. Scott says that general public does not see androgyny often. Winsome G has an alluring style that combines androgyny and corky lyrics.
She has rapped for the past ten years. Some of her muses as a child were Dr. Dre and Mac Dre. She remembers the times when she would rap to commercials and hip hop songs as early as five years old, but says she started taking her interest to hip hop seriously when she began free styling with friends.
One of Winsome G’s first live performances was in San Francisco at a Gay Prom in 2005. She has gained local recognition as a queer rapper/model and recently released a mixtape titled “Stereotypes.” “Stereotypes” is a thirteen track compilation that reflects the stereotypes of individuals that live in impoverished neighborhoods.
Yamil Comrie collaborated on the production of “Stereotypes”. He says his experience working with Winsome G is, “always very natural and comfortable”. Comrie and Winsome G remixed a popular song called “Bitch Don’t Kill my Vibe”. Comrie says he was inspired by the original Kendrick Lamar track after a friend liked the single.
“I write from experience. The song is what I would naturally happen in my everyday life”, says Comrie.
Comrie has been in the music business since 1991. He says he wants to teach Winsome G everything he knows about the music industry. His hope is that she uses that knowledge to evolve and become to recognize artist beyond the Bay Area. Comrie says Winsome G has lyrically progressed from the time she started until now.
Winsome G is a proud native of the Bay Area who acknowledges the Bay Area throughout her mixtape. Her mixtape is heavily slanged, making the Bay Area very visual through her style of rhyming. “It’s very relatable if you’re from the Bay. She has purpose behind each track. You have to pay attention to see what’s really going on”, says Comrie.
In spite of Winsome G’s current status being an unsigned local artist she sees herself touring a year from now. She just returned from Austin Texas’ South by Southwest, a set of film, interactive, and music festivals and conferences that take place every spring, to promote and distribute her mixtape.
She brought over two hundred mixtapes and business cards to network with headlining artists, other artists handing out their mixtapes, and fans. Winsome G says she had a strategy for her week-long stay in Austin, to guarantee she covered different crowds and artists.
While in Austin Winsome G meet celebrity hip hop artists such as Bun B, Killer Mike, and Bushwick Bill to name a few. Winsome G says the celebrity artists and their management camps were quite receptive to her being an androgynous rapper. Winsome says, “At first when I just said I was a rapper they were cool, but when I told them I was a female rapper the interest grow about 30 percent. It was pretty amazing. I was not expecting that positive feedback”.
There were over a hundred thousand rappers attended South by Southwest. Winsome G says an amazing thing she experienced was the fact that she only got one mixtape from a female from a collection of over fifty mixtapes from the event. Winsome says it’s a mystery why there is a lack of females in the hip hop industry.
Winsome G aims is to create positive music that provides a realistic perspective. She says, “There might be times when I talk about rough stuff. I’m not trying to glamorize it but I’m trying to be real about it. Whatever I do it’s going to be real. You’re going to feel like exactly what I’m delivering. If you don’t that’s cool, as long as you enjoy it, your entertained, and you understand what I’m saying”.
Winsome G’s next mixtape “Bitches”, will express interactions with different beautiful women. It will be released sometime in May 2013, and will be downloadable on www.winsomeg.weebly.com or www.datpiff.com.
Photo/ Chantil Brown
Oakland, CA- Winsome G from “The Bay” in California brings a fresh edge to the hip hop community through her alluring androgynous image and personalized rhyming.
Winsome G is a Bay Area native who was born in San Francisco, California and raised in Berkeley, California. The Oakland resident describes herself as a “fun rapper” who promotes the party life style.
Winsome G was born Daniella Arellanes and has used her alias name for three years, which is a name derived from a Wizard of Oz story about the main character Dorothy going on a winsome quest. Winsome was the name of an attractive androgynous, having the characteristics or nature of both male and female, person going on their journey to a better place. Winsome G was inspired by the story due to the androgynous character’s symbolism. She says the character was very relatable to who she is and where she wants to be in life.
“She definitely has androgynous swag”, says Alex Scott. Scott says that general public does not see androgyny often. Winsome G has an alluring style that combines androgyny and corky lyrics.
She has rapped for the past ten years. Some of her muses as a child were Dr. Dre and Mac Dre. She remembers the times when she would rap to commercials and hip hop songs as early as five years old, but says she started taking her interest to hip hop seriously when she began free styling with friends.
One of Winsome G’s first live performances was in San Francisco at a Gay Prom in 2005. She has gained local recognition as a queer rapper/model and recently released a mixtape titled “Stereotypes.” “Stereotypes” is a thirteen track compilation that reflects the stereotypes of individuals that live in impoverished neighborhoods.
Yamil Comrie collaborated on the production of “Stereotypes”. He says his experience working with Winsome G is, “always very natural and comfortable”. Comrie and Winsome G remixed a popular song called “Bitch Don’t Kill my Vibe”. Comrie says he was inspired by the original Kendrick Lamar track after a friend liked the single.
“I write from experience. The song is what I would naturally happen in my everyday life”, says Comrie.
Comrie has been in the music business since 1991. He says he wants to teach Winsome G everything he knows about the music industry. His hope is that she uses that knowledge to evolve and become to recognize artist beyond the Bay Area. Comrie says Winsome G has lyrically progressed from the time she started until now.
Winsome G is a proud native of the Bay Area who acknowledges the Bay Area throughout her mixtape. Her mixtape is heavily slanged, making the Bay Area very visual through her style of rhyming. “It’s very relatable if you’re from the Bay. She has purpose behind each track. You have to pay attention to see what’s really going on”, says Comrie.
In spite of Winsome G’s current status being an unsigned local artist she sees herself touring a year from now. She just returned from Austin Texas’ South by Southwest, a set of film, interactive, and music festivals and conferences that take place every spring, to promote and distribute her mixtape.
She brought over two hundred mixtapes and business cards to network with headlining artists, other artists handing out their mixtapes, and fans. Winsome G says she had a strategy for her week-long stay in Austin, to guarantee she covered different crowds and artists.
While in Austin Winsome G meet celebrity hip hop artists such as Bun B, Killer Mike, and Bushwick Bill to name a few. Winsome G says the celebrity artists and their management camps were quite receptive to her being an androgynous rapper. Winsome says, “At first when I just said I was a rapper they were cool, but when I told them I was a female rapper the interest grow about 30 percent. It was pretty amazing. I was not expecting that positive feedback”.
There were over a hundred thousand rappers attended South by Southwest. Winsome G says an amazing thing she experienced was the fact that she only got one mixtape from a female from a collection of over fifty mixtapes from the event. Winsome says it’s a mystery why there is a lack of females in the hip hop industry.
Winsome G aims is to create positive music that provides a realistic perspective. She says, “There might be times when I talk about rough stuff. I’m not trying to glamorize it but I’m trying to be real about it. Whatever I do it’s going to be real. You’re going to feel like exactly what I’m delivering. If you don’t that’s cool, as long as you enjoy it, your entertained, and you understand what I’m saying”.
Winsome G’s next mixtape “Bitches”, will express interactions with different beautiful women. It will be released sometime in May 2013, and will be downloadable on www.winsomeg.weebly.com or www.datpiff.com.