Sa-Roc
“The brilliant Toni Morrison once said, ‘This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self pity, no need for silence.’ As I’ve grieved and railed in isolation, through yet another violent, unjust, and heartbreaking loss of Black life, I’ve found solace in the work. Catharsis from the words. Power through the music. And I can only hope that as we collectively mourn and demand justice for the countless lives lost at the hands of this country, we can find a shred of comfort in the same.
#georgefloyd #ahmaudarbery #breonnataylor”
Photo from Rhymesayers
Sa-Roc
This season we look to a strong and vibrant MC for the fiery and elevated music that we need for insight and release.
Sa-Roc (African American) was born in Southeast D.C. in a neighborhood that was plagued by poverty and drug use. Her early experiences shaped her understanding of the world around her, deepened her emotional sensitivity and cemented a social consciousness that would later feature heavily within her work. She was born three-months premature and didn’t make a sound during the first fourteen months of her life. This struggle to find a voice — both literally and creatively — would later be critical in shaping her lyrical expression.
There was no lack of early influences; she was raised by an artist father and an avid reader for a mother who would expose their young children to black writers, musicians and performers. She was raised on everything from the syncopated rhythms of hometown Go-Go acts like the Rare Essence and the Backyard band, to the prophetic poetry of Gil Scott Heron and Nikki Giovanni. It was the work of writers like these and more that helped Sa-Roc foster a love for language and writing and while still young, she began to pen her own poetry and short stories. She attended the Sankofa Institute, a Pan African centered school where her writing, social and creative expression was nurtured by Hasinatu Camara, an educator and civil rights activist.
Sa-Roc was on the verge of graduating from Howard University as a biology major but decided to leave college and, eventually, to leave Washington D.C. for Atlanta. It was in Atlanta where she was introduced to famed DJ and producer, Sol Messiah. Inspired by one of the acts he was working with, Sa-Roc decided to record some of her poetry and rhymes to his beats. The result was her first EP, Astral Chronicles which dropped in 2008. She went on to drop a project titled Supernova that same year, and quickly began to gain recognition within the cultural and activist community in Atlanta, performing at social justice and political prisoner fundraisers, and other community based events. Still the full breadth of her artistic expression didn’t arrive until later that year when a surprise introduction at a Mutulu Shakur benefit concert thrusted her on stage for the very first time. Sa-Roc had finally found the full range of her voice and there was no looking back.
Alongside Sol Messiah, her exclusive DJ and producer, Sa-Roc has amassed a global reach, toured internationally and gained fans from South America to Europe. She has performed at the legendary Jazz Cafe in London, performed live for BBC and has shared the stage with luminaries such as Carrie Mae Weems and David Byrne (Talking Heads).
Sa-Roc, by her own admission, was painfully shy and reclusive as a youth. In 2018, she channeled the pain of her childhood experiences and came up with the self-empowerment anthem “Forever”. The song struck a chord with many, creating a viral sensation that led to worldwide critical acclaim, amassing over 4 millions views on YouTube. In 2020, she embarked on a national tour with rapper Rapsody and made her debut on the world-renowned NPR Tiny Desk At Home series that led fans to describe her simply as “the truth” and technically “the best lyricist in recent times.”
In addition to her music career, Sa-Roc is a health and wellness advocate and public speaker, having led Hip Hop workshops and lectures both nationally and internationally. She is also an ambassador for Hip Hop is Green, an organization that uses the power and influence of Hip Hop music and culture to expose and educate underserved communities about the benefits of plant-based eating.
Her forthcoming project, The Sharecropper’s Daughter, the title of which pays homage to her father’s experience growing up sharecropping tobacco, is in Sa-Roc’s own words “a sonic reflection on the generational inheritance of trauma and triumph that shapes our humanity and influences the way we see the world.” At a time where people all around the globe are calling for social change, Sa-Roc is an MC whose energy and conscious lyrics are about to shake up the rap game and remind us all that Hip Hop was always about giving a voice to the people.
- Rhymesayers Entertainment
view more at https://sa-roc.com/
Photo from The Legend Of Black Moses Mixtape
I don’t know what you might’ve heard, but we ain’t going nowhere - but up
Got a whole squad dressed in all black, got the streets on notice - what up?
They want us in the same place ain’t nobody ever gonna really change nothing - but us.
Hello, this is revolution get on up.
