Ain’t No Human Resources in Hip Hop
By: Psalm One
Tags: Hip Hop, Women In Business, Life Lessons, Life, Music

In 2013 I was finally given the opportunity to do a second project and after spending around $2500 of personal funds on mixing, the head of the label said RSE was going in a “different direction” and stopped album production. After years of waiting for a follow-up, a hard-fought Soundset (the annual RSE festival I had played only once since 2007) slot and a month of mixing, RSE pulled my album and left me with the bill. I didn’t know how to petition upper management on their decision and never released a follow-up. I forgive myself for thinking it was somehow my fault and for not coming up with a plan to release the album without them. I forgive myself for not pushing back on such a weak explanation. I forgive myself for not reading the room.

By 2015 I had released several projects without RSE and was in a rap group that was getting a ton of attention. We were touring quite a bit and had several showcases at SXSW, the (pre-Covid) annual festival in Austin, TX. I hadn’t spoken to anyone in RSE in a few years and had decided to stop worrying so much about another album with them, no matter how much my fans wanted it. Besides, the Rapperchicks (my rap group) was doing amazing.

The RSE showcase at SXSW that year was, in my opinion, the beginning of the end. In addition to being omitted (yet again) from a label-wide showcase, I was very nervous to even attend the show. A mutual friend convinced me to say hello to everyone. To make a long story short, shortly after we arrived the artist who assaulted me got into a screaming match with my then girlfriend. I really don’t know how they ended up screaming at each other. I was incredulous.

I hadn’t spoken to these men in years, and this famous, possibly drunk rapper was towering over my girlfriend, screaming.

At least four other RSE artists and/or staff watched this argument happen and nobody said anything. I am grateful my other bandmate was there. She’s always been unimpressed by rappers and wasn’t intimidated by him. She told him to back the fuck up and he did. I forgive myself for being too shocked and scared to speak up for myself and my ex-girlfriend. I’m thankful my other bandmate protected us. Nobody else stood up to this man.

Before the screaming match, I was having a pretty decent conversation with the head of the label and he invited me to the upcoming Rhymesayers 20th anniversary show. It was only March; he told me to keep my winter dates open for the arena event. It would be the biggest in the label’s history. After the screaming match however, I didn’t know what would happen. In the months to come I kept my touring dates open and contacted the main office dozens of times regarding the 20th anniversary show. I never got a response. They finally announced the show with huge fanfare. They literally had every artist who’d ever done anything RSE-related on the bill…except me. I had been invited then silently uninvited without explanation. Why did I black out touring dates? What was going on? Why had I been uninvited? I was devastated. My phone, inbox and private messages blew up with questions on why I would be omitted from this lineup. Even some RSE acts noticed the exclusion, but none had the balls to stand up for me in any tangible way. This (latest) professional embarrassment was too much for me to bear. I blamed myself and began relying heavily on drugs and alcohol to cope with everyday life. I became angry and depressed. The pain RSE inflicted on my mental and emotional health as well as my professional life is unforgettable. I forgive myself for thinking they wouldn’t exclude me for something personal. I forgive myself for slipping into drug and alcohol abuse to cope with what was happening to me.

Ultimately, I was asked by a Minneapolis publication how I felt about being the only artist not invited to perform. By then, I was tired of putting on a smile and speaking highly of a label that didn’t support me. I mustered all the respect I could and told City Pages how I felt. When the article came out, I was front and center in the court of public opinion. I spoke my truth and was punished for it.

I was silenced by RSE after revealing in the press how I was mishandled by upper management. The head of the label never spoke directly to me but put out statements accusing me of bringing bad energy, being a bad artist and claiming to have no knowledge of my issues with the label. It was damaging to say the least. I was bullied by fans and shunned by a great number of artists. People I’d worked with for years stopped working with me.

I had a rap scarlet letter on me and to add insult to injury, a few months later, they signed another woman and in the public eye, all was forgiven.

Nobody except a small circle of exceptional friends believed me. For years, RSE’s upper management refused to respond to my emails and phone calls. I wasn’t given an opportunity to express my wants, concerns, or grievances like so many of my label mates and in turn, my career suffered greatly. I forgive myself for growing bitter about that.