Tikaboo

THEHIPHOPDIVA.COM spoke with Tikaboo about her musical influences and style.  Here’s what was said.

HHD: Tikaboo, where did that name come from?

T: When everyone played peekaboo it became Tikaboo.  It’s a name I received from my family.

HHD: You developed your skills from battling with your aunts.  Can you talk to us about that?

T: When I first started rapping I used to walk around with my aunts and they used to be battling the guys out there.  So, I fell in love with that.  I used to write poetry so one day I put one of my poems to a beat.  They get a lot of points for me being as sweet as I am.

HHD: Describe your lyrical style for us.

T: Ghetto-sophisticated.

HHD: How’s the hip hop scene in Richmond, Virginia?

T: Richmond, you probably heard other people say it, is like crabs in a bucket.  Soon as someone get to the top the other crab try to pull them down.  I love this state but it’s filled with so much hate.  All they got to do is let someone make it and it open the doors for them.

HHD: What do you think you bring to hip hop that’s currently missing or what do you think you add to hip hop?

T: The rap game needs me because I do it so easy.  There ain’t another female rapper that’s actually rapping what I’m rapping about.  That’s what the game is missing, it’s missing Tikaboo.

HHD: Who are your musical influences?

T: When I started rapping I used to listen to Eve’s “First Lady” cd.  I used to listen to what she rap about and I could relate to it because we both grew up bad, in the hood as they call it.  Lil Wayne really influenced me a lot.

HHD: Who would you say are the top three female rappers of all time — past, present, or future?

T: Lil Kim because you can feel that she went through it.  I like her cause she real but what I don’t like about her is she nasty.  Like I said, sex sells but I ain’t gotta sell sex.  I like Remy Ma.  I listen to what she saying and I can relate to that.  I also like Gangsta Boo from Three Six Mafia.  I look at them as my competition.  When it comes to who’s influenced me, both of my aunts, they rap.  So, they influenced me.

HHD: What’s your definition of a hip hop diva?

T: Well, Tikaboo.  If hip hop diva was in the dictionary it”ll be Tikaboo.   I could say it’s me but that’s not the style I want people to look for from me.  I want people to know I’m real.  Of course a diva comes across as being fly, so I’ll say I’m fly.  A diva is a woman and women have a lot of power.

Check out Tikaboo at www.myspace.com/tikaboo18.