Category: Hip Hop/Rap

Hip-hop artists are the most envied and least protected individuals on the planet. Many pursue a rap career without knowledge of the risks associated with the occupation. Keisha Plum could be considered a rapper, yet she never has to sound like one. She sounds sensuous and soulful as her poetic tongue glides down the back end of Griselda tracks. A true spoken word poet – this woman gives hope to those who speak their truth in the form of soliloquies.

In Plum Poetry We Trust

Keisha Plum – a.k.a Buffalo Jill – drips Tears of Honey onto every page. A great deal of her poetry began when she would send meaningful letters to her brother who was serving in the military.

Growing up in Buffalo made her gravitate toward the African American Cultural Center to express herself. Within the AACC compound, she learned what she could do with her craft. A young Keisha Plum learned about her roots through various mediums of cultural black excellence. 

“If Rakim & Nikki Giovanni did the nasty, they would have had me.”

K.Plum on Flygod

She learned that she could write poetry and talk shit at the same time. Obviously, it is much deeper than that but it is evident that she enjoys to paint vivid pictures with her poems. Drawing incredible inspiration from the likes of Maya Angelou, this phenomenal woman lays down piercing poetry that encapsulates the entire Griselda movement. 

Griselda the Behemoth

Griselda Records hits you from so many different angles. With nearly 30 artists on roster – each one brings something different and puts the listener into a different perspective on each and every track. 

Not to mention, they are the head of the umbrella to all of these spectacular artists that hear their work and strive to go harder than the day before. It is such a blessing to discover all of these underground talents adjacent to Griselda who just want to put their own spin on it. 

Clearly, Westside Gunn never even had to touch a mic and he would still be set – his kid’s great-grandkids would be set. But we are so glad he did. His lead-by-example no nonsense approach, creative direction and guerilla marketing tactics place him head and shoulders above the competition.

Westside Gunn is the type of individual who ensures that his legacy will carry on for generations. Ultimately, humans judgment ultimately occurs as a result of outcomes. Did you push yourself every day to ensure that your work will live on when your physical form no longer can? WSG pushes him and his team to their furthest extent – hence all of the new artists and real rap that has risen to the forefront in the past decade. 

Buffalo Kids Stick Together

Westside Gunn and Keisha Plum attended Grammar School for the Gifted & Talented together. When Keisha had to settle for a retail job, Wes pulled up on her at the mall to recruit her talent. He wrote poems for Keisha to lay down in the booth as everything came into fruition with meticulous planning and preparation. It was just up to her to fine tune the content, plug & play words that she saw fit and ultimately execute the vision laid before her. 

The most impressive part about Keisha Plum and her ascension is the way that she bends the genre backwards and flips hip-hop on its headpiece. She is living proof that if you know yourself – know your worth – know what you’re capable of doing – and act upon ideas you can be successful. This woman is single-handedly rearranging the constructs of hip-hop one spoken word at a time.

Interested in hearing her live? Catch her at The Cookout in September.