Rapsody
Rapsody performing in 2018
Background information
Also known as	Rapdiddy[1]
Born	Marlanna Evans (1983-01-21)January 21, 1983 (age 43) Snow Hill, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper songwriter
Years active	2003–present
Labels	It's a Wonderful World Music Group Roc Nation We Each Other
Website	iamrapsody.com
Signature

Marlanna Evans (born January 21, 1983),^[2][3] better known by her stage nameRapsody, is an American rapper. After signing with music producer9th Wonder's music labelIt's a Wonderful World Music Group, she released a series of mixtapes and collaborated withErykah Badu andTalib Kweli. Soon afterwards Rapsody released her debut albumThe Idea of Beautiful (2012). She would attain further prominence when she was featured onKendrick Lamar's 2015 albumTo Pimp a Butterfly, on the track "Complexion (A Zulu Love)".

Her second album,Laila's Wisdom (2017), received critical acclaim and was nominated at theGrammy Awards forBest Rap Album andBest Rap Song.^[4] Rapsody released her third studio album,Eve on August 23, 2019, to critical acclaim from music critics.^[5] In 2020, she was featured alongsideCordae,Chika, andBusta Rhymes, on theStevie Wonder song "Can't Put It in the Hands of Fate". Rapsody released her fourth album,Please Don't Cry, on May 17, 2024.

Rapsody began her career atNorth Carolina State University, where she would later join hip hop collective H2O and its spinoff group Kooley High, despite not having rapped before.^[6][7][8] The group met producer9th Wonder in 2004, who was impressed by one of Rapsody's verses,^[9] and she would go on to make her recording debut on 9th Wonder's sophomore album,The Dream Merchant Vol. 2 which released on October 9, 2007, in which she freestyled over 9th's re-chopping of old samples he already used for other artists.

She launched her solo career in 2008 after signing with9th Wonder'sIt's A Wonderful World Music Group. Her first significant career breakthrough came with the release of her mixtapeReturn of the B-Girl on December 7, 2010.Return of the B-Girl marked her first work with hip-hop producer, DJ Premier, and featured guests such asMac Miller andBig Daddy Kane. She continued to build acclaim with the release of her next mixtape,Thank H.E.R. Now which showcased her storytelling abilities as she drew from personal life experiences and featured her work with a variety of critically acclaimed acts such asMarsha Ambrosius,Estelle,Raekwon,Jean Grae,Murs, andBig K.R.I.T.

Her next project,For Everything was released on November 15, 2011, and showcased her work with both newly acclaimed and established acts such asKendrick Lamar andFreeway and a number of the tracks were featured inXXL magazine's "Bangers" section.^[10][11] In May 2011, Rapsody joinedMac Miller on his Incredibly Dope Tour for 15 dates.^[12] In late 2011, she toured withPhonte and9th Wonder as a part of the Phonte & 9th Wonder Tour.^[13]

Rapsody signed withJay-Z's record labelRoc Nation in July 2016,^[14][15] and her debut for the label,Laila's Wisdom, was released on September 22, 2017. The album received twoGrammy Award nominations forBest Rap Album andBest Rap Song.^[4]

Rapsody's third studio album,Eve, was released on August 23, 2019, to critical acclaim from music critics.^[16] In June 2024, Rapsody's "Asteroids" was nominated for theHollywood Independent Music Awards in the Adult Contemporary Hip Hop category.^[17] The song was the first lead single from her fourth studio album,Please Don't Cry, her first project after five years.^[18] The album released on May 17, 2024.^[19] The album spawned the single, "3:AM", featuringErykah Badu, which went on to win theGrammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance at the67th Annual Grammy Awards.^[20]

In 2025, she released the EP,MadRaps, in collaboration with producerMadlib.^[21]

Rapsody is known for her intricate rhyme patterns, metaphors, and wordplay. She is often hailed as one of the best living lyricists in the hip-hop genre.^{[22][23][24][25][26]} Rapsody citesJay-Z,Mos Def,Lauryn Hill, andMC Lyte as the biggest influences on her music.

Rapsody's production is primarily handled by The Soul Council, the team of in-house producers at It's A Wonderful World Music Group comprising E. Jones, Ka$h Don't Make Beats, AMP, Eric G., Nottz and Khrysis. Rapsody's philosophy is "Culture Over Everything," referring to the culture of hip-hop music. She describes this phrase in an interview withVibe where she says, "To me, it's about culture more so than money or anything. I make music for the people of the culture we’re in; that comes first. If you touch the people first, the rest just falls into place. That's what it means to me, just preserving and respecting the culture."^[27][28]

In her younger years, she watched theMTV showYo! MTV Raps and consideredMC Lyte as one of her early influences and later statedLauryn Hill as an all-time favorite.^[29] She grew up in the small town of Snow Hill in North Carolina. Rapsody wasn't exposed to much hip hop and would listen to what her older cousins would play in the car. She would later develop her love for hip hop when she entered college.^[30]

Her 2017 albumLaila's Wisdom was named after her grandmother, Laila Ray.^[9]

In 2019, Rapsody played for the "Home" roster during theNBA All-Star Celebrity Game at theBojangles' Coliseum inCharlotte,North Carolina. The roster was made up of celebrities with Carolina roots. Her team won the game and she had one assist in the game while playing around 12 minutes.^[31]

• The Black Mamba (2012)
• Beauty and the Beast (2014)
• Crown (2016)

• Kooley High Presents... Raleigh's Finest (Mixtape) (2007)
• The Summer Sessions EP (2008)
• Eastern Standard Time (2010)
• Kooley High Presents...David Thompson (2011)

• MadRaps (2025)

• Return of the B-Girl (2010)
• Thank H.E.R. Now (2011)
• For Everything (2011)
• She Got Game (2013)

Kooley High Presents... Raleigh's Finest Mixtape by Kooley High, HaLo, Median, Lazurus, Rsonist, Nervous Reck Hosted by DJ ill digitz, 9th Wonder, Big Treal, The Alchemist, Marco Polo, Monie LoveArchived 2021-09-17 at theWayback Machine

Wikimedia Commons has media related toRapsody.

• Official website
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• 1983 births
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• 21st-century American rappers
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• African-American rappers
• Grammy Award winners
• North Carolina State University alumni
• People from Snow Hill, North Carolina
• Rappers from North Carolina
• Roc Nation artists
• Songwriters from North Carolina
• African-American songwriters
• 21st-century American women rappers

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