Apani B Fly is a New York-based lyricist who helped define the golden era, building off traditions laid down by potent female lyricists like Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Lauryn Hill. For most of her career she’s gone largely unnoticed, but when you look at her resume she has as much a claim to the golden era throne as her contemporaries.
Her style is sleek and her delivery is hard, definitively New York through and through — a lyricist who forgoes lofty metaphors and runaround for more direct hits to the cerebral. On a song like “Strive” you can hear the total package, a pint size voice with fire in her lungs: [LISTEN]
Apani B is relentless on the mic, never compromising herself or compartmentalizing her perspective for convenience sake. This flexibility and ability to adapt has led to numerous collaborations with some of the best lyricists and producers around including Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Nujabes and DJ Spinna.
Her collaboration with Viktor Vaughn (for Vaudeville Villain) for “Let Me Watch” is one of the best songs in her and Doom’s catalog. It reflects her ability to jump into character and play into an extended narrative. Yet even within someone else’s domain she still maintains integrity, standing up to the snake who’s trying to disrespect her. And while she is technically the guest, the song no doubt belongs to her: [LISTEN]
From a strictly lyrical standpoint Apani B transcends the gender line — her writtens as formidable as any others. But on the same token she doesn’t run from her feminine side. Instead embracing it as an important part of her identity. She seduces you with her girlish charm only to wallop you in the chest with a heady verse, the best of both worlds.
Her guest spot on producer Dela‘s album Atmosphere Airlines for the song “Let Me Know” is indicative of her perspective. She flexes her might while calling out strippers who try and moonlight as lyricists. It’s a shining example of how female MCs don’t have to objectify themselves to break the cypher. It’s been a while since she’s released an album but her style is timeless and a stroll through her catalog — even a casual one — will yield nothing but positive results: [LISTEN]
