Karma Rivera Embodies the Face of Hip Hop
By: Alexis Crannard
Chicago-born rising rap star, Karma Rivera, exists within her own swagger and confident demeanor. Raised by a single mother and the oldest of six siblings, she generally keeps to herself in the day-to-day. Yet there is a residing power within that explodes when she steps on a stage. Karma Rivera is based in Portland, OR and “covers a wide range of subjects such as sexual identity, how it is to be a female artist in the industry and the musical and cultural movements behind her Afro-Latina…roots.” With the challenge of having her voice heard in the whitest city in America, Karma perseveres to openly embrace her identity and make waves in the city’s culture surrounding hip-hop.
"It’s funny, because society wants you to believe music isn’t politics - but it is. The music industry is a political industry and I think it’s important to have different voices with a difference in perspectives and experiences, that should be shared and contribute always." - Karma Rivera
Oregon has had its fair share of racism and it’s history has embedded itself into the “progressive” culture Portland is known for today. “From its very beginning, Oregon was an inhospitable place for black people. In 1844, the provisional government of the territory passed a law banning slavery, and at the same time required any African-American in Oregon leave the territory. Any black person remaining would be flogged publicly every six months until he left. Five years later, another law passed that forbade free African Americans from entering into Oregon, according to the Communities of Color report.”
This deep seeded systemic racism has molded over the years into passive, (yet effective) inequitable housing laws, disproportionate rates of poverty, homelessness, “gang task enforcement” and the gentrification of Portland’s historically Black and Brown neighborhoods. Despite Portland’s yuppie-hipster vibe and endless coffee snobs, there are still blatant examples of racism today. Just two years ago, two men were stabbed and killed on Portland’s public transportation, in an attempt to intervene two Black muslim girls being targeted and harassed by a known white-supremacist. It’s clear Oregon has a lot of work to do in terms of racial equity, justice, and acknowledgement, and it’s influence on Portland’s hip-hop scene is no exception.
The shutdown of local hip-hop venues and the disproportionate targeting of hip hop shows by police is a blatant representation of how the city historically and continues to treat Black music. “Chase Freeman, a promoter…says police enforced dress codes at nightclubs, while the OLCC and fire marshal intimidated venue owners with threats of inspections. He says authorities don’t have a problem with hip-hop in itself, but with the congregation of black crowds.” This consistent disruption to the hip-hop community seems to stunt its ability to house big names, besides the occasional rare break-out like “Caroline” rapper, Amine. Despite this, Karma Rivera has built and worked herself up being a Portland household name, headlining prominent venues, playing festivals, and opening up for known musicians such as Chief Keef, Princess Nokia, Snow Tha Product, and Cupcakke. In discussion with Karma, she stated “I definitely see myself as a staple here in Portland. The goal for me was to change the perception and add life from a different perspective to the music scene.” She has done exactly that.
In her song T.O.G, Rivera enhances her rhetoric using forms of exhortation, narrative, and authenticity. Feverishly she rhymes
“That’s on God / I’m a goddess / I’m too cold to be a novice / I’m too bold / I’m too honest / I’m too humble / I’m too modest”
Not often doyou hear boastful rappers embracing and discussing both ends of the self-image spectrum. In the same track she states “No one I pretend to be / A real one ’til the end of me / I just write the bars / but I ain’t pleain’ for no felony.” Here, authenticity is discussed, a significant element of hip hop as discussed by Imani Perry in Prophets of the Hood.
In the track Not Yours, Karma sings and raps about clout-chaser situationships,
“You only want me ’cause I pop / You only want ’cause I’m not yours’
The video depicts Karma Rivera intimately going back and forth between a man and a woman, despite obviously being content on her own. When asked about her personal definition of feminism, Karma said “[I am a feminist] by being my entire self, without fear of judgement or a joke. [There’s] no shame in my game.” By illustrating her queer identity in her music, she is contributing to the limited representation of LGBTQ+ Afro Latinxs in the music industry.
By being vocal about her identity and unapologetically taking up space in Portland’s hip-hop scene, Karma Rivera is contributing to the political progression of the city and hip-hop in its entirety. Here, it is clear that hip-hop is a form of liberation and social discourse; for Karma being seen and heard by thousands and counting, she is a part of a brown and femme revolution and signifies a change to the face of hip-hop. Karma Rivera said “It’s funny, because society wants you to believe music isn’t politics- but it is. The music industry is a political industry and I think it’s important to have different voices with a difference in perspectives and experiences, [that] should share and contribute always.” Just as Imani Perry discusses in Prophets of the Hood, hip-hop is a playground for politics around respectability, gender, race, and class.
Karma Rivera has hustled for years to get to this point of her career, and she has no intention to stop now. She plans to continue to make music, with hopes of allowing it to help her travel the world. When asked about women’s position in hip-hop, Karma adds “It’s no longer stuck. I think women are officially the face of hip hop right now.” I agree, and with the likes of artists like Junglepussy, Princess Nokia, Doja Cat, Rico Nasty, and countless others, Karma Rivera is up there with the future and current face of hip-hop — regardless of the oppressive environment she is put up against.
