Having opened twice now for Eminem’s band D 12, Red Deer rapper Tamra Nash is riding high in the local hip-hop scene.
Fans travel from across Alberta — even from Vancouver — to see her perform. And she’s played at massive festivals, including the One Love Festival at Calgary’s Olympic Park that also included sets by Lauren Hill, Anderson .Paak and Wale.
It was a different story when Nash started stepping out on stage as Ms. Teaze more than a decade ago.
Being a female rapper in central Alberta’s cowboy country seemed an anomaly then. A lot of local promoters and booking agents wouldn’t give her a break, she recalled.
The Lindsay Thurber high school alumni who’s of “White, Black and Lebanese” heritage figures “they’d never seen somebody like me and they weren’t used to it. It was hard for me to get respect.”
Ironically, Nash is now witnessing a complete reversal in the industry. “All of the Number Ones are women. They’ve overtaken males,” she said — including Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B and Latto.
The tide began gradually turning on Nash’s career when she got an opening gig for Moka Only (formerly with Swollen Members). Suddenly the rap rhymes and moves she’d practised since her early 20s gelled and people were saying “Who is this girl? She is amazing,” Nash recalled.
The 38-year-old has since opened for Wu-Tang, Snak the Ripper, Apathy, Tech N9ne and many others — all along honing her own material with positive messages about overcoming depression and isolation and believing in yourself.
Nash grew up in a Red Deer family that loved music, but more along the lines of Prince, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.
She said she wasn’t initially allowed to listening to Tupac, Nas and Jay-Z — so naturally, Nash felt most inspired by these hip-hop artists after secretly listening to their records at a friend’s house as a teenager.
“I would listen to these guys, how they flowed, how amazing they are on the beat.”
Nash recalled walking park trails in Kin Kanyon, repeating rhyme schemes she had worked out in her head and practising her delivery. “I”d write them down when I got home.”
Some of these tunes were later recorded on her first 2015 CD, Unity, Empowerment, Respect.
Nash said she’s planning to record her second, yet untitled, CD in July. She looks forward to collaborating once again with producer Travis Omen. “He’s worked with me since day one, recording my first song, remixing all my sets and sticking by me my whole career.”
Meanwhile, she was interviewed on the Behind the Sound Podcast with R.J. Cui last month, about plotting her career trajectory by creating own headlining show. Ms. Teaze performs her new song Counting Myself In on the podcast, which can be viewed on YouTube.
On Thursday, May 9, Red Deerians can see her perform live at a free concert for her friend and fellow recording artist Chad McGhie. He has written a fantasy called Legend of the Tragik and has a book launch at Cheers Pub.
It’s bound to be a more intimate show than the one at Bo’s last Sunday night, when Ms. Teaze hit the stage at a sold-out concert with D 12 and Obie Thrice.
“Oh my goodness, that was the best feeling. There’s no better feeling — it’s almost too good a feeling because you always have to wake up in reality the next day,” she said with a wry chuckle.
For more information about the May 9 show, please contact the venue.