sick g*rl is a Savannah-based rapper and poet originally from Long Island, New York. The music of sick g*rl – which could more lazily be described as “emo-rap” – is her rapidly expanding universe of dark, confessional songwriting, combining trap beats with a hype-punk attitude. Sometimes it is quiet, shadowy, and sulking; other times it is energetic, raging, and emboldened. Most of the time, though, it all slaps like a wet towel against a dry wooden fence.
sick g*rl got her start in April 2018 while going through a flurry of personal crises: a leaking lung, chronic stomach pains, staph infections, heartbreak, mental instability, and a one-year suspension from SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design), to name a few. To cope, she turned to poetry, waking up at 4 PM, writing words until 8 AM, sleeping until 3 PM, and repeating day after day.
“Making music allowed me to get the racing thoughts out of my head and onto paper…it also allowed me to feel more constructive about my painful experiences by making art out of them.”
Without a microphone, beat, or fealty to any sort of music program, she turned to the ever-fateful Photobooth to get down her thoughts. After compiling an archive of lyrics, she got beats from any source she could: sometimes Garageband, sometimes friends, all smelting and refining her words to the music. And after getting a few songs out and good reception in return, sick g*rl began collaborating with producers like her friend Dallas (under the name of Yank).
Most recently, she moved back to Savannah, Georgia, to be a part of the city’s rapidly burgeoning rap scene. Having been there for about two months, sick g*rl has been able to collaborate with more producers, putting out an impressive stream of songs on Soundcloud. She has also performed a litany of shows, as well changing up her recording environments. “It was the first time I’ve been in a room with eight dudes who are all listening to me record my stuff. It was daunting for sure…with how anxious I am around people, I was a little embarrassed,” she said.
“There’s just more of everything there that I’m looking as an artist; more shows, more venues, and more producers I want to collaborate with.”
One of the main rewards of music that sick g*rl sees is the ability for her listeners to connect with the same emotions she expresses in her songs. She spoke fondly of memories of her first house shows, ridden with anxiety and doubt while getting on stage, but, after, having people come up and discuss similar feelings she expressed gave her more and more confidence as a writer and performer.
From this and other stories sick g*rl shared with me on our phone interview, it is clear to see that her work ethic was as driven and inspired as the energy in her songs. Though the rapper’s voice is calm, friendly and laid-back, it wasn’t hard to sense her belief in herself and her work.
Speaking of which, sick g*rl recently dropped a video for her song, “Divine Collide.” It is short and sweet, but from the opening hum of a phone call, and the lurking bass line, her music and persona ooze confidence and stride.
Watch here: