Brooklyn produced two breakout stars in 2017: Desiigner and Young M.A. M.A's "OOOUUU" served as a kind of salve for Brooklynites who did believed that Desiigner's "Panda," which blew up about seven months prior to "OOOUUU," did not adequately represent their borough. While Desiigner remains a bit of an enigma, Young M.A is a more legible personality, in part because she is an obvious descendent of the rugged, lyrical, no-nonsense New York hip hop tradition.
M.A's discography goes deeper than "OOOUUU." Click through the gallery to listen to 10 of her best songs.
EazieDaGod & Young M.A - "Pretty Flacko" (2012)
M.A has said that she was advised to sport a gender-normative look earlier in her career. "I've been through a lot with that situation as far as coming out the closet and really being who I've been wanting to be my whole life and just didn't know how to express it," she told Peter Rosenberg in 2015. "That was always a struggle for me growing up. So when it was really my time and I was comfortable, it was just like, 'I don't really care what nobody think no more.'"
"Brooklyn (Chiraq Freestyle)"
"Chiraq" remixes helped launch the careers of Dreezy and Montana of 300. Young M.A's 2014 "Chiraq" remix went viral in an unexpected way: economist Dr. Boyce Watkins castigated her verse in a Facebook post, saying she was "rapping like a serial killer" and "needs love, therapy and an opportunity." Though many agreed with Watkins, at least as many thought the bars were straight fire. Through his post, M.A's "Chiraq" remix has been viewed two million times.
"Body Bag"
Young M.A chose "Body Bag" as the single from M.A Mixtape, the first of two mixtapes she released in 2015. This song isn't the greatest lyrically, but the determination is palpable in M.A's voice: "Shit, if I can't lose, just imagine what I CAN do."
"Quiet Storm"
M.A wisely chose to put "Quiet Storm" at the beginning of her second 2015 tape Sleep Walkin. The song is a salute to her brother, who was murdered in 2009. It's hard not to root for her:
"The pain's deep, I can feel it in my stomach,
But that's the pain and the hunger,
I'm from the jungle, to feel success, you gotta struggle
To get where I'm at, I had to hustle, that's why I'm humble"
"Check"
Sleep Walkin is an even split of freestyles over popular beats and original tracks. On "Check," a cover of Meek Mill's song of the same name, she brags that she's been "Doing shows in DC, RI, CT." "And I know you see me on Revolt TV!" she adds.
The song also contains a reference to her Hyundai Sonata, which she recently traded in for an Audi A7.
"Karma Krys"
"Karma Krys" is dedicated to one of M.A's ex-girlfriends. M.A argues that cheating on her ex was less disrespectful than her ex getting with another girl immediately after they broke up. That makes zero sense.
"OOOUUU"
M.A's breakout hit officially went mainstream in October, when a group of young entrepreneurs behind the Florida clothing boutique Lilac Company co-opted the song's popular lyric "You call her Stephanie, I call her Headphanie" for "Headpanie," the bottle of cognac they made in partnership with Hennessy.
"Summer Story"
In "Summer Story," which is arguably a better song than "OOOUUU," M.A brags that "OOOUUU" just hit one million views. It now has 161 million views.
Dae Dae - "Spend It (Remix)" feat. Young Thug & Young M.A
Dae Dae invited Young M.A and human supernova Young Thug to spit a 16 apiece on the remix of his popular "Spend It." She relaxes her flow, using the opportunity to demonstrate her versatility alongside the melodic, eccentric pair of Atlanta rappers.
"EAT"
M.A's latest release "EAT" is the spiritual predecessor to Game's 15-minute "300 Bars" -- it feels like she could rap all day. Which means it's all the spiritual predecessor of Murs' 26-hour Guinness Records freestyle.
