I've already confessed my love for dance movies, as well as the primary reason why I love them. It's the choreographed dance sequences. Ya dig? Well, surprise, surprise: I also enjoy videos featuring women doing their damn thing. Missy Elliott has been doing her damn thing for over 10 years, and her videos are almost always unique in one way or another.

Her latest is in 3-D. Girls? Bounce? Missy style? All that in 3-D? My, my, my. Two songs are given the 3-D treatment: "Ching-a-Ling" and "Shake Your Pom-Pom."

Take a look — here's the video, first in 2-D and then in 3-D for those of you who have a pair of specs handy.

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Filmmaker Tata Amaral named her musical drama Antônia in honor of her storytelling great-grandfather, but it makes me think of the two Antonias I already admire and adore: Willa Cather's My Ántonia and the matriarch of Dutch film Antonia's Line. If the four women at the center of the new Brazilian film possess the same strength as their real and fictional forebears, they'll do more than just survive — but survival comes first, and their fight for it is the subject of Antônia. The film is currently playing in New York, Newark and Los Angeles, with dates planned in additional cities soon.

As if positive name associations and a movie poster describing women on stage as glorious warriors aren't enough, the film is earning generally excellent reviews for its realistic depiction of the musical and personal challenges faced by São Paulo residents and aspiring rap artists Preta, Lena, Barbarah and Mayah (Negra Li, Cindy, Leilah Moreno and Quelynah respectively). All four stars are actual rap, hip-hop and pop musicians rather than professional actors; they wrote some of the music in the film and still perform together. It's no wonder they're each so natural with a mic. … continue reading

Lately I can't stop listening to Northern State's new album, Can I Keep This Pen?, which was released August 28 and has been getting great reviews.

Hip-hoppers Sprout, Hesta Prynn and Spero can keep all of my pens if they want to. The trio, which is named after the Northern State Parkway on Long Island, sort of sounds like a cross between Luscious Jackson and Le Tigre, only less mellow and less riotous, respectively. But not less luscious or less, uh, tiger-y. Rrrawr.

Here's the video for "Better Already," in which these fine MCs make it clear that they don't need to leave the living room to have a good time — but a few rainbows and unicorns can really make their day. (Am I the only one who feels like saying "Planet Unicorn, heyyyy" after watching this?) … continue reading

Despite her time on the US homeland security watch list, rapper M.I.A. (nee Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam) has a new album out in the States today, and it's just the way she wants it.

"Progression for me wasn't about going through the shine machine and coming out with more lipgloss," M.I.A. says of her journey to make Kala (Interscope), in a recent Guardian story. There was plenty of temptation along the way, with folks like Timbaland advising her on how to be "huge" and Three 6 Mafia suggesting she sing about sex, but the stubborn star wants none of it. Instead, she outspokenly declares that she doesn't care about the charts or the fame and instead wants to be a "useful human being."

M.I.A. started stirring up controversy and good buzz a couple of years ago, with mixtape Piracy Funds Terrorism and the full-length Arular. One of the singles off of that album, "Sunshowers," exemplifies M.I.A.'s unique mash-up of danceable beats and attitude — the line "Like PLO I don't surrendo" got the video banned from MTV's rotation, but the music is irresistible. … continue reading

Good news: 2007 is likely to be a "banner year in the world of female rap," according to a recent Reuters article. Eve, Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown, Trina, Shawnna and Remy Ma all have albums due out this year.

Last year wasn't so great — make that the last 16 years. Since 1991, only 13 female rappers have made the Nielsen SoundScan year-end charts. And in 2004, the Recording Academy decided there was no good reason to have a "best female rap artist" category, so they combined it with the male rap artist award. The problem seems to get worse every year, with labels failing to invest in new female rappers and tickets going unsold.

Shawnna (who, by the way, happens to be the daughter of Buddy Guy) has some advice for her would-be peers: … continue reading